Yesterday I was talking with a friend of mine, Beckie, who is one of the most ambitious and creative people I've ever had the pleasure to know. I would tell you to go look at her blog and see all the projects she is ALWAYS doing, but she's a private blogger, so you'll just have to take my word for it. She's amazing.
Beckie was telling me yesterday how she's redecorating her boys' bedroom. Stars Wars themed. Too cool! She proceeded to list all the things she was doing to redecorate and telling me about the amazing deals she found on fabric, bedspreads, pillows (which she's having someone embroider "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." on them!), and telling me about the paint and color schemes she's laid out. As she spoke (on the phone) I had a vision of Beckie on one of those redesign-your-space-on-a-budget type of shows. Trading Spaces is coming to mind, but maybe that show isn't even on anymore? I don't know as I don't have TV. Anyway, I said as much to her that she should have her own show. She might have thought I was joking, but I was deadly serious. I wonder if I could be her first "victim"? My house needs some serious love in the decorating department.
Anyway, the point to all this is that when I told her this, she told me it's just her hobby. Her house is a canvas and she is the artist. It's always beautiful and it's always morphing into the next awesome project. If I'm being honest with myself, I feel twinges of jealousy and that self-deprecating voice in my head starts yapping when I talk to Beckie about (or see) her latest project. I wish I had some of her creativity! And her motivation. I don't do the decorating thing very well. Maybe I would if I ever gave myself the chance, but it just never seems to be a priority as there's always something else pulling at my time and my finances. And, as long as I'm being honest, I will say that I don't do motivation well either, which is a requirement for projects like Beckie does. I'm a procrastinator through and through and I seem to function best and get the most done with a looming deadline to spur me along.
Ok, I'm getting off track again. Have I ever mentioned I'm a sucker for tangents too? My husband (among others) gets very frustrated when I'm telling a story because I start telling five other stories amid the first story I started. Kinda like right now, how I'm telling you about tangents. It doesn't take much. Anything shiny and I'm distracted! (At least that's what Dustin says, in jests of love.)
So, the real point is that, in talking to Beckie, I started to wonder what I have been doing lately? I voiced that thought aloud and started to say how I blog a lot, but then I stopped myself mid-sentence, because, no, I don't really do much of that lately, do I? I haven't seen my friends much. I haven't been cleaning much. I haven't been doing anything much and I'm really not sure what it is that I do all the time! Beckie pointed out that I do homeschool my son, and there's truth in her words. That does take up a large chunk of my time, energy and focus, but I feel like there should be more. I should have something to show for the end of the day, right? Something for me?
So, that's been on my mind. I've been trying to figure out what it is I do all the time. I've decided, since it's a new year and all that...(I'm not much of a goal setter, if you haven't guessed)... I'll try blogging again! I might never be the blogger I once was. I might never have that daily muse come and write essays across the parchment of my mind, but I can try, darn it!
So, I think I'll try to blog a little more. Blog about what's been happening around my house, in my life and in my brain for the last few weeks (months... whatever...)
What I'm trying to say is stick around a while! Be on the lookout for more postings on this, here, blog.
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Win One For Yourself!
You know you want to! Everybody likes to be a winner! Here's a little lady that I was introduced to who became my friend in short order. We were introduced by my mother and I'm so glad we were! Miss Chatty Natty is classy and smart, beautiful and kind. We're even Facebook friends now. Technology is so helpful for budding friendships!
Anyway, thechattydiaries is holding a giveaway, and you all know I just can't resist those giveaways! Win a necklace. They're HOT! I have several of them already, and I wear them all the time and get TONS of compliments on them. So, I must have more. More, more, more! To get a chance at my more, I must blog about them to get more entries. That means I'm going to win, right? Well, perhaps I will or perhaps I won't. Perhaps it's YOU that will win! Go on. Click on the linky. You know you want to!
Anyway, thechattydiaries is holding a giveaway, and you all know I just can't resist those giveaways! Win a necklace. They're HOT! I have several of them already, and I wear them all the time and get TONS of compliments on them. So, I must have more. More, more, more! To get a chance at my more, I must blog about them to get more entries. That means I'm going to win, right? Well, perhaps I will or perhaps I won't. Perhaps it's YOU that will win! Go on. Click on the linky. You know you want to!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday's Fabulous Five
I have been on a serious non-blogging jag... but, life is still fabulous!
1- Friends. They are the best. I've been well taken care of while my hubby, Mom and Dad are out of town.
2- Exercise. I've done it twice this week and I feel like a million (extremely sore) bucks! You didn't know bucks could get sore, did you? I have this little problem where I don't know how to ease into stuff. I just hit it hard like I've been exercising everyday for my entire life... but I haven't actually been doing that and that's why I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, sososossosooooosoosoososososoosoooooosSSSSOOOOOOOOOssssoosoososoOSsoooooosososo, so sore! But I don't mind. In fact, I love it. I've been doing aerobics at my friend's (see Fabulous #1 above) ward where she teaches and it's been very fun and very free. Plus I'm going to start running again on Monday. I'm so excited to RUN! I can hardly believe it, but I actually LOVE running and am SO looking forward to it!
3- Pretend dinner dates with friends are fun!
