The Blogging Idiot Needs Blogging Help!!

OK- I finally figured out how to not have every post in creation all on the same page, but I can't figure out how all of you got that nice little 'older posts' link. Someone PLEASE throw a digi-bone to this poor computer-illiterate blogging wannabe!

There's One in Every Bunch

OK- I must begin with a formal apology to my one and only faithful reader. I am sorry for my blogging lameness as of late! After leaving work, it has been harder for me to find time for this kind of nonsence. I think we have a good schedule going now though- so I should be able to fulfill your mandatory weekly update request.

On Monday Ross finally got to see what he has been waiting for since I was pregnant with Emma. He was finally able to witness a real-live ultrasound that lasted more than 2 minutes. It was really quite fun. It is not good that we had to wait until I was 29 weeks along to do this- but things are finally all in order, and we can pretend like we are a normal couple with normal coverage for the next 10 weeks. Everything looks good- we are right on schedule.

Now that all that boring stuff is out of the way, let me preface the real reason for this post by saying that 2 of my biggest pet-peeves in life are people who are rude to receptionists, and receptionists who are rude to other people. Now, let me also say that these were things that bothered me greatly before I ever became a receptionist. The last seven months as a receptionist have only served to prove to me the justice of choosing those things as pet-peeves. I had my fair share of people being awfully rude to me because someone else in the company had upset them in some way. It is never fair to make a poor little secretary pay for the misdeeds of someone else in the company! That being said- it is even more inappropriate for receptionists to be rude to clients and customers that call or come to their area. It is the job of secretaries to be the face of an establishment. They are first thing a client hears or sees, and as such, should be obliging and welcoming and ready to go out of their way, and their game of computer solitaire to help said client. The other reason that it is so important for a receptionist to be warm and endearing- or at least one or two levels above rude and dispelling- is that (and remember this is coming from a girl who was told by no less than 4 people when putting in her notice that she was "The most kind and professional receptionist this company has seen in at least 5 years!" and who accomplished that feat while spending no less than 2 hours a day surfing the internet and reading), the job is not that hard. It is fairly easy and mundane. Honestly- if you can't handle the stress of a job whose main requirement is to be nice and transfer calls in an accuarate and appealing manner- then a job as a secretary is probably the wrong fit for you!

OK- the reason for that outburst lies in the fact that we were very badly treated by one receptionist at my doctor's office. My CNM had planned for an ultrasound and a glucose test (yuck) for the same day. She did this because after drinking the orange sugar drink of doom, I have to wait an hour before they can draw my blood and get the glucose results back. Heather (my awesome CNM) decided to have me take the drink, get my ultrasound in the hour wait, and then get my blood drawn and have an appointment. Because I am having another C-Section, Heather, as a CNM, wont be able to perform the actual surgery- but she will be there as an assisting nurse, and she will most likely be the one to sew me up. She decided to have me do this one appointment with the doctor who will be doing the actual delivery so that we could get somewhat accquainted with each other before he cuts me open. Ross and I thought this was a great plan, and were happy to do as she had directed.

When we showed up at the desk, Nasty Old Secretary Lady took my name and said that my appointment wasn't until 10:40 and that, "We aren't going to let you in early just because you came early." I explained what was happening, and showed her my little ticket thing telling us when our appointment was. She then said, "Well, we don't do ultrasounds here- we send you over to the hospital most of the time- we only do them here on Mondays." I tried to stay nice as I reminded her that it was Monday, but I would be happy to go over to the hospital if that was where I was really supposed to go- I just didn't want to walk all the way over there when I was fairly certain I was supposed to get it done there. Finally another secretary stepped in and offered to call over to the hospital so that I didn't have to waddle myself on over there and then back if Nasty was wrong. As she was dialing, she looked up the office ultrsound schedule on the computer of Mrs. Lady, and found that there was indeed a 9:30 appointment for A. Goodman. She hung up the phone before the hospital answered, apologized for the misunderstanding, and went to get my orange vomit inducing fluid of death. When she came back with said muck she told me to drink it in the next 5 minutes wihtout throwing it up and to let her know when I was finished, and that in the mean time, she would let the radiology lady know that I was there. She apologized again for the mix-up and said that, "Whoever was in charge of placing all the appointment files up here must have just left one out last night." Nasty Old Lady replied to her that she had been the culprit but added on to the end, "They shouldn't have me do it any more if I keep messing it up like that."

