Because blogging at the airport is hip!

Hello. Here I am again, at the airport. Bored out of my mind, waiting for my plane to fly from Maryland into SLX. I still have three hours to wait and while I am sitting here on the ground near the only, at the time, available outlet to plug my laptop I may as well write about a funny incident that I saw at the airport.

Friday. 12:45 A.M. Flew. Took forever for my mom to pick me up and met some cool police officers and taxi drivers. FYI: never tick off a New England taxi guy. So, this old lady goes into the wrong lane at the airport and doesn't have the necessary key to let her past the gate and so she stops. Dead. Well, apparently that made the driver who was stuck behind her mad so he beeped and beeped and beeped until he couldn't beep anymore. She did nothing. Taxi man got out of his cab and slammed his door and sauntered up to her mini van (oh yes, she was driving a mini van!), and knocked loudly on the window. She rolled down the window and he proceeded to ask her, politely, what the freak she was doing. She gave him some excuse and he decided that he was going to help her get out of the way. He knocked on every one's windows and told them to either back up or move forward. He cleared the way and the lady STILL didn't move. She said (yelled?) that she was scared to back up and...

...then my mom drove up and I hopped in the car. I never did see what happened.

Perhaps we should have a "finish the story" contest and the best answer wins...something? The more outrageous the better! Yay!

Santa

So, Santa was good to me this year. He did a few things, like bring me back home to Connecticut, and get me new work clothes (that are, I'll admit, slightly hideous.), socks, shampoo, etc. He did not, however, get me something that I needed, so I went out and bought it today.

Isn't he handsome? His name is ... Lance (duh, what else?!) and I hope we have a good few years between us. I bought him because the sliders are hip (ask AtP and JenAllen and they'll tell you.) and I've really wanted a camera phone.

This looks nothing like the sweatshirt I bought today, but it is still Hello Kitty and it does still say, "I love nerds." (Which we all know is true. I do love nerds! Mmm. Binary!) I plan on wearing this new sweatshirt at Optimistic.'s apartment, often. Not because they are nerds, but because it is Hello Kitty and I'm 99.23% sure that they will like it.


This also looks nothing like the item I purchased today, but it'll do. As you can see, it is a denim skirt. I'm excited, it's pretty cute. I plan to wear this to work, church, and anywhere that a denim skirt is needed and appreciated. Places I do not intend to wear this skirt include: the opera and anywhere "dressy".

Randomness

So, as I wait for Toasteroven and his wife to pick me up to drive me to the airport, I've got a few minutes to blog. Woohoo! Although, I'm sure that when I'm home I'll be bored enough to blog a few more times.

Here goes my randomness. Lucky you.

• I need to buy a TV for the new apartment. There isn't one here and that's unfortunate. I need to watch movies, often. And I still have 5 more Star Wars movies to watch before I'm a fully functioning person.
• People are amazing. Just when you expect to have to do everything on your own, people just come out of the blue and help you. I need to be more like those people that helped me this week.
  
• I'm beyond excited to go home. I haven't been there for a year and I'm excited to see my family and friends again. I'm also excited to see the fattest cat on the planet. No, really, she weighs 19 pounds. She is indeed, the fattest cat on the planet.

Well, TO should be here soon so I'll finish this at the airport. Let's all pray that I can fly safely and all of my flights are on time!

Ok, so here I am at the airport. My flight is delayed until 1:45 because it is snowing. Ugh. It needs to stop! Please! I'm begging it!

Anyway, bawb already commented on it so I guess I'll have to concede. My cat is NOT the fattest cat on the planet. Fine, that other one wins. I do have, however, the phattest cat on the planet.

Onward.

• The drive up here was fun. We talked and I find TO's wife highly entertaining. I wonder if that guys figured out that his gas cap was open, yet? Or he thinks we are going to kill him.
• I had to pay 9.99 for internet service. Ugh. I did do it, but ... it was annoying. WiFi in a public area should be free. Seriously! I'm going to start a coupe. Coup de WiFi.
  
• I love yellows. No, not Yellow (although he is super rad), but yellows in general. They bring out the yellow in me that gets suppressed by my blueness. I wish it would come out more often, that's for sure.
• I'm going to see Jared (the guy from the RAG post) tomorrow night. His fiance, Kirsi, Jared, and I are going to do dinner tomorrow night. I can't explain how much I hope that I'll actually make it there. Delays, snow, and planes are stupid.
  

Well, I'm going on the hunt for food (I haven't done that yet) and then wait, patiently, for my plane to board. Woot. Let's be hopeful that it works.

Things that disappoint me include the following:

my immune system
the movie, "A Series of Unfortunate Events".

The end.

R.A.G.

So, the guy in the February 2005 post (see it here) is getting married in July. I’ve met the girl and she is, without a doubt, perfect for him. She brings him down to earth, makes him think, and doesn’t walk all over him unlike many other people he’s dated. He makes her more gentle and thoughtful. They are perfect together. He is my best friend and she is an amazing girl. Eternity will be bliss for them.

Then why am I so sad about it?

Oh wait, I know. I’m not his best friend anymore. He doesn’t need to call me up to ask random relationship advice. We don’t have to take “walks around the block” when he’s having a girl problem and needs to call me. (Which is where the whole walking around the block thing started - he’d call, I’d want privacy and a bit of exercise, and we’d talk on the phone for hours.) I won’t be the only person he spends time with when we are both home in CT for Christmas. In our duo, I’m being replaced by a gorgeous redhead for all eternity.

I’m really trying to not be jealous and in doing so, I’ve created the same situation for myself. Kill me.

Here’s the cycle: I like a guy. We become “just friends” and in an effort to be cool about the whole thing, I become Relationship Advice Girl. I’m ok with it, mostly. Being a RAG is fun - you get to hear all about the fun date adventures, you get to give relationship advice that mostly works, you get to set your friends up on dates and watch them flounder miserably (never something I’ve done on purpose, I’ll add, but something that does happen) and give advice to make it better next time. But being the RAG gets kind of lonely in the end. While you watch your friends succeed, finally, you feel joy that they are happy, excited that everything is working out for them, but still a bit of sadness that it isn’t you. It’s not that I’m in love with Jared (or the current RAG boys), but being that this isn’t the first time this cycle has ... cycled(?), I can’t help but feel my own failure. Granted, I’m not. I’m far from it, but something is in my ear saying, “Why haven’t you succeeded yet? Are you not good enough? Can’t you take your own advice?”

I know that those thoughts are not from God, but they keep coming back. When they do, I go and some kind of service for someone in the ward that I know needs some cheering up. Cookies, a note...something. Because, seriously, it’s better to be the friend that everyone loves and serves others, than the lonely old miserable person that only thinks of herself. And that’s what I say when the nasty thoughts come to me. Because, honestly, I’ve got the greatest friends, ever. Even if I am just a RAG.

