I'm a [Cowgirl], Baby

Okay, so I was never a fan of this song. But, it's what popped into my head as I was preparing to write this post :). And this is only a clip. Because the whole song is not really worth listening to, in my humble opinion ;). (Actually, it's a really bad song...).

So, I have been so remiss in my blogging duties. I have been staying amazingly busy and on the go. I walk usually 4 times a week. Last week I think I walked all 5 days. I think I'm finally beginning to see some difference on the scale. Several people have told me I look like I've lost weight. So, that's always nice to hear :). This post will include pictures, so you can judge for yourself. Either way, I'm happy and enjoying myself these days.

Monday was a Rewards and Recognition Banquet with a rodeo theme for work. I always sign up to go to things like this, because it's something different to do. They always are held in Seattle, so it's nice to get out and go somewhere and be social. So those of us who went (Pam, Mary, John, my mom, and me) left work at 3:30 so we could catch the ferry. And because it was such a beautiful (though very windy) day, we went out on the deck of the ferry and took pictures :).


Here are me and Mary.


And then we started playing around. And thought it would be funny to do the monkey pose... See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. But, there were four of us. So John got smell no evil. It was great stuff.

Actually, it kind of looks like I'm embarassed that John is smelling something. Hahahaha... And Mary is laughing about it. Have I mentioned that these people are awesome to work with!?! Anyway, so then we got a mostly normal shot. But Mary wasn't ready for it, I don't think ;).


We got to Seattle and I navigated us to the place where we were headed while John drove. I'm not exactly sure why I ended up being navigator, since my mom seemed to have a better idea where she was going than I did. We only had written directions without a visual aide. I need the visuals... But anyway, after one turnaround, we got there without incident. Oh, since it was a rodeo theme, we were allowed to come in our rodeo gear. Which I do not own. But I am always up for an excuse to wear my new favorite jeans ;). Hahahaha... Plus they had bandanas for us too. Check out Mary and John, the bandits:


And since Mary didn't have her boots on, John embellished her crocs with little boot stickers so she did.


And here are my mom and Pam. Pam is our receptionist.


And finally... Though I didn't get much more dressed up than jeans for the rodeo, I did get to be a cowgirl for a couple of minutes while I posed with John's hat.


So anyway, they catered in BBQ that was mediocre at best. Robin was there too, and while he was eating the chicken, he said out of the corner of his mouth, "This chicken sucks." And I busted out laughing. It was hilarious. And everyone else was like, "Thanks for speaking the truth." I've had some good BBQ in my life. I'm not talking about grilled food here. I'm talking about barbeque. And this was sub-par. But, we made hilarious memories.... Always a good day when that happens. They also made the managers (which included my mom and Robin) go up and line dance. That was hilarious. I got it on video. Priceless. And my mom even got an award, which she was totally surprised by. She got Office Manager of the Quarter. It was awesome. Oh, and we all sung "I Got Friends in Low Places" -- led by Mr. Obnoxious and his wife (from the Canada trip), and let's just say we're all sorry they had the microphone. Hahahaha... It wasn't pretty. We drove all the way back, since the next ferry after the event was over wasn't going to leave Seattle until 9:05. Instead, we made it back to the funeral home by 9:00 and got into our cars and headed home.

And that's when we learned the sad news. Socks, our cat, had died. We knew it was coming. She was almost 18 years old. But for the past 2 weeks, we've been waiting for this. Doesn't make it any less sad, though. So, I helped my mom bury her by the tulips that have sprung up in the backyard.

As for the rest, it's been life as usual :). Just laughing, working, walking, and living... The Nilla Life.

Random Thoughts...

Some related to recent blog comments, others just floating in my crazy head.

1. Maternity pants when not pregnant probably aren't the most stylish thing to wear to a company function, Elka ;). Hahahaha...

2. I have enjoyed walking with people. I'm glad that I have found several people with whom to walk during the week :).

3. Sometimes my life isn't very vanilla, it's true. And so sometimes, saying it is is actually very tongue-in-cheek.

4. Sometimes I type faster than I think. Expect typos that go uncorrected. Dad :). Oops. So I meant that I think faster than I type. My dad has informed me that what I wrote was wrong.

5. Coraline was a creep-tastic movie that would have given me nightmares if I had seen it as a child. I don't recommend it. However, I do recommend Race to Witch Mountain.

6. The "tin can" a.k.a. the file room at work has been dubbed "The Music Box." Currently it's broken, since I'm not out there enough to produce it's music ;). I've told them I will sing karaoke for them one of these days. In the meantime, I think they are trying to catch me out there singing. If I ever get a computer out there and can stay out there working on the files instead of going back and forth, I'm pretty sure more people will catch me singing. And somehow, that doesn't really make me want to stop singing. You must be right, Elka: it's genetic.

7. I'm seriously thinking I need to find a credit card that offers frequent flyer miles...

8. Because I'm considering buying yet another ticket to the Southeast for July. Of course, I would need to do that soon so I don't get charged a lot. But the reason is that I've kind of wanted to go to the Canal Zone reunion for years that takes place in Orlando. And I just never did it. And now a girl I knew from Panama (Emily -- who I saw in Atlanta last year) is thinking about going down for the 10 year high school reunion (ugh... I'm OLD), and asked if I'd ever thought of it... And though I didn't graduate from BHS, I would've, and I went to school with those people for my whole school life up until my Senior year. So, why not? Of course, this is still in consideration phase, since I kind of need to pay off my credit card. And let's not forget I have to go to Birmingham in October for April's wedding. So yeah... frequent flyer miles would be a good thing.

