The Final Summer Roadtrip!

(Boy oh boy did I get plenty of studying in for this final, but I still ended up squealing on some of those mountain roads.)

I've been so excited to write this post about my wonderful weekend!  I've been recording on my phone the things that I didn't want to forget so I could be sure to remember everything for when it was time to finally write.  The time has finally come!

Photo credit: Heather Laskin

My best friend Millie Jones and I met four years ago.  We were on the same hall from the very beginning of freshman year, but our friendship didn't start to develop into something notable until November when I heard some exciting music coming from her room one evening.  I popped in and saw that she was watching the trailer for the new Pirates of the Caibbean III: At World's End.  Even though she had just finished the trailer, she offered to watch it again with me.  Thus it began.  Since then our friendship has been intensified by ridiculous videos introduced by mutual friend Devon (Millie's roommate of 2 years), annual Summer trips to Six Flags over Georgia, sporadic missions to Rudd to rescue chapstick, the revolution of Aquaphor which left chapstick obsolete, and intentional accountability talks that began our junior Fall.  What was interesting and sometimes awkward at first has become interesting and delightful.  We have too many inside jokes that make me feel a little sorry for people who aren't familiar with A Very Potter Musical, Homestarrunner, and everything else we find amusing.  We've influenced each other more than I ever thought was possible (I like to wear gray and yellow now and she appreciates eco-friendly stuff, for starters).  She's pushed me further toward the Lord and has proved to be a trustworthy, honest, and precious sister.  Truly an invaluable friend, Millie Jones is the bomb-diggity.  (And she's an awesome poet who won a first prize in Bryan College's first thesis competition for her creative writing.)

Top left, going clockwise: Freshman year @ the Valentine's Banquet (when it was still called the V-Day banquet); Sophomore year during open dorm; Junior year on Ninja Day; Senior year @ graduation.  :)  I'm happy to point out that the smiles in the last photo are the most genuine.

Three Summers out of the last four, Millie's worked as a camp counselor at a PCA camp in Brevard, NC called Ridge Haven.  Each Fall, Millie would come back to Bryan with so many stories that would begin "This one time at Ridge Haven..."  This summer was my last chance to visit her there, and I promised that I would, but I wasn't sure work would allow me to.  Praise God for the Friday and Saturday I had off this weekend!  I booked my car for a two-way trip to RH, stopped by the library for some books on tape, grabbed some grungy camp clothes and headed out once more!

And now, after eating a delicious ripe banana (which I know how to appreciate after making due with the hard, green, chalky ones at the cafeteria for four years), I'm ready to begin!

Road Trip: Sixth Summer Road trip!  Onward to Brevard and happiness!

Hours driving: Approx. 10 (Including touring around Brevard proper)

Traveling companions: My father's GPS, my iPod, and an audio book on tape.  This was my third or forth time listening to The Trolls by Polly Horvath.  I still laughed out loud 10+ times.  It is so immensely enjoyable, I recommend it a million times to you, your children, and your grandchildren.  It's delightfully hilarious and has given my family much joy and jokes.  Please read it.

Roommates: I didn't get to stay with Millie and her cabin of 6 6th grade girls, understandably, because I didn't work there.  If I were the girls' mother, I wouldn't want their counselor's friend to stay the night with them.  It made me happy that the girls asked so hopefully that I could sleep in their cabin with them, but I ended up staying with Millie's usual roommates, Feero and Julia in the dorm where the counselors hang out when they don't have cabins.  The room was cozy, and I was able to go to sleep very quickly and soundly after a nice, short shower.  I was exhausted, and the sleep was just what I needed.

Initial Response(s): I am SO glad I got to go!  There were so many crazy things that happened that I'm so glad I didn't miss out on and it was wonderful to see and talk with Millie.  Also, I got to see another great girlfriend from college friend who I hadn't seen since June.  It was great to catch up with her, and I'm really thankful that we were able to catch each other.  (I knew we would be in the area the same time, but I was having trouble getting in contact with her.)

Collected inside jokes: Friday night was the last night of Ridge Haven's camp.  The week's theme was Scooby Doo.  There had been a pillow-snatching gorilla that snatched everyone's pillows.  We were on a scavenger hunt, trying to find this gorilla (so Scooby and the gang could capture him) but had to go very quietly or we might alert the gorilla to our presence and he would run away again.  Near the end of the hunt, we turned of our flashlights and only spoke in whispers because we were getting closer.  The campers huddled together in groups for safety, and some of them were quiet, not because the gorilla might hear them, but because they were scared.  At this point, one boy says very seriously, "I'm a master of stealth.  Guys, I'm a master of stealth; you might want to let me go first."  Wow.  Millie and Feero burst into laughter when I told them.
When we finally found the gorilla, we called Shaggy via cell phone, and the gang descended upon the gorilla, captured him, and brought to the meeting room where we all gathered in the cheery light.  No joke, the counselors who dressed up as the Mystery gang could not have done better.  Fred was perfect, Velma was perfect, Shaggy was perfect, and Daphne was perfect.  All in perfect costume and perfect character.  Hu-larious!  I wish I had a picture to show you.  You would love it.

Favorite memories: Oh, so many!  I'm going to have to put this section in bullet point form.

• RH is a Presbyterian camp, and many of the counselors come from Covenant College, my Alma Mater's eternal competitor and rival.  I decided to wear only Bryan College shirts for the entire weekend and succeeded, even with my night clothes.
• Millie and I hit up "the nation's largest Chinese buffet," the Twin Dragons.  So much food, so little stomach.  We took our time and paired delicious conversation with the delicious food.  And, I don't know why I did, but I tried the suspicious looking whole shrimp and the spicy mussel that looked like it was on the bottom of the ocean only minutes before.
• I smelled skunk twice while driving.  These were the first times I've smelled skunk outside of Tennessee, by the way.
• Speaking of driving, there were a few skinny, even single-lane, bridges around blind curves.  Those were exciting, as was the moment when I thought, "These woods are so beautiful!  I should take pictures!  While driving!"  Mother would not approve, but I'm required to do reckless things every once in a while.  I am 21, after all.  Also, I ran on empty for a a good 15 minutes or so and ended the trip virtually broke.

