something witty

Caroling on the Riverwalk

2011-12-23T08:58:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite things to do each year in Texas is go caroling for Institute on the Riverwalk. We rent 5 of the huge riverboats, and float up and down singing our favorite Christmas Carols and wishing people a Merry Christmas.
Love that they decorate the trees!!!

Teagers and I pulling "The Asian":

Enrique, Emily and I:

knee buddy" picture. You have to sit real close on these boats... I was lucky it was Teagan and Greg that sat by me!!
"
Enjoying donuts and hot chocolate after... I enjoyed it for all of 2 seconds before I burnt my tongue :(

Location:San Antonio, Texas

Not just a Shutterfly Book

2011-12-04T19:36:00.001-08:00

This past week I got an email from Best Buy -- it said something like, "Don't forget to use your certificate for a free Shutterfly 8x8 Photo Book by December 1st!"

"Blast." I vaguely remember them rewarding me that back in February after I bought my camera there... but sadly here it is, November 29th, and I haven't even started.

"Awesome."

Well, I've never been the type to let a freebie pass me by... so I get started on mad dashing around and going through photos to put together a book for a friend of mine for the Holidays.

I look for some recent photos... and less recent photos... and even less recent photos to find the perfect splash that will give this book the "x factor" of a great gift. :) Even though I've been fantastic at organizing photos digitally on my computer for years, I still find I have to look through every nook and cranny to find some of the best ones.

As I looked through photos of friends and family over the past 15 years I can't help but think about patterns -- noticing the friends that have remained constant regardless of time and geographical location, and also noticing pictures with people that I thought were so ultimately important at the time but over the years the friendship has simply faded. Why is it that I tried so hard with some friends that I thought were so important? Changing myself to fit their accepted mold? People that are only a fleeting thought now because they never knew the real me?

So what has caused friendships to last through the test of time in my life?
1) Investing.
We all know what it is... are we investing in them? Are they investing in us?
2) The caliber of people they are.
Patterns indicate to me that the people that stay in my life the longest are ones that have been a positive influence. They are constantly challenging me to be better, especially spiritually.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This morning I was thinking more about these patterns and was brought to more of a spiritual sense. Am I investing in my relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ so that it can withstand the test of time? They accept me just as I am... And they will change me for good.

If I chose to make a book full of the pictures through my life, would the gospel and my relationship with them shine enough to be noticed through all other pictures? Or would it be cut from the final copy with friends forgotten...? What is the focus of our life and how do we show that?

I need to be better. Invest more!
The daily things are a big part of it, but even more so is church and Temple attendance. If we want to gain a stronger relationship with them, we need to invest TIME. If you ask me on a daily basis what one thing is that I need more of -- that's what it is. Yet this is the one thing that currently needs to be exchanged so that I can strengthen my relationship with them.

Secondly, am I the type of friend that challenges my friends to be better? I hope that I can be that friend and not only continue to invest in our friendship, but help them build up spiritually as well.

Just food for thought.

Mile 23

2011-11-02T14:44:00.001-07:00

I. did. it.

And most certainly not alone.

After months of training, mini goals, a couple gifts to myself to stay motivated, great friends and moral support; I completed my first full marathon. :)

I was a bit nervous when we finally arrived at Cedar Park for the run. Teagan and I had already had a nervous laughing fit at 4:30 that morning, toll roads had made us a bit late -- and my friends were quickly snapping photos because "you won't look like this after the run." Just before the starting gun goes off I think, "hmm. Remember how I took the past 2 weeks off running for 'recovery'? (reading between the lines we mean: Post Cruise relaxation time) Maybe that wasn't such a good idea..." But alas -- too late to worry about that now.

Gun goes off -- Zac Brown Band "Knee Deep" starts playing -- my friends are cheering -- and I'm off jogging. "Take it slow... pace yourself... you're going to be doing this for awhile" I keep telling myself. The first six miles pass without a second thought. [cue Janelle running mile six with me and then Tina jumping in for the next loop] Though 7 and 8 seem... nonexistent. Did I miss something? Suddenly I'm at mile 9? I'm not quite sure what happened but somehow I managed to skip over a significant part of the course. I decide to keep running and ask for directions later because I was just losing time and this race is 3 loops anyway. Sure enough, I stop around mile 12 and am directed to what I miss. I go do that section twice to make sure I'm on track -- and before I know it I'm on mile 18. At this point I'm joined by Mama C, Kyler, J Bubs and mystery man #36:

And am still feeling great:

My friends help pass the time by singing me songs, telling jokes, stories, and we are talking to other runners. (Not to mention the fact that I look like a Princess running down the road because I have three friends around me cheering and fanning me with their signs :D -- it was quite the sight:

Anyway, the next couple miles were great!

And then there was Mile 23.

Suddenly I realize -- this is as far as I've ever run. And I'm exhausted! Do the self check -- nothing really hurts persay -- but everything is starting to stiffen up. My brain jumps to thinking about a hill at the end of Mile 25 and I get overwhelmed. Instead of letting myself feel too overwhelmed I try to crack a joke. Something like, "If I thought I'd still be able to breathe, I would cry right now." Ok -- not so much a joke. My throat tightens up, Mile 25 looms in my head again -- and I feel the tears on the brink of coming. "Wow. So this is what a mental breakdown on a marathon feels like. Mind over matter. Ok -- tears still wanting to come. I can't do this alone."

So I begged.

"Jenny, Kyler. Please don't leave me."
And they didn't. Mile 23 didn't last too much longer. Mile 24 brought a moment where I hurt the arch in my foot and almost threw up over the side of a dam; but later it brought delicious Otter pops that made my day :) Mile 25 had the hill, but it seemed less daunting once I was actually there. And finally -- finally -- I came around the corner and finished the Marathon.

Mile 23 taught me a lot.
As I reflect on this experience, I often think about life and how there are many "Mile 23's" out there. We are here on Earth to be tried and tested -- we have friends around us that can help buoy us up; but we have to choose to want to finish. I knew that even if I crawled across the finish line that day, I would finish. Have we made the choice to finish the race of life? And to not only finish, but finish worthy of exaltation? Much like my friends that got me through Mile 23, our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ can help us get through any trial we have if we just rely on them. Talk to them, confide in them, and search for answers from them.

Even when we hit rock bottom, we are never alone.

Thanks to all of my friends that came out to support and strengthen me in completing this bucket list goal. I couldn't have done it without all of you. :)

Life's Powersongs

2011-11-01T13:31:00.001-07:00

I've been working on some bucket list goals recently. Why wait until I'm old to accomplish things that I could do today? My most recent goal was to run a marathon. I've run a couple 5ks in the past... Even did a really slow 10k once. But why take things in steps? I like to go big or go home... So it was time for a marathon.

