Hotels

I realize I talk a lot about traveling lately, but that's life. With that said, can I just say how much I LOVE having someone make my bed everyday?! I mean, if I don't get to sleep in my own bed, at least I can enjoy the perks. Granted, I don't have a TV in my shower like some people I know, but I'll take what I get.

I've been staying in a hotel with a mini kitchen the last couple of weeks. There have been a couple of times I've been ambitious enough to go grocery shopping and actually use the facilities. And not only do they make the bed and give me clean towels but they also run my dishes in the dishwasher! This is the life!

I do have one complaint. They are all about saving resources these days, and I fully support that! But there are just some approaches I don't understand. They ask me to reuse my towel to save on soap and water resources, right? Most days I like to do my part and reduce/reuse/recycle. Although there are some days I just want a towel that smells like the downy bear even though I used a new towel the day before, don't hate me. BUT when I try to reuse my bar of soap to wash my hands they won't let me, they insist on giving me a newly wrapped bar every day. They don't even leave the old one to let me choose. If they want to save soap, how about leaving the bar that will last me the next 3 months and giving me a new towel?

Me In 2008

Yeah, I started this entry back in Dec. It seemed like a good idea to look back on the year and remember the things I had done. Now that it's nearly March, it seems a little late, but what the heck? Here are the main events, in no specific order...

-SKYDIVING: My cousin Melissa and I decided to do something memorable this year so we went straight to the top, skydiving. For a girl who hates heights, I have to say I was quite brave, I didn't pee my pants or cry. I'm pretty sure I will not throw myself out of a plane ever again but I have some awesome pictures and bragging rights from the whole experience. The only problem is finding something memorable to do next year, nothing seems quite as exciting after that.

Yeah, that's me plummeting to the earth!
You can see the Great Salt Lake behind me and Toole to the right.

Melissa in the plane on the way up.
Doesn't she looked poised? I was nearly peeing my pants at this point.

-HOME IMPROVEMENTS: I tiled my bathrooms with the (large!) help of my friend German. Although he was really the brains behind the whole thing, I think I made quite the little helper. I then painted my bathroom immediately after tiling. After waiting the minimum time for the grout to dry I taped the walls and went to work. It might have been midnight when I started, but it turned out great. Then there was the green carpet. I decided to re-carpet my entire house, this meant moving our all of our possessions into the kitchen (the only non-carpeted space in the place). That's when we found out that the carpet wouldn't come for another week. Oh my! Finally, the day arrived. So, with nearly 1000 square feet of forest green carpet rolled up and thrown off our deck, we finally rid ourselves of our own 'green monster'

-CONCERTS: I still have a few to go before I catch up with Lynne, but I still got to see some great concerts this year including Coldplay, John Meyer and Jason Mraz. That's Annie, Lynne, Me & Lou before the John Meyer concert.

-SHAKESPEARE: I made it to the Shakespearean festival twice this year, once to see Taming of the Shrew & Cyrano with my sister who lives down there. Then a bunch of us went down for a road trip to see Caesar and Gaslight. 12 driving hours, 2 days and 2 plays later we made it back. We came out of it with minor (and some major) bumps and bruises from the weekend, but we all survived.

-MOVED TO SACRAMENTO: Ok, not literally. However, I have spent some time in Sacramento nearly every week since Dec. The hotel receptionist, the office security guard and parking attendant all recognize me now. It's nice to have friends down here.

-SAN FRAN: Speaking of friends. Annie decided to come visit me one weekend while I was stuck in Cali. The plan: Annie flies in Friday night in time for dinner, and we wake up at 4:30am to drive to San Francisco in time for the sunrise. Reality: Her flight was delayed and finally came in at 2:00am. Yes, we still left at 4:30am to catch our blasted sunrise. Although painful, it turned out to be totally worth it and we got to do everything on our list that day.

This is us overlooking the city from the Coit Tower, just waiting for the sun to come up. You can see a mix of exhaustion & craziness in our eyes. Don't judge us, it was early.

The view from Alcatraz, we really could not have had better weather!

