hallo[week]

I honestly went to work this morning. Looking like this.  I’ve been doing this thing lately where I don’t wake up for work until the last minute. And I almost literally mean the last minute.  I rolled out of my bed 7:40 and was at work at 7:59. Face washed, deodorant clad, and fresh underwear adorned – so it’s not like I’ve totally given up on hygiene. Also I get paid to interact with people, so it seemed necessary that I took all precautions during those 19 minutes to seem as approachable as possible because no one likes to talk to someone with eye boogers and that’s a fact.  So you can start slow clapping for my generosity and kindness for getting those nasties out of there pronto. 

But trust me when I say that I will be showering the first chance I get today because I’m going out with a boy tonight!  He took me to dinner on Saturday night and we just chatted/bonded/laughed the night away (and by night I mean the 1.5 hours we were together).  As he drove me home, he mentioned that we should totally do something on Wednesday! and I made a face as I mentally went through my calendar (Wednesday just happens to be a really busy day for me!). He interpreted the face as ewnowearenevertalkingagain or at least he sensed some hesitation because he then said “How about you let me know…”

Gosh dang it. I hate having to call the shots.  So as I was struggling all day yesterday with what to do – do I text him? do I wait to hear from him? does he hate me and never want to hear from me again? – I mentioned my dilemma to my good friend Seth.  Who then coaxed me into drafting the following text: 

“so what time are you picking me up tomorrow?”

Of course I wasn’t going to send it, I was just humoring Seth. Who then picked up my phone and sent it for me. Worst. Moment. Ever. I was so embarrassed! I think I actually looked around for a cliff to jump off.

 

But I mean, I guess it worked. And by that I mean I guess I made him agree to picking me up tomorrow because my text left no choice. I know, I know. I’m dramatic.

 

At least these put my mind at ease. A little. OK a lot. 

p.s. is this not the most horrifying snap you've ever seen?

flashing + fall breaking + fast driving?

Road tripping to Arizona this past weekend is one of the better decisions I've made in my life.  An hour into the ride, Mimi and I realized that we hadn't listened to any music yet (this is shocking because usually music comes on before seat belts are buckled) because we were too busy chatting. And by chatting I mean swapping stories (sorry I slapped you, *Andrea M, for having the same costume as me when we were 7) about childhood.  Needless to say, the drive went by so fast because we were driving through THE most beautiful part of America (I mean, probably) complete with wild horses and Native American trading posts.

*names were not changed, sorry

We stopped occasionally on the side of the road for photo-ops, bought cookies at Jacob Lake Inn, ate lunch in Kanab, shopped around downtown Flagstaff, and dropped into Mimi's little mountain cabin to take a look around.  Then rolled into Phoenix like big girls that take road trips and stuff and we were greeted by Sister Steele (or, like my phone informs me when I'm texting her, just Sister) and homemade chicken noodle soup. 

Friday morning Mimi took me on a hometown tour complete with Dunkin Donuts and no bras. So it was my kind of morning. The three of us - Mimi, her mom and I - went out to lunch and (duh) went shopping!  

Friday night, we met up with Jesse and Kyle to make hoppin plans for the night. Because we are who we are, Mimi and I suggested we go out to a fun dinner and maybe get dessert? Cause we're wild and crazy and young? But then after the four of us brainstormed for a while, we hopped in the car and headed to the Arizona State Fair. 

Now, I know state fairs aren't necessaryily evocative of "classy" or "economic."  But they are hilarious and absurd (have I told you about the time I was in 4-H and had to make a matching wool outfit for me and a sheep so the two of us could walk down the runway together? there are SO MANY things wrong with the whole scenario, i realize) and nothing brings people together than fairs.  So we all held onto each other tight as we put our life into the hands of a carnie named Bubba (probably) and a rickety swing ride, and carnivals typically leave one rubbing their belly in bed as they suffer from gastrointestinal issues from all the terrible food they ate (in my case, it was strawberry lemonade infused with sushi and weed NO JOKE).  But it was so so worth it because no one should pass up burlap sack rides and the opportunity to create hilarious Vines in the car during post-fair traffic. 

Maybe you heard Mimi and I say that we were going to Mexico during our trip? Yeah that was a real idea UNTIL we found out you have to pay $60 for insurance...  -__-

So Mimi's family took me to the next best thing: Guadalupe, AZ.  And let me tell you. It was just like Mexico. After which we headed up to Goldfield Ghost Town, which is THE cutest place ever.  I felt like I was in Tombstone, especially when Mimi and I dressed up like Saloon girls and took old-timey pictures.  But actually, we looked like prostitutes. And the lady that owned the shop took us back to the changing room and honestly made me take all my clothes off. What the what. I didn't actually want to get naked, I just wanted to dress like a hooker. 

