first of all, name that country song!
second of all, that's me. minus the cook book.
that's right, i got my rolling pin back!
so i've been whining about this to everyone who will listen for the last few days. here's the story, in case you haven't heard the whining, which is doubtful, but whatever.
on saturday i was home by myself when there was a knock at the door. i went and answered it and it was a girl asking for my roommate. my roommate wasn't home, so the visitor asked me "do you guys have a rolling pin? i want to make dumplings like at home, but i don't have a rolling pin." (she was asian, meaning i'm sure she was quite far from home, so her story about wanting to make dumplings like home sucked me right in.) i thought twice about giving her mine since it is new from christmas and it's a pretty nice one as far as rolling pins go. i gave it to her and she said she lived downstairs, and then hesitated and said she'd bring it back "tonight. or maybe tomorrow. i'm not sure." well, i tried to be optimistic when it didn't show up on saturday night.
then sunday night, no sign of it. then monday. tuesday. today. i have not really had good luck lending people things- they usually don't come back, or they come back broken or somehow worse off than they were when they were lent. so i was worried. finally, i decided, "you know what? you just gotta go ask for it back."
so, i walked downstairs and knocked on the door. i waited. and waited. no one answered. then, a door opened behind me. "hi, sorry- are you the girl who borrowed my rolling pin?" (so apparently i didn't know which apartment she lived in.)
"oh, yes yes. so sorry. right here, right here." she invited me in and gave me the rolling pin. she asked what my name was. i asked hers. hers took me like 3 tries, until she finally wrote it down "Puujee". Ok. Well, if there's one thing i have to say about my asian roommates and acquaintances, it's that most of them have "american-ized" names, which seems weird to me, but the ones that don't have american-ized names, have names that are hard to pronounce. although, with a double "l" in my name, they probably feel the same way about me. "hello mawryy!!!"
so the rolling pin is back. now i need to make something that uses it. cinnamon rolls would be nice (thanks to mom's comment on megan's blog) but i don't know how to make them. i've always wanted to make one of those fancy cinnamon roll wreaths that mom makes at christmas time too, but i guess those are a little out of season right now.
anyway. i'm just writing to say this experience has somewhat restored my faith in human-kind, or at least in the Asian population. i will say this: i didn't know any of my roommates moving in here. it turned out they are all Asian of one variety or another (taiwan, korea, japan). but they are by far my most clean, considerate, and personal-space respecting roommates i've ever had. they do not eat my food, or even move stuff that isn't theirs. they clean up after themselves relatively quickly after making a mess. they clean the hair out of the shower and off the vanity when they're done. one of my roommates went to culinary school and whenever she makes something yummy, she leaves me a piece before taking it to friends. they do not borrow without asking, and they do not yell or fight (like sophomore year).
the only conflict i can recall having was when i was in the shower and another roommate got in the other shower, taking away all my water pressure and hot water. i got out to wait, soaking wet in a towel. another roommate was standing at the mirror and asked what was happening, so i told her. when the roommate in the shower got out, the roommate at the mirror said "uh, mollie (mawry!) had to get out of the shower because when you got in it took the hot water. so maybe we shouldn't use the showers at the same time? let's just wait until the first person it out." to which the first girl responded "oh i'm so sorry!" and we've never had a problem showering at the same time since.
we do not have to fight about where the thermostat should be in the summer or winter (roommates freshman year: so hot we were wearing shorts in the winter. roommates sophomore year: air conditioning on in march, while it was snowing out.) we generally all keep to ourselves, but we are kind and civil to each other. we never have dishes in the sink for more than a couple hours, and my dishes are always clean because they are considerate enough not to use mine when theirs are dirty- and theirs are rarely dirty for long periods of time (unlike freshman and sophomore years.) anyway. my point is, i don't know if it's some type of culture thing or not, and maybe it's just coincidence, but my Asian roommates have been my best roommates in terms of manners and civility. and getting my rolling pin back (though late, and after having to go ask for it) with many apologies reinforced that theory. sure, they eat weird things sometimes, and watch movies in languages i don't understand, but that's a very small price to pay.
and don't get me wrong, i've loved some of the people i lived with freshman and sophomore years, but i'm just saying. my faith in Asians as roommates has increased remarkably since living here.
and now that they're all moving out and who knows what crazies are going to move in, i find myself already missing them!
long story short: rolling pin is back, and my Asian roommates are pretty great.