4- Cadbury Mini Eggs. I love these little babies. I could eat five-hundred and forty-two in one sitting. I also like to exaggerate... but I do love these Easter treats! Despite my desperate love affair, I've only bought one bag this year. Go me.
5- My little Mac man is such a good boy. We had a few extremely rocky spots today and we (both he and I) pulled through like champions! Hooray for learning/teaching opportunities! I have high hopes for and tons of faith in this child of mine.
1- Friends. They are the best. I've been well taken care of while my hubby, Mom and Dad are out of town.
2- Exercise. I've done it twice this week and I feel like a million (extremely sore) bucks! You didn't know bucks could get sore, did you? I have this little problem where I don't know how to ease into stuff. I just hit it hard like I've been exercising everyday for my entire life... but I haven't actually been doing that and that's why I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, sososossosooooosoosoososososoosoooooosSSSSOOOOOOOOOssssoosoososoOSsoooooosososo, so sore! But I don't mind. In fact, I love it. I've been doing aerobics at my friend's (see Fabulous #1 above) ward where she teaches and it's been very fun and very free. Plus I'm going to start running again on Monday. I'm so excited to RUN! I can hardly believe it, but I actually LOVE running and am SO looking forward to it!
3- Pretend dinner dates with friends are fun!
4- Cadbury Mini Eggs. I love these little babies. I could eat five-hundred and forty-two in one sitting. I also like to exaggerate... but I do love these Easter treats! Despite my desperate love affair, I've only bought one bag this year. Go me.
5- My little Mac man is such a good boy. We had a few extremely rocky spots today and we (both he and I) pulled through like champions! Hooray for learning/teaching opportunities! I have high hopes for and tons of faith in this child of mine.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Manic Monday: Ghost
Be sure to visit Mo for more Manic Monday fun!
Slowly the girls walked with their dates down the winding, paved road. The swift moving creek roared somewhere off to the left. The wind blew through the trees, their few remaining leaves hanging on like a drowning man on a life preserver. Erin carried a flashlight, but left it in her pocket as the moon faintly illuminated the black pavement, creating their eerie, declining footpath.
The group huddled closer, dates linking arms as they walked. Erin asked in a hushed whisper, "Have you guys ever heard of the legend of the Hippity Hoppity Lady?" Of course, Beth and Clancy had both been here before with Erin, but they feigned ignorance. Dave, Cody and Cache replied with a nonchalant 'No', and laughed it off. They were too cool and manly to be scared, and they had dared the girls to do their worst when the night started.
Erin began, "It was a long time ago, right in this very canyon. A mother lived with her three children in a small house near the river. They were a happy little family. The children loved to play all the games kids play and they did so every day. It was a simple life filled with simple pleasures."
"One day, the mother was cooking dinner and laughing at the sound of her children's games, when she suddenly noticed that the din she was enjoying had stopped. Smiling to herself and wondering what mischief they were in now, she went outside. Her smile faded as she realized they were nowhere to be seen. Putting down her dishcloth, she walked further in the direction they usually played. She found nothing. No sound of footsteps. No laughing. No children jumping out to say "Boo!". Not even a footprint to mark where they had run. She started calling their names. 'Eliza! Allen! James!! Where are you? Answer me!!!' Nothing. Not a noise. Not a giggle. The silence was deafening. Not even a bird call could be heard. The only sound was her footsteps on the crunching leaves."
At this point, Clancy thought it would be funny to throw a stick into the trees where it cracked against a wide trunk. Dave jumped. "What was that?!" he yelled. Everyone agreed that it must have been nothing as Clancy swallowed a giggle.
As the group walked ever slower and huddled closer, Erin continued. "As the mother was feeling panic rise in her chest that threatened to overwhelm her, she began to run. Franticly, she searched every place she could think that the children might have hidden themselves, every place they could have fallen or hurt themselves. She found not a trace."
"As the evening stretched into night, she continued calling her children, searching everywhere, and yielding nothing. She wiped sweat from her dirt-streaked face. All thoughts had left her, but the lost children. She searched endlessly through the night and into the next day."
"Late that afternoon, as she finally collapsed from exhaustion, a broken and miserable heap, she allowed herself to cry. Her cry shook the trees. It howled through the canyon like the very wind you hear right now." Just then a particularly large gust of wind burst through the tunnel the road created through the trees. Everyone shivered.
"She sat in a stupor for hours. It grew dark, and a small but sudden noise brought her out of her languor. She stood, backing away from the unexpected sound when her foot lighted upon something that was, clearly, not earth. Just as she reacted, trying to pull her foot away, she heard a snapping noise and felt steel shutting around her leg. A bear trap. She didn't care about her leg. Her only concern was finding her long-lost children. She was delirious... manic. Obsessed with the search."
"She lay there unable to move when the unexplained noise revealed itself. Just in front of her was the glinting, wicked blade of what must be the trapper's axe. Why he had left it here and how it had fallen and startled her, she neither knew nor cared. Here was her salvation. She picked it up and began to hack at her leg. When, at last, she was free of the trap, she got up on her leg that was whole, and began hopping in her hopeless search for her children. 'Eliza! Allen! James!!', she called. It was just a breath of what her voice had been two days ago. She was losing blood fast as she hopped along, saying their names as a chant now. 'Eliza. Allen. James. Eliza. Allen. James.' She hopped as long as she could and as she fell to the cold, leaf-littered ground, those were the last words that left her lips. 'Eliza. Allen. James.'