After I choked the orange goo of glucoseness down 3 minutes later, I took the bottle up to the desk to let them know I was finished. Lucky for me- the only secretary not busy with other tasks was my good friend Nasty Old Secretary Lady. I let her know I was done and ready for the ultrasound. She said "Well, your appointment was for 9:30 and now it is 9:41- promptness is really important here- we are very busy. I'll see if she can still fit you in" and then walked off in a huff. I was a little put out with that little lecture since I had gotten there 5 minutes early only to be harassed by her for something that she later admitted to be her fault. If I had followed her freindly advice, I would have still been walking around the hospital begging someone to take a picture of my baby!

Now, cut to the end of my fantastic appointment (that part is not sarcastic- it really was fun to see her in there!) As we were leaving, Dr. Baxter told us to make an appointment for 3 weeks later. I stepped up to Mrs. Nasty (who we saw playing solitaire) to make the return appointment. She asked when, and then said, "OK- Dr. Baxter has an opening for 10:00 on the. . ." but I cut her off and told her I was seeing Heather. Nasty asked why I had seen Baxter that day, and I explained that I was having a C-section and Heather had wanted me to meet Dr. Baxter once before the day. Nasty then said "Well, you aren't allowed to see two doctors at the same time, and you can't just get a c-section because you are afraid of labor." I was shocked- she was being condescending and rude and way too personal and grumpy for someone who was currently busy with a solitaire game. While saying in my head, "Listen you old hag- first of all I am not afraid of labor- I actually have some medical reasons for having a C-Section. I had a C-section with my first baby (also for medical reasons) which makes for some inherent risks in natural delivery the next time around, my baby is breech, and my cervix is small enough that any delivery I do try has an 80% chance of resorting to a massive epesiotomy or an emergency C-Section after hours of hard delivery. Second of all- yes- I CAN have a c-section even if I didn't have a medical reason to- it is my body and my baby and my choice!!!", I said in person, "Well, I would like to continue seeing Heather until the delivery date, and she knows this. She and Dr. Baxter have things all arranged. When is a good time to meet with Heather in 3 weeks?" Nasty responded, "I have been instructed not to let patients see any doctor they want just to get a more convenient appointment. You have to choose one." I said, "I have- please set an appointment with Heather." She did so- rather grudgingly, and we were on our way.

We spent the whole walk to the car talking about how astounded we were at her behavior when we realized that we had left Emma's bottle in the examination room where they drew my blood. Ross ran back in to get it while I got Emma all strapped up in her seat. He came back just laughing and shaking his head. Apparently, when he asked Nasty Lady to get the bottle from exam room 10 (the door was locked from the outside, or he would have just run back himself) she said that she would go and try to find it as soon as she was finished with what she was working on (her solitaire game) and then pretended to answer the phone that hadn't rung. Ross said he knew there was no one there because not only had it not rung, but she answered with, "Hello." when every other time the phone was answered (Nasty Old Secretary Lady included) they said, "Orem Community Obstetrics, how can I help you." One of the other pleasant secretaries then stepped up, asked which room, and came back with it in about 30 seconds.

Whatever happened to customer service?
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OK- a little update is needed here. Today I got a voicemail on my phone from my doctor's office asking me to call them back as soon as possible. I assumed that it had something to do with my glucose test since I had problems with gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Emma. When I called them back I was surprised to find that Laurie- one of the nurses at the office, was calling to apologize for the bad treatment I had received from Nasty Old Secretary Lady. I was a little surprised at this because although I had considered reporting her, I had not actually done it yet. Laurie told me that she had been turned in by two of the other secretaries. Laurie apologized profusely, and made sure that I knew this was not acceptable behavior for anyone in that office. She also wanted me to confirm the name of dear old Nasty so that the complaints from her co-workers could be confirmed by the party involved. This was the only way for Nasty to be confronted by management and for her actions to be corrected. I was happy to do so. Then, as a thank-you for my cooperation, and as a peace offering for how we had been treated, she said that she was putting 2 movie tickets in my file for us to enjoy as a couple before the baby is born. I just wantd everyone to know that I really like my doctor's office, and I was really happy to know that this kind of behavior was not appalling to only me. My faith is entirely restored in that office, and I would be more than happy to refer any of my friends there.