• Oh snap!  This one's great.  Millie and I were driving to Brevard when she says, "You know why those hedges are there?"
  "No."
  "Because there used to be a nudist colony that lived there!"
  BahaHA!  Oh wow.  I laughed a lot, if only because her unique inflections made her humor so much better.
• When we got to Brevard, Millie and I had a lovely time checking into boutiques, crafty shops, a shop where we got to visit with another mutual friend, and a gelato shop.  It's called Kiwi Gelato, it's run by a New Zealand guy, and it's awesome.  I recommend it over and over!  Millie and I each got two flavors in one cup.  Millie got chili chocolate and mint, and I got kiwi and caramel latte.  The mint and caramel latte were my favorite.  So delicious!  Millie and I chatted with the owner and the cashier (also New Zealander) for a while and asked him about gelato, making it and such. 
• As I got closer to ATL, I saw a saw telling me that I could "Call 511 anytime for highway information."  I thought, "Huh, I wonder what this is about, what the heck, I'll call."  I call and the automated system tells me my options: report a highway accident, get highway traffic information, talk to a real operator, etc.  I choose the traffic information button but also mark that I'd like to check out the tourism option, too.  Why not, right?  After learning that I-85 didn't have any traffic (at 11 pm), I went back to the menu where I chose the tourism button (#5).  After I press 5, the other line starts to ring.  "Hm.  I sure hope this tourism section is automated, too."   I hate it when people call my work and just hang up without saying anything, so I decided to come up with a touristy question, just in case.  "Thank you for keeping Georgia on your mind, this is Chris, how may I help you?"
  "Uhhh...  yes, can you tell me the rates of the GA Aquarium at this time?"
  "Sure.  I'll have to look it up, give me one moment."  Awesome!
  She told me the rates, and I told her that was all I needed, so we hung up, but then I wished that I'd asked her about the new World of Coke - I haven't been to it yet - but it was too late, so I gave it up.  Makes for a fun story, though.
• I listened to a lot of music from the World Cup on the way back home.  Check this out.  I especially like "Waka Waka," "Sign of Victory," and "Game on," and, I knew "Wavin' Flag" before the World Cup, but it's a good one, too.
• In true summer camp fashion, I came home with more silly bandz than I left with, and the next morning, I found a tick on me.

Least favorite memories: I tripped off of the edge of the sidewalk at camp.  I thought no one had seen me until I saw a nearby guy smirking.  Oh well.

Something old: I packed everything for my trip in a vintage mustard yellow hard case suit case that I bought for $10 at one of Dayton's thrift stores, We Care.  I love it.

My sister got a camera I like to play with.  It's a Nikon D3000, and I like it.

Something new: When touring Brevard, Millie and I found some neat shops where she bought a cute black dress and I found some shoes to try on.  I didn't buy any, but now I know that I wear a size 9 in both Toms and Chacos!  In the future, I hope to have some of these bad boys.

Something borrowed: Saturday morning, I couldn't find my hair tie.  Julia graciously lent me one of hers, but I never remembered to give it back to her. It's in my hair right now, in fact.

Something blue: The only blue thing I remember from the whole trip is my bright blue athletic shorts.

Lasting impression: God is so good, and I am so thankful for the wonderful friends He's blessed me with.  I could never repay Him for Millie's friendship alone.

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

Make that a size 8.5 in Toms. (8.30.10 edit)

The Final Summer Roadtrip!

(Boy oh boy did I get plenty of studying in for this final, but I still ended up squealing on some of those mountain roads.)

I've been so excited to write this post about my wonderful weekend!  I've been recording on my phone the things that I didn't want to forget so I could be sure to remember everything for when it was time to finally write.  The time has finally come!

Photo credit: Heather Laskin

My best friend Millie Jones and I met four years ago.  We were on the same hall from the very beginning of freshman year, but our friendship didn't start to develop into something notable until November when I heard some exciting music coming from her room one evening.  I popped in and saw that she was watching the trailer for the new Pirates of the Caibbean III: At World's End.  Even though she had just finished the trailer, she offered to watch it again with me.  Thus it began.  Since then our friendship has been intensified by ridiculous videos introduced by mutual friend Devon (Millie's roommate of 2 years), annual Summer trips to Six Flags over Georgia, sporadic missions to Rudd to rescue chapstick, the revolution of Aquaphor which left chapstick obsolete, and intentional accountability talks that began our junior Fall.  What was interesting and sometimes awkward at first has become interesting and delightful.  We have too many inside jokes that make me feel a little sorry for people who aren't familiar with A Very Potter Musical, Homestarrunner, and everything else we find amusing.  We've influenced each other more than I ever thought was possible (I like to wear gray and yellow now and she appreciates eco-friendly stuff, for starters).  She's pushed me further toward the Lord and has proved to be a trustworthy, honest, and precious sister.  Truly an invaluable friend, Millie Jones is the bomb-diggity.  (And she's an awesome poet who won a first prize in Bryan College's first thesis competition for her creative writing.)

Top left, going clockwise: Freshman year @ the Valentine's Banquet (when it was still called the V-Day banquet); Sophomore year during open dorm; Junior year on Ninja Day; Senior year @ graduation.  :)  I'm happy to point out that the smiles in the last photo are the most genuine.

Three Summers out of the last four, Millie's worked as a camp counselor at a PCA camp in Brevard, NC called Ridge Haven.  Each Fall, Millie would come back to Bryan with so many stories that would begin "This one time at Ridge Haven..."  This summer was my last chance to visit her there, and I promised that I would, but I wasn't sure work would allow me to.  Praise God for the Friday and Saturday I had off this weekend!  I booked my car for a two-way trip to RH, stopped by the library for some books on tape, grabbed some grungy camp clothes and headed out once more!

And now, after eating a delicious ripe banana (which I know how to appreciate after making due with the hard, green, chalky ones at the cafeteria for four years), I'm ready to begin!

Road Trip: Sixth Summer Road trip!  Onward to Brevard and happiness!

Hours driving: Approx. 10 (Including touring around Brevard proper)

Traveling companions: My father's GPS, my iPod, and an audio book on tape.  This was my third or forth time listening to The Trolls by Polly Horvath.  I still laughed out loud 10+ times.  It is so immensely enjoyable, I recommend it a million times to you, your children, and your grandchildren.  It's delightfully hilarious and has given my family much joy and jokes.  Please read it.

Roommates: I didn't get to stay with Millie and her cabin of 6 6th grade girls, understandably, because I didn't work there.  If I were the girls' mother, I wouldn't want their counselor's friend to stay the night with them.  It made me happy that the girls asked so hopefully that I could sleep in their cabin with them, but I ended up staying with Millie's usual roommates, Feero and Julia in the dorm where the counselors hang out when they don't have cabins.  The room was cozy, and I was able to go to sleep very quickly and soundly after a nice, short shower.  I was exhausted, and the sleep was just what I needed.

Initial Response(s): I am SO glad I got to go!  There were so many crazy things that happened that I'm so glad I didn't miss out on and it was wonderful to see and talk with Millie.  Also, I got to see another great girlfriend from college friend who I hadn't seen since June.  It was great to catch up with her, and I'm really thankful that we were able to catch each other.  (I knew we would be in the area the same time, but I was having trouble getting in contact with her.)

