Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?

Have you ever been the victim of a crime? What happened?

I did a Theatre Study Abroad in London, UK, during spring term 2004. That's 19-year-old me, overlooking the city from St. Paul's Cathedral. I'd been in the country all of a week and a half when my messenger bag was stolen from under my seat at a play at the the National Theatre. I hadn't wrapped the strap around my leg and the Standing Room Only section was immediately behind my seat. I was just asking to get robbed, really.

Of course, I was devastated. My bag contained my personal journal, theatre journal, camera, camera journal, someone else's copy of Peter Pan, wallet, and other ephemera. I went to the police, submitted a report, and figured that was the end of all of those things. I went about canceling my card, replacing what I could, and getting back to having a great time in this phenomenal city. One friend mailed me a new camera, I found a cute wallet with butterflies on Portabello Road, and my parents withdrew money from my account and placed it in that of a friend who was in London with me via his parents, so I wasn't borrowing money from anyone, just getting it differently. My new debit card came via another friend who visited me in London for my birthday on his way to Finland. My parents knew him, and it was safer than mailing a card internationally.

It was an inconvenience, to be sure, but it really didn't damper my spirits after a day or so. I committed to watching my things better, mourned the loss of my journals, and carried on.

The big surprise was that my bag was found not very long after the theft, by some trashcan behind a building, if I recall correctly. The really big surprise was that my journals were still there! Of course the thieves had taken the wallet, book, and other stuff I didn't care about the same way, but I had my journals and that's all I cared about!

Despite all this, London is still my favorite city in all the world (thus far), and I'd go back in a heartbeat. I've just learned to keep a closer eye on my things!

London calling, yes, I was there, too

Since I've lived in London (3.5 years ago for study abroad), I'd pretty much done everything. So this trip was dedicated to the more obscure things I hadn't seen before.
My first stop was the Charles Dickens House Museum. It was interesting to learn more about his life. Part of the house was set up as it would have been at Christmas, which was lovely. On my way back to the Tube, my beautiful, new red coat brushed up against a newly painted post! Luckily, the "artist" was there, so he took me inside his cafe and helped me clean up as best we could with some paint thinner. Also fortunate, was that it was all on the inside of my coat. He offered me a soda and a seat, and was extremely apologetic. I declined the latter, but one orange Fanta later I was on my way.

Seeing this made me chuckle quite a bit:



I guess I lied about my trip being for more obscure things, because my next destination was Covent Garden, one of my favorite places in London. I did a bit of shopping and lunching. Some random artist did a charcoal sketch of me, and it's pretty neat. I tipped him, and enjoyed a few minutes of conversation, before traipsing to Leicester Square and visiting the National Portrait Gallery, which I missed last time.

Then, it was time for a rest and reminiscing in Trafalgar Square. I was facing a conundrum at this point. I had some time to kill and wasn't sure what to do with it. So I took a picture to demonstrate this moment.

What to do?

No. Really. What do I do now?

Finally decided, I was off to dinner at Wagamama's on High Street Kensington, mere blocks away from my old flat. The restaurant was just as good as I remembered it, even if I was enjoying it by myself.

After dinner, as I was exiting the South Kensington tube stop, I heard a choir of handbells and had the next series of thoughts:

"Ah. Handbells playing Christmas music. How lovely."

"Hmm. The choir is all matchy matchy. Interesting."

"Wait. Is that a nametag!?"

Sure enough, it was a choir of LDS missionaries, which was just really cool. There were about 8 playing, and another several milling about talking to anyone they could. I walked up and surprised one of the elders by saying "This one of the most original ways I've seen of getting street contacts ever." Elder Merritt from Idaho was pleased to have an American Mormon to talk to for a few minutes, and it was certainly fun for me.

I spent the evening enjoying an exhibit about the golden age of couture at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The clothes were exquisite, and I learned a lot about the history of fashion.

It was a great day, and I was very glad to be back.

Uptown Girl

I love big cities. Here's why:

- No end of things to do:
I can see a play, a movie, a concert (a small one like at Ram's Head or 9:30 Club, not just big arena shows), a museum, a historical building, etc. I can go relax in a park or a see a sporting event. Tours (exhibits, bands, comedians, etc.) come through all the time. As much I love sitting at home and just watching a movie or something, I don't have to. I have options. Lots of them.