At least I’m cute.

Secret Identities Are Fun!

Why we are friends: Person 1

1. You are nice.
2. You make me laugh.
3. I trust you.
4. You’ve never let me down.
5. You are honest.
6. You have a great smile that cheers me up.
7. Your hugs are amazing.
8. You take me seriously.
9. The walks around the block are perfect.
10. You are one of the greatest guys I’ve ever known.

Why we are friends: Person 2

1. You are nice.
2. You make me think.
3. You are honest.
4. You never sell me short.
5. Your hugs are perfect.
6. You will let me call you at random hours for no reason at all.
7. I trust you.
8. You make me smile.
9. We have a lot in common.
10. You know how to laugh.

Why we are friends: Person 3

1. You make me think.
2. You make me want to be a better person.
3. You are honest with me.
4. You show me how to be a good friend.
5. You taught me how to hug.
6. When I am with you, I think that I can do anything.
7. You love serving others.
8. You taught me how to accept service from others.
9. You are a great example.
10. You have an amazing laugh that is contagious.

Why we are friends: Person 4

1. We’ve been through a lot.
2. You are honest with me.
3. You taught me a lot about the Atonement.
4. You brought me IQD.
5. I trust you.
6. I’m slightly more fashionable because of you.
7. You taught me the real meaning of never looking back.
8. You’ve helped me overcome “the curse”.
9. You make me laugh.
10. You make me cry.

You know who you are. Thanks.

Things...

...that I am grateful for. (The short and not complete by any sense of the word list.)

• New music. Optimistic(.) was super rad the other night and loaded my iPod for me. It is now full of super rad things like Sufjan Stevens and Joanna Newsom. I enjoy it muchly.
  
• Surprises. My family doesn't know that I'm coming home for Christmas and I'm so excited to see their faces when I show up.
• Engagement rings. No, not mine. It does seem, however, that everyone I know is engaged. My roommates, 786, etc. Everyone is getting married. I'm excited for them!!
  
• Laughing. I finally saw Happy Pirates the other night. Two words: Integrating Tamsen.
  
• Sleepovers. Always fun.
• Creating rumors and laughing as people try to figure out what is real.
• Reading.
• Roommates.
• Family.
• The gospel.

What are you grateful for?

My favorite things, lately, are the following. If you, a person, are listed please don't be offended at being called a thing. I hold you in high esteem. I promise. Also, these are in no particular order.

1. Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events".
2. Optimistic. Not only because he has allowed me to read the aforementioned series, but he's just super amazing and nice. Tortes for him. (Seriously! Although, usually, my "cookies for you" promise is just that, an empty threat, I hearby promise in writing, that I will make him a nice, chocolately torte.)
3. New t-shirts. With fish bowls on them. Thanks, Robert Poste.
4. Chixon and her ability to provide people with chocolate at a moments notice.
5. AtP and the ability to always keep me guessing - even when I want to punch him in the face - at work.
6. Playing games on Sunday nights with fun people. Both 100 hour board social circle and not.
   
7. Finally figuring out who Yellow is. That one took awhile. Thanks for the hints.
8. Divine Comedy. (This weekend!)
9. Long walks with amazing guys in the BC. I'm thinking RHB and The Boy, here. I'm really glad that I have friends, real friends, here.
   
10. Cheese.

Life really is going well right now. I have a great job, great friends, a great family, and just overall happiness. All is well. Finally.

My friends are amazing. Especially RHB and Porter. Definitely. I'm really glad that it's ok to go over there now. They are amazing! :D

They all have one thing in common. Figure it out.

Go here. And here. Then, here and here. And download this. And then go here, last.

Hahaha. The curse strikes again. Celebrity version 2.0...

I called this a long time ago. Now I'm just waiting for Anderson Cooper. ;)

I'm exhausted...

Someone remind me not to stay out until 1:30 am when I have stuff I need to get done the next day. Granted, the evening was perfect and I got to talk to one of my most favorite people last night and the walk around the block was great, but I'm making up for it now. Oy. I just want to sleep for the next 23489 years. Hot chocolate with hazelnut in it? Amazing. Try it.

So, what's new?

Done with "that boy". Oh so very done. There's nothing there and I'm very aware of that and absolutely ok with it. I think I'll take this time to just chill out and maybe meet some new people (read: guys). Although, this whole "being friends" thing can come in very handy. I know some seriously cool people and now that I'm not so "preoccupied" with that one guy I can actually get to know them for them. It's not that I've ever had ulterior motives with the guys I meet it's just that I can meet someone, like them, and then forget the rest of the world is there. Basically, I'm a huge jerk. Meh. Happens.

I was reading my blog (before giving the address to a friend today) and I realized that maybe it isn't as horribly written as I view it. Granted, I've not been as clever and witty as I'd like to be, but it's not too bad. I'm not too terribly ashamed of it. (Although, I've had a lot of crushes in my life. No wonder AtP hates hearing about them. They are obnoxious.)

Guess what I did last night? I explained, in what details Optimistic. gave me the other night, the triangle to Redhaired boy. I've discovered that I may have a clearer understanding than I already thought, now I just need to learn more "real world application" of this knowledge and I'll be good to go. I'm green, by the way. Oh so very green. (And it's not easy, either.)

I need to find a date for next Friday to see the Mens and Womens Chorus. I promised Redhairedboy that I'd go see him and I absolutely refuse to go alone this time. And I'm kind of sick of girls at this moment, so a date with a nice boy would be great. Anyone have any ideas? I'm up for anyone. And I'll have already purchased the tickets, so it'll be a cheap date, too. I could ask Nathan to go...but I'm not so sure that I want to. Although, he is the kind of guy that likes music and such. We'll see...

And now, I'm going to do laundry. Fun, huh?

Ouch.

So I have this new scar next to my left eye. It's about an inch and a half and it was starting to scab over - until the scab fell off when I was cleaning the bathroom at work. That hurt. Everyone keeps asking me what happened and I give them some cliche quip about the CTR rack attacking me because I chose the wrong. Trite, yes, but it gets them off of my back. Fine. I seem to be getting hurt a lot at work. Here's last week's rundown. It's a doozie.

(In no particular order, of course.)

-CTR ring disaster.
-I hit my hand, hard, on the edge of the holds desk. scrape.
-A mop handle fell on my head and I now have a welt the size of one of those stupid eyeball candies they sell in the cheap candy bags.
-I walked into the door. twice.
-I walked into the door. twice.
-I burnt my finger on the imprinting machine. welt.
-A very large picture of George Washington kneeling by a horse fell over and hit me on the head.

