Snuggies for the Homeless

The Thornbrue and The Hite Familes are working on a Christmas service
project this year. We are collecting money for the "Snuggies for the
Homeless" fund. We will use the funds to purchase Snuggies at a
discounted rate and distribute them among the homeless in Portland.
Help us keep people warm by giving a blanket with sleeves! Please
contact me if you would like to donate.

SWM 2009 - Day 20

Today is Halloween Dress-Up day at school.  I came as the floor of a movie theater.  I made the apron out of duct tape...sticky side out...and then stuck lots of movie things to it.  Here is the list of things on "the floor:"

• Twizzlers
• Hot Tamales
• Sour Patch Kids
• Raisinettes
• Popcorn
• Popcorn container
• Pepsi cup
• cup lid
• two straws
• two straw wrappers
• a ketchup packet
• Sugar Mama wrapper
• SweetTarts wrapper
• a MilkyWay wrapper
• a zoo ticket
• three movie ticket stubs
• a lemon Starburst wrapper
• a random piece of packaging I found on the floor in my classroom

Since the shoes weren't that pivotal to the success of the outfit, I chose some flip-flops. 

These come all the way from Costa Rica.  I bought them the day I got the worst sunburn of my life.  I was snorkeling on Tortuga Island without any sunblock...oops!  I bought them that night at a "surf shop" in Puntarenas for about four bucks.  They remind me of the flip-flops I wore as a child but mostly remind me of an amazing adventure in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

VEGAN!

Vegan: 12  Non-vegan: 8

SWM 2009 - Day 19

My heel was so sore that I couldn't wear anything that rubbed on it.  Luckily, these blue suede shoes fit the bill as well as being VERY stylish.

I wish that I wore these more often.  I bought them for very cheap at PaylessShoes years ago.  They are not awesomely comfortable, but aren't bad.  They are also faux leather so they increase the Vegan count!  I particularly like the setting of this picture; the leaves on all the trees are this color.  I absolutely adore the Fall!

Don't step on my blue suede shoes!

VEGAN!
Vegan:  11  Non-vegan:  8

SWM 2009 - Day 19

My torn up feet enjoyed the cushiness of some of my running shoes. 

I had the worst pedicure in the history of mankind last weekend.  I left with my foot bleeding in three places!!!  Anyhow, these Asics remind me of root beer floats.  Hmm...that sounds really good right now.

VEGAN!
Vegan: 10  Non-vegan: 8

SWM 2009 - Day 17

I had a moment of extreme nostalgia as I put on these Chuck Taylors. 

I wore low-top Converse nearly daily in my high school career.  First, they were forest green and then they were navy.  I actually wore holes into the soles necessitating a new shoes two times.

VEGAN!
Vegan: 9  Non-vegan: 8

SWM 2009 - Day 16

I stumbled across these while looking for black flats.  I put them on and the heavens opened with angels singing the joys of an uber comfy slipper of Italian leather.

These are Taryn Rose shoes.  They retail for $450, but I only paid $79!!!  (Thanks to you, Nordstrom Rack!)  I heart these!  I wore them nearly everyday last year while I taught seminary.  I am sad to see that these are starting to wear out.

These are so NOT vegan that there is barely a piece that isn't an animal biproduct.

NOT VEGAN!
Vegan: 8  Non-vegan: 8

SWM 2009 - Day 15

Who doesn't love a good pair of flip-flops?!?!? 

Unfortunately I decided to wear my Teva flips on the rainiest day of the year.  It was raining so hard this morning that I had my wipers on Super-Fast for most of my commute.  Luckily, it has dried out a little.  Look forward to the new toe color next week...providing I wear open-toed shoes next week.

VEGAN!
Vegan: 8  Non-vegan: 7

SWM 2009 - Day 14

 scored these for $6 and wondered if I would ever wear them. 

I wear these purple velvet ballet flats surprisingly often.  They are really comfortable and are also stylish.  Additionally the Vegan Count is now even due to the wearing of these gems.