Collected inside jokes: Friday night was the last night of Ridge Haven's camp.  The week's theme was Scooby Doo.  There had been a pillow-snatching gorilla that snatched everyone's pillows.  We were on a scavenger hunt, trying to find this gorilla (so Scooby and the gang could capture him) but had to go very quietly or we might alert the gorilla to our presence and he would run away again.  Near the end of the hunt, we turned of our flashlights and only spoke in whispers because we were getting closer.  The campers huddled together in groups for safety, and some of them were quiet, not because the gorilla might hear them, but because they were scared.  At this point, one boy says very seriously, "I'm a master of stealth.  Guys, I'm a master of stealth; you might want to let me go first."  Wow.  Millie and Feero burst into laughter when I told them.
When we finally found the gorilla, we called Shaggy via cell phone, and the gang descended upon the gorilla, captured him, and brought to the meeting room where we all gathered in the cheery light.  No joke, the counselors who dressed up as the Mystery gang could not have done better.  Fred was perfect, Velma was perfect, Shaggy was perfect, and Daphne was perfect.  All in perfect costume and perfect character.  Hu-larious!  I wish I had a picture to show you.  You would love it.

Favorite memories: Oh, so many!  I'm going to have to put this section in bullet point form.

• RH is a Presbyterian camp, and many of the counselors come from Covenant College, my Alma Mater's eternal competitor and rival.  I decided to wear only Bryan College shirts for the entire weekend and succeeded, even with my night clothes.
• Millie and I hit up "the nation's largest Chinese buffet," the Twin Dragons.  So much food, so little stomach.  We took our time and paired delicious conversation with the delicious food.  And, I don't know why I did, but I tried the suspicious looking whole shrimp and the spicy mussel that looked like it was on the bottom of the ocean only minutes before.
• I smelled skunk twice while driving.  These were the first times I've smelled skunk outside of Tennessee, by the way.
• Speaking of driving, there were a few skinny, even single-lane, bridges around blind curves.  Those were exciting, as was the moment when I thought, "These woods are so beautiful!  I should take pictures!  While driving!"  Mother would not approve, but I'm required to do reckless things every once in a while.  I am 21, after all.  Also, I ran on empty for a a good 15 minutes or so and ended the trip virtually broke.

• Oh snap!  This one's great.  Millie and I were driving to Brevard when she says, "You know why those hedges are there?"
  "No."
  "Because there used to be a nudist colony that lived there!"
  BahaHA!  Oh wow.  I laughed a lot, if only because her unique inflections made her humor so much better.
• When we got to Brevard, Millie and I had a lovely time checking into boutiques, crafty shops, a shop where we got to visit with another mutual friend, and a gelato shop.  It's called Kiwi Gelato, it's run by a New Zealand guy, and it's awesome.  I recommend it over and over!  Millie and I each got two flavors in one cup.  Millie got chili chocolate and mint, and I got kiwi and caramel latte.  The mint and caramel latte were my favorite.  So delicious!  Millie and I chatted with the owner and the cashier (also New Zealander) for a while and asked him about gelato, making it and such. 
• As I got closer to ATL, I saw a saw telling me that I could "Call 511 anytime for highway information."  I thought, "Huh, I wonder what this is about, what the heck, I'll call."  I call and the automated system tells me my options: report a highway accident, get highway traffic information, talk to a real operator, etc.  I choose the traffic information button but also mark that I'd like to check out the tourism option, too.  Why not, right?  After learning that I-85 didn't have any traffic (at 11 pm), I went back to the menu where I chose the tourism button (#5).  After I press 5, the other line starts to ring.  "Hm.  I sure hope this tourism section is automated, too."   I hate it when people call my work and just hang up without saying anything, so I decided to come up with a touristy question, just in case.  "Thank you for keeping Georgia on your mind, this is Chris, how may I help you?"
  "Uhhh...  yes, can you tell me the rates of the GA Aquarium at this time?"
  "Sure.  I'll have to look it up, give me one moment."  Awesome!
  She told me the rates, and I told her that was all I needed, so we hung up, but then I wished that I'd asked her about the new World of Coke - I haven't been to it yet - but it was too late, so I gave it up.  Makes for a fun story, though.
• I listened to a lot of music from the World Cup on the way back home.  Check this out.  I especially like "Waka Waka," "Sign of Victory," and "Game on," and, I knew "Wavin' Flag" before the World Cup, but it's a good one, too.
• In true summer camp fashion, I came home with more silly bandz than I left with, and the next morning, I found a tick on me.

Least favorite memories: I tripped off of the edge of the sidewalk at camp.  I thought no one had seen me until I saw a nearby guy smirking.  Oh well.

Something old: I packed everything for my trip in a vintage mustard yellow hard case suit case that I bought for $10 at one of Dayton's thrift stores, We Care.  I love it.

My sister got a camera I like to play with.  It's a Nikon D3000, and I like it.

Something new: When touring Brevard, Millie and I found some neat shops where she bought a cute black dress and I found some shoes to try on.  I didn't buy any, but now I know that I wear a size 9 in both Toms and Chacos!  In the future, I hope to have some of these bad boys.

Something borrowed: Saturday morning, I couldn't find my hair tie.  Julia graciously lent me one of hers, but I never remembered to give it back to her. It's in my hair right now, in fact.

Something blue: The only blue thing I remember from the whole trip is my bright blue athletic shorts.

Lasting impression: God is so good, and I am so thankful for the wonderful friends He's blessed me with.  I could never repay Him for Millie's friendship alone.

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

Make that a size 8.5 in Toms. (8.30.10 edit)

A snippet of my family

I just blew a rasberry in the presence of my mother.  Here follows the conversation.
Mom: Was that really necessary?
Me: I suppose that depends on who you're asking.
Mom: You.

A snippet of my family

I just blew a rasberry in the presence of my mother.  Here follows the conversation.
Mom: Was that really necessary?
Me: I suppose that depends on who you're asking.
Mom: You.

Some things

Ok, I've collected a lot of things to share with you now.  Some links, some stories from work, and a recipe!

First, the links. 
I forget now where I found this one, but it's a clothing web store with plenty of cute, classy, and trendy threads.  The best part is everything's only $15!  It's appropriately called the 15 dollar store.  I've never heard of the brands it sells (adorable names like "Tramp," "Love Tease," "Pink Rose," "Romeo and Juliet Couture," "Trixxi," etc.), and I can't vouch for the quality, but there's some neat looking stuff like these two pairs of boots.

 

Red Kiss Velveteen Slouchy Heeled Boots   Miss Me Distressed Flat Ankle Boots

Next, another clothing store website, Papaya.  This past Spring, I was walking in the Opry Mills mall with some girlfriends.  Charlee was hunting for a nice dress she could get for $20 or so.  We stumbled upon this shop that neither of us had ever heard of.  With a bit of searching, Charlee found her dress!  It's got some great stuff that reminds me a lot of Forever 21.  The selections are going to be different, but most of the prices are going to be the same: cheap!  I didn't see any dresses over $29.99, and most of them were under $20 anyway!  Thrifting is an awesome idea, but, if you have to buy something new, check out Papaya and the $15 dollar store!