I've never liked running before. In fact, I dislike running so much that my common joke is that I'm very much like a dog... Throw any sports object: Frisbee, basketball, softball, football -- and I'll chase it all day! But ask me to run just for fun; and I'll never do it. Not unless it's a bucket list goal of course ;)

The other day I was jogging on the trails by my house and was listening to music, about a quarter mile away from finishing. My Nike+ app came on, and as it routinely does; states that I'm almost to my goal, and asks if I want a "Powersong." I always accept when this proposal comes because as I near my finishing point it's very hard to focus on doing anything but wanting to walk because "I'm almost there." Just as I pressed the button I thought, "this is so interesting. The app knows the end is the hardest part -- and by changing the song I can be motivated to push harder and get through the last part of my run."

Switching to a more spiritual gear -- I find this to be very much like life. In the gospel, one of the principles that I find to be the most difficult is that of enduring to the end. Why? Because we are tired, and aren't quite sure of where the end is. We must treat each day as if it were close to the end -- and not just slow down and coast; but instead, turn on our Powersongs and finish strong. My Powersongs are things like reading the scriptures, writing in my journal, praying to my Heavenly Father, going to the Temple, etc. These small primary answers are things that can keep us on track, and help us to want to push strong through the end.

What are some of your spiritual Powersongs?

The one where we got New Jersey

2011-08-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

Mission: New Jersey state sign picture

Little did we know how large this particular task would turn out to be. Did you know that the majority of entry points into New Jersey are over not only turnpikes (which of course are free going into New Jersey, but cost approximately $8 to exit), but are over bridges?! If any of you collect state signs, you know that snagging a picture at a state sign on a bridge is virtually impossible. You can't pull over on the side of the road... Can't stop... And sticking your head out the window and having someone take it of you never turns out "just right". Besides, then you can't showcase who you traveled with! Now, back to the turnpike comment. Once you see the sign -- you have to snap the shot before you pass it because you cant swing the car around and get a second try since you have to pay the toll again! Conclusion: Less effective.

Let's back up a bit. Maybe we should talk about renting the car first.
We were in Philly. Who could leave Philly without tasting a cheesesteak? Not us! As we are renting the car we ask for some cheesesteak recommendations. You know, making conversation so we don't have to answer questions like:
Salesperson: "What states will you be traveling to in this vehicle?"
Response: "We aren't sure yet... It's kind of a spontaneous trip. Going where the wind blows us ya know?"
Unspoken background thoughts: "Please don't ask us to elaborate. 13! Can you believe we will hit 13?! Thats a lot of state signs... And a lot of miles on this vehicle. I hope it can take it... "
Follow up Response: "We have unlimited miles right?"

So back to the salesperson. He's pretty chill. He gives us some recommendations for food, tourist areas and hotels. In fact, he even gives us a recommendation of where to NOT stop the vehicle which I thought was pretty courteous. I don't want my souvenirs stolen! Too bad I didn't file that information away at that time.
Alisha: "What was it Teagers? The place with the Campbells soup factory?"
Here's an image just to give you an idea of where we were:

Anyway, I've hit a tangent. Our first try at New Jersey was as we left NYC. Teagers was driving, it was dark -- and we were on a turnpike bridge. All of which spell F-A-I-L :( You can see the photo I shot here:

Now jump ahead nine days -- Teagan and I are driving in Philly hours before our flight out. We were searching for the Liberty Bell, and due to a GPS error (who ever updates their maps anyway?) took a wrong turn which led us to a bridge headed for NJ! Amidst our anger over the future toll, we saw something heavenly... A missing state sign not on a bridge!

Alisha: "Shut up. There's the state sign we need!"
Teagan: "We could totally get over there before going back over the bridge!"

So we exit the turnpike, swing the car around and look for parking. Parking in this area appears to be few and far between... But we spot a random torn down lot that might do the job. I prepare the camera and tripod while Teagan parks the vehicle. We jump out of the car, jog across the road and run up to the state sign. We take a couple quick shots, jog back to the car and prepare for the fast getaway across the bridge. Just in that moment we think, "man I swear it's a lot hotter out here then it was in Philly", so we decide to throw off our sweatpants and long sleeve shirts before taking off. The adrenaline stops pumping quite as quickly, and we settle into our seats. We pull out, and stop at a stop light -- the toll both for the bridge is in view. We happily chat about our state sign success; and out of the corner of my eye I see a hobo approaching our car. For the sake of the story, let's call him Tony. Tony gives us a thumbs up (shown here):

and then asks if we were the girls that jogged across the interstate. I was immediately confused... why would he ask us that unless he was giving us props? But my instinct told me he was not. So, I shook my head "no" and he moved on. About two seconds later another man approaches the car (we will call him Russ) -- he takes one look at our vehicle and yells to Tony "those are the girls!!"

As soon as they started running towards the car Teagan and I started mildly freaking out. All that I could stutter out of my mouth was, "hit the gas, hit the gas, hit the gas!" They tried to open the doors and were yelling at us saying they were undercover cops (which later when instinct kicked in I realized, why would they blow their cover on us? and why didn't they show their badges?) and to get out of the car. Fortunately just at that moment the light turned green, and we bolted out of there and across the bridge to safety.

So, to wrap the story up. Turns out the city that our nice salesperson warned us of visiting and leaving the car in was Camden, New Jersey. Known as the 3rd most dangerous city in the US, and home of fake undercover cops; that probably wasn't the smartest state sign we ever acquired. But, we lived to tell the tale and you can see a photo below that is now happily in my collection.

(Making an "NJ" :) We were trying to be a bit creative since we are running out of faces to make at signs!)

Location:Camden, New Jersey

Not just the best place to work in IT

2011-08-29T15:46:00.001-07:00

It's 4:58... I'm eagerly waiting to leave work but the minutes seem to be passing like molasses dripping off a spoon. ...4:59... Maybe I can take my mind off the clock and think about something else for a minute. Should I run when I get home? Or should I watch Veronica Mars? (Love that show) When is MIOBI starting up again? (For those of you who don't know, MIOBI is Make it or Break it. Pretty much the most amazing TV show that I've seen in a long time) Do I have a game tonight? Yes. Flag football. It's got to have been a minute. *Long glance to the clock* 4:59.22 Naturally. *Deep breath* ...5:00! I jump up and grab my purse only to realize that my scooter keys are not to be found. How can I drive home without the keys? Wait a minute. Let me think...

Ok. I remember arriving on my scooter, jumping off and taking off my helmet. I buckled it in, put away my garage door opener and grabbed my iPod. What happened after that? I usually put my key in my pocket or in my purse. But alas, it wasn't there. Wait! Oh no...

