It's Like I was 17 Again!

Unfortunately, we've been having sub-freezing temps around here lately, which has caused our garage door keypad to not open our door.

Fortunately, I tried it Saturday afternoon when I went our for a walk, and IT WORKED!

Unfortunately, when I returned an hour later, the keypad was NOT working again.

Fortunately, we have three other doors that I can get in our home with.

Unfortunately, when I tried all of them, they were ALL locked at the moment.

Fortunately, I have a LOUD knock/pound to alert those inside to open the door for me.

Unfortunately, no one answered the door.

Fortunately, I had my cell phone with me and I called the home phone.

Unfortunately, no one answered.

Fortunately, I knew this didn't necessarily mean anything negative (no one answers the phone when it rings!)

Unfortunately, when I called Kyle's cell phone, he said he wasn't inside our home - he was at a friend's house.  It didn't look like I was getting inside any time soon.

Fortunately, I had my coat and gloves.

Unfortunately, I did not have a face mask, hat, thermals or boots on, and the CHILL got through.

Fortunately, I had one chance left - I called Matt.

Unfortunately, he was in Salt Lake City shopping for a table.

Fortunately, he was almost done.

Unfortunately, he did not have our car with him, nor our keys, because he had borrowed his parent's truck to pick up above mentioned table, so he'd have to make an extra stop on his way home to get them.

Fortunately, we did have some neighbors who looked like they were home, if I froze or got desperate, or was desperately frozen, that I could go to and beg for shelter and warmth to wait it out in.

Unfortunately, I did not want to trouble them with my pathetic situation.

Fortunately, I HAD just returned from my walk to the library, and I had a bag full of six new books!  And we have a rocking chair on our porch!  So, I took a seat, opened up a book, and started reading!

And eventually Matt came home and let me into our [warm] home! 

The End.

Total time spent locked outside = approximately 30 minutes.
(But, with temperatures hovering around the high teens, it felt like MUCH longer!)  ;)


*This being locked out hasn't happened to me FOR YEARS - in my teens and college years, it was a regular occurrence, though, so this was quite the trip down Memory Lane!  haha.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know ;)

7 yr. old Brookelle was feeling a bit under-the-weather, so she spent the good part of the day lying down in our bed - because she says we have the most comfy bed in the house (AND the fact that there's a T.V. in our room doesn't hurt, either, I bet! ;))
ANYWAY, she was just takin' it easy on our bed.

Then she started rearranging the pillows on our bed and she picked up one of our throw pillows, and looked at it.
Then she looked at it longer.
Then she turned it over and looked at the other side.
Then she wrinkled up her eyebrows and stared at it some more.

This is the pillow that we have on our bed that was in question:

 

FINALLY, she declared, "I don't get it!" 

I, seeing what pillow she was examining, played oblivious (she IS only 7 yrs. old!) and asked, "What?!?  It's a pillow." 
She replied, "I know.  But, I don't get it!"
Me: "It's a pillow with words on it.  Can you read it?"
B:  "Yes.  'Tonight.' (then turns it over) and 'Not Tonight'."  Why's THAT written on a pillow?  What does it mean?" 

At this point, some of her older siblings were in the room witnessing this and they start giggling, and getting a real kick out of the situation.  Then they start saying things like, "You'll find out when you're older" or "You don't need to know yet"....which only makes Brookelle more frustrated. 

Then Brookelle demands/half-whines [in her sickly state], "Tell me what it is!" 
So, then Matt explains, "When the pillow is on the 'Tonight' side, mom wants me to kiss her.  If it's on the 'Not Tonight' side, then I shouldn't kiss mom."
B: "What does it REALLY mean?"
Everyone: "That's what it means!"
B: "I still don't get it.  Because WHY would mom EVER put it on the 'Not Tonight' side?"
Matt: "My sentiments EXACTLY!"  

;)  

Gone With the Wind

Here is a conversation that went on in our neighbor's house when they looked out their window towards our yard the other morning and saw this:

Wife:  "Why do the Brenchley's have a clump of stuff all arranged in that one spot of their yard?"
Husband:  "There used to be a shed there!"

Shortly afterwards, I got a text from our her.
Neighbor:  "What happened to your shed?"
Me:  "It was obliterated!"

The crazy thing was, we only found two [broken] pieces of it in our yard.  Did it disappear?  So where did it all go?

Well, another neighbor (who live two houses over in our cul-de-sac) will tell you it all went in their back yard (at least four bigger-ish pieces).

But, THAT wasn't all of it......

And as I've been doing my walks (for my Fitbit steps) around the neighborhood, I have found several other pieces in various sizes, small to large, all over the place!

Now we've had to move everything into our garage (boo hoo!) which also sustained terrible damage to it's door from the wind, as well.  (It's nonfunctional!)

Is it possible to have P.T.S.D. just from hearing the wind?  After what happened three years ago to our old home, too!

 The basketball standard [even with water in it's base to weigh it down] couldn't remain upright through it all, either!

#weliveinawindtunnel

GO and DO

".....I will GO AND DO the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

 Youth Conference 2014 theme

During the 3rd week of June, the boys attended Youth Conference

with about 250 other youth, ages 14-18, and about 150 adult leaders/support teams

from our Stake (geographical area consisting of 9 local church congregations).

Every four years our Stake does "Moroni's Quest" for youth conference.

