Lucky girl

I gave a talk at church today and was very nervous. I may seem very outgoing and easily able to talk to people, but when it comes to addressing a congregation I wish you could call in sick to church.

Since I have no family in state I rely on friends who I consider family to take their place. My sister from another mother Emily and her husband Brady and their daughter (my beautiful niece) Jaylee came to listen and be my support. I was so grateful they drove 40 minutes out of their way just to support me. And, Jaylee was dressed in my favorite color - pink. Got to love the thought to small details her mom put into that!

Oh, and most importantly, Jaylee was sooooooo well behaved today. According to her parents she isn't very quiet or attentive at church. I'm not sure who is more grateful for her good behavior, me or her parents. Nonetheless, I'm proud of Jaylee for being so well behaved today at church.

How lucky am I to have such amazing friends? Doesn't get much better than that!

BirthdayStock 2008

My birthday party was a fantastic time! It was combined with two friends who have a birthday 2 days before and 2 days after me. We dressed like hippies, played twister and spin the bottle, beat a pinata until it broke, and ate cake too.

Tough Morning

Today did not start well. I can't help but laugh at how it all happened. But I assure you, my morning did not start well.

I woke up and was on my way to put Pili out as I do every morning, but today I smelled a terrible smell in the house. I found nothing upstairs and she was dancing to go out so I took her to the yard and resumed my search for the smell downstairs. Sure enough, I found what I smelled. Sometime in the night Pili had an accident. I gathered supplies and started cleaning. My roommate came out of her room mid-process and chatted with me and opened the window. She put her dog out with my dog and left for work. I finished cleaning and went to get dressed and ready for the rest of my day.

On my way through the kitchen I noticed the dog's outside water was low. I considered heading out to fill it right then but I decided to get on my bathrobe and not just go out in my nightgown and underclothes as I often do. As I tied my bathrobe and pulled the door shut behind me I remembered the door was still locked from the night. I attempted to open the door and was unable to. I had in fact locked myself out. I swore. And then began laughing. I was wearing no shoes, was home alone, had no keys or cell phone, and it was 8am. I found my way into the backyard and talked to the dogs and gave them fresh water. Suddenly I remembered the basement window that we had opened. The window is half underground and there is a window well you have to climb into to access the window. I sat on the ground with my legs dangling in the window well trying to pry off the screen with no luck. I needed a butter knife or a thin stick. But, none were in sight.

My roommate's family lives at the end of our street and her sister-in-law is a stay at home mom. I decided to walk up to their house and see if she'd let me call my boss and borrow a butter knife. I walked up the street and the cold pavement burned my feet with each step. When I got to the house and knocked on the door nobody answered. I again started laughing and left to return back to my house to just break the screen when I noticed a little further up the road my roommate's good friend was outside cleaning the windows of her car. I continued walking up the street with the cold pavement still burning my feet and met Mary to tell her my story. She let me use her phone and got me a knife and even drove me back to my house. I again climbed into the window well and with the help of the knife the screen came right off. I got in the house through window and came upstairs and out of the house to thank Mary for saving me.

A few things I've learned from this.......Anytime you go outside, wear shoes and be fully covered. Keep a spare key in a designated location.

Born an Adult

Tonight my roommate had a birthday gathering for her friend. Our house had 6 giggly, sugar high, carefree, 22 year old girls chatting and laughing and telling inside jokes for 3 hours. I couldn't help but avoid them. I sat in an adjacent room to the festivities watching Juno for the second time wondering what I was like at their age. Could people hardly stand me? Did they struggle to listen to my stories because my speech was so high pitched only dogs could understand me? Did I have nothing more important to talk about than my social calendar?

The answer to all those questions is no. At 22 I was boring! I was finally allowed to figure out who I was. And I was slowly determining what was my opinion and what had been forced into my thinking. I had stopped talking to my mom and with that came a lot of freedom. I was in love, or so I thought. I was a year into getting to know my dad. I was working full time and had quit college. I was learning how many elements go into maintaining a home.

Fast forward to present time, and I'm gonna be 29 in 4 days. I seriously wonder if I've been an adult my entire life. I don't miss my early twenties and I'm not interested in re-living them. The past is over. Plus, the benefit of being boring then means I'm tons of fun now. I realized a lot sooner in life what was important to me. I make sure I explore all my crazy ideas and cherish the moments that will make up the pleasant memories I'll have when I'm sitting in a rest home drooling at 90.

5 hours and a flat tire

For the first time in my 28 year old (one week from 29) life, I changed a flat tire. My cars have had low air in tires before and I've been able to make it to the gas station for more air or to the tire shop to get the semi-flat fixed. The tire I changed yesterday was FLAT. No air.

It was early in the morning - before 9am on a Saturday. The radio was off and I was still half asleep. I got in my car and headed downtown Salt Lake City. I didn't notice the flat until I had gotten to the end of my street (about 5 houses away from my house). The front right side of my car was slightly tilted. I got out and looked and found a completely flat tire wondering what I had driven over to cause this. Shaking my head I drove back home and parked my car for what I thought would be a few hours.

You see, I had planned to audition for the "Deal or No Deal" show that was casting in Salt Lake City that morning and was now faced with not being able to go. You can't drive a car with 3 tires, and I'd never changed a flat before. I'd primped and gotten beautiful for the audition and was simply not dressed to change the tire. And, if I took the time to change the tire and then go to the audition I feared I'd arrive to an even longer line of people.

My roommate had woken up when I came back home and she let me take her Jeep. Once again, I headed downtown. After five hours of waiting in line I got my 20 seconds to tell the casting director about me. Yes, that's what I said - 20 seconds after 5 hours of waiting. I made it memorable. I told them I've had 5 step dads, 6 knee surgeries, my niece's middle name is Skittles, and bad things happen on my birthday - Oklahoma City Bombing, WACO, day before Columbine. Definitely unique things about me!

After I got home I was able to change the tire - with the supervision of my roommate's boyfriend. I wanted to change it myself but wanted supervision in case I got too confused or wasn't strong enough. This was a boy job, but I wanted to cross it off my list of things to have done. And let me tell you, it was so empowering!! I don't want to change every flat tire I know about or even my next one. But, it was a great feeling to know I could do it. Should I get stranded someplace with a flat that wasn't in my own driveway, I could take care of changing my tire and get heading on my way. Too bad Grandaddy wasn't around to call and tell. He would have been so proud of his Pickles.

And...... the 5 hour wait......I'm not sure I WANT to be on "Deal or No Deal". Don't get me wrong, if I'm called to be a contestant, I'll go. I went to the audition to get out of my comfort zone. I went by myself. I stood in a line of strangers for 5 hours. And I talked to another stranger about my life. Telling very personal and unique things about me. It was scary! It was COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone! And I almost quit a couple times. My back ached and my knees were swollen close to half way into my wait. But, I didn't quit. I could have taken the flat tire as some kind of sign or excuse NOT to go to the audition, but I didn't. And the reward of how I feel is worth every second of the 5 hour line!

Visit to Bryce Canyon

This weekend I went to Bryce Canyon with a few friends. It was beautiful! I'm constantly amazed at the beauty that surrounds me in Utah.

Chain Text

A friend of mine sent me the following text today:

"U shouldn't break this. Someone is about 2 tell U their true feelings 4 U. Pass to 10 PPL. The 1 who breaks this has bad luck."

Chain emails are bad enough. What genious decided to initiate chain text messages?

I didn't forward the text. Just as I don't forward chain e-mails. I didn't realize passing on a chain message is the encouragement my latest crush needs to confess their feelings.

I guess my lack of dates can be attributed to not forwarding chain messages.