- The city doesn't shut down after 9 PM.
IHOP isn't the only thing open after 11 PM. I don't often need that kind of nightlife, but it exists. It's available.

- Culture
There is diversity. I can get to know a lot of different people and culture. I almost like being in the minority sometimes, because I learn so much more. Also, the food is great! I loved that I had Indian, Japanese, and North African restaurants within walking distance of my flat in London. Here, I can order Chinese straight to my door!

- Arts
There is a wider variety in bigger cities. Sure, crappy community theatre is available close by, but I'm not stuck with it. (Disclaimer: Not all community theatre is crap. Just some of it.) I can so see the bigger and better shows, with real professionals involved. I can take dance classes from people who still work in the professional industry. Limited release movies are in theaters for longer than a week. Etc.

- Distance to other types of places
That's one reason I specifically like living in the Mid-Atlantic. 5 hours one I'm in the South, 5 hours another takes me to New York, 10 hours in just about any direction takes me to somewhere else completely different. This is ideal for those that like both the city and the smaller town. You can live in a suburb just outside the city (like I do now), and within an hour you're in a completely different place. If you're in the Midwest (no offense to any Midwesterners, I still love you), you usually have to drive at least two days to get anywhere that doesn't involve a corn field.

- Economy
The unemployment rate is lower in big cities, thanks to the law of averages. Job hunting is easier when there are more options. There is more money available, which balances out the higher cost of living.

I grew up in mid-size city USA. The first time I went to NYC kind of scared me, at least for part of the trip. I swore I'd never go back to Las Vegas. London was in a completely different country! I quickly changed my mind. (Well, not so quickly on the Vegas thing. I didn't go back for at least four years.) I learned that the big city etiquette requires a little more of a person, but once you follow the rules (which are easy - stay out of people's way, the city doesn't revolve you, etc.) people are great. It takes some getting used to, but there are just so many things to do and lifestyle options, it's so worth it.

Each city has a different flavor and attitude, so you have to find the one that fits you best. For example, I'd prefer not to live in Los Angeles or Chicago, but I get along swell with DC, London, and New York City. Because of how close everything is and how many options there are for just where to live in or around a big city, compromises can be made much easier than, say, North Dakota. I, at the very least, just think it's something that should be experienced before it's completely discounted.

Of course, for me, it's more important to live where I need to, for my job/school or a spouse's, or wherever the Lord asks me to go. I seem to move every 6-8 years anyway, so nothing is permanent.

As long as I can though, I want to stay within driving distance to a big city. They just fit me.

Change Your Hold Music!

As I've briefly mentioned, I'm going to London for Christmas. I booked my flight weeks ago. When I got to my office this morning, I found the following subject in my email URGENT: PLEASE CALL Flight change for AMANDA [STRETCH]. The body included:

Air Canada has:
* Changed the departure time for 1 of your flights.
* Changed the arrival time for 1 of your flights.

I logged into Expedia.com to check my itinerary to see what was different. My outgoing flights were the same. I'm still going to be stuck in the Halifax airport for 7 hours. Oh well. It was my flight home where I noticed a problem.

Depart London 3:oo PM
Arrive Ottawa 5:40 PM

Depart Ottawa 3:3o PM
Arrive DC 5:10 PM

While I'm all for leaving one country, stopping in another, and arriving in my final country a mere two hours later, I can't time travel and make that connection.

So, I called Expedia, and the woman checked on the flight. I reassured her that I wouldn't have made that itinerary on my own, so she called Air Canada for me to see what she could do. I was put on hold. Pachelbel Canon in D, which I quite enjoy, was the hold music. The song ended, and started again. And again. The travel agent came back to tell me of the new plan:

Depart London 1:30 PM
Arrive Montreal 4:05 PM
Depart Montreal 6:55 PM
Arrive DC 8:49 PM

That makes a lot of sense. She still had to do something, so I was put back on hold. And listened to Canon in D another 3 or 4 times. Once more, she returned to tell me something, and then I was back on hold. All in all, I listened to that song 9 times and was on the phone for 41 minutes.