This includes about 38 reenactments from The Book of Mormon,

dividing into "tribes" with tribal leaders for discussions, games, 

spiritual activities, "solo" time to search, ponder, & pray, testimony meeting,

& lots of food.

It is one of those DEFINING MOMENTS in these youth lives!!!

NOT to be missed!  I feel sad for some of my young women who did.  :(

In the past, they have gone to an "undisclosed" remote location

to hold MQ and they camp there the whole 3 days, but this year, 

we had heavy rains the few days before, and it washed out dirt roads and made the fields all muddy.

So, they had to come up with PLAN B the night before.  

They used Woodland Park & the mountain side in our own Farmington,

and returned home each evening to sleep instead.
While disappointing at first to hear they couldn't go to their "regular" place,
WHAT A BLESSING that they will always be able to remember this precious
experience every time they pass by these close-to-home locations!

Everyone dressed up in Book of Mormon era "tribal wear" that we sewed ahead of time.

 

{Katelyn wanted to go up with me to take photos, so she wore Ryan's

old costume from 4 years ago - so she could blend in!}

I couldn't resist photographing *MY* Young Women (past & present).

They LOVED me sticking my camera in their faces every 5 minutes!  HA!

 Alana & Savana

 Ashlyn & Breanne

 Marissa & Elizabeth
(I don't know the girl on the left)

 Taya (& her brother, Grayson)

Jordan (& her admirer - heehee!)

Back in March, they held auditions for parts to play in the reenactments.
Ryan pretty much told Kyle HE WAS TRYING OUT (so he did)
and he got the part of Lehi (the son of Helaman, brother of Nephi from the book of Helaman)
His scenes were on the 3rd day, so I was not there to see him.
Ryan played the part of Moroni.
He was in the opening scenes that were done inside, on the church stage, that 1st day,
so I got to stay to watch him.

Both my boys came back on a "spiritual high."
It's hard to maintain that as they slipped back into regular life, petty worries, & the distractions
of electronics, World Cup, screaming little kids, etc. but they were both CHANGED in some way.
I could see it in their faces the moment I greeted them back.

We tried to extract as much info as possible out of them when they returned.  (Luckily we had some longer-ish drives to do)
I just wanted to soak in their enthusiasm of their experience, their strengthened testimony
of The Book of Mormon, & their overall joy.

I heard about how Kyle had born his testimony in front of and to those in attendance from our ward (our church congregation)
(Something he's not comfortable doing at all.)
He related how, in one reenactment, he was suppose to "act" like one of the angry and hateful Lamanites
who came up to fight against the Anti-Nephi-Lehies who, because they had repented of their past sins,
had made a covenant with God that they would literally bury their swords in the ground and never kill again.
As the Lamanites came against them, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies actually bowed down to the earth and began to pray
and would not fight back - 1,005 were killed, we know from the account in the BofM.
(See Alma 24 for full account)
  Kyle, at first, thought it would be *fun* to reenact this scene as one of the "bad guys" who
would just have "free reign" [with his FOAM sword] to attack, receiving NO resistance from others.
This would be satisfying that "destruction" urge that is an innate part of little boys, I swear!  ;)
BUT, when Kyle was in the moment acting it out, and he saw the others just drop to the earth because they
 WOULD RATHER GIVE UP THEIR OWN LIFE THAN BREAK A COVENANT,
it really affected him - and he started to feel really terrible about being a "bad guy" even though he was just portraying one.
And then, just like what really happened all those years ago in BofM times with some of the Lamanites,
Kyle's heart began to swell with sorrow for what they (the characters) were doing.
It was so impressionable to him that Kyle bore testimony that he knows & understands
that covenants made with God are SO IMPORTANT that they
are worth keeping - no matter the price!

It does my heart good to hear & witness his conviction like that.

Ryan gave me a note/letter he had written during youth conference

 - it was written after they
had reenacted the story of The 2,000 Stripling Warriors.  (See Alma 57)
He quoted Alma 56:47-48 in it "....yea, they had been taught by their mothers, 
that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  
And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."
He wrote me a personal message of how that applies to him & I, and his feelings about me.
{Needless to say, I CRIED when I read it!} 
That was very BIG and HUMBLE of him to write me such things.

Before they went, they were challenged by our Stake presidency to really be in tune
to what personal message Heavenly Father wanted them to learn/feel/know.

And that happened.

I'm so grateful for the some 150 adults who were involved to pull this event off.
Chairmen, performance directors, script writers, photographers, lighting & sound crew, 
medical crew, costumers, set/scenery crew,  food committee, tribal leaders, letter
delivery people, drivers, recording experts, grounds crew, facilities crew, Stake presidency/wives, Bishops/wives, etc. etc.
It takes so many people!  But, they do it because they know the experience for the youth is SO. worth. it!
It can be vital to their spiritual well-being.
I'm so grateful they had this experience and that they came to know even more that 
The Book of Mormon is true.  
And that they felt the reality of our living Savior.
And through that, they believe they can make it through this life armed with the love, example, & guidance 
of their "friends" they came to know in The Book of Mormon, including Jesus Christ.

A Visit From the Leprechaun in May?

A friend shared with me that Listerine has MORE USES than just helping with your gingivitis, plaque, & bad breath!!

