Here's To You, Dad...

...my long-distance phone call chuckle.

...my driver's ed teacher.

...my cross-country-in-a-U-Haul-towing-my-car chauffer.

...my blood-test fear soother when I was 10.

...my not-so-mango-tree mechanic :).

...my Pinto interior decorator.

...my icy-road driver (so I don't have to).

...my apartment-hunting companion in Tuscaloosa (an emotional day for us both!).

...my Panama vacation companion.

...my childhood feet tickler/torcherer ;).

...my convincor (is that a word?) for buying my set of tools "because every girl should have them."

...my nicknamer (from sweetheart and honey-bunch when I was a little girl to drill seargent, mandamas, and dictator more recently ;)).

...my "monster" who "scared" us up the stairs when we were supposed to be in bed.

Here's to you, Dad. The best Dad in the world. I love you. Happy Father's Day.

If You Knew What I Know...

You would understand... I'm a zonian!

Okay, so I totally wish that the Zonian song could be found on youtube. Alas, I did not find it. It's an awesome song by Shorty & Slim. And the reason it is applicable to this post is because of the line about platanitos, Chorrera Autopisto, Diablitos :)! (I'm singing as I write it ;)). But you can enjoy this song by them instead. Also an awesome song.

So my dad went to Panama. And I asked him to bring me back platanitos (fried plantain slices, for those who don't know -- like potato chips, but better). As many platanitos as $30 would buy and he could fit in his luggage. Well, I was figuring I'd get a bag or 2. Maybe 3. Instead he brought back 8 of the bags that I specifically told him about (the ones I discovered are really really yummy when I was there) and 4 smaller bags that are not the same brand, but are actually very yummy too. I now have a platanito stash! Thank you Dad for doing such wonderful things for me! I love you!

P.S. It's also National Library Week, and today was National Library Workers' Day. Libraries rock! So don't forget to love your librarian :).

Two Out of [Four] Ain't Bad

Eh, for kicks, I did another song title post. And you can hear the song here. Though I promise to do the other two later so I'm all caught up :). But you see, I visited four cities on my last trip to the South. So, I will start with two in this post and finish it up with the other two later on.

Of course, before I start that, I should mention that, because I was out of the state, I missed Mary's birthday. But I didn't forget it. So, I made her a candy-bar poster and took it to work on the 7th and surprised her with it. She laughed so hard. It was awesome. Okay, so it's a little risque, but it was so fun to write and think up. And so fun to hunt down the candy bars to make it work :).




I took the red-eye again down to Florida. Thankfully, everything was on time this time! No cancelled flights; no airport-floor sleeping. That's always a great sign :). And I had worked my bootie off the few days I had before leaving to max out my hours at work. So I was exhausted when I got on the plane. And I slept. Not comfortably, of course. But I slept. I had a layover in Houston, and then I slept on the plane to Tampa again. That time I slept pretty soundly. This is the way to fly! Sleep through the whole flight :). Makes it seem faster! So, I landed in Tampa around 11 a.m. Tampa time, and Julie, Jon, Alysha, and Shayla were waiting for me. We got into their cool new van and headed to the Cheesecake Factory where we ate delicious food and enjoyed each other's company. Then it was off to Julie's house, which was about an hour and a half to two hours away. We all pretty much laughed and joked the whole way. Upon arriving at the house, Julie and I went and slept for 2 hours! We were so tired! When we woke up, we headed to Wal-Mart and got some odds and ends. Then it was home to relax, shower, and then play Mexican Train. You know what? I just realized I have already given this run-down! Hahaha. Oh well. I am the Nilla, after all. Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows to expect repetition :). Okay, so Mexican Train is awesome. I need to buy it. That is my next order of business. On Friday, we got up early and went garaging. Then I met Julie's friend Randi and we played more Mexican Train. And we went to Publix for the sole purpose of getting Publix brand frozen yogurt :). And we laughed the whole way home while we talked about words that irritate us. What a random, but fun, conversation! (Julie thinks Randi and I are crazy... But seriously, Mary and I had already had this very conversation in Washington before this trip!) Friday night was dinner and hanging out with Randi, her husband, and their two girls. Then it was more Mexican Train for me, Jon, Julie, and Alysha. And then it was time for bed. Of course, Julie and I would lay awake talking for a while each night. The next morning was Saturday, and we had made arrangements to meet up with Randi and go garaging again. And so we did. I got a few odds and ends and scored a cheese grater for my sister for a quarter. Woohoo! We made a Wal-Mart run when we were done (oh yeah, and we also got some fast-food breakfast). Back at the house, I napped for an hour, then I read. I got a shower, and then Julie and I started working on cheese fondue and all it's fixin's. And it turned out awesomely! We had so much more food than we thought we would!!! And, true to Nilla form, here are pictures :).