9. I'm thirsty. So, I'm going to get a drink of water. And then I'm finally going to watch last week's episode of Lost.

10. I don't like that Washington State is so many hours behind Florida and Alabama. It really disrupts things :). It didn't feel like such a big difference when I was living in Alabama and calling Washington. Now, though... Things are quite reversed.

La Vida Nilla

I am often amazed at how the week gets away from me. What can I say? I stay busy these days. Busy and laughing. And it's all good :).

So, Monday was a regular old work day. Nothing terribly exciting happened that day, as far as work goes. But, instead of walking, Heidi, Em, Wendy (all from church) and I went to a movie. The first movie in a theatre I've seen since I moved here. Okay, so I'm kind of a loser... Anyway, we went and saw Duplicity with Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. I really quite liked it, though I hadn't even heard of it before then. The four of us made 4 of the 6 people in the theatre that night. So close to being the only ones... Oh well. So, I got home sometime around 10 that night and grabbed a quick shower, and then went to bed.

On Tuesday, I went to work for the morning, and then I left at noon and went by a department of transportation office to get myself a "Good2Go" pass so that I can cross the bridge and not have to stop to pay the toll. So, my car is now RFID-tagged up. Also, the toll is cheaper this way. Yippee. Also, I don't have to worry about my windows that don't roll down -- especially in cold weather. And then I drove the rest of the way to Sumner to do a meet and greet with the people who interviewed me while I was in New Mexico. They seem nice. The library is a lot smaller than I imagined. Much smaller than HLML, maybe twice the size of Ashford. For most of you, this description is meaningless. For the rest of you... now you know :). Anyway, I got shown around and mainly just went to meet them and kind of get familiar with the situation so I can be a substitute. So, toward the end, they are showing me their "slipping" room -- or where all the behind-the-scenes stuff goes down. And one of the ladies working there is writing something and then turns to me and says, "Hablas espanol?" To which I reply "Si." And somehow, before it's all over, I end up making a phone call to these people who didn't return the DVD with the case -- all in Spanish. And, while I was assured that they always get the answering maching, I got a real live person. So, how about that? It was a success, though, since I understood the dude, and the dude understood me. And then the lady that would've made the call had I said no, said, "Wow. You're good. Is your Spanish Mexican Spanish?" So I told her I learned my Spanish in Panama. Seriously... How do these things even happen to me? I was so embarassed. I was being watched (and listened to) by 4 people. Talk about on-the-spot. I soooo enjoy that feeling. Anyway, I went back to work after that and just did a few more files before calling it quits. And then Sue and I walked for about 45 minutes after work.

Wednesday helped me cross something off my Nilla list. Which I need to go find. But anyway... The morning was hectic, because I had to make an unanticipated trip to the pharmacy in Silverdale for my grandparents. My mom was in Seattle for mangers' meetings. And then I had a Relief Society meeting to attend at 10. And then, I had to make sure they knew at work that I was planning to go to Seattle with them. But, it all worked out. We loaded up the van at about 3 -- all 7 seats full. I was jammed in the middle in the back. Felt like the airplane. We laughed and cut up all the way over. Then we got to the hotel, where they were having the meetings. Turns out the President and CEO of the company was here, and so we got to rub elbows with the big whigs. Once the room was ready for all of us to go in, we sat down together and had cookies, chips, and sodas while listening to the "town meeting." After that, we were, quite unexpectedly, invited to join everyone at this place called Mangiamo's. So, we all walked the 4 blocks from the hotel to the restaurant and enjoyed a lovely dinner. In a restaurant with 3 forks per place setting. Which totally qualifies for whatever that was on my bucket list :). It's one of those frivolous things I've always wanted to do -- that and ride in a limo. Hahahaha :). So, I had my camera, but had left it in the van, because I thought I'd look dumb. Yet another regret. I should have brought it. Darn it. But thank goodness for camera phones. I took a picture of a place setting to show off all the forks and plates. And then John took a picture with his phone of me. It came out a bit blurry, but my camera didn't look like it got enough light when you held it up, and John's seemed to get more light. So, we made do. But either way... I have a somewhat record of this experience :). It was like a 4 course meal. First there were appetizers: fried cheese (always a winner) and stuffed mushroom caps (another winner). Then there were salads. They put two big salads on the table: caesar and chopped. I preferred the Caesar. The chopped had bleu cheese. Ick. That taste really stays with you. The main course was also served in big dishes and we all got some of everything: veal scallopini, chicken saltenboca (or however it's spelled), sausage spaghetti, four cheese ravioli. I didn't eat the veal. By about this time, I was completely stuffed. But, there was still dessert. I had the 7 layer chocolate cake, but I didn't have much of it. No more room in my tummy -- or my pants for that matter ;). But anyway, we laughed and enjoyed wonderful conversation. It was a fun night. We left the restaurant around 10 and walked back to the hotel. Then we still had over an hour's drive back to the funeral home where we work. Which got even longer when we couldn't get onto I-405 due to construction. So, I got home sometime after midnight and still had to get a shower and all that. So, it was about 2 before I got to sleep this morning.




But today was a new day, and I got up and made it to work by 8:30. Impressive, no? Hahaha... After a full day of work, I came home, made dinner (my mom was on the ferry back home after 2 days of managers' meetings), and then rushed off to Enrichment at church. So, it's been busy. And I still have a new episode of Lost to watch. But, I thought I should fill in my blog about my fun night in Bellevue/Seattle ;). Way too much fun. Even though it probably doesn't sound like it, since I left out all the fun details ;).

A Busy Easter -- and What I Learned in Church

Well, it has been a busy several days. Happy news highlights include Julie's 7:30 a.m. phone call (my time) on Friday to announce that we got awesome seats to the NKOTB concert. I think she said we are in row 10 or something. Which rocks. I could be wrong, though. Because I'm a little hazy at that time of the morning ;).