I suddenly put the pieces together in my head. I LEFT THE KEY IN THE SCOOTER! I ran down the escalator, jogged to the parking lot -- all while having terrible thoughts of someone riding away on my scooter. Someone like this:

I burst out the doors -- and see... My scooter :) Not only nicely parked where I left it, but with my keys hanging from the ignition right where I left them.
This is not JUST the best place to work in IT :)

Gogo for iPhone

2011-02-28T12:39:00.001-08:00

Some of my friends have asked me about my favorite phone apps. I figured it'd be easiest to post it here and get feedback from other iPhone users ;)

PS Express – Took a picture on your phone and want to edit it a bit before sending to friends? Download this! It’s a compact version of photoshop that can quickly dress up your photos.
BlogPress – Never have time to blog? Or had something funny happen but forget it after the moment is over? This app let’s you blog from anywhere and insert photos right from your phone. (and yes, it's the reason why I am now a blogging fiend)
USAA – Manage all your banking accounts and insurance products online!
Scriptures – Anytime, anywhere -- all the standard works, hymns, and manuals at your fingertips.
Shazam – Hear a song on the radio and aren’t sure of the artist or title for a future download? Shazam it and buy it with the click of a button…
Netflix – Stream movies or TV shows from anywhere…
Redbox – Is the person in front of you taking waaay too long to choose a movie and you just want to browse the selection? Using your iPhone you can reserve either before going to the Redbox, or reserve while you are waiting for Mr. Slow and Mrs. I Don’t Care to make a decision. It's like being able to legally cut in line ;)
Groupon – Stop paying full price for everything!! Use Groupon to help decide what restaurants to try or which social events to attend.
Amazon – See something your friend has that you like? In the store browsing and want to see if Amazon has it cheaper? Snag a photo of either the item or the barcode and you are set!
MapQuest – Works better than the Maps preloaded with your phone – this one can speak directions to you just like your GPS.
Facebook - Full time stalking ability for those sheer boredom moments.
myLite – Need a flashlight? This app can trigger the flash on your camera to go on while you are in the dark.
Best Alarm – Tired of basic alarms off the iPhone? Get this to play your favorite tunes in the morning…
Remote – Can see your iTunes library on your computer and you can control the songs/playlist/genre etc all from your iPhone
Ocarina – Turn your iPhone into an ancient flute! Learn different tunes to wow family and friends.

If you have any to add feel free to comment so we can share! :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The song of Texas

2011-02-28T06:55:00.001-08:00

My alarm went off this morning after I had a rather rough nights sleep. I roll over, and turn off the obnoxious sound coming from my iPhone and resolve to sleep another couple minutes. As I start to drift off, I hear the alarm again. That can't be... I'm holding my phone and the sound is coming from my window that's cracked open... So what was it? A mockingbird -- An old folk tale claims that when Texas legislators adopted the mockingbird as the state bird in 1927, they wrote a resolution describing the bird as “a fighter for the protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense, like any true Texan…” Therefore, Texans claim that the mockingbird's song is the song of Texas. Now, if the song of Texas is telling me to get out of bed... am I out of place for telling it to buzz off? :)
You can download and hear the sound of my alarm here to visualize what the mockingbird sounded like.

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:San Antonio, Texas

Schoolyard brawl

2011-02-27T21:09:00.001-08:00

hannah hannah bo-bahanna banana-fana fo-fannah fee-fi-mo-mannah... Hannah!

Have you ever noticed that the name Hannah is the same backwards and forwards?

So who is this illusive Hannah? She is my 5th grade pen pal. This past week I decided that I wanted to go have lunch with her. What little kid wouldn't enjoy a visit from their "adult" pen pal? I arrived a couple mins early; and after patiently waiting on the stage in the lunchroom, someone finally pointed her out. "She's the one in the turquoise sweater" the lunch lady says. I look over to realize there are five girls in turquoise sweaters that day. Since when did this color suddenly come in style? Is there a turquoise sweater gang? So I gingerly make my way over there and cautiously say, "Hannah?" hoping that she at least recognizes me from a photo I sent her once... Success! A very nervous, but adorably pudgy girl waves at me. I introduce myself as her pen pal; and sit down by her, wondering if I should purchase the the tiny portion of steak fingers that were being served. Hmm not super appetizing, and not worth $3! A Wendy's run on the way back to work is in order for that price.

So what do you talk about with a group of 10/11 year olds? Madagascar and animals of course! Thank heavens for fb mobile and photos...

We also told jokes! From Hannah: "what starts with ah! and ends with k?" "ah! Firetruck!" :)

After eating, school cheer practicing, and jail like exiting the lunchroom; it's time for recess. Shall we take a walk? Race on the grass? Play on the swings? Hannah gently tugs on my shirt and says, "you said in a letter that you like basketball. I do too, but Mauricio doesn't let me play. Will you go play with them so I can too?" yep, my heart melted like butter. Picture this: giant me, walking to the poorly put together court to play with the little kids.

The moment I walk on the court a very big, very angry looking boy pushes me and says that I have to get "drafted" like everyone else. No big deal... right? Who wouldn't want the 5'10 athletically built girl on their team? Well, let's just say that I laughed out loud when the first team captain did not instantly pick me! Instead, he drafted the mean looking boy -- Mauricio -- who turns to me and yells, "you gonna get SERVED!!" My temper raised a bit knowing that if he treats me like this, I don't want to know how he treats cute Hannah.

So the game begins! Mauricio and I face off for the tip off... I obviously easily get the ball so he shoves me in the stomach in an attempt to get it from me. I would say there were about 20 kids in our game; so of course I had no idea who was on my team -- but at least I knew which direction to run, and who to avoid. Funny thing is... I soon realize we are playing full court, but there is another game happening on the same court with a good 15+ kids. So imagine: at least 35 kids running up and down the court -- two basketballs -- and me. Like a herd running to water... It was quite a sight. So much in fact, that the group of teachers on duty came over to watch the spectacle.

So my team finally gets smart and starts passing me the ball. I just want to chill with Hannah so I pass it off to her and let her score. Each time I touch the ball, I get shoved or bear hugged by Mauricio, in addition to hung on by at least 5 of his minions. Mauricio's trash talking starts getting on my nerves... So I begin to score layup after layup finally taking advantage of my height. Let's just say... The game got dirty real fast. Mauricio jumped up to try and pull my hair... So, on the next time down the court when he tries to steal the ball from me, I hold him back with one hand while holding the ball backwards with the other. That got some attention from the other kids who start cheering, "Go pen pal! She's winning against the bully!" At this point kids started switching teams so they could win... As if I wasn't already confused enough lol :/ Anyway, long story short -- for the rest of the game I basically boxed out little Mauricio so others could play and have fun :) It stopped quite a bit of his chatter, but not so much the fist to my back lol. I at least gave the women on duty a good lesson on what you should be doing with a rebellious child who picks on all the smaller kids...

Moral of the story, be a good pen pal. You never know what your kid will ask you to do for them when you visit; so be prepared! But if you must face a bully for them, use the "box out" tactic ;)

I unfortunately did not get a picture of Hannah or Mauricio -- but the kids aggression while coloring in the following picture reminds me very much of Mauricio on the basketball court ;)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:JTB elementary

Bathroom preaching

2011-02-24T14:45:00.001-08:00

Do you ever run across little gospel related things that people plant throughout their travels? For example, the Books of Mormon or Bibles in hotel drawers? The Watchtower magazines? For the Strength of the Youth pamphlets? Proclamations? Ensigns? Do you ever wonder who placed them there? Or who they hoped would run across them?