VEGAN!
Vegan: 7 Non-vegan: 7

SWM 2009 - Day 13

My feet were swollen this morning from sitting at the Blazer game for three hours last night (Thanks Ethan for the ticket!!!)  So I needed some uber comfort on the toes!  These Keds are fantastic!  I scored them for $9 at Ross.  They were sized by men's sizes so I had to go down to a size 10 (in men's) for these bad boys.  I love the stars and many are jealous of these kicks.

VEGAN!
Vegan: 6  Non-vegan:  7

SWM 2009 - Day 12

I went to a Blazers game tonight.  The game was pretty horrid.  The refs were terrible.  I like could scream the whole game.  To make it worse, in the second half a fellow sat down in front of me who did not conform to the societal rules of personal hygiene.  On top of that, he mixed his personal aura with remnants of weed and cheap beer.  I had to put some Burt's Bees under my nose so I could breath without vomitting.

I wore my black velcro shoes by Red, a subdivision of Marc Ecko.  They are very comfy and also allow my feet to breath.  They also bring up the Vegan count a little.

I have added a feature to the blog.  You can share your opinion of my shoes.  Click on the button below the post that best describes your thoughts about the Shoe of the Day.

VEGAN
Vegan: 5  Non-vegan: 7

SWM 2009 - Day 11

I bought some new shoes this weekend and wore them today.  I know, like I need more shoes!  My friend, Penny, has been raving about her FitFlops for months.  She claims they are the most comfortable shoes she owns.  As she is a hairdresser (and a fab one at that) I am inclined to believe her.  Also, I trust most of her opinions.

These are my FitFlops.  They claim to tone my calves, thighs and buttocks.  There is defintely a spring in them, but I don't know if I am ready to wear spandex yet.  Comfort abounds when my foot is in them.  I was a little sad at the end of the day because I knew there were MANY more days of school before I could wear them again.  :(

VEGAN
Vegan: 4  Non-vegan: 7

SWM 2009 - Day 10

It was spirit day...like every Friday.  I wore my Crocs.  These are more fashion ofrward than the traditional Crocs.  They have a canvas strap instead of rubber all the way around.  They are very comfy. 

I heart flip-flops!

VEGAN
Vegan:  3  Non-vegan:  7

SWM 2009 - Day 9

It was "Wacky Wednesday"...on a Thursday.  WACKY!  I dressed up like someone who had clearly forgotten her medication.  I wore an old bridesmaid dress, circa 1991.  It was nearly floor-length red crinoline.  I wore crazy red make-up and put my hair up in 20 mini-buns.  To top off the outfit I wore all read jewelry and my red rain boots.

I got these while shopping with my friend, Joanne, at the Woodburn Outlets.  I think I paid 10 bones for them.  Sweet deal!  They are Polo by Ralph Lauren.

VEGAN
Vegan: 2  Non-vegan:  7

SWM 2009 - Day 8

Today was Neon Day.  I wore my amazing floor-length skirt with neon flowers and Impala on them.  I am quite confident that the skirt is older than I am. 

The shoe choice was difficult, but I finally settled on my white SaltWater Sandals.  I grew up wearing these kids of sandals because they were the only ones that I wouldn't wear out in a week.  They float in the water and won't fall apart due to the awesome stiching all the way around the sole.  I have owned these for about 10 years and are generally used for tubing down rivers and summer days.  I love them!

Vegan: 1  Non-vegan: 7

SWM 2009 - Day 7

Today was Twin Day at school.  Because I am generally pushy and like to be in-charge, I told everyone in my office what to wear.  The assignment was to wear your "PRIDE Polo" (it's our staff shirt), jeans and black shoes (clogs if you have them).

So I did just that.  I wore my black clogs. 

These Danskos are one of my favorite pair of shoes to wear teaching.  My feet are so happy in them that they would rather be in the clog than naked, which is saying something because I like naked feet.  If I had been more aware, I would have worn Danskos on my mission.  but, alas, I didn't learn this secret until a year after I came home.  Bah!