And even more fondue... Chocolate!!!


Oh yeah, Jon and Julie's friends Christie and Korley came over again. They were there for the 80s party in May. We sat around talking and laughing and playing Apples to Apples again. And though Julie had said she couldn't stay up until 2 a.m. like we all did last time, that's exactly what happened again. So, waking up at 7:30 the next morning to get on the road to meet Julie's mom halfway was not a lot of fun. I was so tired. And I'll admit it. I'm not nice in the mornings. So I had to sit grumpy in the back until I was over my mad ;). But then it was fun. And Julie even climbed in back for the last 15 minutes or so and hung with me in the back. Hahahaha.... And we got a picture, or two together. Please excuse my giant's head in the second one. Good grief, I look like a giant in that picture!




We met Julie's mom in Perry, I think. We ate lunch at McDonald's and then had to head on. Alysha and I went with Meemaw to Dothan, while Jon, Julie, and Shayla returned home. It was sad :(.


It was a nice drive chatting with Julie's mom. I ran in briefly and said hi to Julie's dad while we dropped off Alysha. Then Julie's mom took me to my dad's work and I got his car and took it on home. Here's my dad's new car... Nifty, huh :)?


Okay, so I lied. I actually went to the library first. And I visited with Ms. Hilda and Julia-Ann. It was a nice visit. I do love Ms. Hilda, who is getting quite fiesty!

I went to my dad's and got a shower and then went and picked him up. It's always fun to be with my dad. We know how to go back and forth and give each other a hard time. And it's fun :). I love my dad. Even though I know I'm a pain in the butt when I throw away all the lids for the glass spice jars he was saving :). We spent the evening watching a movie and talking. I slept well that night. I was exhausted. On Monday, I spent the day at the house -- throwing out 1977 ground oregano :). I did go to Wal-Mart toward the late afternoon, where I ran into Anne! Monday night I just watched some more tv with my dad and we ate dinner. Just relaxing stuff. On Tuesday, I met up with Anne at the mall to eat Chick-Fil-A, since I can't really get that around here. We just spent an hour visiting and catching up. It's nice to do that with friends :).


Oh, and for those of you who don't know... Anne was my first boss back in 1998. I worked in the Children's Room at the library, and she was the Children's Librarian. She was an awesome boss. I can remember sitting on the floor with her chatting. (Although I will admit it kind of grosses me out to think about that nasty library carpet before it was replaced and the fact that we sat on it!) Anyway, so it was a nice visit. After I got home, my dad and I went and got him onto the family plan for the cell phone. So yay! Now he can talk to us for free anytime... If he remembers to keep the phone turned on! (I'm putting subtle hints throughout this post to see if I can subliminally get him to turn on his phone ;)). Tuesday night, I met up with Donna at Troy Dothan. She and I went down to a new Mexican Restaurant. We visited and enjoyed a nice dinner (thanks Donna!) and then went back to the university to watch a movie for the international film festival. Let's just say we will always have that memory of the British movie with the boy in the dress. Hahahaha... We took a picture (with Olga -- who I met years ago at HLML and who now works at Troy Dothan's library) together before we all left.


Wednesday brought a cooler day to Dothan. We had to go back to Best Buy to discuss a cell phone issue. But we are square. I had lunch plans with Julia-Ann and was able to visit with some other people while I was there. Julia-Ann and I went to Chick-Fil-A and enjoyed yummy food and great conversation :). I'm so glad I got to get to know Julia-Ann so well while I was in Tuscaloosa and she would stay at my apartment once a month when she had her weekend class. It's neat to have good friends :). Back at the library, I visited with Kristin! Gotta love Kristin. I've known her for, goodness, going on 11 years! Same as Julie. We all worked at HLML together once upon a time. So we took some pictures together and laughed like crazy, 'cuz we always do when we're together :). And she always has some awesome 80s treat for me! This time it was a Cabbage Patch Kids book! Woohoo!


