2016 - not so bad

It's time to do the obligatory year end wrap-up post, right?
Although the memes of the world are all calling out 2016 as the worst ever, I have to admit, celebrity deaths aside, it was a pretty great year for me.
A year ago I was pretty miserable. I was working for a hag (but liked my job). I was depressed, overweight, and in a lot of constant pain. I enjoyed being the Young Women's president, and working with my Baby Ducks, but there were things going on behind the scene that were crushing my soul. And my friends all lived several hours away.
To put it mildly, life wasn't going my way.
Over the course of the year, and in no particular order, here's what changed-
everything.
Or more specifically, I started Contrave, a miracle drug that helped me lose over 30 lbs, and more importantly, took away my fibromyalgia pain. This one thing alone has made my life twenty times better. I can't begin to tell you, my dear blog, how much happier I am on Contrave.
I got a job in my actual field, working for a profitable company, and moved across the country for it.
I moved into my own beautiful apartment. Being on my own, taking care of myself, depending on no one but myself, and getting out of debt, and back on top means more to me than you'll ever know.
It's been a good year, what can I say?
For a while there I wondered if I was happier because the Contrave is an anti-depressant. There was no question that I was depressed over the past few years, and just barely holding it together. I told myself it was situational depression, and did what it took to tread water to get through it. Take away the awful situations, and the depression has gone away. (And the Contrave helped me tread water.)
All things said and done, I've endured more this past year than I ever expected. And I survived. I came out on top. I survived. And I'm happy.
I'm confident. I'm healthy. And I'm happy.
That's all.
Bring on 2017. 

Madi and Scott Tie the Knot

Last week I traveled to Utah for the wedding of my brother Scott to his new bride Madi. We just adore Madi and are thrilled to have her in the family!
It was a great trip full of friends and family. It was hard to come back home!

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinmcbride 

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https://www.pinterest.com/erinannie/ 

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Extreme Makeover Home Edition - UTAH!!

Things I Love (in no particular order)-
1. Real Salt Lake soccer (I love them so much I have a whole blog called Footballer Fan Girl! (which needs serious updating))
2. Utah
3. People who do good things and ask for nothing in return
4. Little boys and girls with huge smiles and good manners
5. People who save lives by donating blood and/or bone marrow

Which is why when I got asked out of the blue this week via email from a total stranger if I would like to see a sneak peak of ABC-tv "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (EMHE) and I wrote back an email practically begging to see it.

It is also why I have spent the past hour in an non- air-conditioned internet cafe crying like a baby.

This Sunday, while I'll still be sick in Cambodia, you will have the awesome opportunity to turn on the one tv show my father ever allowed us to watch on Sunday nights. (TV was absolutely off-limits in our family as kids. But we eventually convinced him that EMHE was a good, wholesome, family activity.) This Sunday you will be privileged to learn the story of Jonah, an incredibly sweet and adorable boy who lives in Utah. If he had an easy life with two parents with good jobs, no major illnesses, and everything you and I have been blessed with, he wouldn't be on this tv show. Instead, he doesn't have just 1 rare illness, he has 2. And he needs a bone marrow donor.

A few months ago when this episode was actually filmed back in Utah I really enjoyed following the twitter feeds of several of my favorite RSL players as they shared their real emotions about being involved in building the house and meeting Jonah. I have been looking forward to seeing this show for months now. Thank goodness for online streaming when I do get back home!

Hey, and remember this time last year when I was inspired by the completely awesome Rylee Ewing and the wife of a Real Salt Lake player (hey, @hotwifeofbomma!) to register to become a bone marrow donor? Well, if I didn't convince you back then to become a donor, Jonah's story will convince you now!

I should warn you - I was crying at exactly 3 minutes into this episode. And not just because all 5 of my favorite things listed above were in this episode. I was crying because this time, I know the viewing audience really can help make a difference for Jonah (and for HotWifeofBomma and for my sweet little Rylee)!

Tune in this week, folks. You won't regret it.

Oh and if you are cold and calloused and only watch the show for the decorating and the new houses, you won't be disappointed. I LOVE what they did in the children's bedrooms. Absolutely freaking adorable and perfect for Jonah and his sweetheart sister!!

Utah Pass of all Passes

Come enjoy 16 waterslides, a 400,000 gallon Wave Pool, kids swimming areas and slides, group pavilions & cabanas, a giant Half Pipe tube ride, 100-foot Free Fall drops slides, and a quarter-mile Lazy River! 

That's right! Seven Peaks Provo is now a part of the Pass of All Passes! 

Normally $327 you can get this killer deal for a mere $49.95. 

What does $49.95 get you in a summer full of fun??

Rules of the Deal

This package includes a “Pass of All Passes” for 1 person.

Voucher must be redeemed at the Seven Peaks Water Park at 1330 E 300 N, in Provo during normal hours of operation.

- Pass holder must be present at voucher redemption to receive their photo pass ID for all events and attractions. 