Tag- I'm IT

Four Places I've Lived
Orem, UT
Honolulu, HI
Reno, NV
Rexburg, ID
Four Jobs I've Had
Art Model
EFY Counselor
Elementary Special Education Teacher
Receptionist
Four Things I Want to Do Before Death
Own a home
Go on a mission
Visit Europe with Ross
Become a phlebotomist- or perhaps even a nurse
Four Favorite Desserts
Chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips
Pies- pumpkin, pecan, or any kind of pudding pie
Fresh peaches and homemade ice cream
Chocolate Peanutbutter ice cream from Baskin Robins
Four Interesting Facts (luckily this did not specify that the interesting facts had to be about me. If this makes you think I am cheating- look at the post below and see 101 semi-interesting facts about me.)
There are twice as many kangaroos in Australia as there are people. The kangaroo population is estimated at about 40 million.
A skunk's smell can be detected by a human a mile away.
Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump, even though they are the only animal with 4 knees.
Police dogs are trained to react to commands in a foreign language; commonly German but more recently Hungarian.
(Seriously- Emma and I watch A LOT of Animal Planet!)
Four Favorite Movies
Sleeping Beauty
Pride and Prejudice
The Ocean's Trilogy (I know that is 3 movies- but you can't split them up! George would cry.)
The Princess Bride

101 Amandaisms (thanks for the time-killing idea Britt! You Rock!!)

1. My name is Amanda Kay Jones Goodman.

2. I have NEVER gone to a school that did not have another Amanda Jones. Amanda Jones is the most common combined name in the United States, closley followed by Ashley Olsen and Brittney Andrews.

3. I have spent hours agonizing over the names I want for my kids. I started thinking about that the first time I got a failing report card that belonged to another Amanda Jones in junior high. I want them to have unique names that have special meaning to me and to them.

4. I have red curly hair.

5. I spent years claiming that I have auburn hair- and not red. I don't know why- it was a very touchy subject with me. Since then I have calmed down a little and am OK with the truth of my redness.

6. I HATE that my hair is curly. I truly did not feel very pretty until my best friend's sister introduced me to the wonder that is a hair straightener. This tiny object has really made me feel so much better about myself.

7. I do not like to get ready- for anything. I take pride in my ability to get ready in a very short amount of time. My morning routine is now as follows: My alarm goes off at 7:00 and I hit snooze. At 7:09 I hit snooze one more time and spend the next 9 minutes deciding what I am going to wear. At 7:18 I get up and put on the outfit I decided on in the previous 9 minutes, and quickly do my business, brush my hair and teeth, and jump back in bed- hopefully before the alarm goes off again at 7:27. I then hit snooze again, and rest my busy self until it goes off again at 7:36. At this point I hit the actual off button and force Ross into a sitting position so that we can have a morning prayer, and he can mumble that he loves me before he falls back asleep. I then grab something to munch on for breakfast in the car and get to work around 7:52. This leaves me with 8 minutes to do my make-up before business hours start.

8. I have very pretty nails. I don't know why- but my nails have always been very long and strong. I have long nailbeds, and I have never had the bad habit of biting them. I really love when people ask me where I got them done, because most of the time I don't even have nail-polish on them.

9. I am very shy- sometimes painfully so.

10. I have some OCD tendencies- and they can get pretty severe at times.

11. I am GREAT at organizing, and I have an unnatrual love for filing.

12. I have never dated a guy that was younger than me. The yougest guy I ever dated was exactly one week older than me.

13. I love to read. I would rather read than most anything else- eating included sometimes.

14. I do not love TV. There are a few shows that I get a great deal of enjoyment out of, but I now have most of those on DVD, so now I don't have to sit through commercials anymore.

