Another brush with fame!!!

This time it doesn't involve either me or Anna, but I thought that I would post it all the same. I just got an email from my brother forwarding me the poster for the new play that his girlfriend - Louise - is in. Isn't that exciting, Louise is an actor and has done a bunch of stuff before and this is the latest thing she'll be in. I'm not sure what it is about (other than what the poster says) but it seems to feature some rather cute dogs so I'm sure I'd like it. I'm guessing that none of you will see it as it is being performed in the South of France, but I thought I'd share anyway. Good Luck Louise!! (Louise in on the right, with the awesome hat)

Two brushes with fame in less than 24 hours!!!!!

The last 24 hours has been very exciting and as the title suggested we have had quite the fun experiences! So first - and I have to say 'brushes with fame' is a little exaggerated as if you live outside of Utah you most probably have no idea of whom and what I am talking about anyway - we attended the Kenneth Cope album launch concert last night. He has just released a new CD and sang his whole new CD and a bunch of his older songs, and I have to say he was jolly good - I am quite the fan. It really impresses me when you go to a concert and the person sounds just as good live as on the CD, he is quite the talented chap. Anyways after the concert we got to meet him and have him sign our CD, now this was the funny part, neither myself or Anna are too talkative when meeting new people, therefore the conversation went like this:

Me - "Hi, we really enjoyed your show tonight - thank you"
Anna - Silent
Kenneth - "Thanks"
Me - I then give him the CD
Anna - Still silent
Kenneth - Big smile - but silent
Me - Silent
Anna - Silent some more
Kenneth - to Anna "you're sweet"
Me - Silent
Anna - "Thanks"
Kenneth - Silent
Me - "Well thanks - have a good evening"
Kenneth - "Thanks"

In short 'twas a little awkward but we got our CD signed and had a fun night out - on a weeknight too!

Then brush with fame number 2! - I just appeared on Studio 5 "Utah's hour-long show that focuses on improving the lives of others" on channel 5! I know how very exciting, I was there to do an interview about taxes and to encourage all of those last minute filers to get to a VITA site. I had quite the fun time, even though I was quite nervous. My segment was only a couple of minutes long but I think it went well - we'll see when we got home from work as we VCR'd it ( nothing like keeping up to date with technology). I was interviewed by Brooke (the co-host lady) and she said after we were done, and I am quoting here "you did really good, I am guessing you've been on TV before" and the answer is no (unless you count the Food Bank commercial where I am standing behind Siegfried and Jenson). Now I realize that she may just say this to everyone but I'll just pretend that I was just that awesome. All in all - I think it went very well and just went so fast, although I am nervous to watch it back as I'm sure it'll make me look about 400lbs. I'm not sure if I'll be able to post a clip but if I somehow get one I'll make sure to post it! Oh one last thing - they made a delicious Marmalade cake during the show and I got to eat some after we were all done- bonus!

Punaise, alors!

To preface this story, this is Anna here. If I didn't mention that, you'd probably be really confused after reading this. Just thought I'd title my post after my most favorite french curse (it's not really bad; it's like saying darn in english and actually means pushpin or thumbtack). After yesterday, sometimes you just need to let it all out, you know? I went in for a little "procedure" yesterday (a little more poking and prodding, really), and let me tell you, it hurt like &%*@ (insert your own favorite french swear here)! If the three people standing around my gurney hadn't been complete strangers, I probably would have been screaming as much as I do when Paul plucks my eyebrows. I'm sick and tired of doctors and waiting in their offices and their vague explanations and their utter lack of compassion. Actually, I'm sure they're compassionate enough, but I don't think they always realize that after having yet another miscarriage the last thing I want to do is sit around their office with 15 happy pregnant women getting ultrasounds and then having the doctor tell me what else could be wrong with me. I like what the comedian Brian Regan says about doctors having a "carte blanche" on insults--so true! They can tell you just about anything you really don't want to hear, then stick something very unpleasant somewhere, and then we thank them up and down and pay on the way out! And lately, it seems like since they can't quite figure out what's wrong (and I quote, "well, everything looks perfectly normal to me"), the easiest thing for them to do is pawn me off on some other unsuspecting doctor. In the last year, I think Paul and I have been to enough doctors to last us the rest of our lives. I'm pretty sure I have enough knowledge now to be some kind of fertility expert or counselor. Although, no one would ever pay me since it hasn't ever worked for me personally. So, if you ever want to know about ovulation, the fertility awareness method, basal body temperatures, luteal phase defect, IVF with ICSI, IUI, ART, the fertility diet, the EAGeR study, sonohysterograms, hypersalpopingograms (say that five times fast!), karyotyping...the list goes on...I will tell you everything I know until you're bored out of your mind! And that list only included Anna tests. Paul has had his share, but I will spare him and everyone else those details. Funny thing is, a year ago I would have been embarrassed to tell anyone except close family what was going on. I was embarrassed asking my parents for a generous donation to give IVF a whirl. And yet, I don't even care now. Don't get me wrong, it's still very painful for me. Paul and I have our bad days. Maybe telling people and explaining exactly how I'm feeling is the way to deal with it, however humiliating it may be. On that note, I wish all of my friends health, happiness, and fertility!