The Golden Gate Bridge.
I about lost my lunch up there.

And...Lombard street.
We also made it to the Palace of Fine Arts, Pier 39, and did a little shopping in Union Square.

-HAWAII: And I finally rolled in the New Year in Hawaii. My friends Robert & Heather are living there while they each finish their Masters and were gracious enough to let me visit.



Watching fire works on a beach in Hawaii was definitely the best way to start a new year. The weather was amazing, my friends are great, I got to sleep in, eat some great seafood, swim in the ocean, visit Pearl Harbor, eat a Matsumoto snow cone, take a nap on the beach, snorkel, read, read, read, experience the Polynesian Cultural Center, weave a fish from palm leaves, watch the sunrise and sunset on the beach and catch some whales playing. Happy New Year everyone!

I split my pants...

So, after weeks of working by day, sitting in my hotel room by night and eating out for every meal nearly every day I think I've reached an all-time low. I suspected I was gaining weight but I didn't think it was yet out of control.

Yesterday, I got dressed and noticed my pants feeling a bit tighter, certainly nothing I couldn't live with. Nonetheless, I decided it was time I do some lunges/squats. Me being the multi-tasker I am started to do some lunges while I was blow drying my hair in the morning. Good thing, too, because not more than 10 minutes later I was getting dressed and when I bent down to put on my shoes I heard something tear. I panicked and ran to the mirror to check out my pants. Whew! Still intact. Or were they?

I realized that night that the lining of my pants and totally ripped. Yep, Melinda ripped her pants. And to top it off, she blogged about it.

Sacramento Struggles

I'm breaking a personal record here, posting two blogs in the same day, even the same week! I'm here in Sacramento with work for the next 6 weeks. Other than having no social life, it's great. I get a quiet space all to myself where I can work, study, take naps and cry during movies. It also makes for some adventures as I find my way around town in a rental car trying to find a new building every morning by 8am.

So, this morning Brad (coworker) and I left just after 7 to make it to our training by 8am. After taking a wrong exit, getting back on track and crossing our fingers each time we approached a stoplight we finally made it to what we thought was the right area. We found a parking garage and squeezed into a spot. We had about 25 binders we needed to take in with us. I suggested we leave them in the car until we find the room and then come back for them. Brad convinced me that it would just be easier to take them with us and not make the trip back.

We got out and started walking only to find the street numbers all messed up. We were lost. Brad ran across the street to ask someone if they knew where the building was. I couldn't hear them but I saw the man point in the opposite direction and make a really big gesture, which I interpreted to mean 'really far!'

Let me now give you a backdrop. It's misty, cold, and I'm in heels with a light jacket (something in me thought it wouldn't be cold in Cali). So, we start on our trek. Brad ran ahead to try to find it. In the meantime, I called one of CA's employees that I work with and asked her for directions (I didn't trust the other guy, I don't care how friendly he was). She told me there are two buildings for the same department and we were headed towards the wrong one. Meaning: Brad is halfway to the wrong building and I am halfway from the right building and have to trek back in my heels. I'm still hauling a box of binders and my laptop while holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder, ouch!

We finally made it to the building and the rest of the training went great. Just made for a morning!

Quirks-We all got 'em

A friend asked me the other day if he had any quirks. The thing about quirks is you always know what they are except at the exact moment someone asks you to point them out. I've decided to out my own quirks. I think this is an important step in my becoming more self-aware. So, here they are, listed in no specific order.

1. I'm a terrible backseat driver: I've always kind of known this, but I have sincerely tried to not let on to the fact that most of my time as a passenger has been spent secretly driving the car. In my head I often adjust the speed (up or down- usually up) and plan out lane changes that would get us through the freeway traffic. Again, I keep most of this to myself. One of these days I think I might try looking out the window at the scenery. One of these days.

2. I always have to eat even numbers of candy & fries (something for each cheek): I don't know if I should really explain this one. It's a little weird, but at least no one has to know...until now, that is.