Vegan: 1  Non-vegan:  6

SWM 2009 - Day 6

This week is Homecoming at our school.  That means that every day is a different dress-up day.  I love my costumes so this week was fun.  Today was Plaid Day!  The only plaid I own is my pajama bottoms.  Awesome!  However, I did get lots of comments about "how comfortable I look."  I kept trying to tell myself they were simply jealous of my appropriate wearing of pj's to work, but in the back of my mind was what a student told me my first year teaching.  "Miss Hite, when we tell you that you look 'comfortable' it really means that we think you are a slob."  More awsome!

Anyhow, today's shoes are a pair of Keds that I purchased on sale at Fred Meyer while I was doing EFY a few summers ago.  My friend and co-worker, Bryan, picked them out.  They were a necessity on the first day of Forest Grove EFY 2007.  We had gone tubing down the Boise River two days prior.  I had forgotten to put suncreen on my legs and I was burnt to a crisp.  EFY rules state that you must wear closed toe shoes, but socks hurt too badly to wear my tennis shoes.  Thus an emergency run to Freddie's.

Vegan: 1  Non-vegan: 5

SWM 2009 - Day 5

These are my cowboy boots. They are amazing!! I got them on a trip to
Astoria with my good friend, Corey. They are Frye's and terribly
comfortable. Usually these babies cost between $300-$400. I scored
them for under $90!!

I wore these today because it was western wear day at school. Next
week there are more dress up days. If my costume is especially awesome
I will be sure to post tide as well.

Vegan: 0 Non-vegan: 5

For those who don't know, vegan shoes are those which are made with no
animal products. Leather, silk, etc.

SWM 2009 - Day 4

I love these shoes! They are made by Simple. They are blue suede
shoes. My favorite part is labeled arrows on the sole of the foot
that says, "toes go here."

Vegan: 0. Non-vegan: 4

SWM 2009 - Day 3

Today's shoe is an Aerosole elastic slide. I have no idea how long I
have owned these, but I think I remember wearing them my first year of
teaching...10 years ago!

I'm adding a new feature to these posts; a vegan count!

Vegan: 0. Non-vegan: 3.

SWM 2009 - Day 2

I haven't forgotten about this project I was just kicked out of school
for a week by the principal. I promise that it has nothing to do with
cute teenage boys. In fact, I had the swine flu and was bannished from
the premises.

Anyhow, today's shoe is a leather mule sandal by Patagonia. I got it
on sale at Marshall's for ten bucks. They are super duper comfy. And I
really like the flower details.

Shoe Wardrobe Meltdown 2009 - Day 1

> One of my colleagues was disappointed last week when I wore a pair
> of shoes for the second time this year. She had looked forward to
> the new shoes I would sport each day. Natalie's comments sparked an
> idea.
>
> I will wear a different pair of shoes each day that I go to school.
>
> Since I have NO IDEA how many shoes I own, there is no way to tell
> how long this will take. Any guesses???
>
> Each day I will post the shoes that I wear and tell you everything I
> know about them. Today's shoes are a silver Privo flat in leather
> and elastic. They were purchased for $5 at the Goodwill. Regularly,
> these shoes run for $100-$120. They were nearly new when I bought
> them and are SUPER comfy. It's like wearing a stylish slipper.
>

Health News.

So my doctors and I have been struggling to determine the cause of much widespread pain all over my body...along with a variety of other odd and interesting symptoms. I tested positive for System Lupus Erythematosus (or Lupus for short) an auto-immune disease, but it was a low positive and none of the other tests were positive. Some of the other blood labs were elevated, some low. But after it is all said and done the doctors have all concluded that I have Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

For those of you who know my family, this is what my mom has (she also has some other fun things, but the root of all evil is Fibromyalgia). So I sort of have an idea of what is in store and really not looking forward to all of the future aches and pains.

I did crazy in depth study on Fibromyalgia and possible treatment options. I even spent a full afternoon up at the medical school reading journals and watching videos. I have read more books in the last month than perhaps the last several years of my life.

One of the problems with treating Fibromyalgia is that there is still no clear understanding of what causes the syndrome to exhist. Everyone has a different hypothesis and so of course, there were lots of different treatment options. Some proved more medically sound than others, but even the quacks had proof that improvement in pain was evident following their method.

