"For Sail"----uh, not during Shark Week

Paul and I were at lunch and a car with this sign was parked next to us:

I should have taken a picture of the whole car--I did check it out to see if it was outfitted for the open water like the 007 car-

Sadly, I didn't end up pursuing the purchase of this automobile due to my intense fear of deep open water and sharks.  This week is my favorite time of the year--Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.  For some inexplicable reason, I like to intensify my fear by watching horrifying shark attacks and feeding frenzies.  My friend Noelle got me this shirt for my birthday this year-I think I should wear it all week:)

Yeah…give me that guy's number-sounds like a good idea????

I have been looking for a company to come give us estimates on repair for our flagstone patio/walkways.  I have sent several emails to various places and this is (word for word) one of the emails I got in reply.




I have retired   Still on google cause got 2 year.  Off subject have the complete Wight history. Scottish ,English. To current like which branch. School etc. 1638 Thomas wight arrived in Plymouth. 11 generations later me David Wight. My Dad  and granny where instrumental.  My grand daughter is Annalise shortened to Alise Wight Nelson. My Dad would go to the Wight family reunion   spelled w I g h t   a favorite joke.   Flagstone is labor intensive. Quality and price is all over place. Salt and freezing. Last year was bad. Masons are who want as opposed handi man,most landscapers.  Matching is primary and basic. Was cement used or mortar. Mortar is 2 parts lime and way off. Cement is important to clean off same day with water and sponge. If stone moves reset after removing old cement. Cracked cement. Grind or chisel then replace. My success as contractor. Is state the out come. Some time. Flagstone is loose. A problem other times is only cracked. Different amounts of work. I was thorough so more expense at times. The old adage you get what you pay for. Calisto a worker. Now on own. 20 years with. Is honest and good at repairs but I yelled  at him a lot.  Glad I'm retired. I'll give # if like. It's the Wight name an all.


***First of all, what are the odds this guy's name is Wight?  I really liked the part about "spelled w i g h t   a favorite joke"  we always have to spell it slowly for people so they don't  spell it Wright, but usually we do it like this--" w i    then pause until they write that---then   g h t."  I'm sure I'll be asking him for the phone number for "Calisto" (who is also probably glad that Mr. Wight retired) what with that ringing endorsement---but he'd be doing us a favor, you know us having the Wight name an all.***

Happy Birthday…(only if you give blood)

I like to donate blood--well, as much as anyone can "like" it I guess-but I do it regularly because I have the universal blood type (O+) which everyone can use, so they call me/email me/send me reminders in the mail, etc. all the time.  So today for my birthday I got this email and I thought, oh..how nice of them to send this-until I got to the bottom.

Well….I guess if I can't give blood they just un-wished me a Happy Birthday:(

Hi ANISE WIGHT, We want to take this time to wish you a very Happy Birthday!  Thank you for all you do for Inova Blood Donor Services and the community. Enjoy your birthday! Your friends at Inova Blood Services If you are not eligible to donate blood, please disregard this message.

"BATSQUATCH" coming (hopefully) to a theater near you

I think most people know that I have a fascination (like, mostly just amazed people believe it) with Sasquatch/Bigfoot. However, apparently there’s a creature out there that I just became aware of this very evening…

I was channel surfing and came across the show “Paranormal State”  I have never actually seen this show and thought it had to do with ghosts-which maybe I should have been watching considering the “ghost activity” we’ve been having lately.  The episode didn’t concern ghosts…it concerned UFOs. I was intrigued-however, it went downhill pretty fast. What started as an episode about UFOs outside this ranch where people go to watch them took a horrific turn as the team headed into the woods at night to get their investigation on, and one of the locals began to tell them that something lurked in those woods: Batsquatch.

At the time I was answering a text on my phone, but as I heard the word “…quatch” uttered my interest shot back to the television to see how Sasquatch was brought into this. Then I thought I heard the guy say “Batsquatch” and I didn’t think I heard it right. That’s when the guy revealed a picture he drew of what he believed lived in the woods, and at that point I nearly lost it. This is the image the guy on the show claimed he saw (I actually got if off their website):

That’s right, Batsquatch appears to have the typical Sasquatch body, but with some wings and bat ears. I was in shock, trying to comprehend what I was seeing on TV.