Also, check out this interesting hair-do.  I love the feathers, but adding the circles of gold is a neat twist and makes everything here intriguing (except for the eye makeup which I could do without).  The shot of the back of the head looks so neat with just the wires.  Does this look like it could be interpreted for some kinda of wedding hair style?


Last link!  Behold, my dream car!  I was so excited to see this post by Alfie.  My first dream car had been a Lamborghini, then a Corvette (they both look like the Batmobile, you see), but my tastes turned wild and free, and now I want a VW van so badly!  They represent everything carefree, organic, and hippie, and I just want to slap on my aviators and hit the Midwestern roads in one!


Ok, now for this recipe (by Cassie-Marie Demme) for Nutella hot chocolate!  I haven't tried this yet, but I can't wait to test it out!  I have no doubt that it's mind-blowing.  I was introduced to Nutella first by Emily Hurlburt (it's delicious on pretzel sticks) then again in Europe early this summer.  I have a large jar of it in my pantry now (thanks to Chad!) and I'm starting to get sad about its dwindling quantity.  Anyway, enough delay:
For one big cup or two small ones: put 3 Tbsp of Nutella and 1/3 cup milk on medium in a sauce pan. Whisk it until it's blended and the Nutella is melted. Add 1 cup of milk and turn heat up to medium-high. Whisk it until hot and frothy. Make sure you keep whisking it and don't let it get too hot or it could curdle. Enjoy! :)

Image via Delish.comDelish.com

 I have some work stories that I collected over the past week.  Working in retail, one gains many experiences.  This first one is dear to me.  Here are my relections I wrote about what happened.

Saturday, July 17, 2010, around 17:14.  I helped a gentleman @ my register @ [work].  He was about 47, I'd guess.  Everything was "yes, ma'am," and "no, ma'am," (if he even said "no ma'am") and he didn't just say "yes ma'am" as if he was obligated or even as if he felt he should just be polite.  He said it as if he was so eager to serve me.  It was his mission in those moments to respect me and to make me feel worthy of his courtesy.  "Courtesy" doesn't feel like the right word, it's too stuffy and required.  It was his pleasure to serve me.  I noticed all this, and, of course, it was unusual.  At the end of the transaction, we both told each other a fervent "thank you," but he threw me even more off guard when he said, "God bless you."  I had to mentally and emotionally steady myself as I watched him walk away.  I was blown away.  As soon as he said "God bless you," my mind went into a few moments of shock because of the flurry of all his "yes ma'ams" and my brain trying to computer his kind responses to all of my questions I'm supposed to ask.  I really wished, as soon as I truly realized what the gentleman said, that I had said something to him to let him know that God did just bless me, through him.
I almost started to cry.  My eyes moistened as I had time to take it all in .  God had given me a beautiful glimpse of how He loves me.  He used this man in a wonderful way, and , I can't imagine not having a blessed day, even if the worst customers came in after this man.
God also used this man to remind me that, in a way, the responsibility is mine to have "a blessed day."  Both God and the enemy are trying to use the situations that come into  my path.  It's my attitudes and my decisions that determine whether I'll grown from the experience and whether God received glory or whether Satan's schemes were accomplished.  I was reminded to make the right decisions, to choose the blessing, of, to be a blessing.  In essence, God constantly gives me opportunities to further His kingdom and to give Him glory.
I wish, I wish, I wish that I would recognize each of these opportunities for what they are.

The next story isn't as touching, but it sure was strange when it happened today.  I was checking out one lady at the register and my co-worker was on the phone with another customer behind me trying to figure out the inventory of some merchandise.  As my co-worker spoke the numbers to the item she was looking for, I wrote them on my hand for her so she wouldn't forget them.  At the same time, my customer had just finished punching in her PIN on the credit card scanner.  She said to me, very tersely, "What did you write on your hand?"  It took me a second to register what she had asked and why, and a shock of adrenaline ran through me as I understood that she thought I'd been trying to steal her PIN.  I quickly explained to her what I'd written and showed her my hand so she could see the numbers I'd scrawled out.  She regained her composure much sooner than I did, and she told me that her uncle was in the FBI and about how paranoid he is about people stealing his identity.  I completely understand why she would be worried, but I was blindsided by her question because this had never happened before.  Note to self:  do not hurriedly write down anything as customers type in PIN.  Duh.

via 100Megsfree4

And, guess what!  I met a lady who looks exactly like the queen's French friend from Anastasia! Well, the lady I met had a few more cigarettes and beers than the queen's friend, but, I swear, she looks like the spitting image!  The internet only offers a couple pictures of the charater Sophie, but  picture Customer Sophie with the same strange butter sweet face and the same bold makeup+outfit in matching light blue.  (Customer Sophie only slightly disappointed me by not speaking in a French accent.  I really should have expected the Southern twang, but I got my hopes up.)  (Photo from http://100megsfree4.com/ivy88/anya.html)

The last work story isn't much of a story, but, I came across the name Wexford today, and I think it's pretty cool.

Some things

Ok, I've collected a lot of things to share with you now.  Some links, some stories from work, and a recipe!

First, the links. 
I forget now where I found this one, but it's a clothing web store with plenty of cute, classy, and trendy threads.  The best part is everything's only $15!  It's appropriately called the 15 dollar store.  I've never heard of the brands it sells (adorable names like "Tramp," "Love Tease," "Pink Rose," "Romeo and Juliet Couture," "Trixxi," etc.), and I can't vouch for the quality, but there's some neat looking stuff like these two pairs of boots.

 

Red Kiss Velveteen Slouchy Heeled Boots   Miss Me Distressed Flat Ankle Boots

Next, another clothing store website, Papaya.  This past Spring, I was walking in the Opry Mills mall with some girlfriends.  Charlee was hunting for a nice dress she could get for $20 or so.  We stumbled upon this shop that neither of us had ever heard of.  With a bit of searching, Charlee found her dress!  It's got some great stuff that reminds me a lot of Forever 21.  The selections are going to be different, but most of the prices are going to be the same: cheap!  I didn't see any dresses over $29.99, and most of them were under $20 anyway!  Thrifting is an awesome idea, but, if you have to buy something new, check out Papaya and the $15 dollar store!


Also, check out this interesting hair-do.  I love the feathers, but adding the circles of gold is a neat twist and makes everything here intriguing (except for the eye makeup which I could do without).  The shot of the back of the head looks so neat with just the wires.  Does this look like it could be interpreted for some kinda of wedding hair style?


Last link!  Behold, my dream car!  I was so excited to see this post by Alfie.  My first dream car had been a Lamborghini, then a Corvette (they both look like the Batmobile, you see), but my tastes turned wild and free, and now I want a VW van so badly!  They represent everything carefree, organic, and hippie, and I just want to slap on my aviators and hit the Midwestern roads in one!