To give you an idea of some of the wierd treatments let me list a few for you:

• sleep on an infrared heating pad
• drink alkaline water
• take a high dose of guinefasen (an expectorant, Musinex)
• eat only vegatables and avocados
• sleeping pills
  
• eat a vegetarian diet
  
• take lots of antidepressants
  
• take NSAIDs like Aleve or Advil
• take narcotics like Vicodin
• exercise
• vitamin B shots
• steroids

That's all I can remember off the top of my head. So I was totally overwhelmed with all of the information in front of me and wanted to synthesize all of it so I could make the best educated decision about course of treatment.

Well, I was ready to organize my research when I felt prompted to start my search in the scriptures. I read all of the scriptures about health in the Bible, Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. To my absolute surprise they were all about prayer. One scripture, Proverbs 3: 5, said to rely on the Lord and not on my own understanding. Well, that was a big enough kick in the pants. I began to pray that day for an answer to my quandry.

The answer came the next morning. I felt strongly that I needed to adjust my diet. I prepared to pray and made a long list of all the things that I eat. As I prayed I took a Sharpie and started crossing things out, making notes next to some items, and adding things to the list. By the time I was done I had a new diet and when I needed to start it...the next day!

It is basically vegan, but I eat fish and egg whites. For the record, I am not eating vegan because I love the animals, though I do. I am eating vegan because the Lord told me to and because it is doing remarkable things for my health. It has been one week and the pain that I have felt for the last several months has dissipated almost entirely. It is amazing!!

I know that it is still the honeymoon period, but I feel better than I have in a long time. And if that means that I miss out on steak and bacon and hamburgers with cheese, then I am glad to do it.

A Horrid Jiffy Lube Experience

This is the letter I sent to Jiffy Lube today because of my visit to one of the Hillsboro locations this afternoon:
~Malia

Dear Sirs and Madams:

I had an experience today that left me mortified and humiliated. The lack of professionalism was repugnant. It surely requires attention from the local manager as well as other regional representatives. I would like to share my experience with you.

I had called earlier in the day to check the price of an oil change for my vehicle for conventional oil. The man on the phone told me that it would be the standard $35.99 because my car, a 2008 Toyota Avalon, did not require more oil than the included 5 quarts.

I brought my car in for the service and the technician who brought me the air filters and told me how much the bill was going to be was a little arrogant and was insensitive that I did not want the air filters replaced. In fact, he indignantly asked, "So you want me to put these back in your car?!?" I thought that I had made that clear, but again stated that I did not want new air filters.

He then told me what the bill was to be and I became concerned because it was nearly $10 more than the base price. I expressed this concern and that I had called earlier to verify the amount. He became very defensive saying that we can't give estimates over the phone unless we look at the car because we don't know what kind of engine the car has, etc. (Never mind the fact that all Avalons come with a V-6 3.5 liter engine.) He also danced around what part of the additional charges were for. I felt like he did not explain them to me because I was a woman or couldn’t understand the technical jargon. (Fact of the matter is, I am well-versed in automobile repair and until this vehicle have done major repairs on all of my cars, including oil changes.) I still do not know what the additional charge is for. I think it is for a special oil filter. Anyhow, I simply stated that I was frustrated because if all they needed to know what kind of engine I had, then whomever I spoke with earlier could have and should have asked that question, but did not and now because of false information I am stuck spending more money than I had anticipated. He gave me a $2 additional discount (I already had an $8 coupon) so it was now $34. I said thank you, but insisted that I was still frustrated by the lack of communication.

I sat down in the waiting room and as I did so, this young man (whose name I do not know, but we was a slender man with tattoos up his arm and a short buzz cut) went out into the bay and shouted, "Who gave a phone quote for a 2008 Toyota Avalon?" Someone responded and then the argument began. He kept shouting about how "people don't do their research before buying cars to know how much oil they take" and "now I have to deal with her while she's complaining." The argument, complaining and strong words went on for several minutes. There was another customer waiting in his car in the bay while all of this took place. After about four minutes, I walked out the sliding glass door into the bay and simply said, "Excuse me, but would you please stop complaining about me while I’m waiting here and can hear you?"