-mollie
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Time Warp
Ok, so I've pretty much given up on the long posts. You'll just get what you get. Besides, short ones are better sometimes because you don't have to commit to multiple minutes to read them.
Also, who knew my last post would be so popular? I think 7 comments is a record here.
I'm just writing to tell you a story.
Last night I was at Erin's because they got home from their family reunion and Bryce was going to set off some fireworks with his cousins. I went and watched. I got home late- about 11. And then had to get ready for bed. My sleep schedule was all thrown off now (I try to get to bed by 10:30 so that I can get 8 hours of sleep and also have time to shower, take my time getting ready, and make/eat breakfast. It's a good system.) I usually take a Sunday nap, which is factored in, but yesterday I got awakened 6 times- SIX!- while I was trying to take a nap. I had been in bed for an hour when I just decided it wasn't going to happen. Anyway. I came home late, after not getting my nap, and I got ready for bed as fast as I could and then set my alarm.
My alarm is set for 6:50 M-F, so I left it. I woke up at 6:50 when the alarm went off, and reset a new alarm for 7:30 so I could get a little extra sleep- knowing this would cut out breakfast time.
I woke up again when the alarm went off at 7:30 and laid in bed for a few minutes after pushing "snooze" before forcing myself to get in the shower with the argument that I already got to sleep in, and if I didn't get up, I'd be late for work.
Ok, you're wondering why this all matters. Well, I got out of the shower after spending the time thinking about what I was going to wear so as to expedite the getting dressed process since I was already 40 minutes behind my regular schedule. I went to my room and turned on the radio (all part of the routine...) and there, right before my eyes, my clock said 7:33. WHAT?!
So then I spent the next hour trying to figure out how this could possibly be so. I checked my phone, and the alarm was set for 7:30 and hadn't gone off yet. Did I just imagine the alarm going off at 7:30? Did I wake up to some other noise and convince myself out of bed before realizing I had only been asleep an extra 10 minutes from the original alarm time?
I really have no idea how this happened, but I'm pretty sure I have officially time traveled. I think I deserve a Nobel Prize.
And now this post (and a surprise party for a boy in the ward) has caused me to be late getting to bed once again. Blah.
-mollie
p.s.- Also, I think I am going to take the plunge tomorrow and buy an external hard drive for $80 (I have $50 in gift cards that I can use, so it will really be like $30 out-of-pocket). I sent the information to Kyle and he said it looked fine, so I think I'm gonna go for it. It's pretty and red (bonus!). I'm just worried that my dear Toshiba laptop has been having some health problems (what with random error messages and such) and while I'm hoping very earnestly that he survives through my BYU graduation at least- He's only 4 years old for Pete's sake!- I'm afraid he's going to die. Which will be a tragedy. There will be sackcloth and ashes. But less so if I have everything backed up somewhere else. So purchase an external hard drive I shall.
Also, who knew my last post would be so popular? I think 7 comments is a record here.
I'm just writing to tell you a story.
Last night I was at Erin's because they got home from their family reunion and Bryce was going to set off some fireworks with his cousins. I went and watched. I got home late- about 11. And then had to get ready for bed. My sleep schedule was all thrown off now (I try to get to bed by 10:30 so that I can get 8 hours of sleep and also have time to shower, take my time getting ready, and make/eat breakfast. It's a good system.) I usually take a Sunday nap, which is factored in, but yesterday I got awakened 6 times- SIX!- while I was trying to take a nap. I had been in bed for an hour when I just decided it wasn't going to happen. Anyway. I came home late, after not getting my nap, and I got ready for bed as fast as I could and then set my alarm.