(GOOD!  Because I can't even rinse my mouth with it for the required time WITHOUT my mouth burning, my eyes watering, and then drooling all down my chin and neck!!!)

She said that you can soak your feet in it and it's like a cure for thick, dry skin/rough heels/foot problems!  And since I kind of have a 'thing' for foot care & pampering, she CAUGHT MY ATTENTION!!  

So, instead of pouring in the [usual] hot water into my foot bath, I poured in the Listerine, and put my feet in for a while.

HEY!  I GOTTA DO SOMETHING - PASS THE TIME CREATIVELY - WHILE MY SON'S MISSION CALL SITS UNOPENED [STILL] IN OUR HOME!!!  ;)

I didn't really notice that I miraculously had soft, smooth, silky, supple feet after this procedure....

  ...but there WAS definitely a CHANGE!  ;)

Old Wives Tale???

I reported my green/blue feet to my friend......she laughed long & said she hoped they didn't fall off now!  Thanks A LOT!

(I told Brookelle & her friend, who was over, that I think the leprechaun 'got me' -- they thought that actually made perfect sense!)

It Still Gives Me the Chills

I just finished reading this book:

{it was on my "new year's resolutions."  Yay!  Another check.}

It totally took me back 12 years to when the abduction first happened.

I remember it vividly.

I was glued to any news story about the whole case.  We're talking I was border-line obsessed with it.  This was happening in my own state, just 20 miles away, after all!

I think it was also because kidnapping has always been one of my biggest fears.  I was so scared of being kidnapped as a child.  I remember walking home in the dark and hearing people somewhere in back of me and thinking, "Who's behind me?  Are they going to kidnap me?  I can't turn around and look because then they'll know that I know they're following me.  And if they know I saw them, they'll have to kidnap me AND kill me."
(I know, irrational, huh?!?)
As a parent, now, the first thought I have whenever I can't find one of my children is, "Oh no!  Kidnapping?"  Which is kind of absurd because the likelihood of daily kidnappings where I live is very low.

For days and weeks after the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping news broke, the kidnapper was still considered, AT LARGE.   No one knew how they had gotten away; on foot, a getaway vehicle, had they flown somewhere?  Were they still in the city?  The state?  The country?  He could still be among us!  A lot of people were frightened, it wasn't just me.

I remember, in particular, just a day or two after the kidnapping, I was out walking my baby Haylee in the stroller around Farmington and on the Lagoon Trail.  I was ON ALERT and really looking into the groves of trees on either side of the trail for any glimpses of red satin pajamas (the thing she was wearing when she was taken).  Maybe they had walked up north to get out of sight of the Salt Lake City investigators?!? I thought.  My mind wandered to all the scenarios of this event and nothing else on the walk.  I even asked myself the question in my mind, "What I would do?" if I saw the girl wearing red pajamas.  I came up with the plan that we could switch clothes and then hurry back to my home to use the phone to call her parents & police.  We had to do it that way because it was also before I had a cell phone.   The clothes swap was to be used as a diversion: I thought she could put on my workout clothes (and, therefore, would be unrecognizable?) and I would put on her red pajamas, so if her captor happened upon the area, he'd spot the red pajamas, but then see ME, someone who looked NOTHING like his victim, instead, just a lady in her 30's who had brown hair (with a bad perm at the time) and he'd move on because I wasn't her!  How ridiculous that idea is if you really think about it.......AS IF a 2 month Post-Birth mom would've fit into 14 yr. old pajamas!!  :0

I remembered all of this when reading her book. 

At that time, back in 2002, I was also up A LOT during the night, nursing Haylee, and I'd think about her kidnapping some more then.  I was already thinking about it quite a bit, but probably because her kidnapping happened in the middle of the night while everyone slept, I was reminded of it again at these times.  Every noise I heard would make me wonder, "What is that?  Is someone outside my home?" and I could really freak myself out just sitting there in the dark.  In the beginning days of the crime, it seemed they didn't know anything about what really happened after she was taken from her bedroom, but there were theories.  One of the theories they were saying on the news was that her captor must've been familiar with the family's routine, staking the place out for a while, so that he could come in when no one was awake to catch him.  So, then I'd wonder if anyone was watching my home, would they know that I was awake nursing a newborn practically half the night?  And, if so, would that deter them?  So, I started turning on the front room lights, then I'd go into the baby's bedroom to feed her, so all the kidnappers out there would know that someone was up and to not come in to my home!  (A sleep-deprived mom is pretty delirious with her train of thought in the middle of the night!)  But, at the same time, it was also a VERY REAL tragedy for our state!  No one knew where the guy was or if he was on a "kidnapping spree" or if he'd moved to other cities to find more children, etc.

All these memories are still floating around in my brain!

I also recall that my in laws were traveling out of town when the kidnapping happened, but as they were flying back home, they told us they saw her picture and kidnapping fliers all over the St. Louis airport.  The news was traveling EVERYWHERE.  The TODAY SHOW was even doing segments on it for a while - all of which I tried to watch.  I was riveted!

What is also crazy to think about now is, and I was reminded about this while reading her story, that her little sister, who witnessed the crime, was 9 years old.  THAT IS KATELYN'S AGE right now.  Oh, I KNOW that would be terrible for Katelyn - she's so sensitive and empathetic to others' hurts & pain, I don't know if she could ever stop crying over it!  Also, Elizabeth's parents, at the time, were very near my same age - just slightly older - than I am right now!  THAT also made it hit closer to home for me reading the book at this time.

