I have a cold.

The same cold that is being passed around at work. I got this cold from Brandon, who says he got it from Phil, and I don't know where Phil got it. Hooray for living so close together that we all catch each other's diseases! But we also catch each other's enthusiasm and laughter, so it isn't half bad. Plus, there's always someone around when you need a friend!

So, I work here. Better still, I live here. It's amazing living in the mountains.

Even though we all get the same sicknesses....

It's definitely worth it.

But the stars and I begin to blur

Last Sunday we went through Grandma's hope chest. She had a bunch of old clothes in there. As we took out and tried on all the different clothes, Grandma would tell us about who made the clothes, who wore them, and to what events they were worn.

It was a really cool way for my cousins and I to learn about our ancestors. It was a family history fashion show, and it was great!

Click here for a complete viewing of the fashion show!

Observations

Observation 1: I never want to work in an ice cream parlor. End of story.

Observation 2: I miss the MTC bookstore with every little crevice of my heart. I miss the missionaries. I miss the diversity. I miss the computer system. I miss blue cards and multiple languages. I miss my best friends. I miss the camaraderie. I miss scheming, and McKesson, and random food days, and Jordan seceding from the Union. I miss the vacuums. I miss my nametag. I miss blue and yellow packets. I'm totally going through withdrawals. Right now, I even miss being stopped by security.

Observation 3: I really couldn't be happier with the situation up here. I like the computer system we use. I like seeing families together-even though the kids can be crazy. The boys I work with are perfect-we couldn't get along any better. I like feeling as though the store is "ours" in a sense. I love that we all feel like family already. I love walking into the "living room" and having every one there talking and laughing. I love having best friends to confide in/write books with. I love the peace of being in the mountains. I love going outside in the morning and feeling the crisp mountain air.

I really like it up here. But I do want to go back to the MTC in the fall.

Oh, the joys of May Crew

Yesterday, while I was in my pariahdom, I got a huge bruise above my left knee. It's pretty crazy. Also, I have a bruise on my right arm that is turning weird colors, and a bruise on my right wrist that I just noticed. Yay for May crew.

PS: Steve ran directly into a pole the other night while we were playing volleyball. It was probably the funniest thing any of us had ever seen. That pole is now a member of the staff. His name is John. We tell people, "yeah, Steve ran into John last night-literally".

That's "p-a-r-i-a-h"

I was so bored and lonely today. Oh, I'm grateful that I got to spend the day inside with the air-conditioning on and not a lot of walking (my foot has been hurting recently), but it was so sad.

I could see Seth through the window as he powerwashed the ground, but (no offense to Seth) he wasn't very entertaining. I just sat there like the pariah that I probably am until I turned on some music. It helped to lighten up the monotony, but wasn't as good as having actual people to converse with.

So I found pleasure in listening to the goings-on of the camp and staff through the radio. That was more entertaining than Seth and music until I heard that my roommate and best friend was hurt and on her way to Urgent Care. Then it was sad.

But the day is over, and tomorrow is a new day. A day full of people, talking, and laughing...but hopefully no pain.

Just like pretzels.

We went to see Prince Caspian today. On the whole, I was severely disappointed. Anyway, the one thing I really hated about the movie was that Susan went back and kissed Caspian. I was thinking, come ON. You are never going to see him again. DON'T waste your kiss on him!!! She's going to regret that.

Trust me.

So long, farewell.

Theater on Tiger Way, we bid you adieu. Thank you for the many years of quality entertainment. Within your walls I learned many things: how to work, how to paint, how to Dutchman, how to critically review theater- but the most important thing I learned was how to love everyone and accept them for who they are-this I learned from my Grandfather. So thanks for the memories.

Woodbadge

Last Sunday, my family and I went to visit Grandpa Murray. We were sitting around the table talking, and my dad asked me if I would get him a cup of water. Being the obedient and respectful daughter that I am, I went into the kitchen and filled up a mug-my favorite mug, in fact.