Let me set the stage here: It had been a good day. I had enjoyed work… and was settled down to eat my favorite meal at Red Robin with a couple of my best friends. I decided to go wash my hands… and just as I pushed on the soap dispenser, it fell open; revealing a small white Bible. Not going to lie, I started to laugh. Who would plant a small white bible in a soap dispenser? Was it someone eating at Red Robin that wanted to gain the janitor’s attention? Or was it the janitor who left it knowing that the dispenser was broken and with high hopes that an unsuspecting customer would find it and it would change their life? How could they sum up the bible in so few pages? What verses did they choose to highlight that offer “comfort, assurance and salvation”? And most importantly, WHY in the soap dispenser??

I regret to say that none of these questions have been resolved for me at this point. It wasn’t until later when I replaced the bible, closed the soap dispenser and returned to my meal that I started to have these thoughts… and by then; another unsuspecting customer (or the janitor) had found it, and taken it with them.

So, I ask you… have you seen this Bible?! And if so… what verses does it contain?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Red Robin

Chucks

2011-02-24T09:18:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, you just need a pair of hot shoes to make it through the day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Do you own anything like that?

2011-02-24T08:31:00.001-08:00

Night 2 of sleeping on the ground is usually a pretty uncomfortable nights rest. Especially when you are sharing your tiny sleeping bag with your dog and don’t want to squish her during the night.

This particular morning I woke up very sore and groggy. Teagan woke up first, we both stretched and sat up. Kely was running around the tent, and just as I put on my glasses and got ready to exit the warmth of my sleeping bag, I hear Teagan’s shaky voice mutter the sentence, “Do you own anything like that?” I look down and to my horror see this under our pads and Harold:

Do I own a coon skin cap? Not a chance. And if I did, I most certainly wouldn’t be flaunting it on our camping trip. I’m more a beanie or bandanna type girl… At this point I quickly look up and see that the tent was not completely zipped shut overnight. Just as a whole whirlwind of thoughts about Roscoe (see below post) and the same pattern at the end of his tail before the rattle cross my mind, Teagan pounces on the thing. Did he come into our tent during the night and did we squish him? (Definitely not a fat joke) Is it a raccoon? It was furry right? Ok… so it’s not a snake. That’s at least reassuring.

Long story short, we yelled for Brian who came and disposed of it for us. Turns out it was not a live creature… it was a prank tail planted by the other boys in our group from the day before.

Good one boys… good one. Remind me to take their names off the list for future trips… :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:South Llano campground

Roscoe the Rattlesnake

2011-02-24T07:56:00.001-08:00

I hate snakes. I do not find them fascinating, I find them disturbing. How they can simply drop their lower jaw and begin swallowing something much larger than themselves makes me want to vomit. Wikipedia describes them as, “… elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles … that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears.”Sounds appealing doesn’t it?

At South Llano, Ranger Dan drives around with a rattlesnake (Roscoe) in a cage, a large snakeskin that he found a bit too close to our campsite, some books, and the main thing I would like to focus on. A jar full of alcohol preserving a snake that was in the process of eating a lizard when it was clawed to death.

As Ranger Dan taught us about snake safety (how they truly are more afraid of you then you are of them), I kept pondering upon the lizard and the snake. Lizards are quick – how did he get caught by the snake that seems to be confident, yet afraid of any shadow cast on it? Snakes are sneaky… did it creep towards the lizard and then strike? Or did the lizard accidentally walk a bit too close to the snakes lair?

If I were to have given a talk last Sunday – I think this would be something that I would have incorporated. How often does Satan try to tempt us so he can strike? Are we walking too close to his lair at times? And lastly, probably the thing that impacted me the most was this – despite the steps that brought the lizard to have been eaten by the snake, both went down together. Let us try our best each day to not walk the line of temptation to fall into Satan’s traps, because we will go down with him – no matter how hard we try to conquer him even in the last moments. The only chance we have, is to rely on the Savior because only he can make us whole and pull us up from our mistakes.

Just some food for thought :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

We thought we were alone...

2011-02-23T19:41:00.000-08:00

You ever had those moments where you swear you haven't seen people in HOURS or even DAYS and just as you decide to do something utterly embarrassing they decide to come out of the woodwork and make you come very close to wetting your pants with either shock or sheer embarrassment? Yep. Definitely had one of those.

Just close your eyes and imagine... two girls in a DAY hiking park, carrying two very large backpacking backpacks. Yep, we looked ridiculous. But not ridiculous enough to avoid doing it I assure you. In fact, we even drew attention to ourselves by blaring music on the trail... as if in an attempt to bring more people to the show.

One conversation led to another... and soon we found ourselves planting a camera in the bushes and deciding to film a backpacking video to the tune of Flo Rida's "Club Can't Handle Me". All we need to do is dance down the trail -- other editing can be done later to achieve perfection. We might even sell it to North Face!

With excitement mounting, and camera placed; we begin dancing... I'll let the video speak for itself...

Apparently we were not as alone as we were hoping :/ Her timing was just too perfect... and with the camera safely tucked in the trees, and the music quietly playing in my pocket; I wonder what she thought about for the next 3 miles of her run?

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

2011-02-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

For Lar! :) My favorite "domestic dinner" so far -- awesome for working women since you don't have to spend lots of time on it. Just throw it in the crock pot and go!

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, netted or tied
(Alisha's NOTE: I tried to find this at the store and had a really hard time locating it. After talking to the butcher, he told me that's it actually better to get rump roast because it's got less fat, and you actually don't need to have it netted or tied. It will stay together just fine without it)
1 (10.5 ounce) can Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
12 round sandwich rolls or hamburger rolls, split

- Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until it's well browned on all sides.
- Stir the soup, ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the pork and turn to coat.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or until the pork is fork-tender.
- Remove the pork from the cooker to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the pork. Return the pork to the cooker.
- Divide the pork and sauce mixture among the rolls.

Enjoy!

Mint Brownie ice cream

2011-02-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

A good friend once told me that life is full of blogging experiences, you just have to be willing to sit down and write them.

I’ve had an interesting past couple weeks. I’ve had my camping moments, sporty moments, domestic dinner moments, homeowner moments, and just plain silly moments.

Let’s start with domestic dinner moments. For those of you who don’t know, I enjoy making ice cream – it’s a practice that I picked up from an old boyfriend of mine in college. Over the past year I have tried all kinds of recipes – cake batter, chocolate, peppermint, pumpkin, strawberry cheesecake, mint brownie, and raspberry to name a few. My favorite so far has been the mint brownie… I put the recipe down below in case anyone is interested in trying it out. (I use a 2qt maker)

Alisha’s Mint Brownie Ice Cream
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Green food color (as desired)
1½ cups chopped brownie pieces

In a large bowl, stir together milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, and peppermint until sugar has dissolved. Color to your liking with the food coloring (I like a good 14 – 18 drops).
Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker… About 15 mins before it’s done throw in the brownie pieces.
For increased firmness, place in the freezer for about an hour before serving.