And that's enough.

Who knew that working at a bookstore would be so hazardous.

Confession...

I've it before on this blog with my obsession for feta cheese and I'm about to do it again. In fact, I'm not too ashamed this time...

I love Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme. There, I said it. In fact, if life were perfect and I wasn't going to gain 203948 million pounds from eating three of them a day, I would. Happily. But I can't. Well, I guess I can - if I want to look like an elephant. I don't want to, so I'll refrain. But they are just so good. And the horrible part is that I love them without the miscellaneous "vegetables" they put in there. (Thanks, Mark, for killing my diet.) Mmm, nacho cheesy goodness. With a smattering of "meat" and sour cream. Mmm.

I'm hungry. Very hungry, actually. I've been doing this "nutritional analysis" that Yarjka gave me on Saturday night and if it is correct, I am 896 calories a day. I don't think that can possibly be right and if it is ... HOLY CRAP! I need to eat more. I'm going to start over with new "data" for the next three days and see what is up because that just ... isn't right. Or I'm completely stupid and have no idea what this little program is saying. Either way, I'm excited to even get to play with it. Woohoo.

Divine Comedy was fun this weekend. I got to meet a TON of cool people (the DC cast and crew, Yarjka, Whistler, etc) and use my "strong voice" in keeping people in line. Oh, and I met the HOTTEST events crew person in the world there. Oh my gosh - I want the hookup! Well, I guess I can do it myself - I have his phone number - but ... that's not fun, is it? heh.

What else? Um, not much. I'm making a ton of new friends, so that is good. People that like me and trust me. That's happy. I'm finally comfortable with myself, so that's an improvement. I have a date on Friday with 'the boy' and we are going to eat dinner, carve pumpkins, and then watch the Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin movie. I hope it'll be fun. We're friends, so there's not really much pressure. Oh, and I asked him out. I feel slightly awkward now, but it worked. Yay.

And I have a slight crush on a BBer. Good luck trying to figure out which one it is. Mwahahaha.

Romance is in the air. I just wish I could smell it... ;)

Good things, Utah.

The last few days have been INCREDIBLY good. Here's a quick rundown.

1. Murder Mystery Monday. I was able to see a Hunt Mysteries production in Salt Lake City. Actually, no. I got to pay half price for dinner and watch a dress rehearsal and hot glue myself to a glove. It's really sad - I can't go to any kind of theatrical production and not help out. It was worth the hole in my finger to go. And Redhaired boy, his friend Josh, and I had fun.
   
2. I like being friends with Redhaired boy. He's amazingly fun.
3. I saw Optimistic. yesterday at the HBLL and talked to him.
   
4. I saw 786 yesterday at the HBLL and was too chicken to talk to him. Again! Ugh.
   
5. I saw Jess yesterday at the HBLL and talked to her briefly after having a meeting with her mom in the ASB.
6. I found my new favorite song - a song that Redhaired boy wrote. I can't get it out of my head.
   
7. My roommates are amazing.
   
8. Divine Comedy is next week! Yay! Everyone needs to go! Look for me running around like a chicken with my head cut off! It's a very entertaining sight...
9. My friends are highly entertaining people.
   
10. Conference was amazing this year. AMAZING! I got to watch it with my favorite people (mostly) this year and it was awesome. Elder Holland is my new favorite. He is passionate about the gospel - I love that!
    

Life is good. :D Finally.

So...

A few things.

1. I like him a ton. I can't tell where this is going (or if it is), but I'm not willing to give up. He's a great guy and I'm glad to at least be his friend right now. Definitely. Everyone will approve of this one. And he is NOT gay. I've already checked...

2. Work is getting better if that is possible. I still want to transfer stores - and it has nothing to do with guys that work at UMall, but I'm finally feeling secure. I've gotten down some things and I can imprint better than most everyone. At least I've never done anything backwards...

3. I'm finally making more friends in the BC. I'm excited. I feel less alone. That's good. I'm glad that some people want to be around me even if others don't.

4. Life is good, but full of trials. Don't ever think that your trials are worse than others because they aren't.

So, hi.

So, I'm going home for Christmas this year! Yay! Huzzah! I leave on December 22 and come back December 29th. I'm beyond excited for this. I need to go home, collect my thoughts (and, perhaps, sanity) and then return for a new year and (finally) a semester at school.

Speaking of school - I get to help Miss Berrie with Divine Comedy this semester. I'm a tad bit excited for this. I finally get to reconnect with something I've been doing since I was 12 and actually have talent in without trying "too hard". What is too hard you ask? I don't have to prove to myself I can do it - I already have. So this time I can just focus on the work, get stuff done, and go home with a smile because it worked out. I won't have to make sure that everyone noticed what a good job I've done or prove to them I am worth it. Feels good inside. Then again, this entire paragraph has probably made no sense to anyone out there. Great...

It's raining outside. Although I'm glad that it's getting cooler outside, I'm sad that I have to wait in the rain for a bit while the bus comes this afternoon. Eep. If I could, and I didn't have to work in a few hours, I'd put on my swimming trunks and go outside and get wet. If only...

My roommate and I, that I've currently had a lot of problems with, just reconnected last night. All is well for us right now and I'm incredibly grateful for that. I'm grateful that I can trust her again and that she's been here for me when I've really needed her advice and friendship. She taught me about the atonement last night and I'm really grateful for her (and the atonement). She's amazing and I'm really glad that everything is working out for her right now.

I get to take my roommates' (yup, both of them) engagement pictures soon. I need to borrow ATP's camera because mine doesn't do black and white, but that's ok. He said I could. I think we are going to "have a picnic" and then shoot them outside in a random park or something. It'll be fun...

I have a great job - even if I do wish I could transfer stores.

Things with 'that boy' are working out well. I took him in public last week to Optimistic.'s movie night and he said he had fun - and Optimistic. and Thirdmango checked him out for me. I never did get a "final opinion" from them, but...they barely saw him. Perhaps when I take them again we'll sit closer so they can do a 'proper inspection'. (Well, as long as they approve of my plan that is...)

And...that's all folks. Have a great day. And don't forget! Today (9/20) is Jen(n) Appreciation Day. Go out there and appreciate all the Jen(n)'s in your life!

Here's to hoping...

I am so twitterpated, it's practically annoying. I don't know why I like this kid more than most. Perhaps because he's an incredibly nice guy that I feel comfortable around? Perhaps it's because he is a complete nerd...but not the bad kind? Maybe because he fits my age limits? I really don't know. My only hope is to get to know him better and figure it out. And maybe, just maybe, he'll like my back? Here's to hoping...