I brought the cup to my dad and said, "Here Dad. I even put your water in my very favorite cup-the cup I use every time I get a drink at Grandpa Murray's." Dad took one look at the cup and said, "Oh, no. You haven't been to woodbadge. You can't use this cup."

I was so distraught. Of course I argued my case, but my dad said, "You can't use this cup if you can't sing the woodbadge song." Having never been to woodbadge, I do not know the song, of course. Although I definitely tried. My woodbadge song was amazing, and I thought it might have fooled me dad, but no.

I sat there all sad and forlorn for awhile before remembering who is really in charge of that cup-and who would do anything for his granddaughter. So I turned to Grandpa and said, "Grandpa, can I please drink out of the woodbadge cup?" And he said, "Yes, dear, whatever you would like."

Haha. Now that is the way to do things. Also, Grandpa let us eat sour cream fudge. Yum.

It's the last wish

"It's the last midnight. So goodbye, all. Coming at you fast, midnight--soon you'll see the sky fall"

I know it looks like something you would see on that TV show "To Catch a Thief"--my room looks, as Mariel just told me, "like a tornado just passed through". I know it looks a mess, but this is what happens when I pack. I like to get everything together before I put it in the suitcase.

Anyway, just wanted to document this. Not like it won't ever happen again. This is generally what my room looks like before I go places: Disneyland, Nauvoo, the Grand Canyon, Grandpa Murray's house, Target...

No, really. Usually I keep everything hung in my closet or in my dresser. Really.

So simple.

Good Combination: Greg + Tess

Bad Combination: The reception of Greg+Tess + Boot Scootin' Boogie + an undeniable desire to dance + a boot.

Year by year, we're falling like stars.

"Faces change, even smiles grow strange. And we all have so many faces, the real self often erases. Enticing lies flicker through our eyes. Feel the terror draw ever nearer the more you stare in the mirror..."

Hmm. When is the last time someone directed Pimpernel around here? It seems like the Hale might have done it a few years ago...but I think it's time for another one!

An interesting sidenote: Today is Albert Finney's birthday. He can play Scrooge like there's no tomorrow. I love that guy.

I remember...

• Eating barbecue chips in chocolate ice cream
• Watching and analyzing every little detail of "Catch Me if You Can"...we just didn't get it.
• Listening to the same band every day, trying to get me to fall in love with them :)
• Having matching green striped shirts
• Eye injuries
• Watching The Office
• Laser tagging. Hannah, Mark and I made up a pretty good maneuver called "charge a member of the other team while screaming". I was the MVP of that game :)
  
• Going to the Mayan
• Seeing Newsies at the Shell. And we forgot bug spray.
• Falling in love with Stardust
• Seminary
• Watching The Black Cauldron. Half of it, anyway. We got too bored.
• Off-roading anytime we wanted to go anywhere-if it wasn't my road being torn up, it was his.
  
• Playing Scrabble. Looking up random words in the dictionary
• Hanging Noelle's camera on the garage light.
• Being spied on. Multiple times ;)
• Being very disturbed by the end of Gattaca.
• Lagoon Day
• Top of the "Top 5" list
  
• Forgetting.

I don't know why I'm awake at 5:25....

...but it doesn't matter why. The fact remains that I am awake. And there is nothing to be done.

Our all-time favorite clip of 8 Simple Rules

Oh, come on.

It's just like Little Mary Sunshine. I've done it before, and I can do it again!...at least, that's what I have to keep telling myself.

"And for your sake my lonely heart will ache and quake and break. If you do not return, my heart will yearn and burn, so please return. Then..."

I remember...

• Eating barbecue chips in chocolate ice cream
• Watching and analyzing every little detail of "Catch Me if You Can"...we just didn't get it.
• Listening to the same band every day, trying to get me to fall in love with them :)
• Having matching green striped shirts
• Eye injuries
• Watching The Office
• Laser tagging. Hannah, Mark and I made up a pretty good maneuver called "charge a member of the other team while screaming". I was the MVP of that game :)
  
• Going to the Mayan
• Seeing Newsies at the Shell. And we forgot bug spray.
• Falling in love with Stardust
• Seminary
• Watching The Black Cauldron. Half of it, anyway. We got too bored.
• Off-roading anytime we wanted to go anywhere-if it wasn't my road being torn up, it was his.
  