The good news is that the problem was taken care of. Expedia immediately took the blame and rearranged my flight for me, without charging me any additional fees. Plus, I now have a $50 coupon to use in the next year. Despite this possible catastrophe of being stuck in Canada forever, I still heartily recommend Expedia.

Unfortunately, it might be a while before I can listen to Canon in D and not think of being on hold.

With thanks to Captain Deviance, with whom I was chronicling my phone adventures, I now share this:

Walk this way

Kindergarten at Hill View Elementary School in Murray, UT, is half-day. At least it was in 1989. I was in an afternoon class. Mom took me to school everyday (which, I'm sure, was no small feat, since she'd have to pack up me, my 3 and 1 year old siblings, and at least one or two other children she babysat to drive me that one mile), but most days I walked home with some neighbor girls. I think one was even a fifth grader, and the bee's knees.

Then we moved to Texas and we rode in a carpool for 1st-3rd and 5th grades. 4th grade I rode the bus (which was a novelty at first, but soon wore off). I rode the bus for 6th-8th grades as well, but when we moved from our apartment to a real house closer to our elementary school halfway through 6th grade, my 2nd and 4th grade siblings got to walk to school.

I don't remember why, but I thought that was the coolest thing ever. Well, it was probably because I was on a stinky bus everyday. (Even worse, for at least four cumulative weeks in 8th grade, I rode the short bus. I still need to tell that story, don't I?) My siblings were able to walk on their schedule and enjoy the outside air, and their commute didn't take nearly as long as mine. I was rather jealous.

Once I started 9th grade, everything changed. We'd moved to our house in Utah and you could see junior high from our doorstep. I finally got to walk to school! All by myself if I wanted! And walk I did. Sometimes by my onesies, sometimes with my brother, sometimes with neighbors, and eventually with my not-my-boyfriend. Is there anything more not-romantic than walking hand in hand with your not-your-boyfriend the two and a half blocks to the junior high? I didn't think so.

My favorites were the snowy days. I'd get up with my brother and get all bundled up, ready to shovel the driveway. By the time I'd shoveled the first line, I'd spy my not-my-boyfriend coming up the walk, ready to take over. Three people and two shovels = I got to go back inside where it was warm, get ready for school, and help Mom finish making breakfast for the lot of us. It was pretty great.

Unfortunately, walking to school lost its charm by 10th grade. The high school was farther away. If I didn't leave on time to meet my friends, I had to walk it alone. There was no magic in the snowy days anymore, as I was no longer not-seeing my not-my-boyfriend, so I'd have to help shovel after all and then trudge through the snow to school.

I was much relieved that I had a driver's license and my own truck by the time my junior year started. By this time, it was my truck that was the novelty and the means to my freedom. Those are the ingredients to me enjoying my walk to school. It was new and exciting in 9th grade, but not as much by 10th. Walking from Deseret Towers to my morning classes my freshman year of college was both a novelty and more freedom than I'd ever had, minus the scary Bell Tower Stairs of Death, and I don't ever recall minding the walk. The same goes for my walk from my flat in London to the Hyde Park LDS chapel, where our classes were held. I was so excited every day that I was in London that I didn't care I was walking all the time (and when I came home a pants size smaller, I was still excited - anyone want to move back to London with me?).

It would only take about 40 minutes to walk to work now. It would be good for me. But it's a lot easier to sleep for 30 extra minutes and drive for six. Perhaps on good weather days, I'll channel my inner 9th grader and remember just how freeing it is to do things by my own steam.

AH-OOOH Werewolves of London!

Saturday morning was spent on a walking tour about The Beatles in London. The tour guide has literally written the book on subject, so he was quite informative. We saw places where the band filmed movie scenes, former homes where they wrote specific songs, where Ringo and Paul got married, places they worked, and finished at Abbey Road. I love The Beatles, and it was really fun to see some of their old haunts. Alas, neither Ringo nor Paul showed up.