(And here's to also hoping that he's not gay. Please, let him not be gay.)

Thanks, Erin, for the idea!

According the findyourspot.com, I wouldn't mind living in any of these cities. I remember doing one of these at least a year ago, but I'm too lazy to look it up and see the differences.

Thoughts?

1. Cleveland, Ohio
2. Carlisle, Pennsylvania
3. Seattle, Washington
4. Knoxville, Tennessee
5. Denver, Colorado
6. Norfolk, Virginia
7. Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota
8. Cincinnati, Ohio
9. Detroit, Michigan
10. St. Louis, Missouri
11. Indianapolis, Indiana
12. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
13. Nashville, Tennessee
14. Columbus, Ohio
15. Tacoma, Washington
16. Lexington, Kentucky
17. Ogden, Utah
18. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
19. Long Island, New York
20. Kansas City, Missouri
21. Missoula, Montana
22. Toledo, Ohio
23. Duluth, Minnesota
24. Provo-Orem, Utah

Why I Slept for Eleven Hours

Here are the reasons why I slept for eleven hours. Enjoy.

1. I'm slightly depressed.
2. I have nothing of importance to do today.
3. I don't have to work until 3:00.
4. My roommates are really quiet in the morning, so they didn't wake me up at 6:30. (Thanks.)
5. I don't have classes this semester, and everyone else does, and I feel like a huge loser for not going to campus today.
6. And I'm being replaced by someone.
   

Hmm, how's that for angst? I should get tons of comments now. ;)

...

"All of us have problems. We face them every day. How grateful I am that we have difficult things to wrestle with. They keep up young, if that is possible. They keep us alive. They keep us going. They keep us humble. They pull us down to our knees to ask the God of heaven for help solving them. Be grateful for your problems, and know that somehow there will come a solution. ...Just do the best you can, but be sure it is the very best. Then leave it in the hands of the Lord."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley, CES Fireside, 7 February 2003.

...stuff?

This is me ... just writing as things come to me. I haven't done this in a while and it is a major form of therapy for me. Here goes:

New job. DB starts Monday at 10. I'm not going to lie - I'm seriously nervous about it. I just quit my full-time job that offers benefits and security to go to a part-time, no benefits, bookstore. I need to love this job, probably more than I've ever had to before. And I passed up TheTechJob for this. Even that job was more stable than DB. But for some reason, I feel better about working part-time with ATP and our Manager. It may be difficult, and I may loose sanity, but I have a really good feeling about it. I just need to get over these nerves before Monday.

I never have to work a Sunday again. I'm very grateful for that! VERY!

I got my new id card yesterday and guess what? My picture turned out REALLY well. I really like it. I know, I know...a good DMV picture? UH HUH. I'm hot!

The Game of Life (yes, the board game), tried to kill me yesterday. No, seriously. I was cleaning out my closet so I could move over to the one closer to my bed and it fell down and almost broke my nose. If you see me anytime soon, look for the HUGE RED BUMP on my nose. I'm waiting for it to bruise - that'd be a fun new development.

I know this is evil, but telling people that are in love with my roommate's fiance that he is my roommate fiance is REALLY entertaining. Mwahaha. I'm evil...

...and cursed. Every man I've ever liked has been gay. Well, except for a few. I find it very entertaining. And I find it very entertaining that I predicted this last one. I've got a gift, kids. A very sick gift.

So, September 9th. I'm thinking something HUGE will go on. Everyone that can read this (that isn't crazy) is invited. Either IM me or send me a PM on the secret cult for more details.

Rough Day

I'm thisclose to have an anxiety attack. Holy crap, this sucks.

Quote of the Day:

"We shall call them squeers." ~ATP.

Stuff...

I have to leave in 2 minutes for work, so...I'll make this short.

I got a new job the other day at Deseret Book. I'm excited, I get to be a bookstore nerd and read a lot, amongst other things. And work with Attempting the Path. Yay.

Sesame beef is my new favorite food - but only if it is from some little podunk place in Provo. Yum.

The end. More later when I actually have time to write.

Mmm, macbook.

So, I'm using Attemptingthepath's new Macbook and let me just say this...

HOLY CRAP, IT'S HOT! I'm a big fan of the keyboard - it's great. Very easy to type on. Much better than my laptop.

And the fact that ATP just kissed it...kind of hysterical.

So...if anyone is in Provo on September 9th, I am having an anniversary party for myself. There will be cake, cookies, and ice cream. (In the form of an ice cream cake? Who knows...we'll see.) If anyone wants to come - email me or send a PM if you are in our little BB cult. ;) It'll be the party of the century. ATP and I will there...will you need any other reason?

So...in other news. Life is kind of crappy. Dealing with all kinds of stuff that I don't want to talk about. And roommates who think I'm f'ing anorexic. Still. Even after I've eaten in front of them. Rahrr.

The end. Have a great day.

Helaman 5:12 -

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Tonight was amazing. Mark, Amanda, and I climbed up Bridal Veil Falls. We went up the falls rock by rock in the water and I couldn't help but think of the scripture in Helaman. While we were climbing, I was in the middle. There was someone in front of me to lead the way and someone behind me to help me if I fell. I know that our Savior plays both rolls. He's lead the way, but he's also there to catch me. He loves me and wants the best for me. And I am grateful.

When we were going up the falls, there were times when I felt a little unsteady. I grabbed the big rocks that were around because they were big and have been there for who-knows-how-long. Their sure footing helped sable me and make me feel like I could keep going. However, there were times when I saw a big rock and didn't think I could go any further. I sat on that rock until I caught me breath and kept going because I knew that other people were both waiting for me to finish and were behind me wanting me to take another step so they could go forward.

I think my absolute favorite part of the hike up there was standing directly underneath the falls and letting the water pelt me in the head. Nothing has ever hit me that hard. There were times when I felt like I was going to fall, times where my head was pounding and hurt and yet I wanted to stay there because I was happy finally being at the top. I'd reached my goal and it was something that I didn't think I could finish. But I did. I made it with help from some of my favorite people and it was worth it. The headache, the chills, the huuuuge scrape on my upper thigh...all worth it. Because we did it. We made it. We endured to the end of the hike.

Bring on the battle of eternity. I can take it.

Thoughts...

In no particular order...

• Dating. Hah! Someone has to keep up the job of 'crazy cat lady' around here and I've been elected. I'm not quite as bitter or jealous as I used to be about 4/5 roommates in 'serious' relationships as I used to be, so that's good. My heart is no longer broken and I've finally stopped crying. This is also good. Lately, my theme has been, "Dating is awkward, but so is being a crazy cat lady!"
  