As Erin told the concluding remarks of her tale, she quietly grabbed the flashlight from her pocket. She prepared herself to shine it at just the right moment as she continued the story in a hushed voice. "It has been said that the ghost of the Hippity Hoppity Lady still wanders these woods calling for her lost children. You can hear her voice in the wind that whips through your hair. You can see her ghostly form as she hops, one legged, from tree to tree."
Suddenly Erin whips out the flashlight, shines it on an object just in front of the group and screams at the top of her lungs, "AND THERE SHE IS!!!!!"
Yes, this is a true story of a date we went on for a dance in high school (with some artistic license taken by the author on the actual story of the Hippity Hoppity Lady, and a few other minor details). This was what the pedestrian crossing sign looked like... a leg chopped, or more accurately, sprayed off, not by a trapper's axe, but by a little vandal! LOL! I must tell you that Dave (Beth's ACTUAL date) ran off screaming a very high pitched girly scream and ran all the way back to the car without stopping. For the rest of the night we visited every spooky place we could think of in Salt Lake City, including a visit to the lime kilns.
Slowly the girls walked with their dates down the winding, paved road. The swift moving creek roared somewhere off to the left. The wind blew through the trees, their few remaining leaves hanging on like a drowning man on a life preserver. Erin carried a flashlight, but left it in her pocket as the moon faintly illuminated the black pavement, creating their eerie, declining footpath.
The group huddled closer, dates linking arms as they walked. Erin asked in a hushed whisper, "Have you guys ever heard of the legend of the Hippity Hoppity Lady?" Of course, Beth and Clancy had both been here before with Erin, but they feigned ignorance. Dave, Cody and Cache replied with a nonchalant 'No', and laughed it off. They were too cool and manly to be scared, and they had dared the girls to do their worst when the night started.
Erin began, "It was a long time ago, right in this very canyon. A mother lived with her three children in a small house near the river. They were a happy little family. The children loved to play all the games kids play and they did so every day. It was a simple life filled with simple pleasures."
"One day, the mother was cooking dinner and laughing at the sound of her children's games, when she suddenly noticed that the din she was enjoying had stopped. Smiling to herself and wondering what mischief they were in now, she went outside. Her smile faded as she realized they were nowhere to be seen. Putting down her dishcloth, she walked further in the direction they usually played. She found nothing. No sound of footsteps. No laughing. No children jumping out to say "Boo!". Not even a footprint to mark where they had run. She started calling their names. 'Eliza! Allen! James!! Where are you? Answer me!!!' Nothing. Not a noise. Not a giggle. The silence was deafening. Not even a bird call could be heard. The only sound was her footsteps on the crunching leaves."
At this point, Clancy thought it would be funny to throw a stick into the trees where it cracked against a wide trunk. Dave jumped. "What was that?!" he yelled. Everyone agreed that it must have been nothing as Clancy swallowed a giggle.
As the group walked ever slower and huddled closer, Erin continued. "As the mother was feeling panic rise in her chest that threatened to overwhelm her, she began to run. Franticly, she searched every place she could think that the children might have hidden themselves, every place they could have fallen or hurt themselves. She found not a trace."
"As the evening stretched into night, she continued calling her children, searching everywhere, and yielding nothing. She wiped sweat from her dirt-streaked face. All thoughts had left her, but the lost children. She searched endlessly through the night and into the next day."
"Late that afternoon, as she finally collapsed from exhaustion, a broken and miserable heap, she allowed herself to cry. Her cry shook the trees. It howled through the canyon like the very wind you hear right now." Just then a particularly large gust of wind burst through the tunnel the road created through the trees. Everyone shivered.
"She sat in a stupor for hours. It grew dark, and a small but sudden noise brought her out of her languor. She stood, backing away from the unexpected sound when her foot lighted upon something that was, clearly, not earth. Just as she reacted, trying to pull her foot away, she heard a snapping noise and felt steel shutting around her leg. A bear trap. She didn't care about her leg. Her only concern was finding her long-lost children. She was delirious... manic. Obsessed with the search."
"She lay there unable to move when the unexplained noise revealed itself. Just in front of her was the glinting, wicked blade of what must be the trapper's axe. Why he had left it here and how it had fallen and startled her, she neither knew nor cared. Here was her salvation. She picked it up and began to hack at her leg. When, at last, she was free of the trap, she got up on her leg that was whole, and began hopping in her hopeless search for her children. 'Eliza! Allen! James!!', she called. It was just a breath of what her voice had been two days ago. She was losing blood fast as she hopped along, saying their names as a chant now. 'Eliza. Allen. James. Eliza. Allen. James.' She hopped as long as she could and as she fell to the cold, leaf-littered ground, those were the last words that left her lips. 'Eliza. Allen. James.'
As Erin told the concluding remarks of her tale, she quietly grabbed the flashlight from her pocket. She prepared herself to shine it at just the right moment as she continued the story in a hushed voice. "It has been said that the ghost of the Hippity Hoppity Lady still wanders these woods calling for her lost children. You can hear her voice in the wind that whips through your hair. You can see her ghostly form as she hops, one legged, from tree to tree."
Suddenly Erin whips out the flashlight, shines it on an object just in front of the group and screams at the top of her lungs, "AND THERE SHE IS!!!!!"