3. I count traffic markers: This one is also a bit crazy but probably requires some explaining. I don't count them 1, 2, 3, 4... I usually just match them up in pairs to make sure there are even numbers. It's amazing how many roads have uneven markers, it's like they don't care.

4. I talk while eating: I hate this one! Mainly because I hate it when other people do it. I'm so hypocritical! I really just hate the noises of eating, the two worst ones are crunching and smacking, ugh! With that being said, I often just can't wait until my food is properly chewed and swallowed before I comment on what you are saying. See, I'm there for ya! And my food, too!

5. I think in tangents upon tangents: I have a web of thoughts constantly running through my head. I think most people have events that remind them of other songs, images or memories. The difference is that they can usually keep them organized into a continuous line of thought. Apparently, I cannot. This wouldn't be such a big deal if it just stayed in my head. The problem is you can say something which gets me thinking about something else that actually kind of reminds me of so-and-so who once went on a date with what's-his-name who really liked that one restaurant that played the song we were listening to yesterday so then I start singing you the song and you have no idea where it came from. It's a problem.

6. When I'm just standing around I put one foot on top of the other and balance like a flamingo: This one I can blame on my mother. I remember my mom always cooking and standing on one foot with the other one rested on top. I didn't think anything of it until a friend mimicked me one day, apparently I do it all the time and never noticed it. Thanks, Mom.

7. I bite the inside of my cheeks: Some people bite their nails, I bite my cheeks. Problem is that this practice still doesn't keep me from saying stupid things, as it should. I just end up with sore cheeks.

8. I eat fast: If you've eaten anywhere with me you know this. I blame my large family. I decided that 10 kids at the dinner table rushing for the limited number of seconds has turned my entire family into fast eaters. Only when I eat with my sisters do I feel less like a pig. It's pretty bad when I eat more and eat faster than most of my dates.

9. I have to iron every day: It's really up there with brushing your teeth in the morning, it's just something you do. Well, I realize that not everyone enjoys this activity. The quirky thing about me is I REALLY enjoy it. It's like a mini makeover every time I iron a shirt. It's amazing what a little ironing can do for your wardrobe. The funny thing is that people enjoy having pressed clothing, they just hate the task even more. Just for the record, my ironing services are always available!

10. I watch movies on tv (commercials and all) more often than picking from my own: Less commitment. I don't always get to watch the greatest movies, and it usually takes longer to finish with all of the commercials, but the important thing is that I didn't have pick it out. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of opinions, often too many. But when it comes to picking a movie, I really don't care. So, I'd much rather have someone I don't know take the blame for wasting my two hours with a stupid movie than take the blame myself. Besides, it takes me just as long to pick it as the movie lasts. Tell you what, if you pick the movie, I'll iron your shirt and we'll both be happy!

Well, my list could go on but I feel I've bared my soul enough. If you have any to add, I'd be extremely interested to know.

Come Fly the Friendly Skies

Ok. So I'm not a member of the million miler club yet or anything but I have seen my fair share of the friendly skies lately and it's gotten me to reminiscing. I've decided to share some of my favorite airport adventures.

My first memory of the airport is when I got lost in one when I was 5. I should have known then. It was back in the day when we could see off and welcome back loved ones at the gate (those were the days). We were sending my brother Karl on his mission and most of the kids got bored with the wait so we decided to play on the escalators. When it was time to go I pulled a Home Alone and chased the wrong person down the hall, thinking it was my sister. When I realized my mistake, my family was no where to be found. I found my way out to our big red van (aptly named "Big Red"), thinking they would find me there. After waiting for hours (probably only 15 minutes) I gave up and went back in to find my family coming down the stairs. That day I learned what an information desk was and I was forced to practice reciting my parents' first names the rest of the day.

