A Lesson in Patience

Before you roll your eyes or think, well that's a trivial trial, realize that to me its important.

I am now willingly enduring an extended stay in New York until Monday morning until about 10:00am. Tuesday night after having a great evening with Sam, Mallory, Boomer, Brandon & Tommy (on the phone, but it counts) I was pulled over on the way home. The cop was looking for any reason to give me a ticket, I can honestly say that. He asked Mallory to roll down her window, while mine was also down, and said I had a tail light that was out. He asked where we were going, where I was from, what my name was (first & last - while he had my license), etc. We could not find my registration so he looked on the windshield and discovered my inspection expired Sept 2010. (For this little part, I am grateful. I needed to get an inspection and really didn't look at the sticker thinking Dad would remind me. Its better it was caught while I was home and not in Virginia) He gave me two tickets - one for the light (which was really flickering, not totally out) and the inspection. Dad and I went to fix the inspection today but for some reason our mechanic was out of the stickers and said the mechanics he knew of in the area were all also out of the stickers for some reason. He said he could do it first thing Monday morning.

I was upset. Frustrated. Just, ready to leave. Like I said previously, I love home & the people here but I am so ready to get back to my home, and my life. My busy, crazy, get to hang out with the boyfriend & his family, 17 credits, senior status, senior paper, three jobs life! I want it back. Tears were involved, out of pure frustration. Not to mention date night has now been postponed. Scott and I were planning on date night & exchange of Christmas presents Saturday. Now that's pushed to Monday and depending on his work schedule next week we may or may not be able to go to DC before classes start like I so want to do (just think Baked & Wired, Teaism, Georgetown, Monuments & the Temple @ night, riding the metro - makes me giddy thinking I get to show Scott around my city. Yup, its mine)

I have decided that this is an obvious lesson in patience. Apparently I need another two days here... for something. I'll figure it out. So while I am frustrated and honestly ready to get back to Virginia, I'll figure out a way to find joy in my extra two days in New York.




For the record - This is the longest amount of time I have been in New York since the summer after freshman year. Spring Break, Christmas Break & Thanksgiving Break are all short trips and the summers were spent in DC & BV. When I did come home over sophomore years summer it was for one week in rhode island and one week at home. This break has been two straight weeks at my parents. Its time for Virginia.

New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down

This morning I reached a point that I usually reach a lot earlier in my breaks from school when I come home.

I'm ready to go back. I am ready to just leave New York.

We texted this morning as I hit my breaking point and he told me to look up this song. Its perfect.





Don't get me wrong. Being home has some real perks. I love being in my own room again, having my bathroom, heck - i like my whole house :) Its nice spending time with Dad, Mom & the boys. Joey is still Joey but George has done a lot of growing up since I was last home and its great to see that. I like being able to go to church with the family, I like not having to spend my own money on gas. I like seeing Mike, Laura, Sam, and over this trip - Brandon & Boomer (and talking to Tommy on the phone). It has been a great break, but -

I feel like my parents have a hard time grasping that I have really been on my own for the last three years. I stayed for a summer term after freshman year. I lived in Buena Vista the entire summer after sophomore year. I worked in Washington, DC this past summer. I am about to graduate and move to either Salt Lake, Washington DC or Orlando - Life is moving, Im living, and doing it on my own.

Am I too independent for my own good? I wonder that sometimes.

Anyway - listen to the song, and look for updates on when I get back to VA & the haircut. Its cool.

Gettin' my hairs cut

ZzZzZZzZzz...

I have slept - so much - since I have been home and actually,
It's been wonderful.

I have done other fun things too.

I would post pictures but I can't - The internet is slow, and we're in the middle of a

Nor'Easter :-)

That word, by the way, doesnt really exist in Virginia

People look at me like I'm crazy when I talk about them.




For now, I'll leave you with some sweet tunes.

Panera.

Why Yes, Panera Bread, I will buy a "pick two" (sierra turkey & french onion soup), with a drink and then only pay 99cents for a $2.35 Orange Scone that I will eat for breakfast tomorrow.

In fact.