• I like reading and now that I've had several people recommend books to me, I have finally found a genre that I am willing to read. Ask me in person if you want to know what I've come up with. Hint: It is not Out of Africa, that's for sure. Eep.
  
• I'm really homesick. I think a weekend with my family will really make me appreciate all that I have here and be clear enough to carry on for another six months. However, since Beth is moving to Arizona at the end of next month, I'm not sure the trip is worth it. Solitude can be good, but too much alone time spirals me into depression (as evidenced this weekend).
  
• Tiblittle, I will call you, I promise! We'll do something super fun on a weekend where I don't work the entire time, ok?
  
• School! Yes! I'll finally be back in the saddle, at least part time, so that'll be good. Hmm...I wonder if the Board needs a geography major...
• My visiting teaching companion is the coolest girl, EVER. Oh my gosh, she's awesome. It's the middle of the month and she's got it covered! Amazing! I'll keep her.
• Yet again, I like a boy. We won't mention his name as it is very uncommon and the second I say it, everyone will know who he is. We'll see how long it takes for me to through caution out the window and tell him what is up. I can always handle more rejection, it's not as though I've had enough lately.
• I'm going to the Spanish Fork rodeo on Friday with my roommates and their boyfriends. Apparently, they are also inviting one of Kyle's roommates along for the ride so I won't be the fifth week. Thank goodness. It'll be fun and I get to bring out my inner redneck. (I don't have any, but my roommates promise me it is there. I just say that it'll bring out my inner Connecticut elitism, but whatever. I'll give this a shot.)
• Pronunciation. Pick one: Carmel or caramel? Seriously, pick one. I'll tell you the 'proper' answer later.
• I really want to go to Chicago for a weekend. That'd be fun.
  
• Haha, our refrigerator died a few days ago and spoiled all of the food. Now, of course, my apartment smells like a back alley sewer even though we cleaned it with bleach. (I didn't, of course, due to my hideous gag reflex but the girls did a good job.) Now, the management is refusing to give us a new refrigerator and repay us for the food loss. (That block of cheese that you gave me, JB? GONE! *sniff* *tear*)
  
• I think I'm going to reconcile with that one friend that I've been a complete jerk to. We'll see what happens. Forgiveness is something that I expect to gifted to me, I may as well wrap it up for someone else. (Go ahead, shoot me. That last line was so trite, I deserve to be hung. Sorry, kids. I'll try to stay away from being so corny.)

That's enough. I'm not nearly as depressed as I was last weekend. I just needed some time to cool off and a good friend to vent to. Thanks, Johanna, for not judging me. I appreciate it. And, thanks to Mark for being amazing always and calling me to go out at exactly the right time.

ala smurf:

Confession:

I already know I have a hideous taste in music, so no need to remind me of that. That said, I am obsessed with Taylor Hicks' new song, "Do I Make You Proud". Holy crap, it's good. Even the cheesy choir backup makes me smile.

And, folks, that's why I'll never get married.

That's right...he will miss me!

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

The Church is true.

K, thanks. Bye. ;)

Ok, so maybe not "alone"...

So I'm not, technically, "alone" per se, but I am, at least unable to discuss my feelings with anyone I live with. And I'm not so much "angry" as I am "super sad and bitter". Well, the sadness and bitterness are going away, too and eventually I'll just be emotionally void and all will be well in the world.

Right?

I'm alone.

Again.

Tender Mercies...

Today I received a pretty great spiritual dropkick in the face.

I needed it.

And on the way home from Institute, Mark pointed out something on my side of the road. Guess what it was?



Yup, a llama. Four actually. Well, technically three and a baby llama. And guess what I did?
Cried. Bawled, actually.

Why? Well Elder Bednar, in the October 2005 General Conference, explains it best:

"Recall how the Savior instructed His Apostles that He would not leave
them comfortless. Not only would He send “another Comforter” (John 14:16), even the Holy Ghost, but the Savior said that He would come to them (see John 14:18).
Let me suggest that one of the ways whereby the Savior comes to each of
us is through His abundant and tender mercies. For instance, as you and
I face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an
appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own
capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. Repentance
and forgiveness of sins and peace of conscience are examples of the
tender mercies of the Lord. And the persistence and the fortitude that
enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical
limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender
mercies of the Lord." (Bold and italics added.)

Llamas, as silly as this sounds, are a tender mercy for me. See, I love llamas.

• My brother, John, gave me a paper mache' llama for Christmas one year and it one of my most prized possessions and whenever I would see it, I would smile because of the hard work that he put into it for me. Someone loved me enough to make me something that was a labor of love, and it meant the world to me.
• Llamas are rare. I've only seen a handful in my life and to see these llamas, on a day where I had just received a testimony of something that I needed to receive was ... perfect. A tender mercy.

Thanks.

Just for you, Caroline...

Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Cashier
2. Computer Lab Assistant
3. Circulation Office Manager
4. Office Assistant

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Love Story
2. Mean Girls
3. Saved
4. Annie

Four places you have lived:
1. Torrington
2. Provo
3. W. Hartford, CT
4.

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Gilmore Girls
2. Good Eats
3. American Idol
4. EMHE

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Bahamas
2. Aruba
3. Puerto Rico
4. St. Thomas

Websites you visit daily:
1. Myspace
2. Xanga
3. Facebook
4. WaMu.com

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Mac 'n Cheese (homemade - not from a box)
2. Cheese (Monterray Jack wins right now)
3. Anything Godiva
4. Nutella

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. At home with my pets (Shh...I'm a bit homesick right now. Happens.)
2. Italy
3. Paris
4. On a date with that one boy.

Four friends I think will respond:
1. Feather. Ha!
2. Attempting the Path. :) (Not really. He's too cool for this.)
3. JB - because it's not like she doesn't have enough to do right now. *cough*moving*cough*
4. Anyone who is as bored as I am right now.

Needs...

I need a girls night out with people that aren't my roommates so I can discuss ... stuff ... that is going on with me. I'm thinking dinner at some place SUPER yummy and then ice cream and a jaunt through the park.

Any takers?

Well...

These days...you just can't trust anyone.

Sad.

Eep

I just got burned in the sun. No one tell Petra that I forgot to put on sunblock, ok?

Swimming was fun though. Definitely. Next time - sunblock.

Quote Time:

Quote Time:

In time each person will receive a 'customized challenge' to determine his dedication to God. ~ Elder Neal A Maxwell.*

Our challenges simply reveal unto us our true weaknesses or spiritual illnesses -- the doubt and fear of putting our lives completely in the Lord's hands -- and the weakness of faith in God that would allow us to submit to whatever challenges or temptations beset us. Christ was tempted, and He had challenges, but He was never weak. -Ty Mansfield (bold added)*

To know God and to better understand our Savior's redeeming and enabling atonement, we must learn to live more as He lived, serve more as He served, love more as He loved, and, at least to some tiny degree, suffer more as He suffered. - Ty Mansfield*

Thoughts? Questions? Comments?