Wednesday night, my dad and I went over to Patrick's house and my dad visited his dad while I visited with Patrick and his fiancee. Patrick also grew up in Panama, and as things turned out, he ended up in Dothan. We never hung out in Panama, but we all became the Panama kids of Dothan back around 1999 to 2002. I hadn't seen Patrick in about 3 or 4 years, so it was good to connect with him again. We all went to Beef O'Brady's, one of our old Dothan haunts from back in the day. It was a nice visit.


Then I went home to spend the last evening with my dad in Dothan. It's always sad to know I will be leaving my dad. I know he is sad, and that makes me sad. I sure do love my daddy. So on that note, here is a picture of him on one of his motorcycles :). And then I'll continue my trip in my next blog post :).

Get To Know Your Parents

My grandfather passed away today. I know that seems a depressing way to start a blog post. But it is a fact. We knew it was coming. But it seems so surreal. I thought perhaps it felt so surreal because I am in Alabama and somewhat removed from the upheaval that has taken place. But my mom assures me it seems just as surreal there. As I have lived with my grandparents and my mom for the past year, I have been given an opportunity to have a different perspective. And as I have pondered things today, I have realized this unique perspective I've been given.

Half of me feels terribly guilty that I am not in Washington right now. I talked to my mom before I left and came to the South. I discussed my trip and the fact that my grandfather had recently taken a turn for the worse. When I bought the tickets in July, he was doing quite well. But as my trip grew nearer and he grew worse, I knew the likelihood that he would pass while I was away was a high one. And more than anything, I worried about my mom. Perhaps that sounds cold and heartless. It is not that I do not care about the passing of my grandfather. But usually it is those left behind who need the support and love, for they are still here, mourning the loss of the loved one. And I thought I would be there for my mom when the time came. I know she has her sisters and my other siblings. But I love my mom so. And I want to be there for her when she needs me. She has always been there for me when I've needed her.

But then there is that other half. The half that is thankful I am here. Because I am with my dad. And as I ponder my grandfather's passing, I realize that there will be a day when my dad isn't here. This goes for my mom also, but I know I am returning to her shortly. It is my dad I do not see often anymore. It had been 6 months. I think of my mom and how happy she must be to have the past 6 years to have shared with her dad. Those are years she will always have to cherish. Though she will most assuredly miss him, and in ways I cannot even begin to fathom, she will have those special memories that can never be taken away. And so, as I sit here, I think of my dad and how much I love him. And how grateful I am to be here with him. How glad I am to have the memory of listening to him laugh at some obnoxious thing I say. How wonderful it is to watch old episodes of "Wings" with him on youtube and to hear him laugh again at the show. What a flashback to my youth it is. How fun it is to banter back and forth with him and laugh about how I'm an "upstart" and he's a "pack-rat" :). Will I ever forget how much I laughed -- and made him laugh -- as I commented on his ground oregano that expired July 25, 1977? I don't think so. (And no, that isn't a typo... I did say 1977. It was older than I am). Will I forget how he talked non-stop through the beginning of a movie we were watching only to apologize as he looked over at me and said, "I'm just really glad to have you here." No, I won't. It is those moments that will stay with me forever. I love my daddy. Probably much more than he realizes. Though probably not as much as he loves me, since I understand a parent's love is something that cannot be duplicated. Yes, I am sad I am not in Washington to be with my mom right now. But I am also so grateful to be here with my dad. Because I know, even more poignantly now, that he won't always be here to visit.

So, please, next time you see your dad, give him an extra tight hug.

And you know what? Do that for your mom too. I know I will when I get home. Because I love my mom so much too. I love how laid back she is. I love how I know just how to make her laugh. I love that people ask me, "Isn't it hard to work with your mom?" And how I can honestly reply, "Not at all. In fact, this is the second time we've worked together." I love how she has a great sense of humor and will take flak for her quirky need to color-coordinate her hangars and her clothes! And I love that I'm having this time in my life to learn those quirks :).

The bottom line is this, and it's a quote from a song: "Get to know your parents; you never know when they will be gone for good."

What a beautiful opportunity I have had to really know my parents. To know them, not just as the mom and dad who raised and had to discipline me. But to know them. And to love them.

[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.