I also found records on cryptozoology sites.  And of course, if that’s not proof enough, you can hear about it straight from the…uh…batsquatch’s mouth at his official site.

I have to say, I was surprised with what I found. Seeing as how I had never heard of it before, I didn’t think I’d find so much random information on the internet, but I did. However, I was sad to see that Batsquatch does not have a Wikipedia page. Maybe I’ll have to go ahead and fix that…

So not only is the name ridiculous, but so is the appearance. It does seem that most reports claim it has either a blue or purple-ish hair covering the body, but as you can see there are several different descriptions of the basic appearance. In some it looks like some kind of bat monster, in others it looks more like a prehistoric flying dinosaur.

I think I just prefer good ol' run of the mill Bigfoot.  The one in our woods seems to be a little more civilized:)

Snakes…why'd it have to be snakes

This information is for all of you ophidiophobians out there.  Live in fear no longer, for the Cebu City Zoo in the Philippines has a cure!  Yes, you guessed it…..snake massage.  Overcome your nightmares with a 15 minute massage from a pack of pythons.  Sounds too good to be true, right?  What if something goes wrong?  Don't worry--zookeepers are on hand just in case.  I'm not horribly scared of snakes…maybe I would touch one briefly or something, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to be that cozy with a mess of snakes.  I wonder if the zookeepers use a gas can and torch if things get crazy….

Scientific Institute welcomes nearly 18,000 new species

Well, another year of new discoveries has gone by and apparently the Sasquatch did not make the list of top 10 best newly identified species.  Yes, poor Bigfoot was noticeably absent from the winners--which consisted of things like the Zospeum Tholossum (domed land snail), the Skeleton Shrimp, and the "Tinkerbell Fairyfly."

Just because a species possesses a "mythologically challenged" nature and, so far, cannot claim a "factually substantiated" status does not mean it does not exist.  And they call themselves scientists?  Now really, who could doubt the vehement ramblings of say, a group of inebriated outdoorsmen who "saw something big and hairy" in the woods?  Or maybe some kids who were sure they heard "a loud howling noise" at night?  Actually, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I experienced both of those things at Girl's Camp.  I won't go into details, but I believe there were stolen gorilla suits and duck calls involved.

Oh, well.  Better luck next year.  Or maybe Bigfoot's on the list, but further down--like number 15,000 or something.  I guess I should examine these findings further.

Pope would baptize Martians….if they asked

In a homily delivered Monday, Pope Francis said he'd baptize Martians if they showed up at the Vatican demanding to be baptized.  He was trying to illustrate the point that everyone has the right to receive the Holy Spirit-even aliens from faraway planets.

"If tomorrow, for example, an expedition of Martians arrives and some of them come to us…and if one of them says:  'Me, I want to be baptized!', what would happen?"  the pontiff said according to AFP.

He defined these hypothetical beings as "green men, with a long nose and big ears, like children draw."  For extra emphasis, he added, "Who are we to close doors?"


**Oh, my…I'm wondering if someone asked him this question, or if he came up with this scenario himself?  I actually really like this Pope from what I've seen and read…so this is totally funny to me;)  I also like how he said they wouldn't be forced into it.  Maybe the Catholics know a secret:  the untapped  resource of a universe full of aliens from faraway planets.  I should tell Leslea that if the missionary work is slow, just look for stray UFO's.  Is there a mission for Area 51?  Personally, I can't wait until hordes of Martians show up at the Vatican.**

Officer Goose……Mall Cop

Yesterday I went to the mall to get Juke some summer clothes and I saw this goose when I was going in.  There are some ponds near the mall that the geese are always around and they actually have "goose crosswalks" but I have never seen one right at the doors to the mall.  I thought maybe it was just confused and it would be gone by the time I came out, but no--I guess maybe it's a new shoplifting deterrent or something.  Geese mate for life and I wondered where this guy's partner was, so I looked around and sure enough, she was in the bushes.  Maybe she was on her break.

Clay Aiken winner due to…. deceased opponent--WHAT?

This story just gets weirder as it goes on.  When I first read that Clay Aiken was getting into politics I thought it was some kind of joke, but obviously not.  Now his opponent just died….what do you do in that situation?  Guess they probably won't be counting "hanging chads."