For years, the airport was a rather unceremonious event. Then came my own mission. The flight home was an eleven hour trip that finally landed myself and 2 Elders on US soil in Denver where we then had to go through customs. For those not familiar with the process, you have to pick up your luggage at the baggage claim, take a form through a line where you have to somehow remember how much you paid for all of the stuff crammed in your suitcase, and promise that none of it is produce or drugs. Then you have to recheck your luggage, go through security and run to your gate. Some genius decided we could do all of this and still make a connecting flight that left 45 minutes later. Needless to say, we didn't make it. But we ran and caught a flight that left only an hour later. Our families, however, were told we wouldn't get on a flight for another 4 hours. When we arrived and came down the escalators looking around for the balloons and posters that would be there to welcome us, we saw nothing. We decided to check the bathrooms (I took the girls, they took the guys) to see if our families had decided to all use the restroom all at the exact same time. Guess not. A nice lady took pity on us and fed us red vines and bottled water while we waited. So, a couple of hours later they came running through the doors with wilted flowers, drooping balloons and wrinkled posters. It was the welcome I had always dreamed of.

Now that I travel with work every few weeks, I'm getting pretty comfortable with the airport routine. I have this thing down to a science from parking, to security, to boarding and back. Problem with routine is you can get overly confident. Enter drama. A couple of months back I arrived home on a late flight. I collected my luggage and caught a shuttle out to the parking lot. I got off on my usual stop (confident in my routine) and discovered my car was not in its usual row. I wouldn't normally panic but it was midnight and I was a girl all by herself in the middle of a dark parking lot. I'm a sitting duck. After wandering around for 30 minutes, a security truck that had passed me at least 5 times finally stopped and asked if I was ok. I explained my dilemma and he asked for my license plate number. He radioed it in and they spat back my car's location within 30 seconds. Cheers for airport security!

And my most recent adventure... I came back this week from an unusually stressful business trip very relieved to be home. I collected my luggage, caught the shuttle and jumped off my usual stop where I quickly found my car. I paid for parking and headed home (once again confident in my routine). When I got home I hopped out of my car and opened the back door of my car only to find my luggage missing. I quickly traced back my steps in my head until I realized that I didn't grab my luggage when I got off the shuttle bus in the parking lot. My bag was still riding around (hopefully) in circles in the economy parking lot. I walked in the door both hysterically laughing and sobbing. I finally calmed down and went searching for the phone book. After finding the airport number and getting transferred about 26 times, I got someone to call the buses asking if anyone had seen an abandoned black suitcase (I need to buy some unique luggage, I've decided). But amazingly enough, they found it and sent it to the Lost & Found. Scott trekked back up to Salt Lake with me where I picked up the luggage and finally made it home.

But I have to say, after all of that, I still love airports! Some of my favorite things about traveling (besides the destinations themselves) are the coffee smells at the airport, empty flights, a window seat with clear skies, turbulence (weee!) and people watching. Ah, good memories!

Blogitis

Blogitis: Also called the Blog Bite, is a systemic disease caused by an individual's urgent need to divulge personal opinions, perspectives, and thoughts to the masses. The Blog Bite is generally transmitted via peer pressure. A previously content individual may be led to believe that it is healthier and more fulfilling to put one's thoughts in writing and express them in a public setting. As a result, we see that Blogitis, once confined to a minority of participants, is now a world-wide pandemic.

Early symptoms may include lack of sleep, strained eyes, and accelerated carpal tunnel. Infected persons often complain of increased attention deficit due to the individual's preoccupation and obsession with the topic and content of their next blog entry.

Symptoms generally appear within 1 to 3 weeks of infection, although some have shown progressive symptoms in as little as 24 hours after exposure. Untreated cases are eventually socially fatal. People who become ill with lack of sleep, obsessive tendencies, or other manifestations of Blogitis are advised to seek early social intervention. Blog Bite can usually be cured by an appropriate course of anti-anti-social therapy. Fresh air and direct sunlight are the drugs of choice to treat the early stages of this disease. Progressive stages require the disappearance or fatal death of the infected person's computer.

No vaccine is available to prevent this disease. Infected persons are attracted to new blog posts, breaking news, and interesting or annoying life events. Individuals are encouraged to avoid these dangerous areas to avoid the Blog Bite. Non-bloggers at risk of peer pressure from infected individuals are advised to avoid boredom, procrastination, and late unplanned evenings that may lead to blogging.