My alarm is set for 6:50 M-F, so I left it. I woke up at 6:50 when the alarm went off, and reset a new alarm for 7:30 so I could get a little extra sleep- knowing this would cut out breakfast time.
I woke up again when the alarm went off at 7:30 and laid in bed for a few minutes after pushing "snooze" before forcing myself to get in the shower with the argument that I already got to sleep in, and if I didn't get up, I'd be late for work.
Ok, you're wondering why this all matters. Well, I got out of the shower after spending the time thinking about what I was going to wear so as to expedite the getting dressed process since I was already 40 minutes behind my regular schedule. I went to my room and turned on the radio (all part of the routine...) and there, right before my eyes, my clock said 7:33. WHAT?!
So then I spent the next hour trying to figure out how this could possibly be so. I checked my phone, and the alarm was set for 7:30 and hadn't gone off yet. Did I just imagine the alarm going off at 7:30? Did I wake up to some other noise and convince myself out of bed before realizing I had only been asleep an extra 10 minutes from the original alarm time?
I really have no idea how this happened, but I'm pretty sure I have officially time traveled. I think I deserve a Nobel Prize.
And now this post (and a surprise party for a boy in the ward) has caused me to be late getting to bed once again. Blah.
-mollie
p.s.- Also, I think I am going to take the plunge tomorrow and buy an external hard drive for $80 (I have $50 in gift cards that I can use, so it will really be like $30 out-of-pocket). I sent the information to Kyle and he said it looked fine, so I think I'm gonna go for it. It's pretty and red (bonus!). I'm just worried that my dear Toshiba laptop has been having some health problems (what with random error messages and such) and while I'm hoping very earnestly that he survives through my BYU graduation at least- He's only 4 years old for Pete's sake!- I'm afraid he's going to die. Which will be a tragedy. There will be sackcloth and ashes. But less so if I have everything backed up somewhere else. So purchase an external hard drive I shall.
Friday, July 24, 2009
graduate school update
So... I had the day off today. (Caution: This is going to be another short post...)
I spent it sleeping in, first of all, which was wonderful.
Then I got up, took a shower, and waited for Erin to take a shower so we could go to lunch.
(At Burger King- for the toys. For her children.)
Then I went to Erin's for a little while, played with Will, and read the boys a story.
Then I came back to the apartment and started looking up graduate schools and programs- thanks to my co-worker Patrick, who gave me the idea to create an Excel spreadsheet of all the critical information about each program.
I filled out the spreadsheet for 5-6 different schools, some out East, some here, and then got bored.
Then I watched some West Wing and studied math for the GRE, thanks to my cousin Liz who brought me her old books.
Now I'm bored, which I suppose is OK because I would be going to bed shortly on a regular night, so I will probably be moving in that direction soon.
Oh yes, and I also hiked "The Y" for FHE on Monday, and convinced my boss to take us to Arby's on Wednesday.
Tomorrow I need to write a talk (I got asked to speak at church on Sunday- about managing our finances and avoiding debt. Oh joy. It's sure to keep everyone on the edge of their seats!) and run some errands.
Anyway, today was not a total loss; I think I found my dream graduate school and program. They tell you to pick a "reach" school/program... well, I did. I am not telling anyone what it is, so as to avoid jinxing it. Also, this way no one can say "You want to go where?! Hah, yeah right!" Also, if I DO apply and then get rejected, I won't have to tell anyone. So, if you're wondering what it is, you'll just have to keep wondering. Or read my journal. But I'd prefer if you didn't do the latter.
I also found 3-4 other programs I will probably apply to. So yay for me.
Can you believe I have absolutely no inkling of an idea as to where I'm going to be a year from now? Where I'll live, where I'll be going to school, what I'll be studying, where I'll be working? I can't. And sometimes it makes me want to barf.
the end.
I spent it sleeping in, first of all, which was wonderful.
Then I got up, took a shower, and waited for Erin to take a shower so we could go to lunch.
(At Burger King- for the toys. For her children.)
Then I went to Erin's for a little while, played with Will, and read the boys a story.
