On the Soap Box - Free Slurpee Day, 7/11 and The Town Crazies

Today Sam and I went on a quest to obtain one free slurpee from 7/11 on 7/11, a.k.a. Free Slurpee Day. We tried store #1 and they had a sign that said "Sorry, we are out of Free Slurpee sized cups". No big. We decided we would just purchase a 99cent one each and call it a day. As we stood in line a woman came in behind us, not knowing that they had run out of cups.

Never mind the sign on each of the two doors leading in to the store, written on white paper with a thick black marker.

She heard someone in line say they were out of the free sized cups and said to us "So, no free cups?"

Us: "Nope. Guess not."

Crazy Lady #1: "So... are you just going to buy one?"

Us, Thought: No, we'll just grab it and hope they think it's a free one, see if we can get away with it.

Us, Real Response: "..Yup"

Crazy Lady #1: "Do you think they'd just let me use my water bottle?"

Us, Thought: Hm. No. Probably not. Don't you think we'd all be doing that if it would fly with the 7/11 crew?

Us, Real Response: "Probably not"

Us, Thought: How desperate is this woman for a free slurpee?!

Two more women walk in behind us, who apparently knew the store owner. They chatted for a few minutes and said "Really? No free cups?" and he handed them two small styrofoam cups. They got in line behind Crazy Lady #1, Sam and I.

Crazy Lady #1: "He has free cups?!"

Normal Chicks dealing with Crazy Lady #1: "Well, not really. We just come in here all the time, we work across the street so we know him."


Crazy Lady #1: Walks over to the counter, strikes up small talk with the guy back there and comes back to the line, styrofoam cup in hand.

Really? Was 99cents plus tax too much?


Sam and I got closer to the slurpee machines to see that they were out of most flavors. I think they had Mountain Dew and ...something else left, but it was slim pickins'. We decided to head over to the other 7/11 in Provo thinking A- maybe they still had free cups? and B - if not, maybe they have more flavors so we could actually get something we wanted.

Little did we know that this store would have its own crazy.

We park and walk in and of course, they are out of free cups too. In fact, before we walk in some guy was on the sidewalk yelling "Well then, you should probably just close the store for the day!". Really? Just for the slurpee cups that they were out of. Hm. The workers looked tired, probably from dealing with crazed slurpee lovers all day wanting to know why they ran out of cups, like sidewalk dude. We get in line, and a few people come in after us.

The manager says "Sorry folks, just want you to know that we are out of the free slurpee cups."

I say "It's okay. The other 7/11 in Provo is too, we just hoped you guys would have more flavors, we're okay with paying for one".

I'm wondering if that was the most sane or kind response she had heard because she smiled. Poor thing. I don't want to know what her store looked like that morning.


Enter, Crazy Lady #2

Now, Crazy Lady #2 did not talk to us, but it was her actions that make it okay for us to deem her Crazy Lady #2.

We get closer to the slurpee machines and notice Crazy Lady #2 holding a 32oz slurpee cup (reusable) and an even larger, clear, reusable thermos type container.

Is she...? Was she thinking of...? No.... Wait, Yes.

She was planning on filling up these containers full of slurpee and then paying only for a refill. Really!? How desperate are we for reduced priced, carbonated, flavored, iced sugar beverage?

Crazy Lady #2 begins to fill up her first container with slurpee and because of its carbonation, and probably her enthusiasm about sticking it to the man by using a reusable container, it over flows the top all over her hand that is holding it. Blue slurpee all over. She shook it off on the floor. Cool. Then she proceeds to hand off the first container and take the larger thermos to fill it with slurpee. By this time Sam and I are at the machines and have our little 99cent cups ready to go. Mind you, she's already sticking it to the man and now she starts sticking it to us but shoving her large thermos in front of our teeny cups so she can fill it with SLURPEE!

BTDubs - Wish I had a better word for slurpee, but I'm pretty sure that's what they are called by 7/11 standards so I have to keep it up. I'm just tired of typing it.


We've got to "fight" a little to get in there so we can get our slurpees and go and then Crazy Lady #2 talks -

Crazy Lady #2: "This one is more liquid than the others, you might not want it" pointing to a certain variation of slurpee

Us, Thought: Hey Crazy Lady #2 - We've already dealt with one of you today, and now you're scamming on 7/11 on it's birthday. Real classy. Now let me pick my own dang slurpee. Thanks.


A part of me really hoped that when she got up to the counter they would call her on it, that maybe there would be a clause of some sort in the free slurpee day laws and they would say "sorry, full price" or something like that. I mean how desperate are we for carbonated, flavored, iced sugar beverage - right? If you really can't pay full price for a slurpee of that size, which for both of her might of cost her like $5, then shouldnt you be spending your money on real food for the fam? Hm.

They didn't stop her and we paid and got out of there with our triple flavored, 99cent slurpees. Thankful to have made it out of there alive and sane.


So here are my thoughts - If 7/11 runs out of cups on 7/11, calm down. They didn't do it on purpose, and if they did, they're genius because the majority of people who walked in still bought a slurpee in both stores. Even if it was in a reduced priced manner by filling up a reusable thermos and cup. So either way, thumbs up 7/11 and Happy Birthday.


And people of the world, knock off the crazy.





Really?! You want to fill your water bottle with slurpee?!

Stepping off the Soap Box

On the Soap Box - Single LDS Women

Dear Single LDS Women,

I speak to you dear sisters who are over 21 and unsure of what is next for you in life. For those who sit in meetings or school functions and see couples and become upset, even to the point of depression. For the women who hear the messages of "Get married" and "Start a Family" and feel like you have exhausted yourselves trying to do so. For any who are feeling alone and can't figure out the next step.