Ghost Update: Who you gonna call?---not these two:)

Well, after a few weeks of no ghost activity we came home from a walk the other day and Paul's computer was on again.  Maybe the ghost waits until we are gone and then starts surfing the net.  When we had dogs maybe they would have noticed weird things going on, but cats apparently don't care.  They have such a hard life--why make it harder chasing ghosts?

One day I'll probably open the refrigerator and get a big surprise--ZUUUULL…

Wight-water rafting

So this past week we have had LOTS of rain.  There have been severe storms in many areas of the country--luckily we didn't have the tornados/damaging winds that created problems in other places.  What we did have was 6.5 inches of rain in 2 days.  There are a lot of creeks and streams around us and while they usually look harmless, this is what they were like after the torrential downpours:

Anyway, things got back to normal and now the coating of pollen is back--these are not our cars, but the effect is the same.  I couldn't take a picture of our cars because the pollen in the air was too thick:)

"I Fell In Love in the Back of a Cop Car"

Yes, that's right…..oh! Keith Urban, how could you let this song out into the universe???  I have no words.  You've betrayed me:(  I heard this song while driving into Twin Falls, ID where I was helping my mom after her surgery.  (2 broken arms, plates & pins)  Crazy accident.  I always love seeing the FLAT fields with the big sprinklers.  We've lived back east for about 17 years now, but sometimes I still miss being able to see more than 10 feet around me because of the trees here.  I even miss the constant wind that whips across the sagebrush and carries away the elderly and small children.  My mom's friends don't go outside when it's windy because they're afraid they'll blow over.  You gotta have a healthy respect for the Idaho wind:)

As soon as I had made plans to go help my mom I knew I would be in Salt Lake so I emailed Leslea's Mission President and asked if I could run by and meet them.  When I flew in I went straight to Twin Falls because my mom's aunt that had been helping her was flying home the next morning.  So the only time I could meet them was on my way back from Twin Falls to Salt Lake to fly home.  I think I talked to her Mission President for about 10 minutes, but it was enough time to take a picture.  I didn't tell Leslea I was going out to help my mom, so I thought it would be funny to just email her the picture with no explanation.  So yesterday I happened to be at the computer when a bunch of emails came in from her.  This was our exchange:

Leslea:  wait...who are those people?!

Me:  I'm hurt…you don't even recognize me anymore :( 

Leslea:  WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE??  THE PICTURE IS TINY!

Me:  Sorry!  I thought you were kidding about not knowing me:)-- I'll try to send it bigger.

Leslea:  MOM?

Me:  Surprise!!

Leslea:  MOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!   WHHHHAAAATTTTTTTTT oh my goodness!  When did you meet them?!  Whoa!  Cool!  That picture made my day :) what did you talk about?

Me:  How awesome you are.  Sister Awesome, that is:)

Leslea:  Haha--good. I'll be looking forward to a long report in your email next monday then :) Love you!  

So, the 10 minutes with the Mission President was worth it:)  I still really miss her, but Mother's Day is coming up, so--Yay!

Sleep Donation? Sign me up!!

**From the author of the New York Times bestseller Swamplandia!, and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, an imaginative and haunting novella about an insomnia epidemic set in the near future.

A crisis has swept America.  Hundreds of thousands have lost the ability to sleep.  Enter the Slumber Corps, an organization that urges healthy dreamers to donate sleep to an insomniac.  Under the wealthy and enigmatic Storch brothers the Corps' reach has grown, with outposts in every major US city.

Sleep Donation explores a world facing the end of sleep as we know it, where "Night Worlds" offer black market remedies to the desperate and sleep deprived, and where even the act of making a gift is not as simple as it appears.**

Why didn't I think of this?  All these years of trying different things to cure insomnia and all I had to do was create a black market sleep ring.  I think I'll get started on that right away.  Anyone willing to donate sleep-let me know:)

(I think I'm going to buy this novella-get some good ideas.  Maybe there's also a "Sleep on the Black Market for Dummies" I can get on Amazon while I'm at it.)