All quotes taken from In Quiet Desperation by Fred and Marilyn Matis/Ty Mansfield. Amazing book. Read it.

Ouch!

I fell out of my bed this morning.

It's the top bunk... and it is on two (no, not just one!) cinderblocks.

Great way to start the morning, huh? I already have a nice bruise on my shin and my arm and I can't stop giggling.

And my roommates won't stop laughing at me! Eep!

Ahh, yay for Wikipedia!

So, Feather wants to know what "emo" means. Ahh, grasshopper. Sit whilst I simply do what the cool kids do and refer you to Wikipedia. Here is is:

"Some use the term "emo" to describe a feeling of depression, harking back to the association of depression with the Emo subculture."

Here's a link to read more about emo-ness.

Oy.

I will not be emo. I will not cause my list of "problems" to effect those that need me to be at my most "normal". I will pretend that nothing is wrong because...

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. Oy! What is wrong with me?! I have a good job, I have AMAZING friends... but there is still this stupid part of me that says, "You are depressed. Blah Blah shouldn't have done that to you. You should cry. Manifest your issues to your friends that have enough on their plates to deal with. Go ahead, be the crazy one!"

I don't want to be the crazy one.

That's what blogs are for.

So yeah, as I said. Life is good. The path is a bit bumpy right now, but life is good.

I really need to find a new job. Stat. Especially since that is my biggest issue right now.

And I need to find a new boy to have a crush on. That last one lost his flavor when I stopped seeing him.

Randomness:

I have a ton to blog on and when I get home tonight I will.

I'll just say this: If I get my way, I'm totally going to have a summer of fun and happiness! So excited!

Photo entry - because I can...

"It looks like you are birthing her."


One of the coolest kids on the planet. Ever.


Roommates! (On Thursday!)


I know I'm short, but geez...


At least I'm not the only short one in the group. Hee.

Clarification

Hey there!

So, after reading JB's comment (she's pretty awesome!), I decided that I need to clarify something. My life is amazing. Seriously, it is. I have a ton of amazing friends, I'm happy, I have a decent job, I (will) have amazing roommates, I have a crush on a super rad boy (that will, I'm sure, never find out about it), and I'm reasonably healthy.

(And the fact that I finally have health insurance is AMAZING. Seriously! I'll be able to, like, get sick and not die from lack of health coverage is awesome!)

I just...sometimes get a series of things that happen that aren't very good in a row and I dwell on them and what I could have possibly done to cause it and get mildly depressed until something happy happens and I remember how happy my life is. That's what my last post was - my happiness realization. Life is great - even when we have stuff that happens that makes us cry and sad.

So, yes, life is good. I heart everyone and everything. (Almost. There's still that one guy...)

A real, live, post! Hooray!

Hello.

So, yeah. Life has been a bit stressful lately, but all is finally well here in Provo. Huzzah! That took long enough! Let's recap, shall we? Ok...

1. Was offended by my religion teacher. Vowed to never step foot in that class again. Cried for a long time...
2. Got into a heinous fight with my roommate. She and I still aren't speaking, thus resulting in feelings of abandonment and confusion. Tons more crying.
3. Got caught in my obvious scheme to convince two friends to date. Got in trouble for playing matchmaker. Oops.

But what changed it around? Made me feel better?

Divine Comedy Saturday night.

Uh huh, laughing for hours can really cheer a person up. Crazy. Well, that's a new concept for me.

(Not really. Why do you think I gave up plans to have dinner with 10 of my best friends to venture alone to the JSB to watch a comedy act? Because it would make me cry and lonely? NO! Because I wanted to laugh! And Uffish is amazing and let me hang out with her the whole night in an act of being...amazing.)

And no matter how much I love my friends, I needed a night alone to laugh and not worry about offending them by saying something stupid or whatnot. I felt more comfortable at a random BYU event than with people that I've know for years. I needed that night away so I could just be free to play and have fun and laugh. Aloud. With a bunch of other people.

I just ... needed that. A lot.

Um...

Happy Birthday to me. I'm 26. Dang, I'm old. ;)

Random Ramblings...

It's my first day as a tool consultant, today. I'm not gonna lie and say that I'm not super nervous because oh my heavens, I am.

In other news, I don't think I like that other guy the same way anymore. We're back to being friends (in my mind at least - I'm sure he hasn't ever thought any differently) and I am, once again, looking for a nice guy to like. I think I'll take a break for awhile and just enjoy life. That's always a good thing, right? (But not too long of a break because, holy hannah, I'm almost 26!)

In other, other, news: I am getting my tax return back soon. Thanks to the EIC, I'm getting back 3/4 of all the taxes that I paid for the year. I still don't quite get the concept, but hey, it'll pay for my tuition in the fall.

Speaking of tuition: I register on April 3rd. I'm still trying to figure out what classes to take (help?), but I am rather excited. And, finally, my dad told me that he approves my going back to school thing. Hopefully this will translate into him paying for my books or something? Yes, that would be nice. (Hmm. I should totally "apply" to be a "board writer". Tee hee. Maybe...)

In other, other, other, news: I made a complete fool of myself at Jamba yesterday. At least Mark got a good laugh. *grumble* (And I did finish the thing! All of it!) Good times...

Ok, well, I better go get ready for work or something. (Breakfast? Mmm...)

Later.

It's my first day as a tool consultant, today. I'm not gonna lie and say that I'm not super nervous because oh my heavens, I am.

In other news, I don't think I like that other guy the same way anymore. We're back to being friends (in my mind at least - I'm sure he hasn't ever thought any differently) and I am, once again, looking for a nice guy to like. I think I'll take a break for awhile and just enjoy life. That's always a good thing, right? (But not too long of a break because, holy hannah, I'm almost 26!)

In other, other, news: I am getting my tax return back soon. Thanks to the EIC, I'm getting back 3/4 of all the taxes that I paid for the year. I still don't quite get the concept, but hey, it'll pay for my tuition in the fall.

Speaking of tuition: I register on April 3rd. I'm still trying to figure out what classes to take (help?), but I am rather excited. And, finally, my dad told me that he approves my going back to school thing. Hopefully this will translate into him paying for my books or something? Yes, that would be nice.

In other, other, other, news: I made a complete fool of myself at Jamba yesterday. At least Mark got a good laugh. *grumble* (And I did finish the thing! All of it!) Good times...