That afternoon I went the Drury Lane Theater to see "The Lord of the Rings" musical. The effects were really something to see, and the story shouldn't have been too hard to follow if you'd never read the books or seen the movies. I was also really impressed by the acrobatics, particularly of the orcs. Sadly, the music started to all sound the same, and I couldn't really understand most of the lyrics. Also, putting such an epic story on stage in three hours loses something. It doesn't feel nearly as epic as it should. Still, I'm glad I saw it.

Dinner was at another of my favorites - Pret a Manger. Then, I wandered and shopped for awhile, making sure to pick up the British versions of the Harry Potter books for Eilonwy and me, as well as a few sweets at Tesco (hooray for HobKnob's, Cadbury's, and Jelly Babies!) I found myself back in Covent Garden, sitting on a bench, when a street performer started up. It was just the thing I needed to finish off my day.

Both days, Grandma met me at home with hot chocolate to warm me up. The weather cooperated for most of my visit, as long as I dressed warmly. Sunday and Monday, I spent time with my grandparents, visiting or kicking their trash at Boggle. One of my second cousins is in their ward, since he married a Brit, and it was neat to see him. We did have a bit a struggle packing me up for home, but I got all my stuff in one suitcase and a carry-on, with a suitcase leftover for some things they were ready to send home.

New Year's Eve, we partied with several other temple workers and watched the countdown and fireworks happening in downtown London. The fireworks, even on TV, were the best display I'd ever seen, even compared to DC on July 4th. So cool! The party itself was surprisingly fun, which may have something do with winning a few more rounds of Boggle and one of Rummikub. I lost one though, so I maintained some humility.My trip home was uneventful, though my last flight from Montreal was slightly delayed. Overall, it was a great holiday! I'm so grateful for the best grandparents in the world and spending time in one of my favorite places on Earth. I have five new stamps in my passport, and loads of wonderful memories.
I also have loads of pictures, but those will have to wait until another day. I'll let you know as soon as they're up!

And even though I know how very far apart we are

With all this talk about relationships lately (must be Valentine's Day or something), it's reminded me of some of the most important relationships in my life. My family and closest friends, who all live miles upon miles away from me. There are lots of articles, websites, and books about maintaining long distance relationships, but they are always talking about relationships of a romantic nature.

Why not talk a little about maintaining other long distance relationships of the friends and family variety?

Mostly, I love talking to the people I live far away from, some more than others. Some people I just keep track of by reading their blogs, and since I know they are reading mine, it's almost like we're just talking to each other. There are a few people I chat with regularly (thank you GoogleTalk!), and I call my mom on my way home from work just about everyday. If her cell phone rings anytime during the 3:00 MST hour, she knows it's most likely me.

It's also fun to do things together. How do you do things together when you aren't together? Easy. You just do them at similar times and talk about them later.

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, around 4:00 AM, I woke up thirsty. Water wasn't going to cut it, for some reason, so I mixed up a pitcher of lemonade with Splenda, had a glass or two, and went back to bed. Unbeknownst to me, Sisterpants had done the exact same thing about 24 hours earlier.

In the clock and weather apps of my phone, I keep track of the time and temperature not only where I live, but also in Utah, Arizona, Washington, and Cairo, because I know have friends and family there. (The fact that I keep track of those things in London and New York is just for me.) In the weather app, the screen turns blue during the day and purple at night. Most of the time, those in the States (and usually London) are one color, whilst Cairo is the other. There are, however, a few hours in the middle of the night, when they are all purple. The weather is vastly different, but it gives me some comfort to know that most of the people I care about are likely home and safe, just like me.

Sappy? Sure. But I like to be connected, even in small ways, to those I love.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

The rest is still unwritten

I really enjoy keeping a journal. I like physically writing down the things that have happened in my life, and then detailing exactly how I feel. Since I'm the only one reading my entries for now, I don't have to censor my thoughts or cater to an audience. Also, writing it, with pen and paper, allows my thoughts to flow a lot more freely. I can't go back and delete a whole sentence, or rearrange a paragraph. Usually, my thoughts and memories are much faster than my pen, but I do the best I can and I'm usually satisfied with the results. When I was on my study abroad in London, and a few other times in my life, I wrote every day. I even remember being so struck by something in an art museum that I sat down, pulled out my journal, and started writing. While I don't get to write every day usually, I'll generally write every few weeks or months. When I go back to read it, I usually read a resolution to write more often in every few entries, which amuses me.