Then I came back to the apartment and started looking up graduate schools and programs- thanks to my co-worker Patrick, who gave me the idea to create an Excel spreadsheet of all the critical information about each program.
I filled out the spreadsheet for 5-6 different schools, some out East, some here, and then got bored.
Then I watched some West Wing and studied math for the GRE, thanks to my cousin Liz who brought me her old books.
Now I'm bored, which I suppose is OK because I would be going to bed shortly on a regular night, so I will probably be moving in that direction soon.
Oh yes, and I also hiked "The Y" for FHE on Monday, and convinced my boss to take us to Arby's on Wednesday.
Tomorrow I need to write a talk (I got asked to speak at church on Sunday- about managing our finances and avoiding debt. Oh joy. It's sure to keep everyone on the edge of their seats!) and run some errands.
Anyway, today was not a total loss; I think I found my dream graduate school and program. They tell you to pick a "reach" school/program... well, I did. I am not telling anyone what it is, so as to avoid jinxing it. Also, this way no one can say "You want to go where?! Hah, yeah right!" Also, if I DO apply and then get rejected, I won't have to tell anyone. So, if you're wondering what it is, you'll just have to keep wondering. Or read my journal. But I'd prefer if you didn't do the latter.
I also found 3-4 other programs I will probably apply to. So yay for me.
Can you believe I have absolutely no inkling of an idea as to where I'm going to be a year from now? Where I'll live, where I'll be going to school, what I'll be studying, where I'll be working? I can't. And sometimes it makes me want to barf.
the end.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
No, but really.
Yahoo horoscope for the day:
Love isn't just in the air. It is the very air you breathe. Who can resist you?
As the Dixie Chicks say, "What's all this talk about love?!"
-mollie
p.s.- Because Friday is "pioneer day", tomorrow is the start of my weekend! YAY!
Love isn't just in the air. It is the very air you breathe. Who can resist you?
As the Dixie Chicks say, "What's all this talk about love?!"
-mollie
p.s.- Because Friday is "pioneer day", tomorrow is the start of my weekend! YAY!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Star-crossed lovers?
I was just checking my email and I have a habit of checking the horoscope for the day.
Some days I enjoy them more than others, and I thought today's was pretty good.
"Love is knocking on your door, but are you ready to answer? Go for it."
... all I can say is it must not be knocking very loud...
-mollie
p.s.- sorry for all the random short posts. I promise a substantive post is on the way.
Some days I enjoy them more than others, and I thought today's was pretty good.
"Love is knocking on your door, but are you ready to answer? Go for it."
... all I can say is it must not be knocking very loud...
-mollie
p.s.- sorry for all the random short posts. I promise a substantive post is on the way.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Another random, short post.
when you run out of toilet paper, you suddenly become acutely aware of how many times you use the restroom in a day. and it seems like you have to go ALL THE TIME.
(addendum: don't worry, I have purchased some...)
(addendum: don't worry, I have purchased some...)
Thursday, July 16, 2009
smile
i think it's funny that my roommate writes her name in big letters on her jar of kimchi- fermenting cabbage with red pepper.
... like anyone else wants it.
hehehe- it made me laugh.
... like anyone else wants it.
hehehe- it made me laugh.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Time Out.
ohmigosh.
centipedes bite?!
add that to my list of Things To Be Afraid Of (which is already plenty long).
centipedes bite?!
add that to my list of Things To Be Afraid Of (which is already plenty long).
Monday, July 13, 2009
Best and Worst
Update from my little world:
1) work at the University Advisement Center is crazily busy- at least it was today. Fastest 8 hr day I've had in a long time. I got an office (my very own office!!!!) and met with students in person and on the phone with no breaks except to eat lunch for half an hour. And I absolutely loved it. I think I found my calling in life... :) Two more days of my office in the UAC before moving back to the good ol' FA office. (FA loaned two of us to the UAC to help with Freshman Registration which is happening July 13-15.)
2) I quickly did something with my hair today so I wouldn't walk into the UAC with wet hair, fresh from the shower. It took about 10 minutes, and it turned out dang good if I do say so myself. Pictures soon of course.