Ok, well, I better go get ready for work or something. (Breakfast? Mmm...)

Later.

Wow, what a great couple of days. Let's see: ~Got to play with JB and Lunkwill last night. Met Bawb and Ambrosia in the process. Bought more knitting supplies. Got in super late. Had an awesome time. ~Dinner with a friend in some random town in Utah. Had steak and potatoes. Felt a bit odd meeting the fam, but had a smashing time nonetheless. ~Watched Sound of Music with Apt 17. Good times. Sang along. Loud. ~Signed contract for Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter. I'm so poor now, but it's worth it. I'll be happy with the new roomies. ~Made plans for a super double date. Must convince guy to actually do it. ~Realized something about my mission and why it may or may not happen. Fleh. ~Realized just how amazing and wonderful my friends are. If I see you and give you a random hug, don't be surprised.

Four Things

Four Jobs I've Had

1. Rite-Aid - Cashier

2. Newspaper - Circulation Office Manager

3. Tech Support - SJC (I worked in the computer lab.)

4. Retail. Cashier. For 4 years, now.

Four Movies I can watch over and over

1. Annie

2. The Princess Bride

3. On the Line

4. Mr. Deeds


Four Places I've Lived

1. Torrington, CT

2. West Hartford, CT

3. Provo, UT

4. ... somewhere else, soon.



Four TV Shows I Love

1. Gilmore Girls

2. Full House

3. Extreme Makeover - Home Edition

4. Friends



Four highly regarded and recommended TV shows that I've never watched a single minute of

1. 24.

2. Lost.

3. Survivor

4. House (I think that's what it's called...)



Four Places I've Vacationed

1. Aruba

2. St. Thomas

3. Dominica

4. Barbados


Four of my favorite dishes

1. Mac 'n Cheese

2. Chicken Parmesean

3. Broccoli Chicken Bake

3. "Ambrosia Salad" (NO. Not that Ambrosia! It's a salad, really!!)


Four sites I visit daily

1. gmail.com

2. keestalk.com

3. xanga.com

4. BB


Four Places I'd rather be right now

1. Hawaii

2. On a mission.

3. Home. (Shocking, I know!)

4. London


Four Bloggers I am tagging

1. You know

2. I'm pretty sure

3. That everyone

4. Has already done this.

I feel pretty today.

Friendship

So last night? Yeah, that was fun.

I hung out with a bunch of friends from my old ward (that I practically lived with) at my friend Stacie's house and boy was that interesting. Since I've been gone:

Stacie moved back to Lehi to live with her parents.
Liz's house flooded so she moved to Orem to live with her aunt.
Aubrey and Ryan got married and are now having a baby boy.
Shelly got married to Adam.
Eve moved to Sandy to start teaching at a private school in Sandy. And started dating a new boy named Rory.

It was so nice to spend so much time with my friends under such different conditions. Shelly kept talking about married life (it has only been 3 months), Stacie was talking about her dad's beautiful new big screen (Sony ...something), Aubrey and Ryan kept arguing about baby names, Eve spent a lot of the night talking to Rory, and Liz and I intermingled with all of them.

A few years ago, we were all single and living in the same area with the same goals and then BOOM a year and a half happens and everything changed drastically. But after all of that we are still friends and it seemed as though no time had passed since our last get together over a year and a half ago. We all still love each other just the same. I image that to be what "heaven" will be like. We will see our old friends and hug them and even though its been a long while since we've seen them, we'll still love them and be glad that they are there with us.

Friends are amazing - even the ones you haven't seen in over a year. Go to them, hug them, and tell them just how important they are to you. I know that without my friends, I would be nothing. They've helped shape me into the person I am and helped to keep me on the path that I want to take. I hope that I can be there in the same way for them. Because I love them. All of them.

Maybe...

I think I finally made my decision about something and I'm going to keep going with it until I hit a wall.

Picture: (c) 2006 - SkyBluePink -Salt Lake Temple/Friend.

Angst

So, I've been a bit angsty lately. Being angsty is no fun. In fact, I was so angsty last night that I barely slept (again - no fun, I have to work a double today). What did I think about? Oh, stuff. I realized that I need a few things in order to get a real live answer about my angst-issue. I've done a ton of reading on it, and ... I'm still lost.

Yet, I think I know what I need. The home teachers came over last night. YAY. I can ask them to help me with one part of it. Then, I can talk to a friend of mine and see what he says (Ok, I already KNOW what he says - he said it last night). I need to read a few parts of the Book of Mormon again to see what someone else said about it.

It's kind of funny what a an evening of angst will do to you.

I've pretty much decided that going to Italy is NOT a factor any more. Who cares if I go to Europe with my family, anyway? I mean, it's not like I can't go there again at a different time, right?

I just...I'm so stressed out about making the right decision and to not get any type of confirmation at all is kind of creeping me out. I know that in the end, I will make the right decision, but is RIGHT NOW the time? And that, my friends, is my angst. Timing.

Italy or Bust?

My dad sent me this email today:

I will send you the photos of our trip. Hopefully our next trip will be to Italy. I want you to come. When the details are finalized it may cost me many lira but I want us all to go. It will be a Carnival CRUISE! RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING INTO IT AND NOTHING IS SET......YET.

Wow. Italy. That's...pretty crazy. He seems pretty excited about the trip, so I do hope that it happens. And this time, I am not uninvited. :)

Stuff

I really need to ask TWO boys out on dates.

Two.

That's practically unheard of.

Weird.

They are all, like, real people.

My Airport Adventure Part II

So, hi. Here I am, in Utah. Land of the happy valley. Land of fun and work and friends and parties. And roommates who don't mock me (too much) when I go to bed at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. (Oh yeah, I'm that special...but in my defense I had TWO sets of bags under my eyes. I'm a very tired girl!)

Oh, right. You want the airport adventures. Ok. It's kind of embarrasing...

Ok, so...yeah. Thursday morning I woke up at 3:30 am to take a shower and get dressed and do all that fun stuff.I hadn't really slept that night because, as Mark will tell you, I lost my ID somewhere. I was really freaked out and nervous that they wouldn't let me fly, so I barely slept. I didn't make my bed this time, either. I was too worried that doing such a thing would cause my plane to stay on the ground - and taking risks like that is difficult. Very difficult. So I didn't bother.So, I load my stuff in the car. Again. And wake my dad. Again. And leave. Again. (This time an hour later!) And arrive at the airport and go through security TWICE because I lost my ID. (And a third time because I thought this evil looking lady behind me stole my wallet. Eep. I was freaked out. Again, ask Mark.)