This same young man kept complaining and tried to make excuses, I repeated what I had heard him say and that I was offended that I was being talked about in such a manner while I was paying them for a service. I didn't curse. I didn't say anything directed to this particular worker. I didn’t yell. I just wanted the complaining and harassment to stop.

I went back into the waiting room to wait for my car. The bay was thankfully quiet except for requisite noises and words. A few minutes later a different man came into the waiting room and said, "That will be $33.58." I paid, signed the form and left. He did not say “hello” or “we’re all done” or “sorry.” Nor did he explain everything that was done to my vehicle. Another young man opened my door and said, "Sorry about all the drama and miscommunication." With this one exception, no one apologized for the unprofessional manner in which the situation was handled.

I am still flabbergasted by the behavior of the entire team at this Jiffy Lube location. I will NEVER go back to this Jiffy Lube again. I am EXTREMELY hesitant to ever go back to another Jiffy Lube. I feel belittled, humiliated, and degraded. I should not feel this way after any kind of professional service.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story. I look forward to a follow-up.

Sincerely,

Malia Hite

A Tragic Recycling Accident

Four weeks ago I was recycling some soda cans to help my friend's daughter earn money for her swim team. I was getting in the groove, up to my elbows in stale, nasty soda (luckily no beer cans...phew!), and cramming as many cans into the machine as possible.

For those of you who are not familiar with the recycling process in Oregon, you take your cans and bottles to machines that scan the bar code and then give you your nickel back.

Some may say that I am a determined soul, others may call it stubborn. I had a Coca-Cola can that had been crushed, perhaps even stepped on. Because of its crushed status, the machine was unable to read the bar code. I was determined to get my nickel back, and no I did not have a desire for some punk music. So I pulled apart the can. It took a great effort and Herculean strength, but I was able to reconstitute the can with minimal pain and suffering.

Or so I thought.

The next day my two middle fingers were sore. A few days after that only my ring finger was swollen and sore. I iced it and took Aleve, but it was still the size of a kielbasa.

I went to the doctor and she said it was a strained tendon and tendinitis. She gave me a splint and said this injury would "take a long time to heal." It's now been 4 weeks and the finger is still just as bad, if not worse.

I am planning on going back to the doctor this week. Any guesses as to what she will say this time?

A New Movement

My sisters and I have realized that we lack a certain amount of financial responsibility. Though some of us are getting better than we used to be, there is still much room for improvement.

To assist us in this quest, we have started a new blog: Poor Hite.

Please follow our search for self-reliance and financial freedom.

To start this movement, I am stealing an idea from my friend, B. It is a Financial Fast. It is how I plan to save some money and see how much I frivolously spend...which I am sure is a lot.

The rules:
Spend no money...other than the necessities, of course. Necessities are defined as the following:
- rent/mortgage
- loan/car payments
- utilities/insurance
- gasoline
- groceries and personal necessities (i.e.-deodorant, tampons, Tucks pads, and Preparation-H)
THAT IS IT!!!!

No restaurants. No shopping. No stops at the 7-11. No movies. Nothing extra.

Now, there are some who say that is unrealistic. There may be a need to have a set amount of flex-cash for entertainment, etc.

I am kind of a purest and think that a true financial fast should be done without the flex cash.

I would like to start the Financial Fast as soon as possible. Any takers?

Blog Roll!

I have been noticing that I have a lot of visitors from all over the world. I have no idea what would make my blog so interesting to someone in Antalya (where ever that is?!?) come for a visit. I am sure that I do know some of these people, but I don't know who you are.

So here's the drill. If you are reading this, leave a post telling me who you are, where you are and what you are doing here.

Can't wait to see who you are!!

Names, Names!!

I am totally procrastinating the correcting of papers...

1. Your real name:
Malia Laureen Hite

2. Witness Protection Name: (father's & mother's middle name):
Anthony (Toni) Barney

3. NASCAR Name: (first name of your mother's dad and father's dad):
Orvin Delford

4. Star Wars Name: (first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name):
Hitma

5. Spy Name: (favorite color & favorite animal):
Red Koala

6. Soap Opera Name: (middle name and town you were born):
Laureen Augusta

7. Superhero name (2nd fav color, fav drink and add "THE" to the beginning):
The Yellow Lemonade (I hope my super power does not have to do with urination...)