Last night, I wanted to journal something from yesterday. I was horrified to realize that it's been so long since I journaled, that I wasn't even sure which journal I was using. I found the white one that included my London trip, three years ago, but that was full. The silver one by my bed is my scripture journal. The dark blue one was from high school. What was I using!?

Finally, on top of some books in my bookcase, I found my light blue journal that I started in March 2006. The last entry was dated in July 2006 !

I was not pleased with myself and my lack of journal activity. So much has happened in the last year, and it's been an incredible journey worth noting. Luckily, I have almost weekly family letters that discuss the events of my last year, and blog posts that flesh them out a little more. It's better than nothing.

I must, MUST do better. I don't think I'll jump into writing daily, but somewhere between once a day and once a year is a good place to start.

There’s love in the air under Paris skies

My original plan was to spend just one day in Paris, by myself. So, I was thrilled to find out that we'd get to spend multiple days there. Together.

We celebrated Boxing Day by taking another self-guided day tour of the city. Our first stop was the Louvre. We only spent two hours there, but we could have spent two weeks. It was a most rushed visit, but at least we saw "The Ladies of the Louvre" - the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and the Venus de Milo, among others that we had to mostly just glance at.

Following, we took a stroll along the Seine and crossed over the Pont Neuf to the Ile de la Cité. We as the Place Dauphin and, across it, La Conciergerie before walking along the Quai des Orfevres. Our visit to the Gothic chapel Sainte-Chapelle taught me one of my new favorite phrases - Tarif Reduit - or Reduced Fare, as I am under 26. There was no senior discount anywhere, but I got Tarif Reduit on all of our entry fees. That rocked! The upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle was amazing. The stained glass was beautifully detailed.

We then took in a little bit of West Bank life by crossing over the Pont St. Michel, visiting the Latin Quarter and the Place St. Michel. After a very tasty panini for lunch, I have decided that I need more gruyere in my life.

We finished off our lunch whilst visiting Notre Dame in daylight, which was just as cool. The decision was made not to visit the top and the gargoyles, so that will have to wait until next time. Then, we metro'd to the Place de la Concorde, where Madame Guillotine once stood. We took one good view of the Champs-Elysées before metroing most of the distance and approaching the magnificent Arc du Triomphe. It was from atop this edifice that I finally realized the magnitude of the Eiffel Tower. Sure it was amazing when I was right there, but seeing it from a slight distance, you realize just how much it actually dwarfs the rest of the city. Wow. Just wow.

Sadly, it was a really cloudy day, and going up the Eiffel Tower would not have been fruitful. So, once again, this necessitates a visit there in the future. At least we got a great panoramic view from the Arc, and I could even see all the way to Montmartre.

Our final stop was the Museé Rodin, where we saw such works as Balzac, The Thinker, and The Kiss. Beautiful.

Dinner was yummy, again, but words cannot describe how I felt about the lemon meringue tartellete we picked up on the way home. So. Good.

It was an absolutely wonderful visit, with fantastic company. We returned to the London Temple on Thursday, where Grandma and Grandpa worked their temple shift and I was able to serve in the temple for a few hours. It was really special to be there with them.

The best part? I was only halfway done with my vacation. London - here I come!

Pictures of you, pictures of me

I just spent three hours uploading and organizing pictures. Never again. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Twelfth Night

Canada

London

Paris

DC Drag Races

Halloween

And everything else

I hope you like them!

Just grab a friend and take a ride upon the open road!

Since I moved to DC, I have yet to spend a Christmas in my own home. I always felt it was worth it to travel to family, whether it be in Utah or London/Paris. When I married Blake, I added Arizona to the rotation and we spent Christmas there in 2012 and 2014 and in Utah in 2013. In the autumn of 2015, we were still in a holding pattern whilst we waited on the Navy. We didn't know how soon they'd call or how quickly he'd need to get somewhere when they did. So, we decided to hold off on buying plane tickets for Christmas, just in case we'd have to cancel our trip at the last minute.