Yes, this is a true story of a date we went on for a dance in high school (with some artistic license taken by the author on the actual story of the Hippity Hoppity Lady, and a few other minor details). This was what the pedestrian crossing sign looked like... a leg chopped, or more accurately, sprayed off, not by a trapper's axe, but by a little vandal! LOL! I must tell you that Dave (Beth's ACTUAL date) ran off screaming a very high pitched girly scream and ran all the way back to the car without stopping. For the rest of the night we visited every spooky place we could think of in Salt Lake City, including a visit to the lime kilns.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
From The Jar... #13
C'mon kids! Let's all play. Even if it's just a two sentence comment in the comment box! Or, on your blog, do a novel like I tend toward! :)
And the jar says...
Describe a favorite childhood friend and some things you did with him or her.
I'd have to pick my friend Beth, hands down. That would be Beth S. from my comment box. We grew up in the same ward (church) and were best friends by third grade. We were a very silly pair. Sleepovers were our favorite. She had an early morning paper route that I LOVED to go on with her. She thought I was nuts because I liked going. My favorite paper route memory was when it snowed a bunch and we were the first people to disturb the fresh snow, leaving trails of our footprints. We would imagine someone trying to follow our print so we would do funny things like leave two left feet in a row or have one footprint backwards. I loved the still, quiet times of those snowy mornings with my best pal.
We took gymnastics together. It was awesome. I sucked at back flips and back handsprings and she was good at them. I always went crooked somehow. (Nice memory, huh? That's just what sticks out in my mind from gymnastics.) My family had a trampoline where we would pretend to be Olympic gymnasts performing our incredible feats. We would do the whole shebang- stand and put our arms up when we were ready, turn to the right and the left and then do our trick. Then we'd stand again, arms up for our finish. Then we'd give each other a score. Mostly I think we handed each other perfect 10s. Rarely anything below a nine. :) We loved the movie Nadia and I think we watched it one to many times.
I remember pretending we were gang-banging drug dealers. Nice game for kids, huh? Seems like we were in about 5th or 6th grade. We were "Chico and Chino" and we spoke in a Cheech and Chong kind of Spanish accent. We wore navy blue or red bandannas which we referred to as our "colors". She lived on a busy-ish street, and we'd hide from the cars that passed shouting to each other in our Spanish accents as we dove behind bushes, "Don't show your colors, man!" We played this game with her older brother, Eric. I think that he was the one who made it up. We would fill ziploc baggies with powder sugar and dried basil, parsley or oregano and, you guessed it, those were our "drugs" that we would sell. I don't think we ever pretended to "do" the drugs... just sell them. Apparently we were clean drug-dealers.
We would pretend that real-estate signs were gateways to other dimensions. You know the kind that is on a big post and swings freely. Ya. We would run under them and then the other person would be lost to the one still on this side of the sign. We would call out to each other, pleading, "Oh where, oh where did you go! I can't see you!!!" And then the pleading one would take a deep breath and, with a running start, jump through the "doorway" to the next dimension and we were happily reunited. It was beautiful! *tear* :)
We had so much fun talking about boys and dreaming of what it would be like get a drivers license, date boys, kiss a boy, go to college, get married, have kids... you name it, we talked about it. We romanticized something as simple as going to the grocery store or paying bills. I wish I still thought of those things as something exciting!
We were together all the time and we had an incredible friendship that has withstood the test of time. We were best friends all through high school and into our college years. As the strain of being roommates (in the literal sense of the word) in college put a slight shadow over some things, we still talked all the time. Then, last January, our relationship underwent some reconstruction, which was pretty amazing for both of us, and it obliterated the small shadow that we didn't even realize had come between us.
To you, Beth... thanks for sticking by me through all these years. It's a rare thing, indeed to still be close to someone at age almost-thirty who was your best friend as a child. I love you and I admire your courage and your strength of heart. Love ya! :)
And the jar says...
Describe a favorite childhood friend and some things you did with him or her.
I'd have to pick my friend Beth, hands down. That would be Beth S. from my comment box. We grew up in the same ward (church) and were best friends by third grade. We were a very silly pair. Sleepovers were our favorite. She had an early morning paper route that I LOVED to go on with her. She thought I was nuts because I liked going. My favorite paper route memory was when it snowed a bunch and we were the first people to disturb the fresh snow, leaving trails of our footprints. We would imagine someone trying to follow our print so we would do funny things like leave two left feet in a row or have one footprint backwards. I loved the still, quiet times of those snowy mornings with my best pal.
We took gymnastics together. It was awesome. I sucked at back flips and back handsprings and she was good at them. I always went crooked somehow. (Nice memory, huh? That's just what sticks out in my mind from gymnastics.) My family had a trampoline where we would pretend to be Olympic gymnasts performing our incredible feats. We would do the whole shebang- stand and put our arms up when we were ready, turn to the right and the left and then do our trick. Then we'd stand again, arms up for our finish. Then we'd give each other a score. Mostly I think we handed each other perfect 10s. Rarely anything below a nine. :) We loved the movie Nadia and I think we watched it one to many times.