Ok, now for this recipe (by Cassie-Marie Demme) for Nutella hot chocolate!  I haven't tried this yet, but I can't wait to test it out!  I have no doubt that it's mind-blowing.  I was introduced to Nutella first by Emily Hurlburt (it's delicious on pretzel sticks) then again in Europe early this summer.  I have a large jar of it in my pantry now (thanks to Chad!) and I'm starting to get sad about its dwindling quantity.  Anyway, enough delay:
For one big cup or two small ones: put 3 Tbsp of Nutella and 1/3 cup milk on medium in a sauce pan. Whisk it until it's blended and the Nutella is melted. Add 1 cup of milk and turn heat up to medium-high. Whisk it until hot and frothy. Make sure you keep whisking it and don't let it get too hot or it could curdle. Enjoy! :)

Image via Delish.comDelish.com

 I have some work stories that I collected over the past week.  Working in retail, one gains many experiences.  This first one is dear to me.  Here are my relections I wrote about what happened.

Saturday, July 17, 2010, around 17:14.  I helped a gentleman @ my register @ [work].  He was about 47, I'd guess.  Everything was "yes, ma'am," and "no, ma'am," (if he even said "no ma'am") and he didn't just say "yes ma'am" as if he was obligated or even as if he felt he should just be polite.  He said it as if he was so eager to serve me.  It was his mission in those moments to respect me and to make me feel worthy of his courtesy.  "Courtesy" doesn't feel like the right word, it's too stuffy and required.  It was his pleasure to serve me.  I noticed all this, and, of course, it was unusual.  At the end of the transaction, we both told each other a fervent "thank you," but he threw me even more off guard when he said, "God bless you."  I had to mentally and emotionally steady myself as I watched him walk away.  I was blown away.  As soon as he said "God bless you," my mind went into a few moments of shock because of the flurry of all his "yes ma'ams" and my brain trying to computer his kind responses to all of my questions I'm supposed to ask.  I really wished, as soon as I truly realized what the gentleman said, that I had said something to him to let him know that God did just bless me, through him.
I almost started to cry.  My eyes moistened as I had time to take it all in .  God had given me a beautiful glimpse of how He loves me.  He used this man in a wonderful way, and , I can't imagine not having a blessed day, even if the worst customers came in after this man.
God also used this man to remind me that, in a way, the responsibility is mine to have "a blessed day."  Both God and the enemy are trying to use the situations that come into  my path.  It's my attitudes and my decisions that determine whether I'll grown from the experience and whether God received glory or whether Satan's schemes were accomplished.  I was reminded to make the right decisions, to choose the blessing, of, to be a blessing.  In essence, God constantly gives me opportunities to further His kingdom and to give Him glory.
I wish, I wish, I wish that I would recognize each of these opportunities for what they are.

The next story isn't as touching, but it sure was strange when it happened today.  I was checking out one lady at the register and my co-worker was on the phone with another customer behind me trying to figure out the inventory of some merchandise.  As my co-worker spoke the numbers to the item she was looking for, I wrote them on my hand for her so she wouldn't forget them.  At the same time, my customer had just finished punching in her PIN on the credit card scanner.  She said to me, very tersely, "What did you write on your hand?"  It took me a second to register what she had asked and why, and a shock of adrenaline ran through me as I understood that she thought I'd been trying to steal her PIN.  I quickly explained to her what I'd written and showed her my hand so she could see the numbers I'd scrawled out.  She regained her composure much sooner than I did, and she told me that her uncle was in the FBI and about how paranoid he is about people stealing his identity.  I completely understand why she would be worried, but I was blindsided by her question because this had never happened before.  Note to self:  do not hurriedly write down anything as customers type in PIN.  Duh.

via 100Megsfree4

And, guess what!  I met a lady who looks exactly like the queen's French friend from Anastasia! Well, the lady I met had a few more cigarettes and beers than the queen's friend, but, I swear, she looks like the spitting image!  The internet only offers a couple pictures of the charater Sophie, but  picture Customer Sophie with the same strange butter sweet face and the same bold makeup+outfit in matching light blue.  (Customer Sophie only slightly disappointed me by not speaking in a French accent.  I really should have expected the Southern twang, but I got my hopes up.)  (Photo from http://100megsfree4.com/ivy88/anya.html)

The last work story isn't much of a story, but, I came across the name Wexford today, and I think it's pretty cool.

Semester in review

Woah, this is from two springs ago, Spring 2009.  I was going back through my posts and saw this one was only a draft.  I thought it would post to when it was begun, not when it was completed.  Ah well.

Movies I've seen this semester for the first time, all the way through:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (not worth the hour and a half)
George of the Jungle
X-Men I, II, and III (Second one's my favorite)
The Man from Snowy River
3:10 to Yuma (Wow)
Casablanca (I wasn't really impressed. It's not something I would want to see again.)
Failure to Launch (nope)
Bride Wars (Good to watch with Molly :)

The House Bunny (stupid choice)

The Wedding Planner (nope)

Harry Potter I, II, and III

X-Men Origins (Woah)

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (My first Bollywood movie! I love it, even though it's really ridiculous and dramatic at parts.)
Slumdog Millionaire (A-mazing)

Mrs. Spacek told me that I would be a good Canadian and that I didn't sound like I was from Georgia. I like her a lot. Then, I proceeded to tell her that I was raised for ten years in Australia, on a mision compound, that's why I still have the American accent.

I love making new friends, and I'm so glad that I have not yet sunk into the elitist upper classman state. In fact, I am dead set against it.

Semester in review

Woah, this is from two springs ago, Spring 2009.  I was going back through my posts and saw this one was only a draft.  I thought it would post to when it was begun, not when it was completed.  Ah well.

Movies I've seen this semester for the first time, all the way through:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (not worth the hour and a half)
George of the Jungle
X-Men I, II, and III (Second one's my favorite)
The Man from Snowy River
3:10 to Yuma (Wow)
Casablanca (I wasn't really impressed. It's not something I would want to see again.)
Failure to Launch (nope)
Bride Wars (Good to watch with Molly :)

The House Bunny (stupid choice)

The Wedding Planner (nope)

Harry Potter I, II, and III

X-Men Origins (Woah)

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (My first Bollywood movie! I love it, even though it's really ridiculous and dramatic at parts.)
Slumdog Millionaire (A-mazing)

Mrs. Spacek told me that I would be a good Canadian and that I didn't sound like I was from Georgia. I like her a lot. Then, I proceeded to tell her that I was raised for ten years in Australia, on a mision compound, that's why I still have the American accent.

I love making new friends, and I'm so glad that I have not yet sunk into the elitist upper classman state. In fact, I am dead set against it.

Alabama Road Trip

They ask me, "Have you always been such a soccer fan, Lindsay?"  My friends say, "No, Linja just likes anything competitive, especially international sports."  For those of you who, like me, don't know what to do with all of your free time, now that the World Cup finals won't be on for another four years, here's an article to help you through it, How to Cope With the End of the World Cup.  Also, because I know you want one almost as badly as I do, you can order your own vuvuzela here online!  In the meantime, feel free to brush up on your Brazilian football traditions to start gearing up for World Cup 2014 in Rio de Janero!  I'll see you there.