Instead, because we ultimately had two weeks off together between semesters for him and work for me and we finally knew he didn't have to be anywhere for the Navy just yet, we decided to make a road trip of it. By this point, we'd already put more than 2,000 miles on the car in the first half of the month, why not add another 6,000?

On the 19th of December, we loaded Malcolm up in back seat and set off on our way. Our goal on the way out was just get there as fast as we could. We'd stop for pit stops and sleep, but otherwise we powered through. We spent our first night in Nashville with my uncle and his wife. They'd had dogs before, so Malcolm was welcome too. It was a quick visit, but we're grateful for their hospitality. Our second night we spent somewhere in Colorado at a hotel we picked once we got tired.

This was the moment I got my first "Mom, are we there yet?" Sorry dude, it was only day one.

Our third and final road day got us to my parents' house in Orem, Utah, about 30 minutes before the traditional Christmas Family Home Evening my mom has worked out with her Utah-dwelling siblings and my cousins. I'd suggested this night so that we could see as much of our family as possible in one go, and I didn't make it to this event regularly anyway. Since we came from the farthest away, anyone who was late didn't have any excuses we were willing to listen to. ;)

The highlight for Malcolm on the first leg of the trip was a fantastic, huge, well-equipped dog park we found in Kansas City, Missouri. He had so much fun running and playing in the middle of a long day and we're glad he stayed out of the muddy spots.

The highlight upon reaching Orem was the fresh foot of snow in my parents' backyard. Malcolm LOVED running around in it, even more so when my brother's dog came over and they ran around together.

The lowlight was toward the end of the FHE, when the last stragglers were leaving and Malcolm (who is usually very well behaved at doors) decided to leave too. Blake bolted after him with naught but socks on his feet, and I bolted after the both of them with Blake's shoes on my feet. Losing my black dog in the dark was not high on my agenda for this trip, and it was made worse when I reached the top of the hill my parents live on and saw the expanse of the valley below. Fortunately, someone in my parents' neighborhood has backyard chickens and I managed to corner him behind their pen. We knew Malcolm wasn't running away from us, just exploring and being the dog he is, and even though we were mad, we were mostly relieved to have him back.

Christmas in Orem was wonderful. It was lovely to be there for my nephew's first Christmas and enjoy some good family time. We also enjoyed our first trip together to Temple Square in Salt Lake City to see all the lights.

Snuggle time at my parents'

I'm glad I took the time to go visit them and got this photo, because my grandpa passed away in February.

We made a game of Temple Square Bingo, pointing out super obvious stereotypical happenings.

We could have all just given him tissue paper for Christmas, and he would have been happy.

Nephew or Dinosaur?

On the 26th, we made our way to Arizona. It was my father-in-law's 60th birthday that week, so we were able to attend the party in his honor and spend some good time with Blake's family, both nuclear and extended, as well. Blake's three siblings, two of the siblings-in-law, and two nieces were also in Arizon for the occasion and staying with his parents, which made things cozy, but we worked it out.

To say my FIL LOVES Pepsi is probably an understatement

We also did a DIY Color Run. They sent us the kits, so a bunch of us went down to the middle school track and either walked or ran the entire 5K (or played around in the field, because they were 2, 4, or their parents) and then threw colored chalk at each other. Even Malcolm got a little on him. It was a blast.

After a few days in the warm Arizona winter, we decided to take a more southern route home, mostly following the I-10. On our way, we met up with friends in Austin, Texas, for lunch and stopped for New Year's Eve in my old hometown of Beaumont, Texas, where I lived for eight years. I navigated Blake around a tour of my old neighborhoods, ate Church's chicken for dinner, and we called it a night on DC time to watch the ball drop and get a little extra sleep.

Lunched here in New Mexico. Yummy onion rings!

The original border of the US and Mexico

Texas State Capitol

McFaddin-Ward House in Beaumont, built in 1906 - I was a Junior Interpreter here for 2 years

Jefferson Theater in Beaumont - where I made my theatrical debut!