3) Spiders in the shower are the WORST spiders in the world. I think there is a special place in hell for them. You go to the trouble of checking the bathroom before going in, then get undressed and get into the shower, before finding one on the back of the shower curtain?!? There's no way to see them until you're IN the shower, and at that point you're defenseless and have nowhere to go. Gag.
4) I think I killed a centipede in my apartment this morning. Seriously. I thought centipedes were just the stuff of legend, until I saw one today, crawling across our carpet, in all its one-hundred-legged glory. It scared the living daylights out of me... just when I had semi-gotten used to spiders in the apartment, now centipedes?!? Also, do NOT google image search centipedes. It will make you jump and gasp in horror as I just did.
I bet you just googled it, didn't you? I warned you.
That is all.
-mollie
1) work at the University Advisement Center is crazily busy- at least it was today. Fastest 8 hr day I've had in a long time. I got an office (my very own office!!!!) and met with students in person and on the phone with no breaks except to eat lunch for half an hour. And I absolutely loved it. I think I found my calling in life... :) Two more days of my office in the UAC before moving back to the good ol' FA office. (FA loaned two of us to the UAC to help with Freshman Registration which is happening July 13-15.)
2) I quickly did something with my hair today so I wouldn't walk into the UAC with wet hair, fresh from the shower. It took about 10 minutes, and it turned out dang good if I do say so myself. Pictures soon of course.
3) Spiders in the shower are the WORST spiders in the world. I think there is a special place in hell for them. You go to the trouble of checking the bathroom before going in, then get undressed and get into the shower, before finding one on the back of the shower curtain?!? There's no way to see them until you're IN the shower, and at that point you're defenseless and have nowhere to go. Gag.
4) I think I killed a centipede in my apartment this morning. Seriously. I thought centipedes were just the stuff of legend, until I saw one today, crawling across our carpet, in all its one-hundred-legged glory. It scared the living daylights out of me... just when I had semi-gotten used to spiders in the apartment, now centipedes?!? Also, do NOT google image search centipedes. It will make you jump and gasp in horror as I just did.
I bet you just googled it, didn't you? I warned you.
That is all.
-mollie
Monday, July 06, 2009
This just in.
So about 2 minutes ago, yours truly was walking from her bedroom to the kitchen. A green flying bug flew in front of my face, so I swatted at it and continued on my way. Went to the kitchen, then turned around to use the bathroom before heading to bed for the night. I caught my face in the mirror and my heart jumped a little when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a green flying bug smack dab in the middle of my forehead. Landed there, just hanging out.
GAH!
there may have been some erratic flailing of arms and screaming, but I managed to get it off me.
The end.
GAH!
there may have been some erratic flailing of arms and screaming, but I managed to get it off me.
The end.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
our little girl is growing up!
hello there boys and girls,
I am noticing that I still have not posted anything significant about my trip home. Let's just say it's because home is so near and dear to my heart that I consider it sacred and therefore do not feel comfortable discussing my trip on such a public page. ... That or I'm just lazy. But let's go with the first.
I am quite the traveler- since the last time I posted, I have traveled to
Here's how it stared. Megan text messaged me last Sunday "When are you coming to Rexburg?" (or something like that) telling me that I promised I would. I did? I seem to have forgotten making that promise. Well, anyway, then the hunt was on for someone who was going that way and would let me tag along.
By Wednesday night, I had still found no one to tag along with. So then I had two options. 1) Take the shuttle for $80, taking 6 hours, stopping billions of places on the way from Provo to Rexburg or 2) Drive there myself with Leonard.
I love Leonard dearly, but I did not want to push him. Just like with old people, you'd rather have them comfortably sleeping in their own home than out traveling for three days. Travel takes a lot out of the old folks (and me- who am I kidding.) He's got a big heart- he's like the old guys that still think they can play basketball with their grandkids, but then have to sit out because they lose their breath too fast, etc. I was worried Leonard would lose his breath on a 4 hour car ride, and I didn't want him to die. Also, I didn't want him to die when I was alone with him. That's just creepy, and made me worry about a 4 hour trip with him. Also, I am terrified of highway driving. When I think of driving 80 mph with 5 lanes of traffic and cars weaving in and out, visions of car crashes and rolled vehicles on fire in the median, with news stories including the phrase "jaws of life" immediately come to mind. I do not want to be one of them, thank you very much.