15. I married a man who LOVES TV.

16. Sometimes our idea of a good night is Ross and I cuddling in front of the TV while I read a book and glance up often enough to know the story line of what he is watching.

17. I love water. I drink more water a day than pretty much anyone I know.

18. Even though I go through MASSIVE amounts of water every day, I get told at every doctors appointment I go to that I am dehydrated.

19. I want to be a phlebotomist- you know, one of those vampire ladies that draws blood and runs tests on it.

20. I discovered my desire for #19 while I was giving plasma for money in college. There was a guy there taking my blood that was on a dance team of mine- and I KNEW that I was smarter than him.

21. I am the odd one out in my family. Not necessarily in a bad way though. I love them, and they love me- but I have always been very different from them. I look different, dress different, and think differently from all of them.

22. Aside from being so different from them, I feel like I am fairly close to my family. I think they are closer to each other than they are to me, and that has been a sore spot with me for a while- but when I look at some of the other dysfunctional familes around me, I think mine isn't too bad.

23. I am pregnant with my second girl.

24. Even though I am pregnant, I find myself being EXTREMELY sensitive to comments on my weight. Some people think it is funny to say things like, "Are you putting on a little weight?", or "Hey there Big Stuff." It is not funny- it makes me cry.

25. I love kittens. I tolerate cats- but I love kittens. OK- I more than tolerate cats, I actually like them quite a bit, but if there were a breed of cat that stayed small like a kitten, I would buy a few dozen of them.

26. I have been without insurance for almost 2 years now.

27. My favorite outfit to wear is jeans and a white t-shirt. I always feel cute when I wear jeans and a white t-shirt.

28. One of my greatest ambitions in life is to own a house.

29. It doesn't bother me much when girls flirt with Ross (and that does happen quite often). I actually take it as a compliment.

30. I hate opening metal soda cans. I am always afraid that I am going to get cut. I don't know why. I can't remember ever being cut by one, or ever seeing anyone else get cut by one.

31. I am terribly afraid of spiders! I hate them!

32. I have some of the most crazy vivd dreams of anyone I know. There are times when I sleep all night, but I wake up exhausted because the dreams I had made the sleep very restless.

33. I love to kiss. Kissing is honestly one of my favorite things to do. I would even put down a good book to engage in some good kissing.

34. I used to play the flute. I say used to not because I got hit on the head and suddenly forgot how to- but because it is rare for me to ever pull it out and use it now.

35. I was just given a very nice piano for an early Christmas present, and I am THRILLED about it. I am hoping that having a piano of my own will motivate me to learn how to do more on it than play the 5 hymns I know.

36. I LOVE piano music. I could listen to piano music all day and not get tired of it. Some days I actually do listen to piano music all day- especially Jon Schmidt.

37. I am eating a particularly wonderful burrito from Costa Vida right now.

38. I am enjoying this lovely burrito because my best friend Carrie is pretty much one of the sweetest people I know. She really is one of my favorite people on this planet, and I feel so blessed to have her in my life.

39. I have never had a professional manicure, pedicure or massage- EVER.

40. If anyone is looking for an appropriate present to give me for Christmas, baby day, or for any other reason you can find to get me something- take a look at #39, and know that I do not care to have that particular statistic remain that way.

41. I am short- 5 foot, 1 1/2 inches.

42. Few people ever realize just how short I am. This is because I wear lots of tall shoes, and I have very good posture. There have been lots of times when people who have known me for years stand next to me and realize for the first time just how short I am.

43. I have very short legs. I know this sounds redundant after #41- but honestly, my proportions are really messed up. I have an abnormally long torso, and tiny little midget legs. When I am sitting I am a normal height. When I stand up, I am shorter than most people around me.

44. There is a weird dent in my left shin. It really is weird- there is not a lot of muscle in one particular spot. It just goes straight to the bone.

45. I love Disney movies- the animated ones. The other ones can get kind of cheesy- but the animated ones rock my world! I even play the sound tracks in my car when I am feeling a little low.

46. The Little Mermaid soundtrack is in my car right now- I was listening to it on the way to work to get me ready for the long day.