Road Trip: (#5 this summer.  I'm about to put a limit on how many times I can least the Eastern Standard Time zone per season.)  Alabama Road Trip to see Molly and Sutton get married (I was a bridesmaid) and to spend some time with the guts @ Devon's house!

Hours driving: Total of about 11 hours.  I took 40 minutes longer than I needed to take on the way back home.  See below the prescribed route on the left, and the route I ended up accidentally-ish taking on the right.  I've driven to Huntsville before from Georgia, and the back roads I took were beautiful.  They're downright sinister in the dark at midnight.  I would go for miles and not meet a car.  I would guess I saw one every 5-7 minutes those last 2 hours of the drive.  At one point, my two lane road got narrowed down to one very narrow lane and then, all of a sudden, I was on a very high bridge over the Tennessee River.  No warning or anything, just deep, vacant black space all around me and menacing steel surrounding me and my '98 Explorer.  Yikes. 

Image from Google maps

Traveling companions: I drove by myself to and from Alabama, but had a car full once I got there.  I had the pleasure of driving lots of different great girls from my Bryan circles and got to chat it up with some of my closest friends.

Roommates: Lots of girls, different groups each night.

Initial Response(s): Seriously, I'm ready to not drive long distances for a while now.  But I'm so glad I went!  Seeing Molly married and knowing she's happy with the man God's prepared for her makes me very, very pleased.  Seeing all my other friends, too, was absolutely awesome and something that I really needed.

Collected inside jokes: "You mean he's not the entertainment?"

Thank you for taking my picture, random passerby!

Favorite memories: Just the whole weekend.  Laughter, smiles, pictures, dresses, flowers, nail polish, Chick-fil-A (free because I wore a cow shirt on "Cow Appreciation Day"), Gpses, A Very Potter Musical quotes, Vuvuzelas, Spain becoming the new world football champions, Bible study with Devon, talking with Mrs. Susan, all good.  All good.

Least favorite memories: I made a wrong turn on the creepy way back home in the Alabama night.  The road I turned onto led directly to a Lusk Animal Clinic.  It was sketchy poured straight from the bottle.  I also passed a Hog Liver Rd.  That was just weird.

Something old: My SUV is about 12 years old, and she's still going strong.  Her name is Marahute like the gold eagle in Rescuers Down Under.  : )

Something new: The McDonald's mocha frappe is new to me, and I deem it delicious and great company for a 3 hour ride home at night.

Something borrowed: The only thing I can think of that I borrowed the whole weekend was Katie's brush when I couldn't find mine and needed to dry my hair.  No wait!  I remember that I borrowed Bogle's Gps from my trip to MN for Erin's wedding. I was able to give it back to him the other day when he came to Molly's wedding.

Something blue: Our bridesmaid dresses were a soft blue (David's Bridal calls it capri), and our bouquets had blue hydrangeas in them.  They were very cute and simple and they perfectly suited Molly's adorable personality.

Lasting impression: Well, I could just copy and paste everything from the "Initial Response(s)" section, but I also want to say that I'm excited to have my own wedding one day and to have all of my friends be there to support me and to celebrate with me.  It was great and fulfilling to be able to do that for Molly, and I know she really appreciates it.  I also know that she's having an awesome time being married for the first days of her life, and that's pretty stellar.  I do miss my friends that I left already, and I can't wait till I can see them again.

Photo by myself

Alabama Road Trip

They ask me, "Have you always been such a soccer fan, Lindsay?"  My friends say, "No, Linja just likes anything competitive, especially international sports."  For those of you who, like me, don't know what to do with all of your free time, now that the World Cup finals won't be on for another four years, here's an article to help you through it, How to Cope With the End of the World Cup.  Also, because I know you want one almost as badly as I do, you can order your own vuvuzela here online!  In the meantime, feel free to brush up on your Brazilian football traditions to start gearing up for World Cup 2014 in Rio de Janero!  I'll see you there.

Road Trip: (#5 this summer.  I'm about to put a limit on how many times I can least the Eastern Standard Time zone per season.)  Alabama Road Trip to see Molly and Sutton get married (I was a bridesmaid) and to spend some time with the guts @ Devon's house!

Hours driving: Total of about 11 hours.  I took 40 minutes longer than I needed to take on the way back home.  See below the prescribed route on the left, and the route I ended up accidentally-ish taking on the right.  I've driven to Huntsville before from Georgia, and the back roads I took were beautiful.  They're downright sinister in the dark at midnight.  I would go for miles and not meet a car.  I would guess I saw one every 5-7 minutes those last 2 hours of the drive.  At one point, my two lane road got narrowed down to one very narrow lane and then, all of a sudden, I was on a very high bridge over the Tennessee River.  No warning or anything, just deep, vacant black space all around me and menacing steel surrounding me and my '98 Explorer.  Yikes. 

Image from Google maps

Traveling companions: I drove by myself to and from Alabama, but had a car full once I got there.  I had the pleasure of driving lots of different great girls from my Bryan circles and got to chat it up with some of my closest friends.

Roommates: Lots of girls, different groups each night.

Initial Response(s): Seriously, I'm ready to not drive long distances for a while now.  But I'm so glad I went!  Seeing Molly married and knowing she's happy with the man God's prepared for her makes me very, very pleased.  Seeing all my other friends, too, was absolutely awesome and something that I really needed.

Collected inside jokes: "You mean he's not the entertainment?"

Thank you for taking my picture, random passerby!

Favorite memories: Just the whole weekend.  Laughter, smiles, pictures, dresses, flowers, nail polish, Chick-fil-A (free because I wore a cow shirt on "Cow Appreciation Day"), Gpses, A Very Potter Musical quotes, Vuvuzelas, Spain becoming the new world football champions, Bible study with Devon, talking with Mrs. Susan, all good.  All good.

Least favorite memories: I made a wrong turn on the creepy way back home in the Alabama night.  The road I turned onto led directly to a Lusk Animal Clinic.  It was sketchy poured straight from the bottle.  I also passed a Hog Liver Rd.  That was just weird.

Something old: My SUV is about 12 years old, and she's still going strong.  Her name is Marahute like the gold eagle in Rescuers Down Under.  : )

Something new: The McDonald's mocha frappe is new to me, and I deem it delicious and great company for a 3 hour ride home at night.

Something borrowed: The only thing I can think of that I borrowed the whole weekend was Katie's brush when I couldn't find mine and needed to dry my hair.  No wait!  I remember that I borrowed Bogle's Gps from my trip to MN for Erin's wedding. I was able to give it back to him the other day when he came to Molly's wedding.

Something blue: Our bridesmaid dresses were a soft blue (David's Bridal calls it capri), and our bouquets had blue hydrangeas in them.  They were very cute and simple and they perfectly suited Molly's adorable personality.