I remember pretending we were gang-banging drug dealers. Nice game for kids, huh? Seems like we were in about 5th or 6th grade. We were "Chico and Chino" and we spoke in a Cheech and Chong kind of Spanish accent. We wore navy blue or red bandannas which we referred to as our "colors". She lived on a busy-ish street, and we'd hide from the cars that passed shouting to each other in our Spanish accents as we dove behind bushes, "Don't show your colors, man!" We played this game with her older brother, Eric. I think that he was the one who made it up. We would fill ziploc baggies with powder sugar and dried basil, parsley or oregano and, you guessed it, those were our "drugs" that we would sell. I don't think we ever pretended to "do" the drugs... just sell them. Apparently we were clean drug-dealers.
We would pretend that real-estate signs were gateways to other dimensions. You know the kind that is on a big post and swings freely. Ya. We would run under them and then the other person would be lost to the one still on this side of the sign. We would call out to each other, pleading, "Oh where, oh where did you go! I can't see you!!!" And then the pleading one would take a deep breath and, with a running start, jump through the "doorway" to the next dimension and we were happily reunited. It was beautiful! *tear* :)
We had so much fun talking about boys and dreaming of what it would be like get a drivers license, date boys, kiss a boy, go to college, get married, have kids... you name it, we talked about it. We romanticized something as simple as going to the grocery store or paying bills. I wish I still thought of those things as something exciting!
We were together all the time and we had an incredible friendship that has withstood the test of time. We were best friends all through high school and into our college years. As the strain of being roommates (in the literal sense of the word) in college put a slight shadow over some things, we still talked all the time. Then, last January, our relationship underwent some reconstruction, which was pretty amazing for both of us, and it obliterated the small shadow that we didn't even realize had come between us.
To you, Beth... thanks for sticking by me through all these years. It's a rare thing, indeed to still be close to someone at age almost-thirty who was your best friend as a child. I love you and I admire your courage and your strength of heart. Love ya! :)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
From The Jar... #2
It's Wednesday and I've got the jar ready. I have vowed to myself that I will post on the FIRST one I pull out of the jar. That is not easy for me. I want to search through them and find the one I WANT to write about today. But no... I am not going to do it! I will be true and just pick one out and DO IT!!! So... here goes. The jar says...
What is the most adventuresome thing you have ever done?
(If you want to play From the Jar with me, either tell me your fairly brief adventure story in your comment or leave a comment directing me to your blog to read about your grand adventures! And you don't have to write novels, like me... I just get carried away!)
So, this is a hard one for me. I would have to say having children! Naw- I'm just kiddin'...sort of.
(Double Warning! This is lengthy-er than last week's. Sorry Kristin! I want to record this one for posterity, so bear with me... I have to do it justice.)
Most adventurous or not, the first thing that came to mind was going to the Lilith Fair in 1997 with my friend, Erin.
I was in SLC visiting family for the weekend, and I went and hung out with Erin on Sunday afternoon. We started talking about the Lilith Fair and how awesome it would be to go. This was the first year for Lilith and the venue was irresistible for she and I. Almost every major act of this show was a favorite of ours. So the plan-hatching began.
We decided that I would stay for the week rather than leave with my parents that night. She would drive me back to Idaho the next weekend. Our parents agreed. Step one... check.
We figured that first of all, we should see if the concert even had any tickets left. We had two options, Phoenix, or Mountain View, CA. California had the better venue and, therefore, was our first choice. We called the ticket hotline where we received a serious blow... California was sold out. Bummer. I can't remember why we didn't call and get a ticket in Phoenix because it was not sold out... I think we just REALLY wanted California. For some strange reason, we called back just a few minutes later just hopeful about Cali... and BAM! two tickets had been canceled just a minute before in RESERVED SEATING! (we were just hoping for some general admission tickets) YAY! We booked them! We did a dance of victory and then realized that we had no idea how we were going to get there. Keep in mind that this was Sunday evening, time was ticking and the concert that we just paid for started at 3:00 on Tuesday in northern California! That was less than 48 hours away.
Let the brainstorming begin! Erin didn't have a car... she was still stuck with the 'rent's wheels. I had a car, but it was in Idaho- plus my hood had blown up on the freeway and smashed my windshield not too long before and a smashed windshield and no hood = bad for driving to California. Bummer.
So... Erin proceeded to beg her parents for their car. They would've let us, but the one car was unreliable and the other needed new brakes or something. And we would've had to leave before it could've been done. We called every person we could think of who might want to join us in our crazy little jaunt...(and, hey... by the way, can YOU drive?)... no go. It's getting late, and we don't have any wheels... so let's try wings! We called Morris Air...
"What can ya do for us, folks?"
Round trip air to San Fransisco leaving tomorrow at 6:00 am? $249. Hmm.... Erin and I look at each other for two seconds... done! We'll take it, thank you!
Where are we going to stay? Lucky for us, Erin has a friend that lives in San Fran. Charlotte is her name. We give her a jingle. We are flying there tomorrow. Can we please crash at your house? No problem, she says, I'm going to the concert too and we can go together! YAY!
So, Erin's dad drives us to Salt Lake City International Airport at about 5 am Monday morning. We are sitting at the terminal waiting for our flight. We see two boys walk by, one of which is carrying a guitar. We are silly 18/19 year olds and we giggled about them, joking that they are probably going to get on this flight because they are *likely* going to the Lilith Fair too! Ha ha... we are so funny!