Tiptoe through the….daffodils

I really hope we are done with snow…I don't want to jinx it and say we are done for sure, but it has been pretty warm (meaning more than 32 degrees) this week, so the flowers are starting to bloom-yay!  Bigfoot doesn't look happy but I assure you he is:)

Surgery may cause…..vegetarianism???

Let's start this post with a little backstory.  When I was younger I had a period of time where I really wanted to be a doctor or nurse-from when I was about 4-8 years old.  I think I was a doctor/nurse for Halloween a couple of times in that era.  Anyway, my mom wrote down this story:  One day while my mom was in the shower (I was about 4) the phone rang and I answered "Hello, this is nurse Nancy, do you need help?"  Luckily it was a good friend of the family and he played along and later told my mom.  Apparently I had done this a few times before when the phone rang and my mom was busy.  I'm not sure why I picked the name Nancy-maybe I saw it on TV or something.

Fast forward---a few weeks ago I had a surgery.  They had to do a few things beforehand, so a nurse came in to ask me some questions/take blood/start an IV--she said her name was Nancy.  I thought hmm-that's kind of funny.  So when I was out of recovery and back in the hospital room my nurse (a different one) came in and said, "Hi, I'm Nancy and I'll be the nurse helping you today."  I just about lost it even in my still drugged haze.  It was awesome.  

In the first week or two after I didn't really have much of an appetite and almost nothing sounded good. I have found that I now have some aversion to almost all meat.  Chicken still seems ok, but kind of iffy.  I have never had surgery before, but I guess this is some strange side effect, (probably just for me) which is fine--I have nothing against vegetarianism.  Juke has been a lifelong vegetarian (of his own choice) so I guess maybe I've joined him.  Below are some signs from my hospital room--notice the name of my nurse:)  Oh, and I had to get up and walk over to the door to take a picture of these signs--despite the "Fall Alert."  When nurse Nancy came in to get me up to walk around I didn't tell her I'd already been up and out of bed to take pictures-haha--but I didn't fall.

Now, another crazy medical moment--this one from my mom:

  On Sunday, March 30 she fell into a door in the garage and broke both of her arms.  Yes, both.  Her left arm is worse than the right.  Right now we're hoping she will not need surgery on the left arm, but she is going to the doctor today to find out.  Unfortunately, she will have casts on both arms for sure.

I have started a blog to send out information about her progress since she can't use a phone or email and there are tons of people calling/emailing and she just can't talk to everyone right now.  If anyone wants to keep up here is her blog:     joansbrokenarms.blogspot.com

Here we go...

Hello everyone-

Well, I had never done a blog until I started the one for Leslea's mission but I feel like I'm just putting random things about all of us in there so I decided to do one for the family (and no, this is not an April Fool's joke!)   People have been telling me they like keeping up on what we're doing so hopefully this blog will tell you all you need to know about our exciting life:)

So, we have been able to see some long, lost pictures from Paul's childhood and it's been awesome!  Here is my favorite picture of Paul so far and then a picture of Juke.  If Juke was a little younger in this picture it would be perfect:)  Notice any resemblance?  I think Paul perfected the "petulant pout" an an early age.

Here is a book that our friend (a lady Paul works with) gave me recently.  We had brunch at their house a while ago and of course Bigfoot came up-as it does in casual conversation-and I was telling them how I had been into the show "Finding Bigfoot" lately.  It's ridiculous and you should definitely watch it:)  They did a show in Pocatello, ID last year when Leslea was at BYUI and there was this college age guy in it.  I told Leslea to watch the show because maybe he was a student and she could look him up and they could bond over shared Bigfoot sightings.  Of course, the only sighting she has had was the one in our backyard, but that was probably about as real as anyone on that show has had.  "I believe there's a Squatch in our woods."

Now, on to the ghost in the house…over the last couple of weeks we have had strange things going on here.  Lights on when none were on when we left the house, Paul's computer just coming on when nobody is in his office…etc.  So, in the spirit of ridiculous TV shows, I think if this continues I will have to call the team from "Ghost Adventures."  Oh, by the way, Leslea and her friends used to watch this show (for fun they said, but later I got it out of them that they thought the guy in the middle was cute)

Or maybe I could track down the small lady from "Poltergeist"  if she's still alive, that is.  "THIS HOUSE IS CLEAN!"