Lasting impression: Well, I could just copy and paste everything from the "Initial Response(s)" section, but I also want to say that I'm excited to have my own wedding one day and to have all of my friends be there to support me and to celebrate with me.  It was great and fulfilling to be able to do that for Molly, and I know she really appreciates it.  I also know that she's having an awesome time being married for the first days of her life, and that's pretty stellar.  I do miss my friends that I left already, and I can't wait till I can see them again.

Photo by myself

I love my Jesus!

Oh, my God is so good!

Not only did Spain win their match against Germany (kidding), but He uplifted me so much on the way home from work.  On my way to work, I'd decided to change from my usual music playlist to old contemporary Christian music that I haven't listened to in a long time.  I ended up skipping through a lot of stuff I didn't care for, but, on the way home, I didn't hit skip once.  Song after song made me smile and laugh and sing to Jesus!  Some David Crowder, Jars of Clay, even Selah, it was just what I needed.  Through it, God told me, "See?  I've got you."  He's been strong for me in my past, He's been strong for these other brothers and sisters of mine I'm singing with, and He's strong for me now, no matter what's going on.  Isn't that awesome!?  Isn't He good!?

I love my Jesus!

Oh, my God is so good!

Not only did Spain win their match against Germany (kidding), but He uplifted me so much on the way home from work.  On my way to work, I'd decided to change from my usual music playlist to old contemporary Christian music that I haven't listened to in a long time.  I ended up skipping through a lot of stuff I didn't care for, but, on the way home, I didn't hit skip once.  Song after song made me smile and laugh and sing to Jesus!  Some David Crowder, Jars of Clay, even Selah, it was just what I needed.  Through it, God told me, "See?  I've got you."  He's been strong for me in my past, He's been strong for these other brothers and sisters of mine I'm singing with, and He's strong for me now, no matter what's going on.  Isn't that awesome!?  Isn't He good!?

MFA 2'10 Success!

Two days ago, my family and I returned from the wild west, unscathed, weary, excited, and so happy to be back in their own rooms and beds.

I'm going to reuse (most of) an idea I used for one of my last road trips, the one to J-ville, FLA with my graduating class.  So we'll have this summary and maybe some filling in of the gaps later.

Road Trip: Family Adventure: 2010 - Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons


Hours driving: Um, I didn't keep track.  It took 45 minutes to get to the airport, 3.5 hours of flying, 1 hour of layover, 35 minutes of flying, then we drove for hours and hours each day of our week-long trip, then the same flying, layovers, and driving to get back home.

Traveling companions: Mom, Dad, and Sister Taylor

Roommates: The same.  Bunkmate: Taylor

Response: Nothing prepared me for what I saw over there.  I'd never been, and I didn't know much about YNP besides there would be odd weather and a lot of buffalo.  The pictures I looked up on the internet before we left showed some strangely colored water and a couple buffalo.  When we arrived at the Jackson Hole, WY airport, the stewardess said, "Please don't take any photos as you get off the plane."  We all thought, well why would she say that?  Our first steps out of the airplane made it plain: It was beautiful there.  Right as you step off, kapow, there are mountains right there!  Mountains and plains and streams and waterfalls and elk and bison and sky, sky, sky everywhere!  Yellowstone National Park is a huge hunk of wild, beautiful nothing.

Also, the thermal areas look like Mars.

Collected inside jokes: "Deep fried!"  "If you see something that looks like a pack of dogs, those will be the wolves." 

Favorite memories: We searched all week for moose.  Moose have been evading us since our New England trip years ago (we spent hours in Vermont searching for them with no luck).  Dad and Taylor got really desperate near the end, too, but, on our last night, Dad spotted a bull moose resting by some water far away.  We were elated.  Even more interesting, there were elk in the same area and a grizzly bear.  We got to see the grizz chase after the elk which was incredible!  A fantastic way to end the trip!

Other great times were when we got to talk with employees in the park.  A horse ride leader, Travis, sat and talked with us during our "Cookout" dinner one night.  Judy obliged me by chatting it up in one of the general stores, and Justin explained how much he loves his job by saying, "I haven't worked a single day since I became a ranger five and a half years ago."

Also, we had a couple hours to kill in the very small airport of Jackson Hole, WY before our flight took off for Salt Lake City.  The Spain-Paraguay game was on, and I was stoked to watch the Spanish take the win.  (We hadn't gotten to watch any soccer all week and only got updates through the newspapers and a little bit of Blackberry internet service.)  Even cooler: While my traveling companions were pretty beat, I was feeling very energetic.  Taylor agreed to play some card games with me for a while, but she got distracted by a baby and stopped after 15 minutes.  Left alone, I enviously watched a group of seven kids nearby (probably ages 8-15) who were having a great time with their card game.  It occurred  to me that, you know, I could ask them what they were playing...  So I did, and they immediately invited me and my sister (who politely declined) to play their game!  I had a blast until we all had to get ready to board our flight.  Playing with them made my day.

Least favorite memories: (Sharing a room with three other people, there's bound to be some snoring which doesn't make for the best sleeping.)  Nothing really to put here.  No one got sick, no one stepped in buffalo dung, no bears got into our vehicle.

No, wait!  I've thought of one.  As we were leaving ATL and going through airport security, I remembered that I had my pocket knife in my carry on with me.  Uh oh.  I told the security lady what was up and she told me my options: "Well, you can mail it to yourself, hand it over to me now, or, if it goes through security, we'll confiscate it, and, if it's really big, you'll go to jail."  Ha, woah.  That was unexpected.  I left security, found the US Postal Service stand by baggage claim and spent $18 to send my small knife to my home.  I think it's a funny story - getting into trouble without having left the airport yet.

Something old: We brought back the old idea of having team shirts.  The last ones we made were from 2008 and I made them with spray paint.  Dad had these ones designed and screen printed by a company in town.  They're lime green with a large, brown grizzly bear on the front with these words: MFA 2010 - Yellowstone - Don't be Bear Bait!  We wore them all together one day.  At first I was a little embarrassed, but we quickly became delighted by how many people would ask us, "What does MFA mean?"  Strange things bring strange people together.

 Something new: I bought a Camelbak water bottle!  I'm so excited! I've been wanting one for a long time, but I never got to any store where they were sold, and I didn't really want to buy one from the internet if I could help it, and, there they were!  In the stores in the Gran Teton park!  And, the kind cashier at the next store let me exchange the first one I bought for one that was a nicer color.

Something borrowed: The last day of our trip, Taylor and I were in the lodge room by ourselves while the parents were searching for moose by the lodge center.  We got a call from Dad telling us to hurry and come because he'd spotted a moose. Taylor had just gotten out of the shower and needed to get dressed fast, so she borrowed one of my convenient jackets instead of searching for a shirt.

Something blue: Oh, the sky.  They don't call it "Big Sky Country" for nothing.  It was huge and so, so blue.  Absolutely beautiful.