You may just have made me want to come visit you again so I can do the same thing, maybe switching up my soup choice, and get another delicious baked good at less than half price.

Darn deals :)

On the Soap Box - Engagements

Dear Readers,

This is not an announcement, but a venting session. Let me preempt this by saying that this post is not meant to be directed at any one person. I do not know details for all of the situations I am referring to in this post but I do know how they make me feel. I do not mean for this to be a self-centered rant but rather a thought provoking ...discussion, if you'll comment. Get ready, I am getting on the soap box.

Is an engagement the latest fad?

Sounds rather ridiculous to call an engagement a fad but darlin' it seems like this is what we are coming to. I can use both hands to count how many couples, whom I personally know, who have called off their engagement in the last year or so. The reasons vary: They did not know each other well enough, things were going too fast, etc. These reasons are valid and I will commend these couples for realizing a fault and stopping things before they went through with a Temple sealing, beginning what might have been a very rocky relationship. When two people are in a relationship some may say that they have the "goggles" on, They see much good in the person they are with but are so infatuated that they fail to see any flaws, or issues that may make it more difficult for a successful marriage. Side note: Marriage is work. I understand this. I do not expect to marry someone that I am so in tune with that we will not have problems, however, I would hope that we are both close to the Lord to know that with one another we would be able to make a marriage work.

That being said, lets say that you do have these "goggles" on. Might I suggest that you take them off before you say "Yes". It seems these days that couples take an engagement to mean a further trial run of their relationship before a marriage. Sorry, I disagree. It is situations like these that seem to take the magic out of an engagement. Call me a hopeless romantic but I am so excited for that stage in my life, whenever it comes. I just don't see myself going back on something like that.

Thoughts? Is this happening elsewhere? Or is this a Southern Mormon thing?

Stepping Off the Soap Box

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving this year did not turn out as I had planned. I was planning on going to DC to spend time with friends from this summer, stay with Rachel and come back to BV on Friday. With my license being expired (but renewed, i just hadn't gotten it in the mail yet) my dad felt uneasy about me going and with my car acting up and a possibility of the exhaust pipe falling off on the trip up or back, I felt uneasy. After thought, and a little complaining I went to visit Scott at work and tell him that I didn't think I was going to go to DC. He suggested I drive ten miles or so and see how I feel about it after I get going. I took his advice, started back on 81 and the check engine light came on. Not that this is anything new but I had just disconnected the battery so it wouldn't do that and it came on after fifteen miles, not good.

I decided to stay in Buena Vista and get my car fixed instead of tripping it up to DC. While I was pretty bummed (okay, maybe really bummed. I was a poop to be around for a day or two) I still had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mallory and I went to Roanoke to go shopping on Wed. and we found a lot of great deals :) On Thursday, I went to Scott's house and spent the day with the Dransfields. Literally, all day. I got there about 11:00am and we began cooking. We ate dinner, went on a short walk/bird watching expedition, watched elf (well everyone else watched Elf, Scott and I fell asleep in the corner hah), woke up and ate dessert, played apples to apples, ate some more dessert, watched Spirited Away, took another nap - and then I left. 14 hours. It was a good build up to what Saturday would be.

Friday I just hung around and did some housework. Relaxed day. Saturday I woke up and went to Lowe's to get a copy of my car key made so I could drop off my car at the shop. Scott came by to pick me up and drove over with me so I could drop my car off. We filled up the gas tank and jumped on 81. 4 hours later we arrived in Norfolk. We drove around a bit, found some parking and headed out for some pre-concert adventures. We went down to the waterfront and took some pictures, and then began walking towards The Chrysler Museum of Art. I really liked this gallery a lot. It was small (only 2 floors) but had a really great variety in its art work. We left and walked past Norva to see if there was a crowd and saw a few people in line. We decided to head back to the car and pick up our tickets and go back to Norva. A few hours later we were in and listening to some local opening bands, and then came MAE. I liked them before but I really like them now. They put on a great live show and involved the audience. I was worried I would not know the songs they were playing but I knew most of them so that was fun too.