The next day, after showing Blake a couple more Beaumont sites, we met up with another uncle of mine and his partner and a friend of theirs for lunch in Mississippi. Even though they said it wasn't the most authentic, the Cajun food we had was good enough for us.

Also on our way home, we visited some sites from Blake's mission, the Florida Tallahassee mission. He'd actually spent most of it in Alabama, but we got to see some places he loved, including an apartment that missionaries still use and a chapel where we ran into the missionaries that use that apartment still (and they caught Blake up with mission news while I availed myself of the facilities). Once we hit Jacksonville, we took a sharp turn north on I-95 and headed home.

Malcolm can't read

It was an incredible two weeks. Malcolm was a rock star about being in the car that much. Whether it was the disruption of his routine, all the extra food our families kept sneaking him, or both, we don't know, but he did get a little sick on the way back. Once we were home and things got back to normal though, so did he.

Blake drove the entire way.

I may have driven a little in Utah for something, but that would have been it. Overall, we drove though 23 states! The cost was probably comparable to two plane tickets home, but way more of an adventure. I was once told that road trips will make or break a relationship, and I think Blake and I are going to be happy together for a very long time.

Help!

Six years ago in London, I saw A Dog in the Manger, a Spanish Golden age play by Lope De Vega. The synopsis, as I wrote in my theatre journal that night is this:

Diana falls in love with Teodoro because she is jealous that he professes love with one her ladies, Marcela. Marcela finds love with her man because she is jealous of Teodoro and Diana. So, basically, everyone is jealous of someone, so they fall in love with someone else.

It's madness. There are schemings and secret meetings and lies and it's all very fast-paced because this is a comedy and finally in one scene, Teodoro drops to his knees and shouts. "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON!!"

Ever since I saw this show, whenever I'm completely confused by something, I shout (at least in my head) the same thing. It looks a lot like this:
I'd say it out loud more often, except that it's more fun when you're quoting something for other people to have seen the same thing.

Usually, I say/think it in a humorously confusing situation, like today's chat with Mr. T.

2:16 PM T: >:3

2:18 PM me: ?

T: !

me: *confused*

2:19 PM T: easily

me: ha

2:20 PM wait, are you saying I'm easily confused?

That's not very nicel.

*nice

2:21 PM T: ha

It's a way of diffusing whatever it is that's gotten me so lost.

So, now, if you ever hear me say it, you know where it comes from.

Anything you quote or re-enact even if no one else knows what you're referencing?

Each life that touches ours for good

Since last week I talked about Malcolm, this week, and for my final NaBloPoMo post, I'll talk about the rest of my family pets over the years.

Caramel - I got Caramel the hamster for my third birthday. I don't know how long he was with us, but he was fun while he was around. I enjoyed letting him run around in his little hamster ball. I'm sure I wasn't the best hamster owner and my parents did a lot, but I liked him. Sadly, he got into some rat poison at some point and we had to part ways. We buried him behind the house. I tried digging for him once. It's probably for the best it didn't work. 

A series of goldfish - At some point, maybe I was around 9?, we kids each got a goldfish. Mine was Crystal Light, after the goldfish in the Babysitter's Club Little Sister books, and eventually I had Crystal Light the Second. Goldfish are not the most interactive pets, but I liked mine. I had Frank in my late teens, but I was terrible at taking care of him, especially remembering to clean his bowl. He lived for a lot longer than I anticipated, but my family still forgot to tell me for awhile when he died while I was on study abroad in London. 

Logan - I've talked about Logan before. We got him as a puppy when I was 13 and he passed away when I was 29. He was a wonderful dog. Sometimes I feel guilty when I call Malcolm the best or cutest or feel like I'm spending more time with Malcolm than I did with Logan, but then I decide that as long as I'm referring to best or cutest living dog, it's okay. As for spending time? We do our best and that's what counts.

Betta fish - Blake and I have had two betta fish since we got married - Mortimer and Captain Jack (Harkness, not Sparrow). They each lived with us for about 6 months and they were pretty to look at. We had Malcolm by the time Captain Jack left us, so that's probably it for us and fish for awhile. Anyone need a betta tank?

Mortimer

I enjoy having a variety of pets, though the more interactive the better. I think I've done a pretty good job of my animal stewardship in this life. I hope they would say the same!