Lasting impression: There were so many incredible sights, but, almost from the beginning, I felt out of place.  I realized that I missed my kudzu-covered pine woods that these westerners sometimes call claustrophobic.  A strange thing dawned on me: I love the South.  Yes, it's true!  After almost 12 years of disowning this place, it was very odd to realize that I've finally become a daughter of the South, or whatever you'd call it.  I'm not ashamed to claim Georgia as home.  The three flights I've been on this summer that have brought me back to Atlanta have been the happiest flights of my life (if you leave out the air sickness of the one from MSP, at least).  So, Georgia, is it too late?  Atlanta, won't you take me in?

---

August 11, 2010 edit

I forgot a couple things!

Our last night in WY at the Grand Tetons, Taylor and I split dinner and dessert.  The dessert was truly epic.  The dessert is called The Grand.  Picture this.  Funnel cake, three huge scoops of strawberry, vanilla, and huckleberry (yum) ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, cherry on top.  It was so much goodness, and we ate almost all of it.

All photos by myself

MFA 2'10 Success!

Two days ago, my family and I returned from the wild west, unscathed, weary, excited, and so happy to be back in their own rooms and beds.

I'm going to reuse (most of) an idea I used for one of my last road trips, the one to J-ville, FLA with my graduating class.  So we'll have this summary and maybe some filling in of the gaps later.

Road Trip: Family Adventure: 2010 - Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons


Hours driving: Um, I didn't keep track.  It took 45 minutes to get to the airport, 3.5 hours of flying, 1 hour of layover, 35 minutes of flying, then we drove for hours and hours each day of our week-long trip, then the same flying, layovers, and driving to get back home.

Traveling companions: Mom, Dad, and Sister Taylor

Roommates: The same.  Bunkmate: Taylor

Response: Nothing prepared me for what I saw over there.  I'd never been, and I didn't know much about YNP besides there would be odd weather and a lot of buffalo.  The pictures I looked up on the internet before we left showed some strangely colored water and a couple buffalo.  When we arrived at the Jackson Hole, WY airport, the stewardess said, "Please don't take any photos as you get off the plane."  We all thought, well why would she say that?  Our first steps out of the airplane made it plain: It was beautiful there.  Right as you step off, kapow, there are mountains right there!  Mountains and plains and streams and waterfalls and elk and bison and sky, sky, sky everywhere!  Yellowstone National Park is a huge hunk of wild, beautiful nothing.

Also, the thermal areas look like Mars.

Collected inside jokes: "Deep fried!"  "If you see something that looks like a pack of dogs, those will be the wolves." 

Favorite memories: We searched all week for moose.  Moose have been evading us since our New England trip years ago (we spent hours in Vermont searching for them with no luck).  Dad and Taylor got really desperate near the end, too, but, on our last night, Dad spotted a bull moose resting by some water far away.  We were elated.  Even more interesting, there were elk in the same area and a grizzly bear.  We got to see the grizz chase after the elk which was incredible!  A fantastic way to end the trip!

Other great times were when we got to talk with employees in the park.  A horse ride leader, Travis, sat and talked with us during our "Cookout" dinner one night.  Judy obliged me by chatting it up in one of the general stores, and Justin explained how much he loves his job by saying, "I haven't worked a single day since I became a ranger five and a half years ago."

Also, we had a couple hours to kill in the very small airport of Jackson Hole, WY before our flight took off for Salt Lake City.  The Spain-Paraguay game was on, and I was stoked to watch the Spanish take the win.  (We hadn't gotten to watch any soccer all week and only got updates through the newspapers and a little bit of Blackberry internet service.)  Even cooler: While my traveling companions were pretty beat, I was feeling very energetic.  Taylor agreed to play some card games with me for a while, but she got distracted by a baby and stopped after 15 minutes.  Left alone, I enviously watched a group of seven kids nearby (probably ages 8-15) who were having a great time with their card game.  It occurred  to me that, you know, I could ask them what they were playing...  So I did, and they immediately invited me and my sister (who politely declined) to play their game!  I had a blast until we all had to get ready to board our flight.  Playing with them made my day.

Least favorite memories: (Sharing a room with three other people, there's bound to be some snoring which doesn't make for the best sleeping.)  Nothing really to put here.  No one got sick, no one stepped in buffalo dung, no bears got into our vehicle.

No, wait!  I've thought of one.  As we were leaving ATL and going through airport security, I remembered that I had my pocket knife in my carry on with me.  Uh oh.  I told the security lady what was up and she told me my options: "Well, you can mail it to yourself, hand it over to me now, or, if it goes through security, we'll confiscate it, and, if it's really big, you'll go to jail."  Ha, woah.  That was unexpected.  I left security, found the US Postal Service stand by baggage claim and spent $18 to send my small knife to my home.  I think it's a funny story - getting into trouble without having left the airport yet.

Something old: We brought back the old idea of having team shirts.  The last ones we made were from 2008 and I made them with spray paint.  Dad had these ones designed and screen printed by a company in town.  They're lime green with a large, brown grizzly bear on the front with these words: MFA 2010 - Yellowstone - Don't be Bear Bait!  We wore them all together one day.  At first I was a little embarrassed, but we quickly became delighted by how many people would ask us, "What does MFA mean?"  Strange things bring strange people together.

 Something new: I bought a Camelbak water bottle!  I'm so excited! I've been wanting one for a long time, but I never got to any store where they were sold, and I didn't really want to buy one from the internet if I could help it, and, there they were!  In the stores in the Gran Teton park!  And, the kind cashier at the next store let me exchange the first one I bought for one that was a nicer color.

Something borrowed: The last day of our trip, Taylor and I were in the lodge room by ourselves while the parents were searching for moose by the lodge center.  We got a call from Dad telling us to hurry and come because he'd spotted a moose. Taylor had just gotten out of the shower and needed to get dressed fast, so she borrowed one of my convenient jackets instead of searching for a shirt.

Something blue: Oh, the sky.  They don't call it "Big Sky Country" for nothing.  It was huge and so, so blue.  Absolutely beautiful.

Lasting impression: There were so many incredible sights, but, almost from the beginning, I felt out of place.  I realized that I missed my kudzu-covered pine woods that these westerners sometimes call claustrophobic.  A strange thing dawned on me: I love the South.  Yes, it's true!  After almost 12 years of disowning this place, it was very odd to realize that I've finally become a daughter of the South, or whatever you'd call it.  I'm not ashamed to claim Georgia as home.  The three flights I've been on this summer that have brought me back to Atlanta have been the happiest flights of my life (if you leave out the air sickness of the one from MSP, at least).  So, Georgia, is it too late?  Atlanta, won't you take me in?

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August 11, 2010 edit

I forgot a couple things!

Our last night in WY at the Grand Tetons, Taylor and I split dinner and dessert.  The dessert was truly epic.  The dessert is called The Grand.  Picture this.  Funnel cake, three huge scoops of strawberry, vanilla, and huckleberry (yum) ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, cherry on top.  It was so much goodness, and we ate almost all of it.

All photos by myself