- Tax due at time of redemption

- Promotional discounts cannot be applied to this product

If you have more questions about the "Pass of all Passes" call 800-970-8824


The Utah County Pass of All Passes includes unlimited access to Seven Peaks Water Park, Trafalga Fun Center (Lehi and Orem), admission tickets to every Owlz and Flash home games for one full year. See specific details below.

• Valid for 12 months of Family Fun!
• Unlimited Admission to Seven Peaks Water Park
• Unlimited Game activities at Trafalga Fun Center (Lehi & Orem Locations)
• Unlimited General Admission to Owlz and Flash home games
• Applies to normal operational hours or game times
• When you redeem your Utah County Pass, you will receive a FREE Pass of All Passes Discount Card with over $24,000 in savings

Seven Peaks Waterpark
* Unlimited admission on days of normal operation
* A 3% discount on food in the park


Trafalga Fun Center, Orem
* Unlimited Mini Golf
* Unlimited Slick Track
* Unlimited XD Theater
* Unlimited Batting Cages
* Does not include arcade tokens


Trafalga Fun Center, Lehi (Formerly Liberty Land)
* Unlimited Mini Golf
* Unlimited Laser Tag
* Unlimited Slick Track
* Unlimited Bumper Boats
* Unlimited Rush Coaster
* Unlimited Rock Climbing
* Unlimited Carousel
* Unlimited Frog Hopper
* Unlimited Kiddie Area
* Unlimited Pirate Ship
* Unlimited Train & Airplane
* Unlimited Mini Track
* Unlimited Drop Tower
* Does not include arcade tokens


Orem Owlz Games (at Brent Brown Ballpark)
* Unlimited General Admission Tickets
* One ticket per home game per pass


Utah Flash Games (at McKay Events Center)
* Unlimited General Admission Tickets
* One ticket per home game per pass


The pass of All Passes includes unlimited admission to Seven Peaks Waterpark and the Trafalga Fun Center and a ticket to Orem Owlz and Utah Flash home games. This deal includes a 12-month pass at Seven Peaks, Utah’s largest waterpark with 16 waterslides, a 500,000 gallon Wave Pool, kids swimming areas and slides, group pavilions & cabanas, a giant Half Pipe tube ride, 100-foot Free Fall drops slides, and a quarter-mile Lazy River. The pass is also good for unlimited activities at both Trafalga Fun Center locations, which includes everything except arcade tokens. Enjoy unlimited mini golf, batting cages, slick track, and XD theater at Orem’s Trafalga Fun Center. At Trafalga Fun Center, Lehi (formerly Liberty Land), you’ll partake of a plethora of play options, including unlimited mini golf, laser tag, bumper boats, rock climbing, carousel riding, and much more. 


The year-round pass also includes unlimited general admission to Orem Owlz Games home games at Brent Brown Ballpark, and Utah Flash Games at the McKay Events Center.


The pass expires one year from purchase date and is non transferable. 

Introducing the brand new 8 lane Aqua Racer to Seven Peaks Provo!  See the link for updates and progress on the construction as we get closer to the season opening on May 28th!

Utah Trip Recap

My big trip to Utah was everything I was hoping for! 10 days is a long time to travel, but I'm glad I did it! It is always interesting to return to Utah after being gone for a while. You start to notice all the little idiosyncrasies of the state again, like the use of "way" instead of "more" or "very." ("It was way hot in there!") Or just how many women where tank tops or t-shirts over top a long sleeved shirt. (Now that I've watched every episode of "Sister Wives" I also wonder how many women wearing tank tops on the top are polygamists.) I loved the prolific number of Mavericks and Top Stops everywhere and "way cheap" large drinks. I also greatly appreciated that gas is about 15 cents a gallon cheaper in Utah than it is in Virginia.

Each day of the trip was pretty much the same as the one before it- in a very good way! I would hang out with BFF Jules in the morning, then go meet someone for a really long lunch, then go visit another friend for a really long dinner! My whole vacation was food and conversation! And really, does it get better than that?

Here's a few pictures of just some of the friends I met up with-

This is one of my best friends from high school, Karen, and her daughter Rylee. Karen and I hadn't seen each other in... 20 years?! But we talked just like we said goodbye yesterday, and were stealing each other's school cafeteria fries. Her daughter Rylee is undergoing cancer treatments at Primary Children's Hospital. If you are in Utah you can check out Rylee's television debut this month as part of a PCH ad campaign. You can also check out Rylee's mad dance skills here-




I also got the chance to meet up with the amazing Lindsey of The R House fame. She's not only a world-famous blogger, but a good friend from high school as well. (Lindsey- please forgive me for posting the picture.)

Lindsey and I met up with several other bloggers for a bloggy lunch date. Thank you to Topsy Turvy, HollyWillNot, Jenndola, CrapIveMade, CSPokey, Ryles, and Lauren for a truly unique experience! (If I left anyone out I swear it wasn't intentional!)