I worked as receptionist all day again on Saturday. I felt more confident this time, which is good, because a lot more stuff happened this past Saturday than the Saturday before. So, I'm learning how to do all sorts of stuff. Mary was the family service counselor working yesterday, and she and I laugh a lot when we work together. So that's always fun. We are both lovers of the 80s, so we are always making allusions to the awesome decade and seeing if the other picks up on it. And then we laugh and chuckle and have about a million stories to tell. And so, as Mary likes to say, "Good times." Last night I watched Wild Hogs. I just cracked up. Especially in the beginning of the movie. Dad, if you haven't seen this one, you should rent it or something. Or, save it for the next time I see you. It's one I'd like to watch with you, because I know you're going to laugh :).

Today, being Easter, the funeral home had a sunrise service. Not that we could see the sunrise. It was held indoors, because it finally rained -- all day until about 6:00 this evening, after the kiddies hunted eggs inside. Oh well. It is Washington State, after all ;). But anyway, so they had a sunrise service, which they have every year. And then they do a pancake and sausage breakfast for anyone who wants to stay and eat after the service. So, I volunteered to go in, as did my mom. I was ready to go before my mom was -- that's just for the record ;). We got there at about 5:45. Those who know me know that is quite a feat. Most of us were not privvy to the service, since we were busy making orange juice and setting things up. But Mary was there, and she and I had a great time laughing, so it was all good ;). Here are a couple of pictures of the room:




And here are those of us who were on kitchen detail (L to R: Mary, my mom, Sue, Robin, and me):


We all sat down and ate breakfast once everyone else had eaten and gone. There were more of us there than in that picture, but some people were actually cooking at the time of the picture, and a couple were upstairs tending to the service. Anyway, it was enjoyable -- good company and a fun time.

Then my mom and I left and headed for church. Today, the Relief Society Presidency got changed. It was a bit of a shock when I found out (which was actually last Tuesday), because we were all just called in November. So today, I was released as 3rd Counselor in Relief Society and called as 2nd Counselor in Relief Society. Not a huge change in title, but a rather different set of responsibilities. I am looking forward to the new calling. And this, happily, leads me to what I learned in church today. See, I was conducting in Relief Society. And after the lesson, I was thanking the two sisters who spoke on behalf of the entire RS Presidency. Well, one of the sisters I know by her first name. I'd recognize her last name if I heard it, and I'd put her face with the name. But for some reason, whenever I think of her without hearing her last name, I always put the last name "Walker" with her first name, which is Johnnie. So, there I am, and I say, "We'd like to thank ... and Sis. Johnnie Walker..." And she politely corrected me and gave me her correct last name. Which made me feel like a heel. Because I really do know her -- she used to work with my mom in Primary. She's a sweet little old lady who's actually quite a spitfire. So, I was mortified and apologized profusely. And she said, "Oh, it's okay. But Johnnie Walker just isn't a nice name." Meanwhile, I'm mentally trying to figure out who Johnnie Walker is, and why I know that name. Because, seriously, it's always the two names I put together... And finally, as she's trying to explain why Johnnie Walker isn't a "nice" name, someone says, "It's liquor." And the whole room exploded in laughter. And I laughed so hard, and apologized again. And so, there you go... Today, in church -- my teetotaling church -- I learned what Johnnie Walker is. And I learned that it isn't the sweet sister that used to work with my mom in Primary. Classic Nilla, once again. I think this moment ranks up there with the time I stuck my finger in the "fake" desserts that turned out to be not-so-fake.

After church, I was exhausted. Because I've been working all week, and I've been up early every morning. So, I snagged about an hour's worth of z's before I had to head over to Brad and Tarylyn's to watch the kids hunt Easter eggs. Which we did inside, as I mentioned earlier, because it rained pretty much all day long here. It's fun seeing the kids. They really are growing up so fast. Emily turned 4 months old yesterday. It's just unbelievable to me. She's holding her head up like a pro, smiling, and cooing a little here and there. She loves to "stand" -- and she knows what she likes, which is mostly being held.

And, because it is Easter, I feel like I should share something much deeper than the mundane details (and faux pas) of my daily life. So, as I was driving home from Brad's, a memory popped into my head about an insight I gained once. It had more to do with the Savior's Atonement than His Resurrection, but as those two things are kind of tightly intertwined, I feel that this is applicable. I can remember very vividly walking around FoodMaxx in Tuscaloosa the day before I was to head to Dothan for Thanksgiving in 2006. I'd been in Tuscaloosa for about 3 weeks at that point -- and I was so very alone. So, so very alone. It had been almost 6 months since my divorce -- a wound that was still very, very fresh. And I was in such emotional anguish. I can remember walking down the frozen aisle -- not even sure why I was there at this point -- and thinking, "I feel like I can barely hold up under the emotional pain and anguish I'm feeling right now. How did the Savior bear every single pain, sorrow, grief, sickness, and sin of not only me, but of the world? How could He stand it? I cannot even begin to fathom that, because I can barely hold up under this small bit of right now -- nevermind my past and my future." It remains one of the most poignant moments of my life -- that realization of just what my Savior did for me. "Surely He has borne [my] griefs and carried [my] sorrows." And though I cannot fully understand how He was able to do it -- nor need I understand -- I know that He did. And He did it, because He loved me. And because He loved every single person who ever has been and ever will be born. And He did it so that we could return to be with our Heavenly Father. And He was allowed to feel that anguish -- mine, as well as yours, so that he would "know... how to succor his people." Through His Atonement, He broke the bands of spiritual and physical death. And I have every reason to know I am forever blessed because of it.