  Horrendous.  Petrifying.  Disturbing.  That's what it was - and is.

But, I also remember exactly where I was when the news hit that she had been found!  ALIVE even!  I was down in my basement family room at our old house.  I hardly ever have the T.V. on during the daytime, but in a rare moment, I turned it on while I was doing something one day back in March 2003.  And there, scrolling across the screen was a news ticker announcing Elizabeth Smart had been found!!!  I immediately called Matt at work and told him.  His first reaction was, "What?  That can't be true."  (He couldn't believe the "found alive" part.)  And then he looked it up on the internet while I was on the phone with him - and it was verified.  Then throughout the rest of the conversation, I heard him repeatedly exclaim, "No Way!  No Way!"  I kept the T.V. on a lot after that!  ;)


Through the years, ever since her return, if there's ever been a magazine article or any interview or the like, it STILL catches my attention.
(I think she dresses & accessorizes so stylishly, by the way!)


The whole experience & that time frame in my life has all been on my mind again this last little while as I read the book.
Interesting how some memories really stick - and other memories, like my daughter has a friend's birthday party to go to (with the invitation right on our fridge!) don't!

The Sacrificial Jedi Braid

Ryan started growing a Jedi braid about a year ago.....

{Summer 2013}

It started out because he went so long without a haircut, and that resulted in REALLY shaggy, long hair.  So, when he finally did go in for a hair cut, he requested she leave just a little section long, to braid.

Not everyone liked it.....in fact, at our Youth Conference this summer there was lots of talk amongst those in attendance about cutting it off in his sleep - there was even a "pot of money" out for the person who would.....but it didn't happen.  I think they were afraid of the repercussions of messing with someone's personal perogative.

It wasn't my favorite - but it's HAIR!
My view on it is this:  Children committing major sins = a BIG DEAL.  Children experimenting with hair = NOT a big deal!

As time went on, it grew a little more.  (Ryan's in the yellow shirt)

{Fall 2013}

And more. 

 And it kept growing. 

{Winter 2013-14}

And growing.... 

{Spring 2014} 

Until this is how long it has gotten today.

He took pride in the fact that, due to another friend's Bishop making him cut off his Jedi braid before he submitted his mission papers, he currently had the longest Jedi braid at VHS.

And then this morning, Matt & I attended the "Mr. Viewmont" assembly at his High School.  It is a "Bachelorette" type event that Ryan was a contestant in.
All I really knew about it was that they had to do A LOT of filming over the past month and they had rehearsals like every day after school this week!!

We watched the "Mr. Viewmont" show and we saw Ryan make it through the "interview round."
Then he made it through the "dance off" round.
Then his team won the "scavenger hunt" round, and they advanced.
Ryan was in the FINAL FIVE!

These finalist all had to do a talent in front of the whole student body as part of the live show this morning - and he was quite nervous for this part.  (He was originally going to sing, but then changed it to "Brench" pressing the Bachelorette, herself!)

So, this is how the talent section of the show played out (click to enlarge):

 (keep in mind, we had NO IDEA what was about to happen!)

(Matt's high-pitched laugh/squeel may be just as entertaining!)

I ALMOST yelled out from my seat in the auditorium, "DON'T DO IT!" 
Why was my 1st instinct to yell & attempt to stop him?  That was a weird phenomenon since I didn't like it that much, anyway.  BUT I know he LOVED it (he even said those exact words in a talk he gave in church last month!) and it had taken a long time, and it wasn't a guarantee to be crowned "Mr. Viewmont."  I didn't know if it would be worth it for him.  But, I restrained myself......it probably is not a good idea to have the mom of a teenager do such a thing!  ;)

And, in the end, he did not win.

When I relayed the experience to his little sisters, Haylee's eyes filled up with tears and she exclaimed, "He did it for nothing?!?"  (Ahhhh, she DOES care about him!!)  ;)
To which [happy] Katelyn replied, "No.  He did it for his mission!"
 (True - there's a time & a season)

What a bummer he didn't win.  (We all think he should've!)  No other contestant gave so much for his Student Body!  ;)

(But, what a fun story & memory!  And a BIG surprise for Mom & Dad.)

Work Woes

It hasn't exactly been a breeze at work for Matt & I lately.

MATT:
It all started on Christmas Eve.....

When THIS GUY walked into Matt's work (a Credit Union).

And THEN he proceeded to ROB one of their tellers!  He just verbally told him, "This is a robbery.  Give me all your money."  The teller looked at him like he was kidding, to which the robber clarified, "This is FOR REAL."  So, the teller complied.

(And got away before law enforcement arrived - within minutes!)

The president was out that day, so Matt spent a lot of time searching the security camera footage and prepare it for the cops and going through all the other procedural steps for robberies.  Never pleasant.

In the News:  This same guy went on to rob two other financial institutions over the course of the same week!!  Story HERE.

THEN, on Monday, just 13 days after the 1st robbery, they got robbed AGAIN.  (Different robber, same teller!!!)  We couldn't believe it!

He imitated he had a weapon, but one was never seen.