Mother's Day would not have been complete without lunch with my little brother. Gotta love the trucker hat, African soccer jersey, 4 days worth of beard, all talking on my pink cell phone-

There were many other lunches and visits with friends, but somehow I didn't get pictures of all of them! I noticed with each friend I would forget I was just visiting and hadn't seen my friend in forever. I even forgot to hug and say goodbye to Heidi because everything felt so normal and natural. What do you mean I hadn't been to visit in over a year?

Each visit was wonderful and a great experience. Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet up with me for a few hours!!

One of the absolute highlights of my trip was a barbecue held by my old neighbors for me! Thank you to Becky, Liz, and Janelle for making me remember so many wonderful times. I absolutely loved getting to hang out with the ladies, their husbands, and their adorable children again. We've all experienced a lot of highs and lows in the past year. There was something very cathartic about being back together with them and seeing that we've all made it through in one piece! And getting a countless number of hugs from these cute kids was worth the whole trip out there-

There aren't many times in your life where you can "go back" to what you once had. I'm in an interesting situation right now where I could make a few changes and go back to my old life. I could live on the same street, have the same friends and neighbors, do very similar work, and just pick up where I left off. It is more tempting to do than words can say! Who wouldn't want to go back to so many happy memories? But in doing so, I would be giving up my Peace Corps dream, among other things. Waiting to see what the next few weeks or months might bring in my life is going to be the ultimate test of faith and patience!

Thank you again to all of my friends, particularly my hosts the Caldwell family, for the great trip!!

Only in Utah

True story-
On Saturday at the RSL game, I got a very nice tan on my arms, and a nicely pink nose and cheeks from the sun. A good number of my summer freckles even reappeared. It was so hot at the stadium that Little was complaining about butt sweat. And I was trying to keep my folded arms from touching my chest. It was just too dang hot!
Today, just 2 days later, I found myself in the snow wondering why I didn't pack snow boots or a coat. But then, who does pack snow boots for a trip in May?
There was a 50 degree temperature change over the last 2 days. And I wonder why my sinuses are going crazy and my lungs hate me so much?!

Erin and Little Reunited!

Dear Everybody in the Whole Wide World:
As you may remember, I'm in Utah on vacation this week! Today (Saturday) was one of the best days EVER! And here to help me tell you about it is my favorite sidekick, "Little!"

On our way to Little's dance recital

First, Little wants to tell you about Wednesday!
I stayed home from school due to an allergic reaction. I was at home in bed all day with a swollen face. My mom left to go get us some lunch and pick up my brother, and i heard some knocking on the door. I wasn't expecting anybody so i figured it would be the ups guy or someone. The knocking continued so i went to see who it was. As i peeked through the window i saw blonde hair, and i thought it looked like Erin. i opened the door and i saw Erin holding a camera and i freaked out. I had no idea that she was coming, and i started crying!
We went out to eat, and talked a lot. We had a whole year to catch up on, then i asked her if she had seen my favorite movie, which is Tangled. She hadn't so we came back to my house to watch it. I had a dance recital that night so she curled my hair for me, and off we went. But mostly we were just excited for our big plans for Saturday (today).

Now, it is my (Erin's) turn to tell you about Wednesday!
Little's mother and I have been planning for over a month to surprise Little when I came into town. But then the night before she got really sick, so we had to change our plans at the last second. I liked our backup plan even better. Getting to surprise Little at home was really fun. It was just like she said- I knocked on the door (a couple of times!), she answered, and she yelled, "What are you doing here?!" We hugged, and then we just started to cry!!
Here's a not so flattering picture of that moment-

:-(

After we stopped crying and I got a good look at her face it broke my heart to see how bad she still looked! Her face was all swollen (she wants to make sure you understand she is NOT fat), and she had a subsiding rash on her neck. It made me so sad I hadn't been able to get there sooner to help her!
But we had a great afternoon together, and it was a lot of fun to get to go to her dance recital! But like she said- Saturday is the more important day!
Which brings us to-
TODAY!

Today started out with me (still Erin typing) going to pick her up from her dad's house. He was very kind to let me steal her away on his weekend. And even nicer of her little sister (no, really, her REAL little sister) to let Little leave her birthday party early.
We planned our day to be our version of a perfect day- a Real Salt Lake game, mani pedis, shopping, eating, and a sleepover! Can you think of anything better? I think not!
So we went to the RSL game first. We got there right as the game was beginning. A man sold us his SECOND ROW, CENTER FIELD seats for half price! Best seats we've ever had! (Even though it wasn't section 13, row 13, seat 13, which is our preferred place to sit in honor of our favorite former player, Ian Joy.) But we have to admit- second row in the center of the field is a pretty great place to sit.
Loaded down with the necessary foods from the concession stand, we took our seats, and watched the game. It was a pretty great game, minus the fact that one of the best players suffered a very serious injury. (Erin will talk about that on her soccer blog later. This blog is about us!)
Here's a picture of the awesomeness of our seats-

Johnson and Beckerman, and Beckerman's facial hair

As Little points out, we were sitting so close you could see their facial hair and Beckerman's dreads.
After the game we posed with a few of our favorite players for a goal shot-

Girl's got skillz!

Little also points out she jumps as high as Beckerman and Johnson too!