There is life after twenty-one, without a spouse. It's true. I was one of the young women who thought from age fourteen that I would get married in college. I would find him sometime between junior and senior year, we would date for at least 6 months and we would just know. I'd be swept away in this romance and graduate with my B.A. and my M.R.S. Now that was not my singular goal in college. I was going to college for an education but if I didn't find a husband in college - where would I find one?

I think part of this ideology comes from how much marriage is pushed on the young women of the church. It seems like it is always discussed and what is less often part of the discussion is the "what if it doesn't happen for me when it happens for everyone else?"

Up until last May I was still concerned about what I would do after graduation if "he" did not come along sometime soon. After all, we would have to date for a few months because I don't rush in to things like that. (Moving to Utah is one thing, I can change it easily. Marriage is serious, and I don't plan on doing that more than once.)

Then I moved to Washington, D.C. The place that holds the title of 2nd most populated city of YSA's (Young Single Adults). The women in my ward were ages 23-30. The men were around the same age. It was a weird thing to see but these women were functioning. Yup, functioning. They went about their daily lives without the weight of a ring on their left hand. They worked at Think Tanks, rode the metro, participated in pub trivia with friends, went to Duck Beach for Memorial Day weekend, organized and participated in Iron Chef events, went on dates, taught Relief Society, volunteered at DC3rd Girls Camp, and they blogged about all of it.

This was a new concept to me. That you could have graduated from a University, maybe gone on to get a Master’s degree or PhD, maybe served a mission - and then you lead your life. Do these women want to find someone and start a family? Sure! But they do not let that single fact rule their lives. They work. They live. They serve. They teach, and they taught me.

They showed me that life won't end in 27 days when I graduate from Southern Virginia University. No. I get to move to Utah. I am moving across the country! I could not do that with a spouse, at least not as easily as I am doing it. I get to go have new adventures, meet new people, make new friends, develop new talents, grow spiritually, and have time to better prepare myself for the time I get to have a family.

But, life is not over.

I think this exciting part of life should be addressed more to the Young Women of the church. That getting married young is okay, but that you still have plenty you can do and learn while you prepare for that time.

The women I met in DC were not the only examples of this I have in my life. There are women in my ward back home who are older women who have never married. They know that their blessings will come to them in the eternities, whenever that may be. They go on though. They serve, they love, and some of them are my 2nd and 3rd mothers. There are women who were just a few years older than me back home who are now going on to Masters programs, moving to new cities, experiencing new adventures. I am sure the desires of their hearts include marriage but they do not let it rule their day-to-day.

We need more examples like these women to combat the pressure some girls feel they are under to get married young. People like my friend who was upset after going to conference in the ward building and having to see all the couples and wondering why she had not received that blessing yet. Who just seemed down in the dumps all weekend during all the "marriage" talk.

Ladies - Life goes on. Experience it, all of it. Don't let the desire to be married rule your life. This is the one time you will really get to be on your own and do whatever you want to do. You've been given a little more time to have adventure, a little more time to learn, a little more time to become better prepared for when you have a family that will take up all of your time - Be grateful for it.

Happiness - There's Not a Single Barrier - By Mayola Miltenberger

David O. McKay - "The secret of happiness consists not of having but of being; not of possessing but of enjoying. It is a warm glow of the heart that is at peace with itself."



Stepping off the soap box.

On the Soap Box - Happy Valentine's Day

I don't remember when it started, but somewhere in the last 21.5 years I have fallen in love with love. For all intents and purposes I will blame one, Samantha Kealoha, and you know why. I think out of the trio she was the one most set on never letting us forget Valentine's Day. February 14th never passed without us celebrating in properly. Thanks, dear.

However, on the SVU campus we have a disease called "Im-going-to-celebrate-singles-awareness-day-and-not-Valentines-Day-because-Im-single". Personally, I want to know where this came from. I never heard of Singles Awareness Day until my freshman year at SVU when girls ran around on 2.14 with "SAD" shirts on. Really? This year, in our schools newspaper publication (for which I manage the finances) had our Valentines Issue come out without me really... looking at it before hand. Since some of you do not go to SVU or are not close enough to campus to check it out, I'll sum it up for you - One article was "A Single Girls Guide to an Anti-Valentines Day Celebration".

What?!

Since when is being single a reason to not like Valentine's Day? Since when are women now so controlled by their relationship status that if they are not with someone they automatically feel the desire... nay, right to wallow in self-pity for 24 hours. I do have a friend with a great excuse for preferring SAD to Valentine's but the rest of you have no excuse, sorry.

Valentine's Day may be a holiday that is highly commercialized. It may be a day that kind of makes you sick from all the excessive pda couples feel they can show because its Valentine's Day but you know what? Its a great day!

It is a day to remember love. All kinds of love. Love from your parents, and to them. Love for the rest of your family. Love for the best friends that are so fantastic you just spent nearly $500 for a plane ticket (and you hate flying) just so you can see them. Is it wrong if I say this is even a day to remember the greatest gift of love, ever, The Atonement. No.

It is a day to love.

To remember love, to share love, to be obnoxious about love with construction paper hearts and thickly iced cookies, to dance around with your best friend at the last Valentine's dance you'll be in the same state for.

Off the soapbox.

:)

Now for some pictures of my last few Valentine's celebrations in Virginia.

Freshman Year - Sadie Hawkins Dance

Sophomore Year - Brayden & I broke up and then got back together on Valentines Day
Looking back, especially at this photo, Im not suprised we broke up two weeks later
:)

Senior Year - At the SVU Valentines Day Rave with Mal

Senior Year - Valentines Day
Celebrating National Creeper Day (take 2) with some of my FHE "Kids"

All in all, some really fun times have been had.

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