It's the Last Midnight

In just a few short hours, the world will know the fate of Harry Potter. Yes. I am a Harry Potter nerd. Yes. That is my wristband to pick up my pre-ordered copy tonight at the Arlington Borders. Yes. I left for work early this morning to go to Borders first. Yes. I have my Sybil Trelawney costume with me.

I AM SO EXCITED!

My family discovered Harry Potter shortly before the 4th book was released, and we have an interesting, cutthroat pecking order when new books come out. The four of us that read it still all manage to finish it within the first few days, sharing only one copy. My dad's cousin gave us her extra copy of the 4th one when her family was done with it. I later bought the first four British children's versions in a box set whilst I was living in London. When the 5th book was released, I was working in the BYU library, which had ordered 10 copies, and I managed to get one via fast-catting. When I graduated from BYU, someone gave me the British children's version. For Book 6, I went to a book release party in Salt Lake with my friend Eilonwy without preordering, http://www.missgiggles.com/Books/Children/HP6.html , and won the book.

I didn't want to take any chances this time, so I pre-ordered for the first time. Smash and I, and several of our friends, will be celebrating in Old Town Alexandria before getting the book in Arlington. This, of course, will make perfect blogging fodder - but I have to read the book first. :)

You were the best of Montmartre street life

What an amazing trip! J'adore Paris! I am so grateful that I was able to make this trip to see my grandparents, and that they were adventurous enough follow me to and around Paris. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

When I arrived in London, I spent that Sunday just being with my grandparents and desperately trying to stay awake to defeat the jet lag. I'd been traveling for about 24 hours, so that was a bit tricky. I made it though, and they were very happy to see me.

Monday, Christmas Eve, we took the Eurostar to Paris! (After, of course, a quick side trip to find Platform 9 3/4.)

It took me a few minutes to convince my grandfather that I could find our way on the metro and that we'd be able to make it to our hotel, but I was right and he was trusting. Also fortuitous was that I knew just enough French to communicate with various people, most of whom were probably very forgiving.

Since Christmas Eve dinner is the big meal for the French, our concierge set us up with a restaurant. It was delicious, though expensive, and the service was quite friendly. I even had foie gras!Following dinner, we enjoyed a night view of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica from the Place du Tertre and paid way too much for a couple of roses.
We then headed to Notre Dame, with the intentions of enjoying Le Messe de Minuit (Midnight Mass). Unfortunately, after standing in a mob for several minutes, we discovered we should have been there hours earlier to get a seat. We enjoyed the music of whatever service was going on at 11:30 PM, and then called it a day.

Christmas morning, we slept in a little and then opened the few presents we had. Then, we found the one open grocery store to pick up sandwiches for lunch at the base of St. Augustin Cathedral. Our afternoon was spent with me leading us on a walking tour of Montmartre, trusty guidebook in hand. We found the original location for the Chat Noir, several former homes of famous residents (i.e. Van Gogh and Renoir), a couple original moulins (windmills), and Moulin Rouge itself. We also saw several sites from one of my favorite movies, like the carousel at the base of Sacré-Coeur and the Cafe du 2 Moulins. I was delighted, and we had a great time wandering around this very artistic part of the city. Also, I was quite flattered by the fact that the friend of the cashier at the souvenir shop we visited could not keep his eyes off me, and I'm fairly sure they were talking about me too. Sadly, with grandparents in tow, I could do nothing but bat my eyelashes, and wave as we walked away. Grandma said to not let that stop me in the future.We capped the day off by seeing the most notorious landmarks of Paris - the Eiffel Tower. It was a-MAZ-ing. Absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, it was a weird time of day that was not optimal for viewing the city or taking pictures, so we decided to hold off on going up until the next day.
Our dinner was lovely, and seeing the Eiffel Tower at night afterwards was awesome. The only sad thing about Christmas in Paris was not having my parents or siblings around. Due to everyone else in the world using international calling cards, I was also unable to talk to them. It's a good thing they know I love them.My final thought: Paris at Christmas! Can you imagine? No, I don't suppose you can . . .