AGAIN, the president of the credit union was still out, so Matt went through the whole "recovery process" that day, as well - LIKE HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE HE NEEDS TO DO!  HA!
This time the FBI was there with their masks on, collecting fibers, and the whole nine yards!
Understandably, some of his employees were VERY distraught and shook up.  They kept the outside door locked the rest of the afternoon.

Why do these thugs think they can just commit such crimes...which involve REAL PEOPLE????  (It's an epidemic - like 24 bank robberies in the last two months in our state!)  And cause all kinds of [mental & financial] damage along the way.  

ME:
My hopes to start the New Year off "low-key" at work were completely dashed THANKS TO THIS:

The first winter storm of the year has arrived bringing with it significant snowfall, strong winds and extremely frigid temperatures to the Northeast. Going into it we knew this was going to be a challenge, but boy, were we unpleasantly surprised for how big it actually got.

It caused us to deal with THIS:

Which resulted in a TON of THIS:

Which meant a "Code Red" was issued on NEW YEAR'S DAY.  A "code red" is when it is mandatory for everyone to work a certain number of overtime hours that day.  (In addition to your regularly scheduled work shifts.)
The CODE RED was still in effect for January 2.
And then another CODE RED was issued for January 3.
And another on January 4.
And on January 5.
And January 6.
And even on January 7.

But, to look on the bright side....{cue ABBA's song, "Money, Money, Money"}  I'll probably make more money in this one week time period, than I did in the last 2 months!

Finally, for the 8th, overtime will no longer be mandatory, but it is still being asked of us, on a volunteer basis, because there are still so many [sometimes irate] customers calling trying to either get a better/earlier/different flight, or get their money refunded/adjusted.  Or to just complain, cancel, compliment, cross-examine, cuss at, or confuse us!

But, we tried to MAKE THE MOST OF IT:

Good thing my friends gave me a case of this:

And this:

;)

To cope, Matt also took me away, out on a date Friday night to a steakhouse we have been wanting to try for years, and then another day I got together with The Girls for a sort of "bridge club."

Friday will be my first day off work in 11 days!  I am looking forward to it!

It Once Was Lost, But Now Is Found

Back on August 30th, Kyle went to a ReAL Salt Lake soccer game with Matt.  RIGHT BEFORE they were about to back out of the garage, Kyle made a last minute decision NOT to take his iPod with him to the game.  So, he ran back into the house, and put it........somewhere.
That somewhere has been a mystery ever since.
He absolutely cannot remember where he put it down.
I've tried to mentally and physically walk him through that evening of the soccer game, and there's just NO RECALL.

So, if you can't recollect, you just have to start looking and looking, and searching and searching - EVERYWHERE.
He looked in his bedroom - through every drawer, on every shelf in his closet, and under his bed.
He looked through his locker in the mudroom - and then everyone else's, too.  (Much to his sisters' dismay.)
He looked between and under all the couch cushions.
He looked through all his pants pockets - and through all his dad's pants pockets.
We figured it got mixed up in the play room somehow, and then thrown in one of our many toy buckets when someone was cleaning up - so he started going through every toy bin and drawer - NO LUCK.
He looked all through the garage just in case he never really made it into the house all the way and set it down out there instead.
HECK, I even had him look in the spice cupboard.....because once, when I was first married, I could not find my keys for hours (I was stuck at my parents' and couldn't go home that night).  And THEN I found them in their spice cupboard the next morning!  But, unfortunately, this time his iPod was not amongst our nutmeg and garlic powder.

{sigh}

This was REALLY BAD timing for him to lose his iPod, because, lately, he and I have been trying to give a "sales pitch" to his dad about how Kyle should get his own cell phone now.  Matt has been dragging his feet because he hasn't been sure if he is ready/mature/responsible enough for that yet.  Losing this was a humongous "Case in Point" that was NOT in his favor!  ;)

He had started to face the cold, harsh reality that maybe it was gone for good (accidentally thrown in the garbage can?)

THEN, today (29 days AFTER it went missing), I got out one of my cookbooks to make some rolls for Sunday dinner.  I was flipping through the pages to find the recipe, and I come upon THIS:

THERE WAS KYLE'S iPOD RIGHT INSIDE THE COOKBOOK!!!

I started chanting/screaming, "Oh My Word!  Oh My Word!"

Matt thought something was terribly wrong with me, and came over to investigate......and TA DA there it was!

Now I remember, I was making Stir-Fried Rice for dinner that [Aug. 30th] night and I had the cookbook open to that recipe on the counter beside my stovetop.

Kyle must've come into the house, after deciding he did not want to take his iPod to the soccer game, and just set it on the nearest counter top - which happened to have an open cookbook on it. (He obviously didn't even notice.)  And THEN whoever cleaned up and put away the cookbook later on, just shut it not paying attention, iPod in there and all, and put it back on the cookbook shelf.  Not to be disturbed again until Sunday.

WHO WOULD'VE GUESSED?!?

Kyle was out doing fast offerings at the time, so he wasn't even home for the discovery, but I made him watch me flip through the pages of the cookbook when he returned (he thought I was odd, but what else is new?) and THEN when I came to the Stir-Fried Rice page, HE COULDN'T BELIEVE HIS EYES!  (He was so glad!)  But, it was deader than a doorknob, and he couldn't use it until charging it for a while anyway.

So, the moral of the story:  If you've ever lost something, in addition to looking in the spice cupboard, it might be good to also check out your cookbooks!  ;)

And the verdict is still out as to whether Matt will agree to letting Kyle have a cell phone!