The flight boards- there is no assigned seats on this flight, we were told by the booking agent. We pick a couple of seats and the plane fills up. Along comes a grumpy guy who looks at his ticket and then looks at me and says... "You're in my seat!" Umm..no sir... my ticket has a seat on it too... but there aren't assigned seats. After minimal arguing I could tell that he was too darned grumpy to convince, and I was too darned excited to care! We got up to move and the plane had filled up considerably. The only seats near each other were two isle seats. So we sat, isle between us, passing notes back and forth so we wouldn't disturb people like Mr. Grumpypants. As we're sitting there in walks two boys, one carrying a guitar! Ah... we were right! Cute boys are following us to the Lilith Fair! Ha ha! We are so funny!
Our flight was uneventful aside from seriously fun note passing. And about an hour later we landed in San Fransisco. This was my first trip west of Utah. I was pretty excited. We decided that we should ask those boys if they were going to Lilith (I'm pretty sure we just wanted to flirt with them and that was a good excuse!). We got off the plane before them and decided since they were being so slow we would hit the restroom. Alas, we lost them. They got off while we were going potty and disappeared. Poor us... no flirting today!
So we were on our way! It was then the adventure really began! Charlotte's parents couldn't come to pick us up because they had to work. So, we got explicit instructions on how to get to her house in the city using strictly public transportation. We rode a bus first, then got on a subway that was underground and then emerged to above ground. (pretty exciting for an Idaho girl!) Then we got on a light rail and then a trolley. There were many small miracles that kept us getting on the correct bus/train/subway... we had some serious guardian-angelship happening.
So, we amazingly made it to Charlotte's house. I have no recollection of what it was that we did that night, except go to bed. Did we eat or go out or anything, Erin? (if you're reading this...) Anway, I know we went to bed! The next morning we got up and arranged things with Charlotte. She had to work until 4:00 and she and her friends were going to drive down after she got off. The concert started at 3:00. Not acceptable. We didn't come all this way to miss the first two or three hours. (the concert was about 30 miles away...) We got some more public transit instructions... this one involving a train AND a taxi! (a REAL train... not some subway/light rail kind of train! This was way exciting for Clancy!) We trudged through San Fran and somehow made it to the train and then to the CONCERT!!!!
The CAL-Train didn't run after 10:00 and the concert ended at 11:00, but not to worry! Charlotte and her pals were going to meet us at the T-shirt booth after Paula Cole... about 7:00 and then we would get a ride back to Charlotte's place with them after the show was over. Perfect!
We wandered around loving every minute of it! It was so great! The heat of the sun beating down on our bare arms. Finding the "village stages" and watching smaller acts of women artists. Looking at T-shirts (and buying two!), anxiously awaiting the bigger acts coming on later! We were like kids at Disneyland!
The day passed blissfully and we found our reserved seats in the big stadium. We rocked out to Susanne Vega and Paula Cole and then went to the T-shirt booth to meet Charlotte. No Charlotte. Hmmm...... Big deal! Jewel's on next! Ran back, sang along with Jewel, back to the T-shirt booth... still no Charlotte. Hmmm... we'll figure it out later cuz it's TRACY CHAPMAN! Danced and sang to Tracy, back to the T-Shirt booth. Nothin'. Umm.... this could, potentially be a problem... but who cares! Let's go watch Sarah! (Sarah McLachlan was our FAVE!)
Sarah delivers a stellar performance, as always, and then we come back to reality. We are in a bit of trouble here. What do you think we should do, Erin? I know... let's see if we can sneak backstage! Ya! Good idea! Maybe a cop will arrest us and drive us back up to San Fran! Ya! That's a good idea too! Let's get in trouble!
So, we go down toward the stage instead of up to the most convenient exit. There are masses of people exiting down an isle. We are trying to get in to the mass, but no one is letting us in. Finally a guy notices this and stops walking to let us in. "Thanks," we tell him. "Sure," he says. We start talking again about how we are going to get home. "Maybe we can get Tracy Chapman to take us home. She said she lived in the bay area."
Our line-stopping hero says, "Oh, are you guys a long way from home?"
"Ya," we say. "We're from Salt Lake City."
"No way!" he says, pointing to his friend just ahead of us. "We're from Salt Lake City too!"
"HEY!!! YOU'RE THE GUYS FROM THE PLANE WITH THE GUITAR!" we say excitedly!
"NO WAY!!" they say. "You're the girls sitting on the two isle seats on the plane!"
We tell them how we joked that they were going to Lilith... we all marvel at the fact that we run into each other at the show with 25,000 people there.
We stand in front of the amphitheater and talk for a while. Turns out one of them was the cousin of the bass player in my boyfriend's band. The other grew up in the house I lived in college and knew one of my roommates. Crazy, crazy, crazy!
We talked to them for a long time and it eventually came out that we didn't have a ride to the place we were staying. They offered to drive us 30 miles to the north, when their destination was 25 miles to the south. Call us crazy, but we gratefully took the ride. They were very nice... and somehow we directed them to Charlotte's house! (that was a miracle all by itself!) They dropped us off and we said profuse thank yous and goodbye.
When we knocked on the door to Charlotte's place her parents opened the door and freaked out! They were worried sick about us. (pre-cell phone days!) Turns out Charlotte's friend didn't get tickets to the show and so they didn't come at all. We told them our tale and they absolutely agreed with us that we had guardian angels doing some serious overtime!