• Playing Scrabble. Looking up random words in the dictionary
• Hanging Noelle's camera on the garage light.
• Being spied on. Multiple times ;)
• Being very disturbed by the end of Gattaca.
• Lagoon Day
• Top of the "Top 5" list
  
• Forgetting.
  

Another confession

If you didn't love me before, you probably should after hearing this story ;)
So, this picture...I don't know where it came from. Abby found it online, and it struck a chord in the depths of her heart, because one day...

It was years ago. I don't know how old we were, but we were young. I was vacuuming (like a good little girl) with our new, intense Kirby vacuum. Abby came up to me and said, "Nat! Vacuum my toes!" So...I did.

We laugh about it now, but back then...I sure did get in trouble.

"This is ridiculous-what am I doing here?

I'm in the wrong story!

This was just a moment in the woods. Our moment-shimmering and lovely and sad. Leave the moment, just be glad for the moment that we had. Every moment is a moment when you're in the woods....

Let the moment go...don't forget it for a moment, though! Just remembering you've had an 'and' when you're back to 'or' makes the 'or' mean more than it did before.

Now I understand...and it's time to leave the woods!"

Okay. Amanda was singing this song last night, and it really got stuck in my head. Except whenever showtunes get stuck in my head, it's not just the one song...the whole show comes to mind. I'll be singing music from the lucky musical for days.

So, whoever can guess what musical these random quotes are from (without google, or yahoo, etc) is amazing. Actually, if you just use some of the clues provided in the text, it shouldn't be too difficult.

What I will say, though, is that this song (well, the whole show, really) is what makes Prince Charming so...disenchanting to me. It's quite sad.

Problem:

I own a lot of shoes. This, in and of itself, is not a problem. I really like shoes. Granted, I only wear a couple pairs of them consistently, but shoes are fun! I have a few pairs of crocs, a few pairs of tennis shoes, more Sunday shoes than I actually wear, a couple of different colors of clogs, sandals...etc...

Keeping in mind that I usually only wear my tennis shoes now that my feet are having probems, I will now state my problem. Somehow, about 7 pairs of my shoes have ended up at the back door. This week. Two pairs of crocs, two pairs of Nikes, a pair of tennis shoes from Old Navy...and the list goes on. I really don't know why.

I'm bootlegging sympathy

I call it...my "sympathy boot". It makes things look a lot worse than they actually are, and it does wonders at evoking sympathy.

I've already had to explain what has happened to my foot roughly 57 times. And it's only been 24 hours.

And my left foot is getting a lot of experience in areas it has previously not had to deal with, such as: pressing the pedal on the piano; driving a car; dancing by itself; and constantly walking on tip-toe when I'm not wearing shoes with a considerable heel. Remind me again why I'm wearing this boot...?

Preference 2007

Somehow, we all ended up wearing roughly the same colors. We are such a photogenic group of friends :)

"It's difficult for one to enjoy the frivolities of life...

...when one is staring death in the face. But then, you seem to be making up for both of us."
-Billy Jester, Little Mary Sunshine by Rick Besoyan, Act II, scene 1, p. 37

My best friends are gone, and I might cry. There are already so many things that I need to tell them, to laugh with them about, to get their advice on...I love them.

I'm excited for them, and I'm even wearing my Nauvoo shirt in honor of them...but I'm also pretty sad. We really haven't been apart for more than a couple of weeks, and we were always in contact through emails, facebook, phone calls, etc. Now we have to rely on real letters. Hmm.

I'm so grateful for my amazing friends!

(Umm, PS: I just found a script for The Foreigner in my closet. I absolutely love that play. Blasny, blasny, right?)