White girls can't jump!

After the match- which RSL won, but was very sad because Javi got hurt, we went to get mani pedis at our favorite place. Little is now sporting hot pink toes and purple fingers. Erin has bright blue toes and soft pink fingers. Every time we go there Erin gets creeped out by the finger things.

WTF?

Seriously, what are they?!
After that we went to the mall where Little finally got to cash in on getting straight A's. (Erin has been promising her money or clothes for straight A's for a very long time. Conveniently, she hasn't been around to pay up!) She picked a very cute little sundress and tank tops from Aeropostale. We only bring this up because Erin is happy she no longer has to be subjected to shopping in Justice anymore. (And because Erin is sad that Little is growing up and is too mature now for the silly styles of Justice. Peace signs? Who wears peace signs anymore?!)
After doing our part to support the economy, we headed home for a movie, giggling, and naturally, blogging. Ooh, and if you- the whole wide world- can keep it a secret from Little's mom for the next 5 hours, we'll tell you this part too! We made Little's mom a surprise Mother's Day breakfast she will get before she leaves for work way too early in the morning. (Just try not to spoil the surprise for her okay?)
Tomorrow we will be split up again- Little has to go back to her dad's house. And Erin will be doing something (she just doesn't remember what right now). But don't worry, we'll have a video of our reunion ready for you soon. Its so cute it will make you cry. And we have plans to continue shopping together in a few days. After all, we haven't emptied out the mall yet!
Here's a picture of our cuteness to tide you over-

Little and Big

Feliz Navidad, Y'all!

Happy Christmas!
I must admit I am enjoying the lovely 50+ degree weather here in Southern Virginia this week. After years as a child of hoping and praying for a White Christmas, and never having my wish come true, and then moving to Utah where we get our fill of snow and then some, I have to say, I am perfectly happy with a very evergreen Christmas.
Christmas is always a personally introspective time. I'm torn right now between writing the travelogue of a post you might expect, full of meals and gifts, or writing what is really on my mind- which is how hard it is to be single during the holidays.
I'm going with single and the holidays, because I know there are a few of you out there who feel the same and probably need to hear that you/we aren't alone.
First of all, I want to go on the record as saying I love my family, both immediate and extended. We all fit in with our families in our own special way. And nothing I am about to say has anything to do with whether or not they accept me and love me. I know that they do. And I know that never has anyone ever tried to make me feel the ways I am about to describe.
But its tough being single on major family holidays, isn't it? I think Liz Lemon said it best on 30 Rock a few weeks ago, "When your mother kindly explains that they thought by now you'd have your own family and traditions for Christmas, and they wouldn't still have to be including you in everything."
Being single on a family holiday means finding a place to sit in between the children, the adults younger than you who have their own children, the adults your own age who have their own children, and the adults who call you their children. Because that's what family holidays are all about, aren't they? The children!
Christmas morning loses a lot of its luster when there aren't little children anxious to see the tree and open presents. (We slept in till 10 this morning, and nobody had to be told to keep away from the tree until Mom could find a camera.)
I'm not saying holidays can't be enjoyable and full of love. In fact, you realize even more as an adult how much of a sacrifice you are willing to make to be with the ones you love and participate in your family traditions. Especially when you are in a place in life where you aren't getting to start traditions of your own that you always thought someday you would do.
This year while I've felt no depression or anxiety over the holidays, I've been more acutely aware how so many people might. I'm happy and ready to move on to my next phase in life. I'm anxious to make some of my biggest goals and dreams a reality. In fact, the longer I sit here in Virginia, with my hands tied as to the future, the more I want to just get back to Utah and get on with it, DANG IT!
So single friends, I'm thinking of you right now. I hope you are happy. I hope you are finding what works for you this year. And I hope more than anything, you never let the lack of a man in your life hold you back from getting what you want.

Utah Wage Laws Favor Bad Employers, and Hurt Employees- HELP US!

While the country turns it's attention to the Wall St bailout, it is time for Utah to turn it's attention to the laws that allow these things to happen. With many of Utah's start up businesses and new companies financed not by profits, but instead by venture capitalists and loans from outside interests, many companies are suddenly facing going under. Many of these employers will choose to use the Utah code to their advantage and just walk away, never paying their employees. With our current code, employees may never see a dime.

This isn't just about Wall St or bad investments. This is about a bad law that protects employers, while doing nothing to protect employees. Say an employer decides it is in his or her best interest to walk away from the business and go find other employment, leaving the employees without a paycheck or employment. Utah actually protects the employer from having to pay the employee!

According to Utah Admin Code R610-3 Filing, Investigation, and Resolution of Wage Claims employers who fail to pay their employees are first sent a letter, and then sent another letter, and another, and another. Eventually, after 90 days, (assuming the Wage and Labor Commission moves quickly and efficiently), the claim gets moved to the Attorney General's Office, where, you guessed it, another letter is sent. Eventually, when these busy agencies have time, the case is moved to an arbitration and mediation court. It then takes about 5-8 months to get an appointment with that court. And if and when that magic day ever arrives, it will be determined that yes or no the employer owes the employee. If it is determined that in fact they do owe them wages, a lien is placed against the employer's assets.