Only Nilla

So now that I know the outcome of this story, I will share it. Let me preface this story with this statement: they didn't end up hiring me for the position. Okay, so back in February, I think I mentioned a job for which I applied that required Spanish knowledge. And then I had to go take a Spanish test. I didn't hear anything for a long time, and figured maybe my Spanish was way worse than I thought it was. And then around March 4, I got a phone call about the job. They wanted to interview me, and they were setting up interviews for March 25. Well, by that point, I had already purchased my ticket to Alabama, and I knew I'd be somewhere in the middle of these great United States on March 25. So, I explained that to the guy, and he told me he would see if they could arrange an interview for the following week, and he'd call me back either that afternoon or the next day. Well, I didn't hear back. And I figured they didn't want me enough to really work that out -- but took comfort in the fact that my Spanish wasn't totally sucky. So then comes Tuesday, March 24. And I'm somewhere around Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. And I get a phone call about that job. They want to set up a phone interview -- on my cell phone mind you -- for the following day. He apologizes for "being remiss" in getting back to me. I figure, "What the heck, I can try this phone interview thing." But I do explain that I can't guarantee good cell phone service, because who even knew where we'd be by 3:00 the following day? Turns out, at 3:00 Washington time the following day (which was 5:00 in the place where I set up the interview time, and 4:00 in the place where I ended up having the interview), we were just over the New Mexico state line. Okay, do any of you know how awkward it is to interview on a cell phone flying 75 mph down I-40? I mean, seriously... Who should know that? Who do these kinds of things happen to? Apparently, the answer is Nilla. And do you know how much more awkward it is to have your parents listening to your half of the interview? I think that was the worst part. But thankfully, my wonderful dad found the first exit he could, and he and my mom got out of the Jeep and let me interview in solitude. So there you go. That's my story. I swear, I need to pen my memoirs. Anyway, so I don't really know why I didn't get the job, but they did ask me if I'd be interested in working as a substitute librarian for the library system there. I figure: why not? He mentioned something about it allowing me to get my foot in the door, which makes me think perhaps the person who got the job is someone who was already working in the system. Which is cool. And actually, I'm pretty relieved. That would've been an hour commute each way -- which would have not been fun. And really, the main reason I wanted the job in the first place was just because the pay was good and I'd be able to (finally) get my own place. But, for now... Here I stay. And I'm actually quite content.

Because with all my glorious flexibility at my current job (have I mentioned how I love this job?), I can do things like buy yet another plane ticket. To places like Orlando, FL. Where my BFF Julie will pick me up and then we'll both go live the dream of all dreams. (Okay, maybe not the dream of all dreams, but pretty darn close). We're going to the New Kids on the Block concert in Tampa on May 30!!! Well, okay, pending purchase of those tickets. They don't go on sale until Friday, the 10th of April. But as for me, I've already bought my roundtrip ticket. So, even if we don't get to go ooooh and aaaah over Danny, Donnie, Jordan, Jonathan, and Joey... We'll still have a great time :). But, since we both have been wanting this -- and I missed out in November at the Tacoma Dome -- I really hope it happens :)!!!

In other news:

Today was day 3 in walking. And it was uber-breezy. And cold. And so I'm sure I looked ridiculous wearing my shorts and my leather jacket over my shirt. But hey -- it's all I had in the car, since I didn't come home after work.

I think my camera's memory card is going bad. This is bad news. But, at least they are relatively cheap to buy. I'll see how this round goes. At least I didn't lose pics from my Alabama trip. I'd already put those on my mom's computer.

I finally filed my Alabama State taxes. Did you know I couldn't file the easy form, because I was only a part-year resident? That was lame. Especially since I filled out the easy one first -- and then I noticed that rule. Ugh. Thank goodness I thought to grab one of each from good old HLML.

My new shoes rub the tops of my feet in not-so-pleasant ways. But my feet will have to suck it up. Because I'm not wasting that money. And for Kira... Here's a picture - or two.





Okay, so the second picture is hard to see well. But the flash in the mirror ruins the picture anyway, so there you go. And Dad, that's you on the phone that I was talking to :). Now you see how I can multi-task.

And this is 2 posts in 2 days. I'm on a roll! And I deserve a prize :).

60s and Holding

But not for long. The rain will re-commence tomorrow. (Is that even a word? If it isn't, it should be. So, I'm declaring it so :)). Or that's what is predicted, at any rate. In the meantime, I have been loving the 60-something degree weather we've been having for the past 4 days. It's been sunny and gorgeous -- with full views of the mountains on all sides. The mountains really are pretty.

I went walking yesterday with a gal from church named Heidi. Today I walked with my mom and Sue, with whom we both work.

I also went and bought a pair of black, flat dress shoes. All I own are high heels. And let me tell you, my 2.5 to 3-inch heels were not the wisest choice for shoe yesterday when I was on my feet all morning. In fact, I left halfway through and came home and changed into tennis shoes. My feet were killing me. I always bought heels, because usually I wasn't on my feet at work that much. And I was just always used to getting heels. I still love my heels, but I will save them for the times when I'm not doing a lot of standing, walking, lifting, and moving. So, anyway, I bought a pair of black flats that are cute. And more practical for work, in case I need to go out into the park to verify info and good 'ole Bob isn't there to be my Gator chauffer. That takes a lot of walking -- sometimes up and down hills. And always, always into the grass, which is sometimes wet and soggy, and not so heel-friendly.

And that's pretty much the extent of my excitement. It's a thrill a minute, isn't it :)?

Movies I'll Never Quote

So, the bottom line is that, while I enjoy a wide variety of movies and genres, there are definitely some that I don't care for at all. And the truth is that usually it will take just one scene from a movie to ruin the whole movie for me. And it's also true that movie taste is where Julie and I usually differ :). Right Julie?