But the shuttle did not sound enticing either. 2 extra hours on the road with strangers and a driver who makes small talk when you're the only one on the bus from SLC to Rexburg, usually. And $80 out of my pocket. Of course, gas was going to cost money too.
I agonized over this for 24 hours, before waking up on Thursday and going to work and deciding, "I'm just going to go for it." I had heard the story of my grandma (somewhere in her last five years of life) telling my cousin Liz (under circumstances I'm not quite sure of) to "put on her big girl panties and just do it." Well, grandma, this one was for you.
I decided I needed to conquer my fear of highway driving at some point, or the rest of my life would be pretty stationary. Put on your big girl panties, Mollie. I also thought a 4 hour drive to Rexburg, alone, is something like a rite of passage. Like Native Americans (or some such indigenous people) send their youth out in the wilderness to make their way back, find themselves, and prove that they're now worthy of adult status. This was my wilderness test.
I got out of work, looked up the statistics on my chances of dying in a car accident this year (1 in 6500)- hoping this would reassure me, put gas in the car, called Megan and told her I expected balloons and streamers when I got there, picked up a cooler from Erin and filled it with Kyle's chinese food from his open house, and nervously found my way to the highway entrance. I talked myself up pretty good though: "You can do this. It's all you. The road's got nothing. These other cars will move out of your way. They want to live just as much as you do." I got stuck in traffic twice on the way, but once I got out of Utah, it was pretty smooth sailing. And lonely. But I liked that the road was open, the land was open, and I got to put my iPod on the stereo system and sing me some good songs, without worrying about 40-50 cars around me.
In Idaho, I stopped at a rest area to go to the bathroom and stretch my achy gas-pedal knee. (I learned I do not know where Leonard's cruise control is...) The bathroom was nasty. I was picturing maintained bathrooms with a couple restaurants or something, which was not even remotely close to reality. There were two outbuildings and some picnic tables, and a vending machine that looked like the food in it had been there for at least a few years. (This did not stop me from buying a Twix bar, that I ate half of, and then placed the rest on the middle console of the car, where it promptly melted into a chocolately mess when I wasn't looking.) I got back on the road and tried to stop at Fort Hall for gas. Note: do not stop in Fort Hall for gas. The gas station was the only commercial thing around. There were plenty of people, many of whom were old Native American men with long white hair in pony tails and pick-up trucks. The sky was menacingly dark, and there was thunder and lightning. I got in line after a car, swiped my credit card, and it said something about a network error. Great. So I pulled out and around and tried to get in line at a different pump. There were probably 10 pumps, and I kid you not, EVERY pump had someone at it whose gas tank was on the driver's side of the car, and most had someone waiting behind them to pull in. This means that Leonard (whose gas tank is on the passenger side) and I sat around trying to wait until one of the pumps was available for us to pull into going the opposite direction as the car that came out of it, but every time we saw one, another car would beat us to it. This was Frustrating with a capital F. I finally got to one, and it said the same thing. Crap.
Because of the weather, their credit card readers were not working. I had cash, but I didn't need the gas that desperately, so I drove 10 miles up the road to Blackfoot and filled up there. I got back on the road and ran into some intense thunderstorms. The sky was so dark I needed my headlights, and the my windshield wipers were on the highest setting and I still couldn't see. I thought "This is gonna be it. Car rolled over in the median. Certain death. 1 in 6500. Well, at least there hopefully wouldn't be too much of a fire with all the rain..." I slowed down and made my way through the storm at about 35 mph, along with all the other cars. It scared me.
Finally, I got to Rexburg after 5+ hours of travelling. So much for 4 hours and 18 minutes like Google Maps told me. Stupid traffic and weather.