How long does it take for that lien to produce anything for the long-suffering employee?

Utah Admin Code R610-3-14-2. The docketing of an Order shall constitute a lien against the real property of the defendant situated in the county for a period of eight years.

Yes, you read that right. An employee may have to wait EIGHT YEARS to get their wages! There is no “golden parachute” to help these employees who are suddenly both without a job and screwed out of their wages.

When we go to work we put our trust in our employers that they will provide for us in exchange for the labors we perform. We put our livelihood in their hands and rely on the fact that as long as we do our best, we will be paid, and in turn be able to provide for our families.

But Utah employers who get tired of running a business, or lose financing, or simply decide that there is more money to be made elsewhere can walk away from the business and the employees that depend on them, with little consequences.

This is not moral and this is not right! Employers should face criminal charges for running faulty businesses and failing to pay their employees. Men and women CEO's who chose to leave their businesses for higher paying salaries with other organization with no thoughts or cares to the employees they screw over in their wake should face public punishments, and not just inconvenient fines.

Utah, take a look closer at home and ask yourself if you will be protected if your employer goes under or walks away from the business. Will you be paid? Will you be prepared to wait eight years before seeing those wages? Will you be able to survive on unemployment at a fraction of your past earnings?

Don't just sit and watch Wall Street. Take action here at home. Let's change these laws that protect employers and not the employees. Let's make it criminal to not pay employees! Ask the state legislature candidates what they plan to do to protect employees. Challenge the law. Stand up and make it clear that we will not allow employees to be taken advantage of!

Help me and my former co-workers who have been so hurt by this law (having not received a cent of the money our past employer owes us, since July, and will probably never see our duly earned wages), by "Facebooking," Digging, bookmarking, linking, whatever it is you can do. Help us spread the word about this bad law, and bring attention to a subject that deserves notice. You don't have to be in Utah to help spread the word! But if you are in Utah, you can send a link to this article (or copy and paste it) to any of the candidates currently running for State Legislature. All of their names are RIGHT HERE.  

Weekend, Exhaustion is Thy Name

Thursday 4 pm- get the go ahead to launch major project, start working fast and furious

Friday, 1 am- end crazy work, go to bed

Friday, 8 am- meet with new client

Friday, 10 am- meet with another new client

Friday, 12 noon- rush home, grab food, shower, pack, leave for Cedar City


Friday, 5 pm- arrive Cedar, meet up with road manager.

Friday, 5:30 pm- get to Jae's house. Begin adoring cute triplets, and catching up with old friend. Go to dinner with Jae and Brady.

There is something very comforting and relaxing to visit with a friend you have literally known your whole life. You don't have to "get to know" each other again. You just do know each other. There's no need for explanations. No need to worry about what they will think. You can remember what you looked like in your homely pre-teen years, and you are still friends. Nothing can really beat that.

Friday, 7:30 pm- get to Centrum Arena, watch Due West get TWO standing ovations! (Craig Morgan, the headliner, didn't get any.)

Friday, 8:00 pm- Use restroom and find strange ads in the stalls. Disturb other patrons by taking a picture in the stall.




Friday, 9:00 pm- do lots of networking in the hall during the concert. Enjoy watching my Due West boys sign hundreds of autographs. At some point, actually talk to my clients.



Friday, 11:00- get back to Jae's house. Catch up with old friend more.

Saturday, 12:30 am- Brady lets Jae and me know it's late and we should go to bed. We don't argue.

Saturday, 7:30 am- Cute adorable triplets wake up. We all wake up for the morning feedings. I have never before seen such well-behaved and sweet little girls. So cute!! (Jae, please forgive me for the pajama picture.)


Saturday, 9:30 am- Brady kindly checks out the scary noise coming from the back end of my car. He gives me the all-clear, I leave for SLC.

Saturday, 1:00 pm- Decide there is no way I can stay awake much longer, pull over at a truck stop. Discover that the nearby Comfort Inn has a free and strong wi-fi signal. Prove my nerdiness by checking emails.

Saturday, 2:30 pm- Get home, shower, change, leave again.

Saturday, 4:00 pm- Arrive Juli's house for our 2 mile walk. And go to Maverick for necessary post-walk Diet Coke. Get hugs from favorite fairy god-daughters. I heart the Caldwell Chicks.

Saturday, 6:30 pm- Dena and Lance's wedding reception! LOVELY!



Saturday, 8:00 pm- Eddie's birthday party. Catch up with Eddie, Juli, Mattie (pictured), and Camille (not pictured). So fun to see so many faces from home in one weekend!

(sidenote: I weighed myself on Saturday. I am at my lowest weight in 2 years. You just can't tell in that dress with it's apparently unflattering print.)

Saturday, 11:00 pm- Get home, fall into bed, talk to Stacer for a few hours.

Sunday, 1:00 am- Fall asleep.

Sunday, 12:30 pm- Wake up.