The first movie I can think of that I don't like based on one scene is The Young Sherlock Holmes. There is a scene in the movie where people are getting attacked by flying gargoyles. Here's a link to part of the movie. It's creepy. But anyway, the gargoyle thing (which ended up being hallucinations) ruined the whole movie for me. My parents insist that I would like it if I would watch it as an adult. I beg to differ. It still looks creepy.

When I was about 12 -- this would have been the summer of 1993, Born on the Fourth of July was on SCN (the Southern Command Network, which was our only English channel in Panama until we got cable tv later that year). I only saw a part of it. But the part of it I saw was so disturbing to me, that I got up and left. It was after Tom Cruise's character returned from the war, and in the scene he was yelling and mad and frustrated because he had to pee out of a tube. I've never seen the rest of the movie; I've never wanted to. It was disturbing. I've never forgotten it.

This one's a famous one :). It's not so much a scene of the movie that ruined it for me. It was the ending of the movie. I guess I should warn you that there is a spoiler coming, if you haven't seen A Beautiful Mind. Yes, I realize that the overcoming of his issues was supposed to be the happy ending. But for me, I was so sad that the problem just didn't go away completely, rather than him having to pretend like it wasn't there... I realize that probably sounds dumb. And I know that, in real life, it doesn't work that way. That sometimes the best we can ever hope for is the ability to fight against something and overcome issues that are still there, but that the issues never go away. But I sure wouldn't mind it if there was the chance for that to happen in life :). And so, I wasn't a fan of A Beautiful Mind. And that, Julie, is where we differ!!! :) :) :).

Okay, so this was a rather pointless blog post. But I figured I should write something. And I know there are probably most of you out there that don't agree with me on the last one. So sue me :)!

Oh, and also, if you can think of others that I've told you about (because I know there are more), feel free to remind me in a comment :).

[Jeep] Wheels Keep on Turnin'

You know it... A song-title post. Here is the song I intend to have come to your mind. However, my mom pointed out that this song could come to mind as well. The latter wouldn't fit as well as the first. So, just stick with the first :).

I spent a week in Alabama. Yay :). Then I spent a week driving from Alabama to Washington. And memories were made. Oh yes. Memories were made. First off -- thanks to everyone who hung out with me. Especially those of you who travelled to do so :). JULIE. Loveya lots girl :).

Okay, so as I mentioned in my previous post, the morning of the 15th arrived with snow. Enough snow to stick on the ground. Enough snow to pile up about 3 to 3.5 inches. Enough snow for Donna to call me from Atlanta to tell me that I should check my flight status, since her plane leaving was delayed 2 hours. Enough to get my figurative panties in a wad and stress me out. I needed this trip like nobody's business. I just needed a break from the everyday. (And thank goodness I have a job where I can go in and tell my boss I bought a ticket to go to Alabama for 2 weeks -- and he says, "Okay."). Because I bought this ticket about 3 to 3.5 weeks before I actually went. So, I'd been scheming and keeping it quiet for some time :). I had hoped to surprise a bunch of people -- including Julie. But that didn't quite work out. It's okay, though. It was still really an awesome trip. But anyway, I digress (are you really surprised?). So anyway, my flight was to leave Seattle at 11:20 p.m. or something like that. It was the best I could do to get the maximum amount of time in and get the good price -- and it not already be sold out. That's the problem with trying to go anywhere at Spring Break. Things sell out fast. Anyway, so I opted to not even put in my contacts on Sunday. I didn't think my eyes would be particularly appreciative of 48 hours of contacts. Though my mom was originally going to take me to the airport, the snow kind of changed those plans, and she ended up paying for me to take the airporter. The snow stopped and melted by around noon or 1, but the wind was howling. The good news is that the airporter was pretty empty, and so was the airport. I had no problems getting through security, though I will admit I was very concerned they might confiscate my Forks dirt. I'm serious. They didn't even bat an eyelash :). My first flight from Seattle to Chicago was packed. Seriously packed. Ick. And, since it was all that was left when I bought my tickets, I was in a middle seat. But, it wasn't too terribly bad. I tried to sleep a lot. You know what's embarassing? Sleeping on a plane with your head back -- or at least for me. Because my mouth falls open and I know I look ridiculous. Oh well. As long as I don't drool ;)... Turned out the girl sitting on my right was also an Alabama graduate, so that was an interesting coincidence. Then I flew from Chicago to Birmingham, on a much emptier plane -- in fact, I had a whole row to myself :), where April and Courtney picked me up :)! Yay!!! April took the day off, and Courtney was on Spring Break. So our first stop was a place called Courtney's, where we at breakfast. And took a picture, of course :). And forgive my hidesousness. I look so bulky in this picture. But whatever :).


After this, we went to April's and I unloaded all my stuff. I actually packed smart -- everything in 2 carry-ons. (You'll find that I made up for it with my Alabama shopping spree :)). And then we ran to the Dollar General (which doesn't exist up here), so I could get contact solution and toothpaste. Darn airlines... We also had to get a couple more odds and ends for our exciting party menu ;). We went back to the house and watched episodes of The Office (thanks to Brad and Tarylyn for letting me take them to AL!!!). I was exhausted. I couldn't keep my eyes open. And I dazed quite a bit. How pathetic. Hahahaha... But seriously, I couldn't help it. After my little catnap, we worked on some of our menu items :). I also got my shower and did my best to get into my "Pam" persona. You know -- button-up blouse, plain skirt. Very plain ;). And April worked on her "Angela" persona, and Courtney on her "Kelley" persona. Because our theme was The Office. And it was so awesome!