I have also set a goal to make one “domestic dinner” a week. It’s been fun, but ridiculously hard to get rid of the leftovers! :D Cooking for one (two if I have Andrea or Brian over) never really works in your favor – I’m going to start gaining weight like crazy because I feel guilty wasting! I will keep you posted on good recipes as I run across them. The best one so far has been pulled pork in the slow cooker :) mmm!

Lessons Learned

2010-05-12T20:32:00.001-07:00

I have learned many lessons in this journey of being a homeowner. I have learned that:
- Sporks truly can get you through almost any meal for any given amount of weeks :)
- It's usually more wise to hire someone to do something that you aren't super sure of how to do... even if you think you are smart enough to figure it out.
- 9/10 letters I get in the mail everyday can be shredded.
- And most importantly, how important putting a sufficient amount of oil in the lawnmower is.

So, I grew up in a family of 5 kids -- oldest and only girl. Unfortunately in growing up, I never had the opportunity to mow a lawn. Why? Because it was about the only chore my parents could get my brothers to do without complaint :) I remember asking my Dad to teach me -- but his response was typically, "it's the boys job." Well, after purchasing my home I soon realized that this was not just the boys job. It was now suddenly MY job. So, I promptly went to my favorite store to purchase a lawn mower.

Round 1 -- Purchased a 190 CC walk behind as per Papa Ririe's instructions. I got a steal! Instead of paying the $209 -- I paid about $170 after several discounts and buying the display model (yippie for not having to install it!).

I returned home with prize, to unfortunately find upset roommates because I purchased a non-self propelling mower. (Papa Ririe didn't think I needed it... Besides... are my roommates going to be mowing? Well... maybe?) Since I decided they have a better chance of doing it if I follow their wishes I unfortunately returned my prize to purchase a different mower.

Round 2 -- Lawn Boy Walk Power Mower.

Success! Or so I thought. Of course I scored another incredible deal on it... and installation actually wasn't that bad! So, first time I mowed the lawn -- My roommate helped me put in the oil. We checked the dipstick and agreed it looked full. I mowed my first lawn! And it looked great! :) Minus around the three tree stumps that I didn't know existed in my grass...

About a week later I notice tons of weeds growing. So, I bust out the mower again. I pull the cord, things are going great... up until it starts to lose power. I assumed that it just must be out of gas. Who knows how quickly it burns through? So, I turn it off and go to fill it... simply to find a full tank :/ uh oh! I quickly call Tina down to take a look with me and... the oil tank is slightly smoking. I throw more oil in it... and the pull cord is stuck! Panic! Did I burn out my most important motor due to too much oil? Too little? I mean the instructions did say beware of putting too much in! We start to take it apart... no go. So what do we do? We throw it in the back of Tina's car (where she could fit three dead bodies mind you), and return it to the unnamed store to exchange for another one. Must be a lemon... right? :) I think so. All was well until I see the first mower I returned still sitting in the pile... Anyway, return success! As we have the guys load the new one into her car they say, "What's the first thing you are going to do when you open this box? I said, 'put oil in it?'" They respond, "That's it! You wouldn't believe how many people burn up their motors because they don't know that answer." Well thanks for that...

Cue the next day. I explicitly read the instructions with my roommates friend Sam. We put in the oil -- and the gas. Oil was uber tricky since you can't really tell if it's full or not! After about 40 or so mins of dipping it, checking it, deciding we have no idea if it's full or not and starting the cycle again; we finally find a line in the manual referencing that it can hold about 20oz -- which is the contents of the bottle. :/ Yikes! (We only put in 1/2 or so of the bottle the first time!) So we fill it. Decide we are good to go -- and I go out to mow.

I'm having a hard time starting it on the grass (am I the only one who didn't know you are supposed to start it on the cement? I was afraid of hurting the blades on the rough cement!) -- so my neighbor comes over to help. (Mind you, this neighbor doesn't use a mower, his Dad whips their lawn shorter with a long whip) He helps me get it started, shows me how to adjust the blade up and down. I take my first run at the lawn and... YIKES! Too short! Turns out we guessed the wrong way :/ But don't worry. Second try, SUCCESS!

Now for pictures. Don't mind the one short spot. I think it gives the lawn character. In fact, I'm thinking of doing it on purpose from now on. I just might even start doing designs in my lawn. What do you think? I can start with a star... move to a Nike sign... on to a Jordan? :) PS. Don't ask why it's crooked! I didn't care what direction it was... just wanted it to be trimmed :)

After mowing the lawn I move on to trimming the bushes -- with my breast cancer awareness shears from Jamaican Jacob. Cue my neighbor again -- asking me if I would like to use his big shears... but I prefer my bright pink breast cancer awareness tool belt :) Don't worry -- I will post a picture someday. Anyway, long story short. I thought I knew everything -- turns out I don't. Stay posted for more lessons learned.

Sentimental Value

2010-05-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

So the moving truck came with all my belongings from Utah this past week. It was a pretty crazy experience... First, who would have ever guessed that I hired a SEMI to drive my stuff cross country? Not me! I mean, my parents commented that I purchased a rather large truck and they were impressed... but a SEMI? I'm just glad they somehow got in my cul de sac :)

For the past several days I have been cleaning out stuff and unpacking -- thus finding myself suddenly "trunky" (for lack of better term) for certain years of my life. With each box I open I run across countless memories, and objects that hold sentimental value. How is it that so many memories are tied into each object?

A few of the things I have run across are...
- A signed softball from my Brighton Softball High School team in 2002
- A chunk of wood that my best friend and I found and painted one year at my cabin
- A basketball signed by all of my friends at Brighton Girls Camp from 2003
- An old hockey stick from my street hockey years in Elementary and Jr. High
- Countless worn and faded pillowcases from Girls Camp each year with a personal note from all of my friends.
- Barbie's and dolls from my Elementary School years
- Cute little plastic cartoon characters from candy eggs we bought on my mission (the candy wasn't that good but the prize was well worth the price!)
- Pictures that I sent home during my mission... and ones of McKay crying when I got my call :) I even ran across a letter I sent home in a banana leaf envelope I made

I guess overall I just find sentimental value so interesting. I have kept these objects pristine over the years -- but for what? Each one of these objects holds a key to what has built me up to what I am today. The people, places... even just the names scribbled on the basketball and softball make me grin :) Some of the objects I will continue to keep hidden away in a box -- but most I am going to start to use :) That basketball is going to be the first thing I use when I get my hoop up! I have a softball game this week, you better believe I am going to get some dirt and use on the ball! So I guess I just wanted to thank y'all for stirring me up in memories with random objects I have been given over the years. :D

2010-05-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

I bought a house. A house that will hopefully be known as my home soon. I moved in the day that I closed on it -- April 16th. I have two roommates, Whitney and Tina -- and simply put, I love them both. We have a blast together! I do miss the days of the billion roommates (ok, just 7) at Tia's house. It's just not the same with so few people! I do enjoy having so much space though -- and having a place of my own. It's stupid, but I even get excited about having my own linen closet where I can put a vacuum! haha I've had a lot of expensive purchases since buying this place though... I mean, I need things like a washer / dryer! Lawnmower! (self propelled of course) Microwave! Dishwasher! Home repairs in general cost a lot... and all of that seems to come before the long awaited TV for future movie parties... :/ Then you have to worry about getting handyman Jesus over... and country boy Jeff! Good news though, I have furniture hopefully coming this week and I can start inviting people over then. ;) That is if Jamaican Jacob the mover ever calls me back...