We went to bed, woke up early and got ourselves back to the airport. Got on the plane and were back in Salt Lake by 10:30 am- less than 72 hours after we started making our plans to go!
Thanks to Erin for an adventure not soon forgotten, even 11 years later!
What is the most adventuresome thing you have ever done?
(If you want to play From the Jar with me, either tell me your fairly brief adventure story in your comment or leave a comment directing me to your blog to read about your grand adventures! And you don't have to write novels, like me... I just get carried away!)
So, this is a hard one for me. I would have to say having children! Naw- I'm just kiddin'...sort of.
(Double Warning! This is lengthy-er than last week's. Sorry Kristin! I want to record this one for posterity, so bear with me... I have to do it justice.)
Most adventurous or not, the first thing that came to mind was going to the Lilith Fair in 1997 with my friend, Erin.
I was in SLC visiting family for the weekend, and I went and hung out with Erin on Sunday afternoon. We started talking about the Lilith Fair and how awesome it would be to go. This was the first year for Lilith and the venue was irresistible for she and I. Almost every major act of this show was a favorite of ours. So the plan-hatching began.
We decided that I would stay for the week rather than leave with my parents that night. She would drive me back to Idaho the next weekend. Our parents agreed. Step one... check.
We figured that first of all, we should see if the concert even had any tickets left. We had two options, Phoenix, or Mountain View, CA. California had the better venue and, therefore, was our first choice. We called the ticket hotline where we received a serious blow... California was sold out. Bummer. I can't remember why we didn't call and get a ticket in Phoenix because it was not sold out... I think we just REALLY wanted California. For some strange reason, we called back just a few minutes later just hopeful about Cali... and BAM! two tickets had been canceled just a minute before in RESERVED SEATING! (we were just hoping for some general admission tickets) YAY! We booked them! We did a dance of victory and then realized that we had no idea how we were going to get there. Keep in mind that this was Sunday evening, time was ticking and the concert that we just paid for started at 3:00 on Tuesday in northern California! That was less than 48 hours away.
Let the brainstorming begin! Erin didn't have a car... she was still stuck with the 'rent's wheels. I had a car, but it was in Idaho- plus my hood had blown up on the freeway and smashed my windshield not too long before and a smashed windshield and no hood = bad for driving to California. Bummer.
So... Erin proceeded to beg her parents for their car. They would've let us, but the one car was unreliable and the other needed new brakes or something. And we would've had to leave before it could've been done. We called every person we could think of who might want to join us in our crazy little jaunt...(and, hey... by the way, can YOU drive?)... no go. It's getting late, and we don't have any wheels... so let's try wings! We called Morris Air...
"What can ya do for us, folks?"
Round trip air to San Fransisco leaving tomorrow at 6:00 am? $249. Hmm.... Erin and I look at each other for two seconds... done! We'll take it, thank you!
Where are we going to stay? Lucky for us, Erin has a friend that lives in San Fran. Charlotte is her name. We give her a jingle. We are flying there tomorrow. Can we please crash at your house? No problem, she says, I'm going to the concert too and we can go together! YAY!
So, Erin's dad drives us to Salt Lake City International Airport at about 5 am Monday morning. We are sitting at the terminal waiting for our flight. We see two boys walk by, one of which is carrying a guitar. We are silly 18/19 year olds and we giggled about them, joking that they are probably going to get on this flight because they are *likely* going to the Lilith Fair too! Ha ha... we are so funny!
The flight boards- there is no assigned seats on this flight, we were told by the booking agent. We pick a couple of seats and the plane fills up. Along comes a grumpy guy who looks at his ticket and then looks at me and says... "You're in my seat!" Umm..no sir... my ticket has a seat on it too... but there aren't assigned seats. After minimal arguing I could tell that he was too darned grumpy to convince, and I was too darned excited to care! We got up to move and the plane had filled up considerably. The only seats near each other were two isle seats. So we sat, isle between us, passing notes back and forth so we wouldn't disturb people like Mr. Grumpypants. As we're sitting there in walks two boys, one carrying a guitar! Ah... we were right! Cute boys are following us to the Lilith Fair! Ha ha! We are so funny!
Our flight was uneventful aside from seriously fun note passing. And about an hour later we landed in San Fransisco. This was my first trip west of Utah. I was pretty excited. We decided that we should ask those boys if they were going to Lilith (I'm pretty sure we just wanted to flirt with them and that was a good excuse!). We got off the plane before them and decided since they were being so slow we would hit the restroom. Alas, we lost them. They got off while we were going potty and disappeared. Poor us... no flirting today!
So we were on our way! It was then the adventure really began! Charlotte's parents couldn't come to pick us up because they had to work. So, we got explicit instructions on how to get to her house in the city using strictly public transportation. We rode a bus first, then got on a subway that was underground and then emerged to above ground. (pretty exciting for an Idaho girl!) Then we got on a light rail and then a trolley. There were many small miracles that kept us getting on the correct bus/train/subway... we had some serious guardian-angelship happening.