Reality Bites

I was in an airport recently and I saw someone who looked familiar......but I couldn't immediately place the source of where I knew her from.

Was it College?  (one of the THREE I attended)

My Mission?

My job?

An old job?

My old neighborhood?

I couldn't quite come up with a name....but I kept seeing her.....and as a result I kept looking at her, too.

I first saw her when her group and my group (my daughter & I) were both converging onto the escalator.  And I took a double-take.

Then she was right behind me in the security line.  I looked at her again - and she saw me doing so, but she said nothing, so then I thought maybe I didn't know her.  Except I was pretty sure I did!

Then when I was standing in line at the airport Cafe Rio, I saw her enter the food court.  By this time, I was sneaking in more glances - pretty much staring - until our eyes would meet again while I was doing so.

Then when I had sat down to eat, it came to me!  It was a girl from High School.  Not just a girl, but a friend - like I had hung out at her house before!  We didn't do everything together, not like BEST FRIENDS, but we were "medium friends".....I think we might have group dated to a Girls' Dance?  (But, don't quote me on that - those years' activities are getting foggier and more distant!)  But, I don't think I have seen her since then.

So, THEN, having now recalled who she was, I decided to acknowledge and greet her.
So, when she & her husband started walking right towards my table, carrying their food tray, to get to their table, I kind of reached out my hand in a wave, to get her attention, and said, "You look familiar to me."

To which she reacted with an absolute. BLANK. look. on her face.
It was almost a skeptical look like why-the-heck-is-a-complete-[flipped-out]-stranger-making-advances-at-me? look.  (Her body Language: she stopped in her tracks and leaned back away from me.)

I then asked, "Are you (insert her name)?"

She seriously had NO sign of recognition on her face.

She said nothing.  She just stared back at me.

(I started to wonder if I had gotten it all wrong.  That she wasn't really who I had thought.)
When her facial expression did not change, I was about to say, "Nevermind." 

But, then her husband answered for her (since, apparently, my greeting had rendered her mute).  He said, "Yes.  Yes she is."

I could tell she still couldn't identify ME, so I said, "I'm Suzanne."

[Still no "A-ha" moment.]

So, I continued by saying my maiden name, too.

And then she [unconvincingly] said, "Oh.....yah...."
(and then we chit chatted for a few minutes.)


But, afterwards, as I reviewed the scenario in my mind, I knew what had happened.

What a slap in the face, but it was true.  She could not even tell a resemblance from my High School self that she had known to my Present day self  who'd "stalked" her at the airport.

It means I have changed too much!

And that is alarming!

It's stupefying what 25 years can do to a person.
{and depressing.}  

REALITY:  I can't pass as a 17 yr. old anymore!!! 

What d'ya think?  Would YOU have been able to even recognize me?

High School Senior

[feeling like a] Senior Citizen

It was probably just because I'm not using a tight curling iron and ratting my hair these days, right?!?

RIGHT?!?

Okay....good.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

That describes how we spent the last 6+ days......

The main purpose for our trip was for our bro-in-law's medical school graduation in Hershey, PA, but we wanted to make a trip out of it by going a couple days early and staying a couple days later in NYC.

I had actually tried to cancel our trip due to Matt's knee and related limitations, but he insisted we still go - he was ready to start "living again!"

Since jetBlue doesn't fly into Hershey, we decided, along with one of Matt's brothers and his wife (Mike & Mandy), to fly into New York's JFK, rent a car, and drive to PA from there (a *short* 3 hrs., esp. without kids.)

Well........

Prior to starting our trip, Mandy drove her CAR up to Idaho to drop off her kids to be tended at family's place.

She then rode a SHUTTLE back, leaving her CAR up there since she would make the same trip after we got back, so she didn't have to endure so much driving all in one day.  (how ironic that thought would become later on!) 

We went to the airport to catch our flight - which somehow had sold a lot of "day of" seats and did not have nearly enough availability for us to feel confident about getting on.  When they called the standby customers' names who were able to get on the PLANE, ours were not called.

Did I mention the time was 11:30 p.m.?

We had to make a decision.  We could either come back the next night, same time and have a better chance of getting on that flight.  OR we could go down to Vegas and fly out of that airport which has 5 flights a day and a low number of standby customers.

The only thing was:  if we were going to do the Vegas option, we would want to rent a car, so our own car wouldn't be stuck in Vegas, forcing us to return to Vegas after the trip was done.

So.....we walked over to the Hertz (a company where Matt worked 12 yrs. ago) rental car counter, and low and behold, the manager on duty was a guy Matt had worked with way back then.....so, of course, he had to treat us right and waive the "one-way drop off fee" & such!  ;)  We were just getting price quotes on cars & mini vans, asking a lot of questions, but not making a decision.  It was late, and our brains were not working fast.  We were standing there trying to determine if all our luggage would fit into a car trunk, and calculate the cost of gas on top of the rental, then divide it by the two couples, and estimate our time of arrival compared to the flight departure, factoring in the time zone change, and adding up the hours of sleep we might be able to get if we stopped to "crash" at my parent's in St. George.  And then, of course, there was still the option of bagging the Vegas idea, returning to our homes that night, and trying the SLC flight again tomorrow - which wasn't guaranteed we'd get on!  WHAT SHOULD WE DO?  We COULDN'T think!  (Especially when we thought about all the traveling Mandy had already done that day (6 hours), and the traveling time ahead of us:  drive to Vegas, flight to JFK, drive to Hershey.)  WHAT WAS THE BEST OPTION?  We were literally standing around just staring at each other, not that we were trying to "barter" with the prices, we were waiting for our brains to figure it out - and it wasn't happening!  And THEN, the next thing we know, Matt's former Hertz co-worker announces he's going to give us a mini-van for $53 TOTAL (taxes & fees incl.) just to "get us out of here."  DONE DEAL!  :)

I feel like I'm dragging this story out a little too long, and truthfully, how do you top an unsolicited $53 mini van rental?