I went and stood under what I thought was probably Megan's window and called her name. She came down and found me and we went to Wendy's to get food. We went back to her apartment. She had their "spare bedroom" (aka the "entryway" from their bedroom to their bathroom...) set up with a full size "two-story" (regular bed height) air mattress, complete with balloons and streamers as requested- a treat basket as a bonus.
---------Lots of stuff happened while I was there that I shall document, possibly in my next post--------------
Before I knew it, I woke up on Sunday morning and it was time to go meet Leonard for another 4 hour date. The drive home was very calm. I was worried I would hit traffic, so I left at 11. I don't know if there was traffic or not later, but 11 was just perfect for me. The way out of Idaho was lonely and empty. The most exciting things that happened were 1) seeing a roadkill wolf, 2) playing "traffic parcheesi" with a motor home and a truck pulling a trailer (they parked themselves next to each other, blocking both lanes and bottling everyone up behind them) for about 20 miles, and 3) a white SUV that pulled in front of me, and then a big mass of black crap fell off the wheel well and got thrown up onto Leonard's brand-spanking new windshield, giving it a lovely little chip. I wanted to kill, or at least maim, the SUV driver. Leonard didn't do anything to you!!!!
I stopped in Malad to get gas. There's a Burger King there that was mobbed- it had a line out the door. Apparently everyone stops in Malad (which I still think should rhyme with "salad"). I used the bathroom and got back on the road. The weather was nice the whole way back, if a little hot.
When I got into Utah, a highway lane came out of nowhere and scared me. Then another. And another. And another. Pretty soon I was driving on a road six lanes wide with quite a bit of traffic. But I made it back to Provo and breathed a sigh of relief as I drove off the exit ramp. Then, BAM- I got rear-ended at the end of it by some guy who apparently thought I was part of the road.
Kidding. That did not happen. That would have sucked. I drove to Erin's and dropped off the cooler and played with Will for a little while. (Of course, I also took time to pilfer some meat, corn, and popsicles from their 4th of July). I drove back to good old #4 and put Leonard to bed. I think he is happy to be in his own home again. He's a trooper- and put his whole heart into getting me back safely. I think we bonded. But I'm sure he's pooped- poor guy.
And I, ladies and gentlemen, am an official Adult I think! I have successfully traversed the wild. I have found myself and my way home. Now let's get some drums out and have some dancing. And I think I should get a new name. Mollie Pedal-Foot. Or something similar, but more clever.
I'm done now. 40 hour work week starts again in about 10 hours.
until again,
mollie
p.s.- I was grieved to discover I have inherited mom's driving eyes. So sad.
I am noticing that I still have not posted anything significant about my trip home. Let's just say it's because home is so near and dear to my heart that I consider it sacred and therefore do not feel comfortable discussing my trip on such a public page. ... That or I'm just lazy. But let's go with the first.
I am quite the traveler- since the last time I posted, I have traveled to
Here's how it stared. Megan text messaged me last Sunday "When are you coming to Rexburg?" (or something like that) telling me that I promised I would. I did? I seem to have forgotten making that promise. Well, anyway, then the hunt was on for someone who was going that way and would let me tag along.
By Wednesday night, I had still found no one to tag along with. So then I had two options. 1) Take the shuttle for $80, taking 6 hours, stopping billions of places on the way from Provo to Rexburg or 2) Drive there myself with Leonard.
I love Leonard dearly, but I did not want to push him. Just like with old people, you'd rather have them comfortably sleeping in their own home than out traveling for three days. Travel takes a lot out of the old folks (and me- who am I kidding.) He's got a big heart- he's like the old guys that still think they can play basketball with their grandkids, but then have to sit out because they lose their breath too fast, etc. I was worried Leonard would lose his breath on a 4 hour car ride, and I didn't want him to die. Also, I didn't want him to die when I was alone with him. That's just creepy, and made me worry about a 4 hour trip with him. Also, I am terrified of highway driving. When I think of driving 80 mph with 5 lanes of traffic and cars weaving in and out, visions of car crashes and rolled vehicles on fire in the median, with news stories including the phrase "jaws of life" immediately come to mind. I do not want to be one of them, thank you very much.