So, we amazingly made it to Charlotte's house. I have no recollection of what it was that we did that night, except go to bed. Did we eat or go out or anything, Erin? (if you're reading this...) Anway, I know we went to bed! The next morning we got up and arranged things with Charlotte. She had to work until 4:00 and she and her friends were going to drive down after she got off. The concert started at 3:00. Not acceptable. We didn't come all this way to miss the first two or three hours. (the concert was about 30 miles away...) We got some more public transit instructions... this one involving a train AND a taxi! (a REAL train... not some subway/light rail kind of train! This was way exciting for Clancy!) We trudged through San Fran and somehow made it to the train and then to the CONCERT!!!!
The CAL-Train didn't run after 10:00 and the concert ended at 11:00, but not to worry! Charlotte and her pals were going to meet us at the T-shirt booth after Paula Cole... about 7:00 and then we would get a ride back to Charlotte's place with them after the show was over. Perfect!
We wandered around loving every minute of it! It was so great! The heat of the sun beating down on our bare arms. Finding the "village stages" and watching smaller acts of women artists. Looking at T-shirts (and buying two!), anxiously awaiting the bigger acts coming on later! We were like kids at Disneyland!
The day passed blissfully and we found our reserved seats in the big stadium. We rocked out to Susanne Vega and Paula Cole and then went to the T-shirt booth to meet Charlotte. No Charlotte. Hmmm...... Big deal! Jewel's on next! Ran back, sang along with Jewel, back to the T-shirt booth... still no Charlotte. Hmmm... we'll figure it out later cuz it's TRACY CHAPMAN! Danced and sang to Tracy, back to the T-Shirt booth. Nothin'. Umm.... this could, potentially be a problem... but who cares! Let's go watch Sarah! (Sarah McLachlan was our FAVE!)
Sarah delivers a stellar performance, as always, and then we come back to reality. We are in a bit of trouble here. What do you think we should do, Erin? I know... let's see if we can sneak backstage! Ya! Good idea! Maybe a cop will arrest us and drive us back up to San Fran! Ya! That's a good idea too! Let's get in trouble!
So, we go down toward the stage instead of up to the most convenient exit. There are masses of people exiting down an isle. We are trying to get in to the mass, but no one is letting us in. Finally a guy notices this and stops walking to let us in. "Thanks," we tell him. "Sure," he says. We start talking again about how we are going to get home. "Maybe we can get Tracy Chapman to take us home. She said she lived in the bay area."
Our line-stopping hero says, "Oh, are you guys a long way from home?"
"Ya," we say. "We're from Salt Lake City."
"No way!" he says, pointing to his friend just ahead of us. "We're from Salt Lake City too!"
"HEY!!! YOU'RE THE GUYS FROM THE PLANE WITH THE GUITAR!" we say excitedly!
"NO WAY!!" they say. "You're the girls sitting on the two isle seats on the plane!"
We tell them how we joked that they were going to Lilith... we all marvel at the fact that we run into each other at the show with 25,000 people there.
We stand in front of the amphitheater and talk for a while. Turns out one of them was the cousin of the bass player in my boyfriend's band. The other grew up in the house I lived in college and knew one of my roommates. Crazy, crazy, crazy!
We talked to them for a long time and it eventually came out that we didn't have a ride to the place we were staying. They offered to drive us 30 miles to the north, when their destination was 25 miles to the south. Call us crazy, but we gratefully took the ride. They were very nice... and somehow we directed them to Charlotte's house! (that was a miracle all by itself!) They dropped us off and we said profuse thank yous and goodbye.
When we knocked on the door to Charlotte's place her parents opened the door and freaked out! They were worried sick about us. (pre-cell phone days!) Turns out Charlotte's friend didn't get tickets to the show and so they didn't come at all. We told them our tale and they absolutely agreed with us that we had guardian angels doing some serious overtime!
We went to bed, woke up early and got ourselves back to the airport. Got on the plane and were back in Salt Lake by 10:30 am- less than 72 hours after we started making our plans to go!
Thanks to Erin for an adventure not soon forgotten, even 11 years later!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Good Times With
Isn't it funny how there's people we meet with whom we get along great... we really like being around them and have a lot in common, so we say things to each other like, "We should hang out some time." or "We should have a barbecue sometime!" Then "some time" never comes because we all have lives that are busy, and the next time you see each other you say those "let's hang out" phrases again. And the cycle just continues.
Well, my dear friends, I saw this vicious cycle in embryo with my cute friend, Rachel. We were together for a little while and decided that we should definitely do dinner or something. As she was leaving, she said, "We should pick a day to do dinner right now, or it'll never happen!" (or something close to that!) Good call, Rachel! We picked a tentative date and I said I'd call her after I checked with Dustin. I was tempted to just let the day come and go because it has been SUCH a busy week and I've been so tired... but I didn't want it to turn into a "we should hang out" cycle. So... I checked with Dust and called her back with confirmation.
And I am so glad we did! Tonight Rachel and I broke the "we-should-hang-out" barrier as we went over to their darling house and ate a delicious dinner of slow-roasted, TENDER pork roast, baked red potatoes, salad and rolls. The food was incredible and the company even better. We had so much fun! Our kids played, squealed and chased in circles while Rachel, Nels, Dustin and I laughed for two hours straight. It was good times at their best!
I am so glad that Rachel and I decided to break through that barrier in our friendship and actually hang out! Hopefully it won't be long before we are doing it again!
Rachel, thanks again for the dinner and an even bigger thanks for being my friend! :)
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