47. My love language is Words of Affirmation. This pretty much means that the best way to tell me how wonderful I am, is to tell me how wonderful I am :) No- honestly, I love being told that I am loved, and it means the world to me when someone thanks me. I would rather get a heart-felt thank-you note than a present.

48. Ross is not very good at speaking my love language. We have really had to work through our different ways of communication. (his is gifts)

49. I really enjoy being alone. Not for too long mind you- I get nervous and jumpy when I am alone for too long.

50. I am very very ticklish.

51. Somehow I hid from Ross just how ticklish I am until about two weeks ago.

52. I love to sing. One of my favorite things to do is blast broadway musicals on my CD player and sing along to them. I also like to sing all the different harmonies for hymns at church.

53. I am a terrible singer.

54. I like to cry. I find it very thereputic to let my emotions (pretty much any of them- happy, sad, angry, confused, etc.) out through tears.

55. 5 is my favorite number. I always organize things in stacks of 5- or some other number that is divisible by 5. It really irritates me when the numbers come out in some other way.

56. I do not like to cry in front of other people. This means that my crying episodes are usually limited to under a blanket, in the shower, or while I am driving.

57. I do some of my deepest praying while I am in the shower. I have seriously had some of my most spiritual moments, and the best personal revelations while in the shower.

58. My favorite color is red.

59. My favorite song is Lady in Red.

60. I look terrible in most reds.

61. I really enjoy using staplers and shredding machines.

62. I am a very prompt person. I get physically ill when I am late for things, especially when I know I am making someone else wait for me.

63. It doesn't really bother me when other people are late, unless their tardiness is making me late for something.

64. I just gave my two weeks notice to my job because I have ANOTHER bladder infection. They said it could be attributed to stress, and suggested me finding a way to get some extra sleep. Also- Ross just took on a third job and will start that in 2 weeks.

65. I like flowers. Ross has learned that it is very hard for me to stay mad at someone who has just given me flowers. This also absolves him of trying to form the words for what he is trying to say as this can be very hard for him to do.

66. I do NOT like the number 6.

67. I don't have very many friends- I think this is mostly because of my shyness, but also because being in large groups- even groups of people whom I enjoy- is very restricting and uncomfortable for me. The few friends I do have are VERY close to me.

68. I love games. Board games, are the best, but I like games in any variety.

69. I can be very competitive when I play games. I am not trying to brag- but it is a verifiable truth that there are very few games that I do not win almost any time I play them. Some members of my family refuse to play games with me EVER unless they are on my team. This means that as much as I love games, I usually don't get to play them that often.

70. My daughter Emma is the cutest little girl on the face of the Earth!!! I think she is so smart and sweet and is the best darn snuggler EVER. I am putting this on a list about me because my life pretty much revolves around her now.

71. I am 6 months pregnant with my second daughter right now, and I FINALLY broke down and bought a pair of maternity jeans yesterday.

72. I am married to a wonderful and funny man who loves me- but we are pretty much polar opposites in every way except for our sense of humor.

73. I still dress up for Halloween every year even when I don't have a party to go to.

74. I LOVE school. Well, not so much school as learning I guess. I love to learn- thus my love for reading.

75. I think my aversion to television is something that I passed on to Emma. She will not sit through any kind of children's program on TV. She will, however, watch full documentaries about any animal- and I mean ANY animal!!

76. I know all there is to know about skunks now. :)

77. I have a very . . . dirty sense of humor. I wish I didn't. . . sometimes! This was partly why Ross and I got to be such good friends. He is one of the few people who doesn't make me feel like a bad person for having a mind that likes to wander down to the gutter every now and then.

78. I hate bad breath.

79. I brush my teeth about 4 times a day to avoid having bad breath. I also carry gum and mints with me pretty much every where I go.

80. My husband owns more clothes than I do.

81. I collect Nativity scenes. I started this back in junior high, and I now have over 100 of them. I love getting new and unique ones, and I buy them all year round. There are a couple that I actually have on display all year round.

82. The Nativity story is my favorite from the bible. I see so many paralells and symbolism in it. It is beautiful and I love it.

83. I hate the sound of balloons popping.

84. I love burning candles in my house. They don't even have to smell nice- although those are the best kind. I think candles make for a good atmosphere.