So thanks to all of you who helped me come up with hilarious (very hilarious) menu ideas!!! To include bacon (from when Michael stepped on the grill and grilled his foot) and jell-o with a pen inside (and it was so perfect, the pen April had said, "Dwight"). Oh, and Greg, April's fiancee (congrats April!!!), came and did his best "Prison Mike." So we ate our fabulous meal. And, I'll give you the run down of our menu. You should take a look at all the pictures if you want a good laugh, because we had little flyers to go with every item that included the quote from the episode we got the food from, as well as a picture to go with it :). We had a great time. But here's the menu, followed by the complete tablescape:

• Peanut Butter and Jelly (Pam Beasley & Jim)
• Grilled Cheese sandwiches
• Bacon
• Strawberry yogurt
• Dwight's Faux Beets (cranberry sauce, because who eats beets?!? ;))
• Salt & Vinegar chips (not Herr's, as they aren't sold here or in the SE)
• Surprise Inside Jell-o
• M&Ms
• Kit Kats
• Angela's Kitty Litter Cake
• Grape Soda

We watched more episodes of The Office, and ate our meal. And I fell asleep again. Good grief. But then we played The Office trivia game, which April's future mother-in-law gave her for Christmas. It was fun, even though I lost :(. Greg won, which is why he was getting awarded his "Office Olympics" prize of a yogurt cap necklace :).

And though we were totally exhausted, we continued on with karaoke -- in honor of Andy (from The Office). And it was fun. And addictive. Courtney took a few pictures of me singing (and I scored pretty darn well, if I do say so myself! I guess all the file-room singing has paid off!), and I really have a big mouth!

And of course, April and I sat and gabbed until like midnight. Never mind that she had to work the next day, and I had to get up to be ready for when Virginia got there... But it was so fun. And it was great to meet Greg. He's fun, and I'm so excited and happy for April :). And yes, this means I'll be back in October, even if only for a day or 2, when they get married (now that they have officially set the date) :). And P.S. I'm super-white.

Virginia drove to Birmingham to pick me up from April's, and we stopped by a Chik-Fil-A for breakfast, because they don't have one here in WA. Well, technically they do -- at the University in Seattle. But it's not exactly convenient. So, I enjoyed me some chicken minis. And we got our first cow picture of the trip - to go along with our cow theme :).


Then we made it to Tuscaloosa, where we hit Dirt Cheap and I spent like $32 on clothes. But I got some awesome deals, so I didn't feel too guilty. Brand new jeans, capris, and shorts (all Levi), and a brand new eyelet skirt (black and white) for $8 each. Believe me, I'll get my money's worth out of them. Plus, I needed clothes for while I was on vacation :). Had to pack light for the plane trip, remember? Then it was time to meet up with Annie at Mugshots! I had wanted to try Mugshots before I left Tuscaloosa, but they had a bad food rating then, so we didn't go. So, we went this time :). And I tried the fried dill pickle chips. In the South, you can fry anything -- including twinkies, which I have sadly never had the opportunity to try :). But anyway, these were awesome:

And of course it was awesome to see Annie and laugh with her and Virginia. I miss these days :). And, it's always good to catch up on the gossip in cataloging. Always very interesting, even if it does make me feel sad for those who are still under the tyranny of the new department head. Blech. Anyway, thanks Annie! For coming and eating :)!

After lunch (and I was stuffed, even though I only had a bowl of soup with my dill pickle chips), we dropped my stuff off at Virginia's, and then ended up hitting America's Thrift Store, where I bought even more stuff! But I got some awesome deals. I told you I went on a mini spending spree :). Here I am wearing all new clothes (I took this picture for the new clothes, not to be vain ;)):

That night, after settling down, Virginia and I enjoyed Publix brand Mint Chocolate Cookie frozen yogurt. They also don't have a Publix up here. And let me tell you... that is some of the most delish stuff I've ever tasted. And better for you than ice cream (which means you can eat more ;)). So, we hunkered down with our troughs of frozen yogurt and our cows and watched The Private Eyes, which is an oldie, but a goodie :).

For roadtrip purposes (when it was time to head to Dothan), cow held the speaker, so we could hear my mp3 music :).

Virginia and I just gabbed the whole way. It was an enjoyable ride. And since Virginia hadn't ever been to see the peanuts, we stopped by the Visitors' Center to take some pictures:

And of course, we hit Chik-Fil-A again :).

Thanks so much, Virginia, for taking me to Dothan on the way to your mom's, even though it wasn't really "on the way"!!! I really enjoyed it!!!

And of course, there was hanging with the Juliebean. How I wish it had been longer :(. But, I think we enjoyed the time we had, and I'm soooo glad that she came up from FL to hang out with me!!! So, we packed our time with memories. Yummy food (including the chocolate chip cheesecake bars. YUM) and Apples to Apples.


Some famous moments:

• "That guy's a dork!" "Hila, he's blind." "Oh."
• "Picking your nose" is exquisite -- so is "spit"

And of course, there was hanging with the Shay Shay. What a pretty baby! And So happy!!! She warmed up to me pretty fast, so that was cool :). She laughs and giggles, and is such a laid-back baby!



And Alysha is, of course, growing like crazy. She is quite beautiful. So here we are, 4 beautiful girls:

And another of pretty Julie and pretty me :):

The best thing I like about hanging out with Julie... Well, one of them at least... is that it doesn't matter how long it's been since we've talked or seen each other. It's like no time has passed. We always have the best time together, no matter what we are doing. And we always manage to make fabulous memories that last forever :). So while this Juliebean visit was bittersweet in that it was so short, it was an unexpected one -- much sooner than either of us thought would happen -- and we made the most of it :). So, Julie and I went to eat at Atlanta Bread Company before she headed back for Florida.


Loveya girl! And can't wait for the next time!!! (Which is so going to be sooner than later :)).