Enough about the house. Let's cut to the chase on this post... I came home from work the other day, and was laying on my bed listening to one of my new favorite songs -- "Chances" by Five for Fighting (off "The Blind Side" -- you can play it on my playlist on the right). As I lay there, all I could think about was just how lucky and blessed I am. I'm blessed to wake up each morning and have the ability to get ready for the day, and go to work. I'm blessed to have a job -- especially in this unstable economy -- one with good pay and great benefits. I own a house! (well, me and my BFF the bank do) I have friends and family that love me and support me in all that I do. In that moment I was filled with gratitude for everyone in my life that has helped me get to where I am now, and become the person that I slowly am starting to figure out that I am. :) Sometimes I feel like I get a bit lost and stumble on my path to self discovery, but it is in those moments that good friends step in and remind me of what my goals are and I get realigned on my path. Do you ever wish that you could go back and talk to everyone that has ever touched your life? It is when I'm in these reminiscent moments that I am grateful to have mediums such as facebook so I can sometimes reach them -- even though I always wish I could thank them in person instead of over some digital means. So, today through this digital means of "blogging" -- I'm giving you all a shout out. You know who you are :) You are the people that support me, push me to be better, challenge me, remind me, reminisce with me, and look ahead to the future with me. I hope to keep you all in my life, and hopefully see you in person so that I can thank you for helping me become the person I am today. :) Thanks for not making me walk this earth "solo". (See playlist)

2010-05-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been awhile :) Sorry about that... So much has happened since I last wrote, I don't even know where to begin. (This feels very journal-like... the whole getting behind and all the sudden realizing just how much you regret not taking the time to document all that has transpired) Whoops!

Last month I went on a vacation to Florida with my roommate Teagan. We needed some time out of Texas and decided to go to Cape Canaveral to see a shuttle launch since there are only a couple left and it's been a lifelong dream of hers. We left on a Saturday, ... some highlights of the trip were:

- The slasher hubcaps in Houston (seriously like from the movies where your car gets all sliced up the side). I couldn't stop laughing as Teagan let out a girlish scream when it came near us... up until the point I realized that I was about to get slashed since I was on the side that the car was!
- Sleeping in the car at the Florida rest stop... it was fun since all we had to do was lean our chairs back, fall asleep - then in the morning lean them back up and drive off! Never was a trip easier...

- Pictures at Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia state signs.

- Bad Romance, and Tik Tok. (See side playlist)
- Stopping at EVERY Nike outlet along the way... and I am kind of regretting not getting the hot LeBron pants...

- Peppering the amazing water volleyballs we got on Cocoa Beach
- Green sunglasses. Teagan's were claimed by the Ocean... mine were claimed by Six Flags over Georgia :/ But they were AMAZING.

- Coleman outlet store with the amazing collapsible dish basins
- Seeing STS-131 take off: this is a story in and of itself. First our bus showed up SUPER early to take us to the Kennedy Space Center. Good thing we arrived early! Then we spent about 4.5 hours sleeping in line and eating gummy bears to be taken to the causeway to see the launch. We thought we were really smart just putting up our camp chairs (which we just purchased at Walmart) and sleeping for a bit... up until the point that we slept through the announcement that it was time to board and people started passing us in line! It was quite a shock to wake up to people scurrying past you silently so as to not let you know they are cutting... By the time we got back up to our spot in line we got chastised by some Texans (you would think they would back us up but they didn't!) saying the thing that is wrong with our generation is that we "get too much sleep"... Little did they know that we had only gotten approx 4 hours in the past 48! Anyway, we made it to the causeway. Watched the amazing launch :) Almost got killed by post launch toxins... :) Boarded the bus again and slept through the next 2.5 hours of traffic back to the Kmart we met at earlier that night (which ps isn't a kmart anymore... it was a blank building that was torn down). Long story short: We saw, we conquered, we slept.

- Cooking leftover taco soup at the Florida rest stop on the way home :)

- Purchasing the infamous Ole Miss hoodie in Mississippi! (If you haven't seen "The Blind Side" then you should. You will soon love Ole Miss :))
- Hating Georgia and it's LACK of rest stops.
- Waiting in line for an hour at Six Flags over Georgia for a ride we have at the San Antonio Six Flags and finally realizing it's not worth it... then spending another hour and a half in line for a different ride -- loving it, then leaving :D Did we really drive to Georgia to just snag the state sign shot and ride one ride? Yes we did.
- Loathing Epcot and their methods of refund.
- Enjoying just laying on the BEACH! And playing at our Jetty Park home...

- Police patrolled rest stops, and free wifi at the Mississippi rest stop!!

Anyway, I returned back from Florida and got back to work. Have I mentioned yet how much I just want to get past the work part of life (I know, life is work... and I need a job so that I can be financially self reliant and all that jazz) and live in a campsite on the beach? Or even in my car?! (Ok realistically I know I don't want that... but I don't want to spent 90% of my time for the rest of my life working either. Does anyone know any rich men? :D)

November House Newsletter

2009-11-30T21:17:00.001-08:00

For this month's newsletter we decided to do "featurettes" - so it's a little long this month, but VERY enjoyable because there is a piece of everyone included in it. I hope you enjoy it - here's the link: (copy and paste into your browser to download & view)

http://www.goririe.com/pdf/November.pdf

Flat tire... really?

2009-11-14T22:53:00.001-08:00

Well... it's always a bad thing when you get to your car and discover that it has a flat tire. At least it didn't happen early Monday morning as I was trying to get to work right? So instead of trying to immediately drive it to the shop, Teagan, Tina and I tried to put on the spare in hopes that we could learn something from this experience.

Turns out changing a tire is a breeze. I don't know why I have been so nervous of doing it all these years! :) We found the source of the flat tire though... A nail :(

Two thumbs up for a job well done! :) Too bad paying for two new back tires wasn't as easy as putting the spare on. :( Dad, I now feel your pain... Can I come back and be your daughter who isn't grown up yet? :(

Today Teagan sent me an email enclosing this image:

I'm so glad this wasn't us!! I would have been very upset. :(

Night at the Mormie's Video

2009-11-14T21:58:00.000-08:00

San Antonio hosted a YSA Conference this past weekend - Friday night we had a "Night at the Mormie's" (knockoff of "Night at the Grammy's), and people could submit videos they had put together. Here's the video we submitted:

Tia, Teagan, Bethany and I waiting for the movies to start...