So, I'm thinking I'll resort to that old gimmick from the 80's television and movies: The Working Montage.

(Remember those scenes where they would compress several hours of the story into just a few minutes --  all before the next commercial?)


Without further ado, here is the Planes, Trains, & Automobiles working montage:

The scene opens on Mike, Mandy, & I rolling our suitcases out to the Hertz garage.  The time now is 12:30 a.m.

Next, the camera pulls back to reveal a meandering Matt coming along behind on his straight leg brace and one crutch.

We get in our RENTAL CAR, Matt behind the wheel, and we get on the road.

Mike is hungry.  We stop at In 'n' Out burger in Draper, where we are accosted by a couple shamelessly making out in the vehicle next to us.....they eventually came inside and continued their "lip-locking" in their booth between bites of burgers.

Matt continues driving down the Interstate, while some or all of the passengers drift in and out of sleep.

I'm awakened by the sound of our CAR driving over the washboard-like treads ("wake up bumps") and I sit up in my seat and yell, "Matt!  Matt!" -- this happens multiple times!

Mandy takes over the driving since Matt demonstrated he was not "alert" enough for the job.  Again, I'm awakened by the sound of our CAR on the bumps, and I sit up and yell, "Matt!  Matt!" to which I'm informed Matt is not even driving.  I explain my "confusion" by saying, "Well, that was a 'Matt move'!"

Mike takes over the driving after an hour and a half and we stop in St. George at my parent's.  It is 5:30 a.m.

We crash for 3 hrs., get up and get ready.  Never even seeing my sleeping Mom.

We get back into the CAR and drive.

Mike is hungry.  We go through a McDonald's drive thru in Mesquite.

Continue on to the Las Vegas airport.  We arrive.

Turn in the RENTAL CAR.

Check in for the flight.

Hear our names being called to the gate counter - followed by a "warning" that if we don't get there in 3 minutes, our seats will be given to the next standby customers!  I bee-line it to the counter and the agent asks where my party of 4 is.

The camera relocates to the others:  Mandy is in the store across the hall admiring a dress she wants to buy.  Matt is still in his seat, moving at his incapacitated, post-surgery, straight leg brace w/ crutch speed -  trying to get his backpack on so he can join me.  The agent IS NOT impressed with us!

We get on the PLANE -- all separated from one another -- all middle seats.  But, it's jetBlue, which has more legroom than your average airplanes, so we manage.

A 5hrs. 9 min. flight.

We ride the AIRTRAIN at JFK airport to Federal Circle, the shuttle pick up area.

We ride the Alamo SHUTTLE to the rental car lot.

We get in the CAR, a premium Taurus that was given to us an economy rate again, and we're on our way, trusting Mandy's iPhone's GPS to lead us there.

Mike is hungry.  He wants Popeye's Chicken.  We tell him we want to get down the road a bit first, and we'll get off in a couple of freeway exits.

The GPS leads us down this road and then over on that road and back on another road - never getting us onto a freeway.

We drive through Jamaica, NY.

We drive through Flushing, NY.

WE FIND OURSELVES IN BROOKLYN, NY!!!

We see a couple of Popeye Chicken's, but do not dare stop.

We drive through Manhatten....and finally enter the Holland Tunnel over to New Jersey.

The camera shows a thought bubble above our heads, "WHERE THE HECK IS THE FREEWAY?"

We opt to now follow Matt's smartphone's Google maps app and we get on the freeway.

We get stuck in multiple areas of congestion & slowing [stopping] due to construction work -- the only problem was:  THERE WERE NO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN SIGHT!

The rest of Matt's siblings are texting us from our rental house in Pennsylvania asking WHERE WE ARE!??!

Various degrees of frustration, joking, orneriness, light-heartedness, sleepiness, laughing, accusations, apologies, playful mocking, headaches, and delirious giggling ensue.

Mike is [still] hungry.  We stop at a Wendy's drive thru when we finally clear the congestion.

We arrive at the [200 yr. old] house in Pennsylvania at 2:30 a.m.

Nothing like a "3 hour drive" turning into a 5 hour drive, while driving through all the boroughs of New York!

This arrival time was exactly 27 hours after we first left our home...and about 7 hours earlier than we WOULD HAVE arrived had we just waited for and made it on the next evening's flight out of SLC.  BUT, flexibility is the #1 attribute needed for standby travel!

Again, we crash for the second night in a row.

Saturday was spent at Hershey Park riding ROLLER COASTERS.  (Me, not Matt - that darn knee!)

Luckily, the CAR drive over was mere minutes!

For the graduation, wouldn't ya know it, we had to board a BUS to take us from the parking lot to the Coliseum where the ceremony was held.