Oh, really quick... This is the main reason this whole trip happened:

My sister bought this from my dad, so he wanted me to help him drive it out to WA. I know I probably swore I wouldn't do that trip again. But it's funny what you end up doing :). So, that's the main reason I went to Alabama so soon after leaving -- much sooner than I had ever anticipated. Oh, and that's why I changed the lyrics for my song-title post to be "Jeep" wheels :).

After saying goodbye to Julie, I had a few errands to run. One of them was to swing out to Troy Dothan and say hi to Donna. It didn't matter that we'd seen each other just a few days before :). We had a nice visit, and as a perk, I found out they closed up the fountain and put in Hector... So you know I had to take pictures :).


By the way, do you notice how beautiful the weather was in Alabama? If the weather would stay that way all year round, it would be PERFECT. But anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the perfect Spring weather while I was there :). Flip flops for me the entire time!

Then it was off to HLML to visit everyone there. Kristin was working, and so we ended up getting to go to lunch together. Thanks Kristin!!! We went to Things N Wings, which has corn nuggets (fried corn fritters, essentially). These are fabulous!

Also, shocker of all shockers... They got new carpet in the Children's Room! Seriously! I thought I'd never see the day... Turns out someone donated the labor and the carpet. And so, it smelled like new carpet, since it had just gotten put in the weekend before. And so Kristin and I had to look shocked (because I know I was :)!


I got to see a lot of other people, including Julia-Ann, Nancy, Charlotte, Becky, Anita, Hilda, and my first boss from Troy: Julia. What a wonderful, though brief, visit :). Because before long, my dad was there to pick me up so I could help him with some stuff before we had to drive to Montgomery to get my mom. Meanwhile, Kristin found a couple of books for me to have. Totally 80s books :). The Wuzzles. Thanks Kristin! You rock! and so we made a swap... I took her up some oreo truffles (I'll tell you about these later) and she gave me books :).

So that night, my dad and I drove up to Montgomery to get my mom. It was the Jeep's first long-distance trip. And it handled awesomely. I'm slightly jealous of my sister's awesome new car. It's a sweet ride. My mom got in fine, and we got home sometime around midnight. And I was tired. For the record :). I got very little sleep on this vacation. But for me, that's what vacation is... I make memories. No time for sleep :).

On Saturday, I got up early. Like at 7 in the morning. Because Tammy was coming to pick me up so we could hang out while she went to Target to get copies of Twilight for Stacy, herself, and someone else. We got to Target at opening time, and it turns out there wasn't a rush on the movie, as was anticipated. And so, though I said I wouldn't, I so continued my spending spree and bought the movie. Hahahaha.... Then we went by Chik-Fil-A and got breakfast and took it to Stacy's where we attempted to surprise her with my presence. Didn't work so well, though it was probably comical to see me hunched down behind the tire on the other side of Tammy's vehicle when Stacy insisted on coming out to the car to get something out of one of her boxes that were in Tammy's backseat... Stacy was suspicious that I might be showing up, partly because of a dream she'd had and partly from Tammy's "suspicious" actions (according to Stacy). Either way, it was neat to try to surprise her and show up for the Twilight party :). Of course, the party wasn't until much later, so meanwhile, Tammy took me home, where I went with my mom to run errands (like buying sustenance for the upcoming cross-country trip). And we swung back by the library for my mom to see people, and I was able to visit with Glenda and Julia-Ann a bit more. Then it was time to pick my dad up from work for his lunch break. We told him we wouldn't need the car, so he took it back to work while my mom and I made oreo truffles for me to take to the Twilight party that night. And okay, so I learned a very valuable lesson -- about why my truffles in August turned out to look like sherbet-covered blobs. Water-based food coloring is not a good idea. It changes the consistency. And I was horrified. And quite upset. So, Mom to the rescue. While I worked on the chocolate ones, she walked to the grocery store close by and got crisco and almond bark. One of these would work :). We tried the Crisco first, because that can thin it out. And we salvaged the white chocolate. Pretty gross, huh? Trust me, you don't want to know how much Crisco we put in those oreo truffles. As though they weren't unhealthy enough without it :). YIKES. Then it was time for me to shower and get ready for the party. Tammy came and picked me up, and I met Ginger, who was also going to the party. Of course, this was a pajama party, so I was wearing lovely pajama pants (that can't be mistaken for everday garb), as were Tammy and Ginger. And wouldn't you know it... We had to stop at WinnDixie to get a few last-minute things... And so we all went in. We figured there's power in numbers... And hoped that people would figure there was a party going on or something if 3 of us were wearing jammies :). Not saying we didn't get some looks, of course.... And of course, with us looking like this, you know the register we go to has to decide not to read Tammy's check (though it worked the night before...), so we stand there for about 10 minutes while a manager has to come, etcetera, etcetera. Oh, the hilarity. We made it to Stacy's, where we helped her with the finishing touches, though honestly, she'd done a fabulous job all on her own. And little by little, everyone arrived. Here's the tablescape:

Of course, there are pictures of the individual food... But you can choose if you care enough about them to look :). Let's just say it was all delicious and fabulous. And we laughed... a lot. We played a trivia game that Christina and I had created. Turns out the questions were easy for everyone. I so would have failed if I'd have been playing. But it was fun :). And we laughed soooo much. Kira took about 10 minutes of film (yes, Kristy, that's why she wasn't "taking" the picture and was just "standing there." :)), which I would love to get my hands on... I am sure it is absolutely hilarious.

Here are the things I brought for everyone from Forks:


It was neat to see everyone's reactions to the Forks dirt. So fun to do that for my friends :). Worth every embarassing second at the Forks sign :). And those fangs... Those were a hit! And full of spit, in the end. Here's Kira working on getting her fangs to glow -- the hard way:

And here's after they figured out the easy way :)


And here we are... Just a bunch of fun-loving girls. (Back: Ginger, Tammy, Lyndsey, Crystal. Front: Kira, me, Kristy, Stacy)

By the by... Those fangs were way hard to keep in my mouth. And it was really gross how much spit got on them. YUCK. And it was also gross how plastic-y they tasted. But oh how we laughed :). Oh, and I'm wearing my "Real Vampires Sparkle in Forks, WA" shirt, with sparkles on it :). And they totally match my multi-colored pj pants...