Georgie is so sweet

It was birthday the other week and I have been meaning to post the following picture since then but kept forgetting. So here it is, I am now the proud owner of a very stylish shirt featuring the very cute Georgie Leggett - apparently Georgie picked it out all by herself and, with a little help from Costco, I am now the most fashionable chap on the block.

Happy Easter

Just a quick post today - I thought I would share some pictures from our lovely and relaxing Easter weekend! We had a nice time hanging out with Anna's family and eating lots of scrumptious food. So the pictures, the first, clearly, is of Anna and I, the second is of the Bread Bunny Anna's Mom made and the last is of the ever adorable Edison - decked out is his easter romper. (for some reason the resolution on these pictures isn't very good and when you try and make them larger they just blur up - I blame Alison and her poor photography skills - j/k)

A trip down memory lane...

So today at work is quite the slow day for me and as such I have spent a little too much time on the internet just looking up stuff and boy am I glad I did! I found a website that is dedicated to my high school - Trinity Upper School (in Northampton) - and did I find some gems! Anyway I thought I would share them on here as they have certainly given me a little chuckle this morning and I'm sure when you see them to you'll be entertained as well. So here goes....

So those first few photos are of the "Year 9 intake" (meaning the new students that year), not quite sure why there are only a few people in these pictures, but I hope you all enjoy my rather large hair (this was 1990), my great posing skills and my skinny tie.



(I even remember everyone's names - almost- back row - l-r can't rememeber her, Paul Passmore, Eve Slattery, Second row - l-r Me, Abdul Tahid, Ian Wake, Third Row - l-r Sarah/Sharon Karlj (twins - I think it's Sarah), Claire Hughes and Front - Sapna Patel!)

This next picture seems to be cut out of a newspaper and talks about the "American style high-school prom" that we held to end the school year in 1993 (you'll note that it was 'serious business with a buffet and disco'!!!!). To think even back then I was trying to be American.

l-r - Alison Beech, Liz Artner, Jon Pell, Me, Paul Passmore, Stephen Pell, Byron Spence, Sarah Monaghan, Fiona Bell. Front - Mr Hart, Penny Buss, Miss Wilden - Wow I have a good memory!

These last two pictures don't feature me very prominently at all - but I am in them. Anyways these are the pictures from the 6th form fashion show that was held. The first picture is a girl called Claire Hughes (who I didn't like very much) and the second is one of my friends (at the time) Trevor Wilcox and a girl called Gaynor Wareing - who, if memory serves me correctly, are modelling to "Whatta Man" by Salt 'n' Pepa! Too funny!

Big Edi

Here are some recent pictures of Edison, who is quite the healthy young lad and is growing at a rate of 200% per day. OK, so that rate could be an exaggeration, but let's just say for now that Edison is very very healthy. The little Darren-clone is adorable and happy, as you can tell. Pretty much I just steal pictures of him from my sister's blog, so we can show the rest of the world just how darn cute he is. For the record, Paul and I bought him that awesome hoodie he's wearing.