8. Fly Name: (first 2 letters of 1st name and last 2 letters of last name):
Mate (I think I like the Argentinian pronunciation of Mah-tay)

9. Street Name: (fav ice cream, fav cookie):
Coney Island Cone - Snickerdoodle

10. Porn Name (pets name and street you live):
Ebony Alex

11. Your gangsta name; (first 3 letters of name plus izzle):
Malizzle

12. Your Iraqi Name: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, first two letters of your middle name, last two letters of your first name and the last three letters of your last name):
Atlaiaite

13. Your goth name: (black and the name of one of your pets):
Black Ebony.

I MOVED!!!

I just moved to these lovely apartments in Hillsboro, OR. They are VERY nice and I look out on a park from all of my windows.

EXCELLENT!

This was by far the easiest move I have ever made. I was super prepared and had everything boxed ready to go when the elders quorum swooped in and load the truck in under an hour. Then when I got to the new apartment the high priests group (the elders were watching their children while the wives were at women's conference) unloaded the truck in under an hour. **Please note there were no wheelchairs or talk of Kolob during the unloading of the truck.

SPEEDY!!

My new apartment is fantastically nice and big. I had no problem at all finding places to put all of my kitchen accouterments and towels.

SUPERB!!!

Pictures to follow once I dig myself out of the boxes.

New Addy:
-give me a shout out and I'll share it-
phone the same.

Tip of the Day Returns!

I once emailed a daily tip out to anyone who subscribed to the service. These tips varied in topic from household cleaning to make-up application. One man's tip was another's useless information. however, the tradition continued until I became to busy to do it on a regular schedule.

Many said I should write a book containing all of my tips, and should I ever really write it I could make millions. But since I'm a Hite, "and very proud to be one," I have copyrighted all of my ideas and will write the book when I have more drive, ambition, time, and/or energy.

Today, I give you the tip from January 13, 2003:

What do you do when you want to write in a book but you can't because you want to retain the value so you aren't fined, or you can sell it back? This solution is simple. You can either NOT write in the book and fail the class(which would suck in an exceedingly great manner), or you can take a trip to Office Depot. What magical product am I in search of? Why, a No. 1 pencil of course! Pencil leads are numbered according to their softness, one being the softest and three being the hardest. Number 2 pencils are required on standardized tests because they leave enough lead on the scantron to be read by the machine. A No. 3 pencil would not leave a dark enough mark. A No. 1 pencil would leave a darker mark than the No. 2 pencil would. So then if I am trying to keep the value of a book by not marking in it, why am I going to use a pencil that will make a darker marker? Because the pencil lead is softer one can write without having to press hard. Thus not distressing the pages of the book. The other joy of soft lead is that it erases extremely well. Any eraser (though I would recommend a plastic eraser) will take off those marks with ease. Try it. It WILL work!!! Happy Monday!

Number 1 Pencils : http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/116921/Mirado-Pencils-No-1-Soft-Lead/

I would also like to amend this tip by saying this is also a great pencil choice for marking on music.

My favorite time of year.

I love American Idol. I love the music, the celebrations, the small people making it big, the train wrecks, the judges (I heart Simon.), Ryan Seacrest, the new judge Kara, the stories, everything...I LOVE IT!!! It is finally back and for the next 5 and a half months I will be busy on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. I can't wait to make the elimination board, a poster with the names and pictures of the top 12 finalists. Each week I get to cross off the finalist who is voted off the show.

This year, my American Idol experience is heightened as I am one of the judges at "Southridge Idol," the school-sponsored version of the former. Students compete to be the Southridge Idol; the winner gets an iPod. Tomorrow is the beginning of auditions. We are auditioning for three days and then there will be a final show. It should be a good time.

Must go, have to wipe tears from touching back story and loverly singing.

Also, if you call on Tuesday or Wednesday evening I may not answer the phone...I still love you.