Stevers and I

USAA 5k - Park Renovation - POPSICLES!

2009-11-07T14:47:00.001-08:00

GOOD JOB GUYS! WE DID IT!!! :)

Please notice Teagan trying to speak French... "Le Poisson Le Poisson... hehehe hahaha" :)

BEFORE the race... I wish we had a picture with all of us :( But now that we all have matching t-shirts, we can! :)

The successful park renovation!

Buying more of the amazing popsicles :)

PS - for those of you who are interested... the October house newsletter is up!!! :) Copy and paste this link into your browser to see it: http://www.goririe.com/pdf/october.pdf

2009-10-04T17:42:00.001-07:00

So... my roommates and I decided to put up an apartment blog and newsletter... if you are interested, check it out! :)

http://www.thewholeshebanghouse.blogspot.com

Or, just click the link on the right for "The Whole SHEbang"

Mission: Bunkbed

2009-10-02T15:40:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, I act like a little kid. :) More often that not, I live like one. I spent the four-months of my internship sleeping on an air mattress (and for a month this particular air mattress was located in a room with three other girls all sleeping on air mattresses - it was quite the adventure!), so naturally I started off my full-time job here doing the same thing. However, I was constantly looking for a nice bunkbed with a built on desk to save me some room in my small office shack. :) Unfortunately all that I found were quite pricey... so I put off the thought and made do with my air mattress.

During New Employee Orientation at work I met a girl named Myesha... At first we didn't talk much, but by the end of the week (and after eating several meals together since we didn't know anyone else in our group) we were pretty good friends. Soon enough we left our NEO bubble and headed off into "the real world". After a couple days we decided to meet up for lunch, and had a blast talking about work, moving in, and her cute little boy that is too lazy to climb up his bunk bed each night. Turns out she has too much furniture for her new apartment, so she was going to give away some to charity and the bunk bed was one of the first things to go. Oddly enough... it was the EXACT bunkbed that I was looking at buying! So, I offered her fifty dollars for it and soon enough I owned a BED! (Well... a frame... haha the mattress came later)

So, late one night Brett and I drove out to her house to pick up the frame and put it together. Let's just say... putting it together was QUITE the adventure! The whole thing was in pieces from the movers just dropping it off, (by pieces I mean pieces of metal and a bag of screws...) and we didn't have any instructions to go off of. I ended up finding some instructions on IKEA.com - but really... they were pretty useless! You know it's bad when they have cartoon instructions that say, "If you have problems with the instructions... call IKEA!" (click picture to zoom in and see the cartoon)

Three days later we (contributions from Brett and Tina) finally got the thing together, and I purchased a mattress! Don't worry, I'm not too lazy to climb the ladder each night. :) I LOVE my new bed!!

Who returns a fry?

2009-09-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have either lived in San Antonio with me, or heard stories from me know that one of my weekly rituals as an intern was to eat wings at BWW's and then eat custard at "Stacey's" (otherwise known as Culver's). So, upon my arrival back in San Antonio this ritual was on the must do asap list. BWW's was amazing as usual (even though we went on the bone night instead of my favorite boneless), and Stacey's was... remarkable. Even though Stacey was super busy and we didn't get to talk to her, I had the pleasure of talking to another Culver's employee (Ashlyn) who is also on my Best Culver's Employee of the Month list. (Have I mentioned that Culver's doesn't have very much turn over in employees? Seriously they have the same people working now that they had last year when I lived here! I am surprised... for a custard joint they sure keep on employees!) Anyway, back to the original story. So there Tia, Teagan and I are waiting in line for Stacey to help us... All of the sudden this cute girl about fifteen comes up to the counter and returns a fry. NOT KIDDING. We couldn't really hear the conversation, but I started laughing because it wasn't like she was returning a basket - it was just one fry. Did she not like the one fry? Or was she hoping that returning one fry would score her another basket? I'm not sure. A couple more minutes pass, and we realize that Stacey is working the window so we really can't see her. Instead of being stalkers and getting in the drive through, I decide to have Ashlyn take my order instead. I carefully contemplate what I would like, (usually Stacey picks for me... what a tragedy to have to do that myself!) and soon realize that a concrete chocolate with reeses chunks in it sounds amazing. Then I think back to the returned fry... which actually looked quite tasty, and decide that is something I must purchase as well. :) I place my order, and suddenly see an ad saying that if you find a five-inch fry you win a scoop of ice cream! Now being the cocky person that I am, I'm feeling pretty confident about winning - so much in fact that I promise Teagers that she can have the free ice cream. Soon my order comes... I dump all of my fries on my tray, and start measuring them on the paper. (I have NEVER had so much fun with my fries...) First fry is a five inch fry! (Although I must admit that it was kind of a maimed fry... the top was falling off a bit, but it was totally still a winner!) I walked up to the front, (beaming all the way I might add... I wonder if anyone thought I was returning my fry?) claimed my prize, took a picture (because as taytay says, "pix or didn't happen"), and then ate the fry. :D THANK YOU CULVERS!!!

This is my "winner winner chicken dinner" picture :)

Bethany won three times! (Too bad it's only one winner per order or we all could have had free ice cream!) Look at my whopper winner!!! :)

Summer Break is "Gone"

2009-09-10T23:53:00.001-07:00

This past week has been a busy one... Upon my arrival in Texas I tried to get unpacked, but soon realized that unpacking without a closet (not to mention bookshelf, desk, nightstand, dresser... let's get real. I moved in my car! You end up leaving a lot of stuff that you want and need) was a little less effective. So... I have spent the last several days trying to find a solution to those problems. (Yes, I live in a room without a closet... it's a den / dining room to be specific. BUT I LOVE IT!) At first when I moved in I was feeling a little sketchy about the situation; but the longer I am here the more I love it. Especially now that I have been doing small projects that slowly turn the room into my own. Not only do the projects help me get my room together, but they also bring me closer with my roommates - especially when I have to borrow things from them! (Shout out to Janelle for the drill; Teagan for the measuring tape, stud finder, and level; Bethany for the pictures and moral support; Tina for being in charge of the project and helping put it together (not to mention putting together the other three pieces of furniture in my room); and to Tia for paying for the project) Here are some pictures from our adventure:

This is Tina holding a lamp by me so that I could see into a little hole that I was trying to drill :) My room gets a bit dark at night...

Since we were building the entire closet we had to get up pretty high which meant that most of our time was spent up on chairs drilling into the wall...

I'm not very good with a drill - but I learned to be a bit better after this adventure! Especially because I learned that you really need to put a little pressure on the "butt" of the drill in order to make it more steady. Our newest funny quote from this is, "She touched the butt..." (Finding Nemo)

So... I was pretending to attack Tina with some of the shelf supports. Let's just say... she was a bit surprised, :) and it made for a funny picture!