Finally, after the FAA decided that I wasn't a travel risk, they let me into the boarding area and I had a long wait ahead of me. I took that time to call my mom and freak her out (the stolen wallet thing...) and then check my email really quick while I waited to board my ginourmous plane of happiness.

Finally my "zone" was called and I got on the plane. I sat next to a REALLY cool girl on the plane that was from some California-y place that was in Connecticut to visit her boyfriend and was super sad. So I got to cheer her up and take fun pictures out the window. I really liked this girl, so I let her watch DVDs on my laptop while I slept. (Yeah, that's...pretty amazing. I'm a laptop snob, so to let her even look at it while I slept was close to amazing.)

I drank some ginger ale at 6 am. That was fun. I love airplane ginger ale. Ever notice that it just tastes different in those little plastic cups? It SO does. Anyway, I digress.

After a really bumpy and turbulant ride, we started to descend to the Salt Lake area ...and I started to get a little emotional. I cried. Aww. It was kind of embarrasing, but I did it anyway. (And I pretty much flew everything rational out of the window after the losing of the wallet situation.) We landed. I said bye to my new friend, Erin, and I descended to baggage claim. I found Mark, my baggage, and my wallet. (Eep. I'm a fool.) Eventually, we found the car (stupid elevators! Stupid levels!), Mark didn't let me pay for parking (or gas I may add. Nice boy. I'm still "mad". I got him back, though. Jamba. Next time, we stick with what we know is good, though). And then...we drove to see my new apartment. Wow, it's really ghetto. The furniture is .... old. I'm pretty sure the stove doesn't work. I HAVE MY OWN ROOM (right now).

Then, we went to go meet JenAllen. (Because Jen Allen is meant to be squished into one big word that is said really fast. JenAllen.) Mark and I walked around outside and when she came out she freaking attacked me! We went inside the bank and waited for her to be let loose for lunch and something TOTALLY awesome at some Mexican place in Orem. Mark will comment below and tell you the place. And what we had, because I can't remember. (Please?) Then, because I was exhausted, Mark dropped me off and I unpacked. Then, Jen came over and we did the ever-so-important shopping trip that resulted in fun things like food and laundry buckets. Then...I went to sleep, only to be woken up by my roommate to be given a tour of the house. (That's when I learned that the stove doesn't work.)

So yeah, my "airport" adventures are now complete. Until the Palmyra trip when Mark and I will fly again. In style. ;)

YAY!!!

I made it! I'm in Provo and currently unpacking. Sweet! Yes!

If anyone wants to hang out, send me an email or call me. I'm always up for play time.

My airport adventure - Part One

So, uh, yeah. I was supposed to fly to Utah today to start my new adventures and I got so far as ... the de-icing pad. Ahh, little children, sit whilst I explain a story that is very, well, Jen-like.

So, I didn't actually sleep very long last night. I went to bed around midnight and woke up around 2:30 (thanks for the text Mark) and got myself dressed and made my bed. (Which is always a good thing for someone that is moving away from home to do. Mothers tend to appreciate that.) I then did the daunting task of waking my very ... Sicilian ... father and got him to get ready and I packed the car with my stuff, 3 suitcases and a carry on. Heavy stuff...like 60 pounds worth. By. Myself. So, at 3:30 in the morning my dad and I get in the car and start the slooooooooooooow drive to the airport. Now, see, the airport...it's 45 minutes away. On a clear day. Today, oh, today was NOT clear. Far from it.

Would you like today's forecast? 7 to 18 inches of snow. Blizzard. Up here in New England, we like to call them "Nor'easters". Why? I have no idea. But the weather men really like that word. Whatever.

So, back to the story, it ended up taking us about 65 minutes (that's 20 minutes longer than usual, if you aren't mathematically inclined) to get to the airport. By this time, 4:50 am, I was pretty much sure that our flight isn't going to fly, but we went in anyway and find out that yes, it is, still going to fly. Great! So, I checked my bags and go to the counter to get my seat assignment, and waited for about an hour for them to start boarding our flight. They did. We were all set and we get to the de-icing pad to actually have our plane de-iced. Then the captain came on with an announcement.

"I got a report from control that says that there is heavy snow falling and we are unable to fly in those conditions. We are just going to stay here until the snow lessens up or daylight comes. Whichever is first."

Great. I was already late (de-icing takes awhile) but not really stressing too badly at this point. So, there we sat for a good half hour whilst the de-icing in continued. Then, the O Captain came on again:

"I got a report from control that says that there is ice falling and we are unable to fly in those conditions. We are just going to stay here until the ice stops falling and then we will fly."

Great. I put on a DVD for myself (and turned down the volume because the girl next to me was a freak) and watched it. Life is fine and we waited (patiently, too) for about another 10 minutes.

Then, guess who came on again? CAPTAIN! Woo:

"I got a report from control that says that the light is coming up, the snow isn't as heavy, the ice has stopped falling and now we are waiting for Atlanta to see if we are able to fly."

Then:

"We are going to put the plane at a gate because we've held you guys captive long enough. We are still on the phone with Atlanta to see about your flight. We'll let you know the status of your flight as soon as we can."

WHAT?!

"Me again. Apparently, Atlanta cancelled our flight, so we are checking with them to see if we are still able to fly. We'll let you know as soon as we find some information."

Drats! There is no way that I could possibly make my connector (in Atlanta) so I was starting to panic. (What? You wouldn't? Please...)

Then, the fun gate attendant came on to tell us that he had bad news.

"Your flight has been cancelled. Good luck."*

So, after another hour (yes, an HOUR) our plane taxied to the gate and we were let off. I was fine, a little teary, but fine. The other (less pleasant) gate attendant gave me the phone number to call reservations and I was booked on a flight that leaves at 6:55 am on THURSDAY. THURSDAY!

After feeling ... defeated ... I went to baggage claim, called my dad and told him to pick me up. He was ticked! He was going to have to drive for another hour to pick me up and then another hour to get back. Four hours of driving! Eep!

So, after I talked to my dad I called my dear friend Rhetoric Raven to let her know that she would not be picking me up from the airport today. The second she answered I started sobbing like a 3 year old (remember: I hadn't slept very much - and I was annoyed!) and she made me feel much better. That's what friends do, I tell ya, they cheer you up.

Eventually my dad came, I called the airline to get my flight information, and then I came home. Rhetoric Raven called again and I talked to her. Then I talked to TheElectFew for a few minutes and asked him to pick me up at the airport, and he said yes. (I owe him!) Then...I took a long nap, ate dinner, got some necessities for the next two days from my car, and ... wrote this.

My Airport Adventure - Part Two will be written Thursday night. And it better be shorter, less complicated, and in UTAH!


*Ok, that's not all he said. And he was very nice.