85. I love to shop for and buy new shoes.

86. I have abnormally small feet, and there have been times when shopping for shoes that I have found shoes in my size that feature little kid cartoon characters on them.

87. I own a lot of different shoes- but I almost exclusively wear the black flip-flops that I bought for a dollar at DI.

88. I am one of the best baragin shoppers you will ever come across.

89. I love to star gaze. One of my favorite things to do at night is lay snuggled on a blanket watching the stars. Meteor showers pretty much rock my world!

90. Ross and I met in an astronomy class, but we didn't ever star gaze until we got married.

91. I LOVE to make to-do lists. Sometimes if I do something that is not on my to-do list, I will add it just so that I can cross it off. The down side of these lists is that I will literally lose sleep over not being able to accomplish one of the items on the list.

92. I really love Christmas music, and it makes me giddy inside that there are 2 stations here in Orem that started playing Christmas music the day after Halloween.

93. There is one black hair on my chin that I have to pluck out every two weeks or so.

94. I like working. I never had a space of unemployment from the time I was 14 until the time I had Emma. It was really hard for me to stay home that first year of Emma's life. I am having a hard time thinking about the fact that I only have a week and a half left before I am back to being home all the time again.

95. I do not cope well with silence. I always have to have some kind of noise in the background. That noise is usually a CD- but sometimes it can be a movie or TV show.

96. I love fall colors. Looking at the leaves in the Fall always makes me very happy.

97. I am obsessed with family pictures. My family never did family pictures, and that always bothered me. Emma will hopefully have so many pictures of her and us as a family that she will complain about having too many. The sad thing is that Ross does not like to have to pay for any pictures- so unless I can get an AMAZING deal at a studio, I usually have to rely on the mercies of friends and family.

98. I love to do surveys. Usually my survey taking is limited to the ones that I get paid for- but when those are not in demand- I will take whatever I can get. That is kind of why I am doing this right now.

99. I really hate going to stores and not being able to find the price of the items I want.

100. My grandma told me once that when your nose itches it means someone is thinking about you. I have always believed this, and even now when my nose itches I wonder who is thinking about me, and I hope that they are nice thoughts.

101. It was really hard for me to come up with all of these, and I am wondering if that means I am boring. I have a fear of being a boring person.

My little sister Heather was kind enough to take some time out of her crazy schedule to come and take some family pictures for us before all the pretty fall leaves dissappeared. She got some really cute shots, and we are very grateful for her willingness to put up with Emma's craziness and my pickiness.

It took a while for Emma to warm up to the whole picture idea. It's a good thing Aunt Dana was there to cheer her up.

She did love the leaves though!

More Riverwoods Pictures

Ross can be such a ham!!

But I like him anyways.

This is a nice shot of my giant pregnant belly!

Family Pictures at the Riverwoods

These are some pictures from our visit to the petting zoo at Thanksgiving Point. We had a lot of fun introducing Emma to the real versions of all the animals she loves reading about in books and watching on animal planet.

Unfortunately, she tried to steal one of the bunnies and was placed in prison. At first she thought it was a blast and enjoyed her time as a rebel. . .

but then she realized the severity of her crime and found some remorse.

After she was released we went to celebrate at the local saloon and dance hall.

Emma and this turkey had a long and meaningful conversation.

Emma also got to have her very first pony ride!

Sorry Brittany, I don't like the cows- even the baby versions- as much as you do.

My Kitty

No- Ross did not let me get a kitten. . . yet. However, we have a neighbor who has a kitten who has grown to love us more than he loves his family- especially me. I believe this is mostly because little Mischief (that is our name for him- I think his real name is Jerry- but that is lame and totally unfitting of our little ball of energy!) has to share his apartment with a little rat dog that is smaller than him. Anyway- this cat loves us! He will wait outside our door for us to come and play, and used to jump in through our windows when we left them open in the summer. He once follwed me all the way around the block when I took Emma for a night-time stroll to try and get her to sleep. When our car is gone, he will lay in the sun by our spot waiting for us to get back. He is such a sweet little thing, and he is so fun and patient with Emma. I love this cat! I still want one of my own- but having Mischief around does ease that pang a little.