Sunday morning was a sad one because we knew our trip was over.  The goal was to wake up early enough to leave by 6 am.  But when Mimi woke me up at 6:08, how could we NOT just lay in the giant king size bed and chat and laugh? For half an hour? So when we finally dragged our bodies out of bed, packed up the car, and hugged the Steele's goodbye, I was prepared for a long ride home. 

No. It was THE funniest/saddest car ride I have ever been on.  We listened to every song I own, quoted Dane Cook, took little naps, stopped for snacks at a Native American general store, and all this before lunch in Kanab. Which didn't go over so well. 

So Mimi and I took our time eating at Subway in Kanab, which included walking across the street to take a picture in the giant shopping cart cause WHY NOT, before hitting the road again. Mimi took over as driver and we pulled out onto the main highway. And by pull out I mean peel out. We were really hyper cause we thought that shopping cart incident really made us hoodrats, Mimi started quoting Avril Lavigne while I put my feet up on the dash and almost IMMEDIATELY after pulling onto the road, we pass a cop. Who wasted no time in flipping a u-turn (I tried to spell u-ey/u-ee/you-ee but obviously it's a hard word to spell, so we're gonna stick with u-turn) and turning on his lights. 

NOOOOO. 

So yes, the rumors are true, we got pulled over.  

Mimi and I, on the way to Phoenix, had agreed that maybe it would be kinda cool to get pulled over? It would give us street cred? We have so many great excuses that the cop would for sure let us go?

But when we actually got pulled over, not only did we take back everything we said about how cool it would be, we also didn't use a single excuse! All we could do was stupidly laugh and revel in the fact that we got pulled over!  The officer came to my side of the car and said "The reason I'm pulling you over today ma'am is because of speed." Because of speed? Not speeding? 

Aaaaaand Mimi got a ticket.  And the poor girl was so calm the whole time, I was so darn impressed. After being charged $115 and shedding a few tears, we rolled up the windows and drove away at a very legal and safe speed. It was only then that we thought of what we should have said to Officer Cuckold.

"you know what officer, i know i'm going over the speed limit but it's because i have intense diarrhea. so this is perfect, could you actually give us a police escort to the nearest restroom?"

"officer, we're sorry, we are on our way to a funeral. for my mom."

"oh, you're pulling us over for speed? we don't do speed, we mostly stick to marijuana. what's your favorite way to do speed, just out of curiosity?"

Too bad he had already driven away.  

Once we hit Beaver, we thought we were home free. We were basically in the Utah Valley, if you looked hard enough you could almost see the Y? Maybe? But we were wrong. Everyone decided to drive like idiots in the left lane and no one was really moving.  So Mimi and I made it a game.  We had our designated enemies, our first being the blue Avalon with all the kids in the backseat.  Then we had our allies, specifically Tamy with the UofU plates who stayed pretty close to us, so she had our respect.  I'm sure we looked psychotic cause we were yelling and clapping everytime someone made a good move/turn signal/block, and our full-blast music definitely inspired our best car dance moves.

The blue Avalon was always one step ahead of us, and they were pretty pushy.  They tailed everyone, flashed their brights, and dangerously cut people off.  So when we came up behind them and they switched into the right lane, we were in shock. He was letting us pass him??  THEN we see that he is holding a note up in his window.  We were expecting something like "F U!!" or "Learn to drive!", for which we were plenty prepared to flip him the bird and speed off.

Instead, he was holding up a piece of paper. With a phone number on it.  And all I could do was laugh and take a picture!  And by picture I mean the worst demonstration of photography you have ever seen.  Because I can't for the life of me read that number!  I have texted every combination of the numbers I can read, but to no avail.

Sorry, blue Avalon.  It was a good race while it lasted!

So there was my weekend in pictures.  I was spoiled rotten by the Steele family and I think I got a great ab workout from laughing so hard. All. Weekend. 

ox/C

here and there.

 So while nothing actually exciting or noteworthy has happened recently, I seemed to have a lot of pictures on my phone. So I'll let them do the talking.

++ jennae and i post-win at our flag football game (our coach's fiance brings us treats EVERY WEEK).  those orange slices are basically the reason i joined flag football.

++ did i tell you that mimi had to repierce my ears? like honestly, i don't know what the deal is with me and these ears of mine. why can't they just stay pierced, you know? but i guess mimi had been hearing me say over that past few months that i miss having my ears pierced. so last saturday, as she sat on the couch and i began to run down the stairs she said "STOP. now go up to your room and grab your earrings." she's good at making uncomfortable things fun (remember cinco de mayo when she drew my blood in our kitchen?) and although i was a wuss and we had to try again on sunday night to get those dang things pierced, it was a job well done (on her part). 