Sunday, 12:45 pm- Fall back asleep.

Sunday, 1:30 pm- Answer ringing phone. Nap intermittently.

Sunday, 4:00 pm- Discover there is absolutely no food in my house. Only freezer burned ice cream. I'm starving. Go out to eat.

Sunday, 5:00 pm- Enjoy blissful dinner with an amazing view.


Sunday, 6:00 pm- Decide to stop off and visit these guys. Come up with brilliant event idea.


Sunday, 7:00 pm- Home. I like home. Blog.

Bored and Frustrated

I'm bored and frustrated, as the title bar says. I get this way on Sundays frequently. I have NOTHING to do. No place to go, no one to visit, NOTHING to do. So by the end of Sunday I'm just bored out of my mind and wishing I could just go to sleep and make tomorrow come faster.
Except I have nothing to do all week either. Nothing to get excited for or look forward to. And that frustrates me even more. It's just another week where all I have to do is work. And quite frankly, I'm not supposed to be working as much as I do (I work billable hours, and I'm not supposed to work more than a client is worth). As pathetic as it may seem, I get so bored when I get home from work that I just start working again. And I'm pretty sure that has a lot to do with why I burn out so easily.
It's the fact that there is no end in sight to the boredom. I'm stuck in a low finances- high boredom situation that won't be changing any time soon. And I'm not good at this. I'm used to being active and busy and involved in things. But since moving here- NOTHING. Seriously, I've lived here 11 months now, and things aren't getting any better in that department are they? I swear they are actually getting worse.
Don't give me the crap about trying harder and putting myself out there more. Because believe me, I've tried very hard. Maybe it's just time to accept I'm a square peg in a round hole, and I'm never going to feel comfortable here? And maybe it's time to accept that this is what life is like over 30 and single. You just get good at being alone, and always being the gooseberry.
Whatever it is, I hate it right now.

Talking about the weather

Earlier this week I was driving to Orem when I couldn't help but enjoy the beautiful blue skies that we so rarely get during the winter here. As I passed the turn in the road near Pleasant Grove there was suddenly a huge massive cloud that I couldn't help but stare at. Rolling in from the canyon there was this massive cloud covering all of Orem, but the other side of me was beautiful blue! So bizarre. I quickly grabbed the camera so I could share!

I'm from the 703, that means I'm kind of a big deal

I was standing in a parking lot earlier today, about to get in my car, when suddenly some man with a small child called out to me. First instinct- flee. But I stayed because he looked harmless and had a little girl. He asked where I was from in Virginia.
My answer? "DC"
He laughed and said, "That's not VA. Where are you really from?"
It's a Northern Virginian thing to say "DC" instead of their actual town. If someone asks 'what part' you know you can get specific. Conversely, if someone asks me if I'm from DC, I say, "Yes, Virginia side." Again, not until someone says 'what part' do I get specific. Even then, I never quite know what to say.
In order I have lived in the following parts of Northern Virginia-
birth- Arlington
3-5 years old- various parts of Falls Church and Merrifield
5-10- Fairfax City
11-16- Centreville/Clifton (the differences between the two towns and why I grew up with a Clifton address, but claim Centreville is only understood and appreciated by the rest of the Wildcats)
17-19- Oakton
at which point I left for college for 3 years in Utah
22-25- various parts of Falls Church and Fairfax
left for Texas for 1.5 years, came back and...
25-27 - Fairfax and Falls Church again, but by now my parents had moved to Fredericksburg
27-28- various parts of Virginia, Florida, Romania, California, and the Czech Republic
28-30- Arlington
31-32- Falls Church
33- Utah

I may be off a little bit with some of those ages. Actually, I'm probably a lot off. But you get the point. I never really know what part of Northern Virginia I'm from. I think it is safe to say I can claim Fairfax County a little more than most. (Even if Arlington County still thinks I should be paying them property taxes on a car I only owned for 2 months while living there.)

So back to the guy in parking lot. He had just said "That's not Virginia." So I laughed and said, "Arlington." He laughed and said, "I guess you can claim DC then!" Naturally I asked what part of Virginia he would be from. He was raised in Winchester, a town I dearly love.

Why did this exchange take place? Because I had Virginia license plates on my car. Sadly, ten minutes later I had to put my very expensive Utah plates on my car. If I hadn't, my landlord would have towed me tonight. (I could go off on a rant about the completely inaccurate and annoying situation it required to get plates. But I'll save that for another day.) Now how will people know I'm not a Utard? I liked being a Virginian still. It made me different. I do still take great pride and comfort in my "Virginia is for Lovers" bumper sticker. But now I'm going to look like just another Utard who doesn't know which one qualifies as the 'fast/passing lane.' (the inside left lane people- the LEFT, not the middle)

*Sigh* I'm homesick.