Here we are looking "normal" :).


And finally, a goofy one, without the fangs -- the plastic ones, at least:

Around 11:00, we finally settled down enough and decided it was a good time to start the movie. So, here we are, getting comfy:

And so we laughed some more... What a wonderful evening. We left around 2 in the morning, and Tammy took me home. And again, I took a picture of myself. Sometimes I think I seem vain when I do this. But mostly, I was seeing how well my camera could capture how tired I was - and looked!

So, some highlights...

• non-toxic sparkling grape juice (or do you mean non-alcoholic, Kristy?)
• "please stop talking about your life; it's making me sad!"
• "stacy, I flushed, but it didn't go down"
• "I peed a little" "you better be joking! I just washed these carpets!"
• "bless the food to be yummy and fill our tummies."
• snort!

What a wonderfully fun night. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it :). Thanks so much Stacy! And to the rest of you lovely ladies, thanks for the memories!!!

Sunday morning came far earlier than it should have :). Considering I had a really late (or early) night... So my mom and I went to church after taking my dad to work. It was great to see everyone and to chat a bit with Karen. I was sad we didn't have more time together :(. After church, I ran some oreo truffles up to the library for Kristin, and then I went and picked up some cross-stitch stuff from Donna. Who also packed a Road Trip Survival kit for us. Have I mentioned that I have wonderful friends??? Check this out:


Donna has always been so incredibly thoughtful. Thanks so much, Donna! Everything was wonderful, and well-enjoyed. But mostly thank you for your friendship :). It means the world to me :).

After leaving Troy, I picked my dad up from lunch. Then I took him back to work, and ended up heading over to Kira's old house to pick up the girls' clothes she had for Christina. Of course, there was far more than I had even imagined! So, my dad is actually UPSing it up. But it was so nice to visit with Kira for a couple of hours -- that went by far faster than 2 hours really should. But soon it was time to go back and get my dad from work, so I had to say goodbye to Kira. But I so enjoyed visiting with her.

That night, I packed and got everything ready to go. Of course, we got a late start the next day. We were all dead-tired. And we slept until 7. Even then, I still looked like I'd been punched in both eyes. Man I was exhausted. I still put in my contacts though. So, we finally got on the road (after stops at the post office and Wal-Mart) at about 10. Which kind of killed our time. But I guess you have to go with the flow (which I'm so not good at doing ;)). It was beautiful weather. We stopped in North Alabama for lunch, and it was quite pretty. So, I took a picture under these trees:

And we ate lunch:

That night we made it to Marion, IL. I drove the night hours, but we all shared the driving. Let me just say that Nashville at rush hour wasn't so fun. I was very tense. Hahaha... By day 2, we made stopped in Quincy to see my grandmother, whom I haven't seen since 2004. I talked to her and tried to keep conversation going, but it was quite obvious she didn't know who I am -- or who my mom is either. I think she recognized my dad, but didn't really understand that he is her son. It really is sad to see that. But regardless, I did my best to talk to her about random things. Like food :). That's always a good subject. And we mainly just spoke in Spanish.

Though it would have made great sense to take the same route we took in August, and therefore we might have made it in 4 days (especially with the travelling Nazi -- aka ME), the fact was that we'd checked the weather. And things weren't looking so hot on the Northern routes. So, we shot back down to I-40, and picked that up in Oklahoma City. So by Tuesday night, we were in Big Cabin, OK. And then we met up with Elka in Elk City, OK and enjoyed her company for lunch, which was neat. Also got to meet her youngest, and he is adorable. Absolutely adorable.

On Wednesday - Day 3 - we made it past Albuquerque, NM. And that is one massive city. And I was driving. And it was night. And I was so tense. It was chilly there, and I was very hot by the time I made it to the other side of the city. Hahahaha... But, we made it. Here I am at one of our rest stops in NM:


We stopped at about 9:00, and I can't even remember where we were. But there aren't a lot of exits with hotels in NM. At least not where we were. Grants. That's where we stopped. Man, that was bugging me, so I had to look it up. Day 4 started out with a bang. If you will. My dad and I bickered for the first half of the day while my mom drove. Quietly. Because that's what she does. Hahaha... By day 4, I was pretty much done. But then, after lunch, we all were laughing again. And so, we made it to somewhere around Los Banos, CA by about 8:30 that night. And I learned that Happy Cows do not come from California... But Smelly Cows do. I do believe those 10 miles of stench before the huge cow farm could easily compete with ew-stank. It was that bad. Ugh. We only had a short trip on Friday (well, compared with the 13 and 14-hour days we were pulling up to that point), because we stopped at my Aunt Sue's house in OR. Here we are at a rest stop near Mt. Shasta in California, where I fed the bluebirds bread:


It was neat to see their lovely cabin on the river and to visit her and Uncle Ernie. And to sleep in not-a-hotel :). I slept like a rock. And it felt good :). Of course, it was back to getting on the road the next day, but not before we took a group shot :):


I drove the rest of the way home. Which took about 7 hours. Which is almost as long as it took me to write this post ;). Okay, maybe not. But, it did take me over 3 hours. But, I hope you enjoyed it!!! I know I enjoyed re-living my Alabama trip :).

Love to all!!! Miss you all already (those of you down in Alabama -- or Florida -- or Oklahoma, etc. ;)).

And I'm probably missing tons of details... But, it's all good.