++ i mostly just needed SOMEWHERE to put this picture because it was actually hilarious - maybe more so at the time? i was trying to explain emilee to him (because i was SURE they should know each other). he asked what she looked like so i drew a stick figure. and got that snap in response. 

++speaking of emilee, she invited me over one night to make pandequesos! you know, those delicious cheesy bread balls from tucanos. so now you know that i live a good life.

 ++ last friday, mimi and i spent a few good hours in the library, in which i planned dates i will never go on and she actually did homework.  but then somehow the conversation (YES we talk in the library sorry) turned to boys, per usual, and ended in tears. *sidenote: this was NOT the first time i cried in the library that week. a movie was playing on the fourth floor about how animals are mistreated on the farms before they get turned into our food so cue the waterworks because if you ever saw how sad that little chick was you would hate yourself for eating him and his siblings too.

 your heart is my heart, meemz.

 

 ++ so post library tears, we decided we needed a treat. good thing provo has a new imported candy store!  can't wait to be a regular there. if for nothing more than the cherry bomb float. 

 ++ homecoming day!! the morning started with me and emilee trying to get into the parade. and while illegally, we did get our way. but more importantly was when the four of us + emilee sat down on our front steps to watch the parade and some girl who none of us know AT ALL walked all the way up our walk and said, "can i sit here?" and sits her little body right in between courtney and emilee. 

uhhhh...

 ++ this is us making our sneaky way into the parade.

 ++ for the whole half hour we were riding, we kept yelling "GOOOO marriott school of management!" cause what else would one say whilst in a parade?

++ then i indulged in some serious family bonding at the game. it's always fun to be with the family, and now that i'm starting to understand football (ha) it was just a good night. 

++ i love my school. and my life.

in which i turn into a concert go-er

On Thursday night, I got a call from good old Spencer boy inviting me to the Imagine Dragons concert on Friday night. I was perhaps the most undeserving person in Provo he could have invited because I didn't even know they were having a concert. But apparently I was the only one.  It was at Energy Solutions arena in which I'm pretty sure I saw every human being who has ever lived.  

It was AWESOME though because not only were we on the very front row of the bleachers (bleachers is definitely the wrong word to describe them because this was NOT a high school basketball game in which I was able to walk out to the concession stands to flirt with the student body president whilst ordering a frito pie - but I couldn't think of what else to call them? risers? is that too choir-esque? i give up), but we were also given FREE FOOD. Free food.  And when Radioactive came on at the very end, I just about died I got so into it. 

please notice his shirt in this picture, because in all the others it's different. yes, he changed shirts randomly with his boss in the middle of the concert. trust me, we were all confused.

 

At one point, everyone took out their cell phones and were waving them in the air (like that's an actual thing -  i was mostly sure, in my 20 years of life, that that was a joke) and it was so bright and beautiful!  The lead singer Dan Reynolds - and yes I looked that up just now for the purposes of blogging - got choked up so then I got choked up. Nothing new here though. 

Even after pigging out on pizza and soda and treats throughout the concert, I could not leave that arena without getting a giant ice cream cone. Which, shortly after, I was sick of so Spencer threw it up (and by threw it up I do not mean vomit, I mean he literally took the cone in his hand and threw it in an upward motion) on the ceiling of the parking garage. Cause what else would one do with an ice cream cone??  

And somehow, I was asked/convinced/conned/kidnapped into going to yet another haunted house this halloween season. I HATE MYSELF SO MUCH RIGHT NOW because it was easily the most terrifying haunted house I have ever been to.  And I was wearing littly tiny rubber pink flats that come off at the most inopportune times, like when I'm walking on a padded ground in the pitch black or in a revolving room with marionettes trying to latch onto me. Hinothanksbyeihateyou.

 So after that super uplifting Friday night, I got to sit back and relax to General Conference alllll weekend and it was delicious.  Except no new temples? Did we all have the same level of concern here?

Then on Sunday evening, Mimi and I both had jim-jams from being on a couch all weekend so we went on a drive! We NEVER go on Sunday drives. Or drives period. We're go-go type of people. If we're in the car, we have somewhere to go. So we go. And then we drive quickly to our next destination.

Like secret agents.

Or like people who desperately need to go grocery shopping.  

 So hopefully everyone's weekend treated them equally as well.  Oh, and a plasma update, cause I know everyone is wondering how my new favorite hobby is:

I made $90 this week. So yeah, I'm content. 

ox/C