(Kudos to anyone who knows where the title line came from!)

just another girl in utah that felt the earthquake today

I think it probably made it across the news pretty well by now that we had an earthquake here in Utah this morning. I survived. It wasn't scary or a big deal.
But it got me thinking. I have now been through a hurricane (actually several big ones), an earthquake, a windstorm, full blown blizzards, heat waves, and a few other things. And only once, during Hurricane Jeanne in FL, did I ever feel like I was in danger. Pretty anti-climatic.
My version of this morning's earthquake? I had just woken up and was sitting on the toilet. All I thought was, "Woah, something's not right here." When I get migraines they always start with a "personal earthquake." And all I had time to think was that I really hoped I wasn't getting a migraine, but how odd it was that the towels were shaking. I got in the shower, and by the time I got out, the radio was calling it an earthquake. I was just glad it wasn't a migraine.
Seriously, very anti-climatic.
Now, if I could just survive the world's loudest and worst neighbors.

Sometimes I like to give myself props

Utah is freaking freezing.
A few days ago I was talking with my cousin-friend* Matt who is my opposite in a funny way. Matt grew up in Utah, but ended up in Virginia for school, and is now back in UT. I grew up in Virginia, went to school in UT, went back to VA, and am now back in UT. We were talking about the weather, and I commented on the never ending winter and snow here. He laughed and replied, "Virginia was COLD!"
And he's right, VA was cold. But we have these blessed warm strange spikes in weather all the time. Al Gore calls it global warming. I call it a Godsend.
Utah, for those who are unaware, is a Godforsaken state. I can prove it. We never have those all important warm weather spikes. Those spikes are what keep people from falling into massive depression from the darkness, ice, snow, dirty ugly highways, and big muddy piles of more snow. Oh and my favorite, the dangerously dangling and dripping and falling icicles that double as life threatening spears if you don't think to look ALL ways before entering buildings.
But tonight I found a little moment of happiness in spite of the freaking Utah winter.
I went to REI (to buy tickets to the Banff Film Festival). And there was a 50% clearance sale.
And I didn't buy anything. I withheld. I was amazing. I chose to NOT spend money. In spite of the freezing weather, ice puddles (something I think are unique to Utah), and my numb fingers, I did not buy every fleece jacket and warm sweater I saw in there. This is nothing short of a miracle.
Now my ADD brain must ask my next odd question. (There was a connection here in my brain from freezing and wanting warm clothes to being cold in my apartment and having to pay utilities.)
I have managed to live on my own for the better part of 15 years now and have never had to pay utilities. I have always lived in places where utilities were included. And now here it is, the dead of winter, in a state where the snow won't stop coming down, and I have to pay utilities. And I'm paranoid about the bill being outrageously high. If you know me, you know I HATE being cold. As I write this I am wearing fleece sweats, socks, under a furry blanket, sitting on a heating pad, with the heat set at 72, and I'm just barely warm. Actually, my feet are very cold and it is time for me to move the heating pad from my back to my feet.
So the question- how do you keep warm in a cold state in a very drafty apartment? How do you keep the utilities bill down? I have to pay electric, gas, and water. I'm not worried about the water. But I have a gas fireplace. And my hot water heater runs off the gas too. Anyone have any suggestions for staying warm without paying an outrageous utilities bill? (And no, we don't do that averaged out payment thing here.)
Ooh, but on the subject of saving money, can I just say how cool it is that I have lived here 8 days now, and have only used up half a tank of gas? I'm loving my 4 mile commute to work. My car insurance went up thanks to the new location and the car accident, but my gas bill has gone down big time!!

more ways utah is different from dc

1. There's a nativity set on the front desk. Obviously, I have no problem with it. It's just strange to see it there. And that no one is threatening a lawsuit.

2. Today we got an order from SAIC. And nobody else had ever heard of them. Now, granted, half my readers aren't in or from DC, so that won't mean much to them. But in DC, it's impossible to have not heard of SAIC.

3. It snowed 3 inches. And no businesses, schools, or work was closed or delayed. (That's mocking DC, not Utah.)

more ways utah is different from dc

1. There's a nativity set on the front desk. Obviously, I have no problem with it. It's just strange to see it there. And that no one is threatening a lawsuit.

2. Today we got an order from SAIC. And nobody else had ever heard of them. Now, granted, half my readers aren't in or from DC, so that won't mean much to them. But in DC, it's impossible to have not heard of SAIC.

3. It snowed 3 inches. And no businesses, schools, or work was closed or delayed. (That's mocking DC, not Utah.)

YEAH!!!!!

+

=

In the best Christmas present EVER, my BFF Jules will be eating some serious crow in the very near future!! Her husband, the Big Hairy Man, has accepted a job in Utah! Woo-Hoo! Erinandjuli will be reunited soon! YEAH for us!

(not unlike me and not all that long ago, juli swore she would never return to the mothership utah. hence the crow feasting.)

Mental illness? Or just from Springville, Utah?

Actual conversation at the grocery store:

Pregnant Clerk: (holding up large red and green fruit) Ooh, what is this one called?

Me: That's a mango.

Pregnant Clerk: I've never tried one of those. You're really adventurous!

Me- blank stare back

Pregnant Clerk: Ooh, green peppers! I just tried my first one a few days ago.