Tina!!! (My hero when it comes to helping me build things!)

Tina, Teagan and I excited over completing the shelves!

The completed closet stocked full of my belongings... It feels good to finally be getting organized!

Life is a Road

2009-09-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a rather crazy and busy one, despite the Labor Day Holiday. Starting early Saturday morning my friend/roommate Bethany and I began the long drive from Salt Lake City, Utah; to San Antonio, Texas.

Our first day on the road was full of us driving from Utah to Greeley, Colorado to visit my friend Jill that goes to Graduate School there.

Wyoming altogether was not half bad... I was excited to see that we had left Utah and were at least one state closer to our destination! First stop there was "Little America" where we bought postcards and fifty cent cones... As we got hungry we stopped at a restaurant called "Sanford's Grub & Pub" that had some good BBQ wings ("good" is the key word - they were not nearly as good as BWW's that I am excited to eat). The most exciting part about the restaurant though was not the food - it was the HUGE menus! :)

State #2 we passed through was Colorado - which was anything but colorful in all honesty...

However, we did have fun while being there visiting Jill! We went to a University of Northern Colorado Women's Volleyball Game - it was fun watching the team and recognizing some of the players from the brochure that I made them awhile back. Jill showed us around the campus, and even told us why it smells there... Don't ask. (I haven't been able to eat meat since then Jill...) Sunday morning we went to church with her, and it was a great experience being able to see the missionary work that is going on there! As we left Greeley we ran across a rather... interesting... looking Lizard? on the side of the road which gave us a good laugh...

Quite honestly Colorado was the most painful state to cross... First of all the scenery was not exciting at all! (minus the lizard) Second, I got pulled over by a cop because in Colorado it's a law that you can't have bike racks or anything on the back of your car that in ANY way prohibit cops from seeing your back plate. Unfortunately I had a bike rack on my car (where else was I supposed to put it? You could still see my plates - just not as well as you could without it... And is it irrelevant that you could perfectly see my front plates?!), but fortunately he didn't cite me; just made me aware of the law and in not so many words told me to get out of Colorado.

While all of this driving is going on, Bethany and I are arguing with LJ (my GPS) over what route to take to Texas. Mapquest gave us a very different route from what the GPS said... and it also claimed to be three hours shorter of a drive. LJ wanted us to cross into Kansas and go down to Oklahoma... we were not really up for that. So, we went the Mapquest way, which was probably dumb; but we are smarter than machines right? Only sometimes... (At the end of the trip we realized that both ways were about the same... we should have just gone to Kansas; the speed limit was higher!)

Long story short, Oklahoma was a VERY welcome sight as our third state of the roadtrip! We took several pictures jumping up and down at the state line, as well as kissing the ground with excitement of no longer being in Colorado. :) (Sorry Jill - BUT you will be happy to know that we don't count Greeley as Colorado... :) It's just Greeley and COMPLETELY different haha)

I think we spent about forty-five minutes or so in Oklahoma, since we passed through the finger portion of it; so it wasn't long. Sadly, none of the gas stations there had postcards, but they did have... A DINOSAUR?

Finally by about 7:00 pm we crossed the border into Texas with just enough time to snap some pictures before the sun went down.

For the next couple hours we contemplated food, but nothing sounded really good; until... I saw an old ripped up sign for Cracker Barrel! So we drove all the way to Amarillo to get some amazing "almost" home cooked food instead of road food. It was DELICIOUS! Our waitress was adorable and had the cutest accent ever - seriously I just wanted to put her in my pocket and take her with us because she was so cute. Amarillo was a very worthwhile stop - good food, good people!

After driving for another couple of hours we stopped for the night in Lubbock to rest, and stayed at a pretty ghetto (yet still pricey) Motel 6. I didn't realize how ghetto it was until morning when I realized they don't give you complimentary shampoo and sell it in the vending machines instead. Less effective!

Our last day on the road was fun - I think we had about seven hours left to drive so it wasn't too bad. Our favorite stop was in Brady, which is the heart of Texas. In honor of Labor Day we almost stopped at their county fair where they were having a goat cookoff; unfortunately it had ended about an hour before we got there. Oh well! Next time I'm going to Brady for Labor Day! :)

All in all we arrived at our place around 3 pm on Monday... I was glad to have the driving over with; but now have the challenge of moving everything in and getting organized before work starts on Monday. Wish me luck on this new adventure!!

Blast from the Past

2009-08-30T12:45:00.001-07:00

About a year ago I attempted to start a blog, but lost interest after my first post. I have heard that "active facebookers do not tend to be active bloggers". Why? Because both pieces of technology achieve similar functions - if you utilize all the functions of facebook, you can use it like a blog. However, after a blast from the past moment last night with my high school friends; one of my friends challenged our group to start blogs as an easy way to keep in touch and updated on each other. So, I'm going to give it another try. :) Whether I am doing this for my own therapeutic needs, or for the sake of keeping friends updated (even though I know they won't often read), I know not; but look forward to sharing some of myself with you.

I once heard the quote, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Life for me over the past several years has been just that - utterly unpredictable. It could be said that my life changed drastically after graduation from High school. It was at that point that I moved to college in Rexburg, Idaho; with hopes of doing who knows what with my life. All I knew was that I wanted to eventually leave that place with a degree in hand, and hopes of having a job someday. After trying out a wide variety of different majors, and finally settling on Computer Science; I left Rexburg to serve an LDS Mission in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Malagasy Speaking. Never before has a singular event in my life been as impactful as this one. I spent the next year and a half talking to people that I didn't know, but had come to love. I learned about their culture, and way of life in a way that I never could have otherwise. Serving a mission helped me understand the gospel of Jesus Christ in a whole new light, and sharing it was all that I wanted to do with my life. Unfortunately my time there was short lived; a year and a half passed quicker than I would have liked it to, but the lessons I learned there will forever be ingrained in me and mold me to be the person that I someday hope to become. After returning home I went back to school and achieved a Bachelors degree in Computer Information Technology. My time in Rexburg will be forever cherished as a time that I truly discovered what I want to do with my life, and who I am. I spent time working a plethora of various jobs around campus - Statistics Tutor, Computer Lab Assistant, CIT Tutor, Sports Webmaster (do I sound like a nerd yet?), and Area Director of Sports. While working as an Area Director, I learned more about the mission and vision of the University and learned just how much the gospel is integrated into our lives. One of my favorite lessons I learned is that it's not about fitting the gospel into our lives, it's about fitting our lives into the gospel. In between time spent at school, I took a semester off and did an internship with USAA in San Antonio, Texas. This was a time that I came to love, because it was when I truly pinpointed a job that I would be happy working for the rest of my life. I spent countless hours working any jobs people would give me to see if I liked it, and in the end I got a job offer for my dream job. I graduated from college April 2009, took the summer off to be with friends and family; and in a week from now I will be moving back to Texas to work my dream job. I look forward to keeping you all updated :)