 

{Congratulations Trey AND Michelle!}

{And Happy Birthday, Nicole!}

We drove around the charming town of Hershey in our CAR for the rest of the festivities related to graduation.

It was time to leave PA.  Mike is hungry.  We stop at a Wendy's before we get on the road.

We drove our CAR back to our hotel in New York (this time closer to the 3 hr. expected travel time) in and out of sleep, talking, singing - add in an "unfortunate event" at a gas station bathroom.

Mandy & I get out and check us into our hotel rooms.

Mike & Matt take the rental car back with the intention of riding the car rental SHUTTLE back to the airport, then catching our hotel SHUTTLE from there back to us.  Matt, being fed up with all the traveling, asks the rental car manager if the shuttle driver can just drop him at the nearby hotel instead of back to the airport.  The manager came up with an even better solution:  he advised one of his workers to get back in the car they had just returned and to chauffeur them to our airport.  Score!

We were suppose to meet Chris & Cheryl (another bro & sis in law) in Times Square for dinner....

So, we took a TAXI to the right subway station.  (He drove us through all the back streets & alleys!)

We got on the E TRAIN subway into the city.

The four of us WALKED [Matt hobbled] several blocks to John's Pizzeria for dinner.

After an evening in Times Square & at Rockefeller Center,

we took the SUBWAY back, transferred to the AIRTRAIN, which took us to Federal Circle to catch the SHUTTLE back to our hotel.

Camera zooms in on just Mandy's situation, who had decided she didn't want to leave things to "chance" with the flying on Buddy Passes anymore, so she actually booked & bought a confirmed flight on a different airline to leave early the next morning.  She took the hotel SHUTTLE back to the airport, got on her PLANE, had a connection in Phoenix, and flew the rest of the way into SLC.  She caught the SHUTTLE to take her back to Idaho....which had a tire blow out on the way.  She gets to her sister's house in Idaho, spends the night, and drives her children back in her CAR the next day.

Camera zooms in on the situation in Farmington.  Intermixed in this, my dad, staying at my home, drove Mandy's car keys, that had been left at my home when we first started this trip, up to her house in Kaysville......where a friend retrieved them and drove them out to the airport to give to Mandy, so she'd have them when she got to Idaho.

Camera returns to the happenings in New York.  Again, we take the hotel SHUTTLE, AIRTRAIN, & SUBWAY back to the city to meet Chris & Cheryl at the 9/11 Memorial,

 then to Battery Park,

and finally out to lunch before we say "Good Bye" to them.

We take the SUBWAY, AIRTRAIN, & SHUTTLE back to the hotel where our baggage is being stored, tell the shuttle driver we are just getting our back and to please wait.

We ride the SHUTTLE back to the airport.

Check in for our flight.

Again, due to last minute bookings, the plane is almost completely full.  (What's up with all these people & their late purchases?  It's like 4X the cost at that point!)  We've all pretty much accepted that we will NOT get on the flight, but we have to stay just to go through the motions, and then get "rolled over" to the next day.  Much to our surprise, our name is called!  They have only ONE seat left, so we send Mike and Matt & I stay behind.  He gets on the PLANE and flies home, no incidents, arriving according to our original itinerary.

Matt & I discover ALL of our luggage went ON the PLANE with Mike.....we now were left with ONLY the clothes on our backs!  We had to resort to the ol' wash-your-underwear-in-the-sink-and-hang-it-out-to-dry for the next day trick!

Matt & I use HOTWIRE to book a hotel - Matt didn't think sleeping in the JFK airport in his condition very fun.  Since HOTWIRE picks the hotel for you, unfortunately, we got one without a hotel shuttle.  When we called the front desk, we were told we'd have to take a TAXI -- so we did.

Then next day, we shopped, and toured, and ate (at Popeye's Chicken, in honor of Mike!) in Jamaica, NY - ON FOOT.  The song from Sesame Street, "Which of these things is not like the other" was running through our minds, that's for sure.  Us white tourists stuck out like a sore thumb!

After examining Google maps, Matt discovered there IS a subway station within walking distance!  (What were the hotel staff thinking?)  So, we took the AIRTRAIN back to the airport.

After waiting in the airport, our names were called, and we got on the PLANE!  In the EVEN MORE SPACE rows, but separated again.

We sat in the PLANE on the tarmac for 1 1/2 hrs., then they announced there was a back up due to weather conditions and congestion.  They got approval to be rerouted up through CANADA, but that they would need to return to the gate to re-fuel for that flight.

To be humane, they let those who wanted to get off for a rest and for food, to do so while we were re-fueling.

When everyone had re-boarded, we got to the end of the line for take off.....and waited another hour in the PLANE for ATC clearance!

The PLANE takes off and flew the long way home, in & out of sleep, reading, talking to my neighbors, landing in SLC at 1:00 a.m.

My dad picks us up in our MINI VAN and we drive home.  We arrived home at 1:30 a.m.  I crashed in my own bed at 2:00 a.m.

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

But, Matt says it was all worth it, in spite of it all.  He was tired of not being able to do anything for the last 9 weeks, so this was his first BIG ADVENTURE since that fateful day of the church ball accident.  As far as "adventure" goes, I seem to have that down pat!  Even though it may be a distorted interpretation of "adventure." ;)