Me: Your first green pepper?

PregnantClerk: Yeah, it wasn't what I thought at all. It wasn't spicy like I thought. And it was real crunchy.

Me: Wow. That's crazy.

Pregnant Clerk: Yeah, some people even put green peppers on their pizza. I bet you're one of those people who tries everything, aren't you?

Me: That's not a green pepper, those are granny smith apples.

Pregnant Clerk: Oh, I know, but they're green like peppers. I don't eat green.

Me: Oh.

I fear for the unborn.

The Beehive State

On Thursday I flew out to Utah to visit my sister, brother-in-law, and nephews. It had been over a year since I last saw the Gresko family. In addition to baby holding, baby hugging, baby kissing, and nephew tickling, I visited Covenant Communications (publisher of the upcoming great new novel "Beyond Perfection"), and a few friends and cousins.
Thursday night when I arrived I pulled out presents to bribe nephews Tell (age 5) and Dallin (age 3) into humoring me. Tell was the recipient of a blue Spiderman and the Justice League t-shirt, while Dallin got a Spiderman and the Justice League pajamas. Dallin is rather attached to a yellow Spidey shirt, always worn with shorts, and Spidey snowboots. So when he willingly stripped down to try on his new jammies, I was quite pleased. Of course, two seconds later Dallin took off the jammies and put the tried and true yellow shirt back on. I must admit the jammies did go quite well with his snowboots. Baby Porter (age 7 weeks) was the adorable little recipient of several outfits.
At some point on Thursday night I made Tell a simple offer to take him to Toys R us to let him pick out a real present. Needless to say, first thing Friday morning a little face was in mine at the crack of dawn "Can we go to get toys now?" We managed to get to Toys R us 5 minutes before it even opened. Within minutes Tell had picked out a helopad set thing, and Dallin was talked into picking out a Spidey scooter. Porter may not have had much say in his presents but I gave him a few things too. My favorite is a cute little bunny ears hat. It was fun to watch the boys run around and play with their new toys. Next time, I buy presents that I can play with them too.
Other fun events over the weekend included a lunch with the folks from Covenant. We discussed the upcoming novel Juli and I wrote. Its crazy to think that the book will be out in just 3 more weeks! It will be one year tomorrow that we submitted the first manuscript to Covenant. And now, after a million re-writes, and a lot of chocolate, they are putting a cover on it and calling it a book. I'm sure I'll blog about it when it finally hits the shelves.
Friday afternoon we took the world's cutest nephews to the zoo. Tell walked around the zoo holding a map attempting to give us directions and "be the man." Dallin happily held my hand, or sat in the underbasket on Porter's stroller (a habit I've never quite understood) the entire time. The boys were very well behaved the whole day! At the end of the day we found a fake cave, with a "rock" outside. (the cave was also the prairie dog exhibit) Tell and Dallin spent a good portion of the afternoon attempting to climb the wall. They have the scratches to prove it!
Natalie and I spent the weekend doing what sisters do- shopping, talking, and eating chocolate. And believe me, there was a lot of all three! Saturday we went to downtown SLC to check out the LDS Conference Center. I really wasn't interested in it at first, but during the tour I realized it really is a cool building. I'm glad we went! After the sight seeing we went up to Park City to do some shopping. Tell went with his daddy to Provo for the day, so it was just me, Nattles, Dallin, and Porter. Again, the boys were great. We had lunch, hit the shops, hit some more shops, and went back home. (I also rediscovered that I can't breathe so well at high altitudes!) Saturday night I hung out with Justin and had a great time.
Sunday was church with the Greskos. After Natalie and I took a spur of the moment trip (with Porter) down to Provo. We went and visited my old haunts at BYU. I will now stop saying bad things about the Y. The campus is greatly improved, and they have finally left the 19th century. The campus is beautiful, and the scary 1960's buildings are gone. After campus we made a quick phone call to our cousin Ben and his wife. I hadn't seen Ben in about 15 years, maybe more. So we drove over to their house for an unplanned visit. We thought we would be there 20 minutes, and ended up staying 2.5 hours. Ben's dad, Uncle Glenn, lives with them. So I got to see him. And then completely unexpected Ben's brother, Zach, showed up. We all had fun catching up and learning about each other. Fun sidenote: Ben and his wife Jamie have an adorable 1 yr old. They also named him Dallin! What were the odds of that?
Monday was fly back home day. I'll miss the boys and my sister a ton!! I hope to make it back out to Utah in the fall for some book signing stuff, but more importantly to see the Greskos. I already miss the boys. Dallin and I were very attached to each other. I think the little guy was more than happy to have someone around to hold him and "play baby" with him now that his mommy has a baby. We spent a lot of time snuggling and "holding him like a baby."
So now I am home and back to reality. The break was nice. I think I brought some little kiddy germs home with me though. I'm fighting off a bad head cold. I even had to leave work today! Never fear though, I brought a ton of work home with me in case I can't get in to work tomorrow. I don't want to contaminate every one else.
I'll have pictures from the trip posted to the blog soon. Stay tuned!