But the shuttle did not sound enticing either. 2 extra hours on the road with strangers and a driver who makes small talk when you're the only one on the bus from SLC to Rexburg, usually. And $80 out of my pocket. Of course, gas was going to cost money too.
I agonized over this for 24 hours, before waking up on Thursday and going to work and deciding, "I'm just going to go for it." I had heard the story of my grandma (somewhere in her last five years of life) telling my cousin Liz (under circumstances I'm not quite sure of) to "put on her big girl panties and just do it." Well, grandma, this one was for you.
I decided I needed to conquer my fear of highway driving at some point, or the rest of my life would be pretty stationary. Put on your big girl panties, Mollie. I also thought a 4 hour drive to Rexburg, alone, is something like a rite of passage. Like Native Americans (or some such indigenous people) send their youth out in the wilderness to make their way back, find themselves, and prove that they're now worthy of adult status. This was my wilderness test.
I got out of work, looked up the statistics on my chances of dying in a car accident this year (1 in 6500)- hoping this would reassure me, put gas in the car, called Megan and told her I expected balloons and streamers when I got there, picked up a cooler from Erin and filled it with Kyle's chinese food from his open house, and nervously found my way to the highway entrance. I talked myself up pretty good though: "You can do this. It's all you. The road's got nothing. These other cars will move out of your way. They want to live just as much as you do." I got stuck in traffic twice on the way, but once I got out of Utah, it was pretty smooth sailing. And lonely. But I liked that the road was open, the land was open, and I got to put my iPod on the stereo system and sing me some good songs, without worrying about 40-50 cars around me.
In Idaho, I stopped at a rest area to go to the bathroom and stretch my achy gas-pedal knee. (I learned I do not know where Leonard's cruise control is...) The bathroom was nasty. I was picturing maintained bathrooms with a couple restaurants or something, which was not even remotely close to reality. There were two outbuildings and some picnic tables, and a vending machine that looked like the food in it had been there for at least a few years. (This did not stop me from buying a Twix bar, that I ate half of, and then placed the rest on the middle console of the car, where it promptly melted into a chocolately mess when I wasn't looking.) I got back on the road and tried to stop at Fort Hall for gas. Note: do not stop in Fort Hall for gas. The gas station was the only commercial thing around. There were plenty of people, many of whom were old Native American men with long white hair in pony tails and pick-up trucks. The sky was menacingly dark, and there was thunder and lightning. I got in line after a car, swiped my credit card, and it said something about a network error. Great. So I pulled out and around and tried to get in line at a different pump. There were probably 10 pumps, and I kid you not, EVERY pump had someone at it whose gas tank was on the driver's side of the car, and most had someone waiting behind them to pull in. This means that Leonard (whose gas tank is on the passenger side) and I sat around trying to wait until one of the pumps was available for us to pull into going the opposite direction as the car that came out of it, but every time we saw one, another car would beat us to it. This was Frustrating with a capital F. I finally got to one, and it said the same thing. Crap.
Because of the weather, their credit card readers were not working. I had cash, but I didn't need the gas that desperately, so I drove 10 miles up the road to Blackfoot and filled up there. I got back on the road and ran into some intense thunderstorms. The sky was so dark I needed my headlights, and the my windshield wipers were on the highest setting and I still couldn't see. I thought "This is gonna be it. Car rolled over in the median. Certain death. 1 in 6500. Well, at least there hopefully wouldn't be too much of a fire with all the rain..." I slowed down and made my way through the storm at about 35 mph, along with all the other cars. It scared me.
Finally, I got to Rexburg after 5+ hours of travelling. So much for 4 hours and 18 minutes like Google Maps told me. Stupid traffic and weather.
I went and stood under what I thought was probably Megan's window and called her name. She came down and found me and we went to Wendy's to get food. We went back to her apartment. She had their "spare bedroom" (aka the "entryway" from their bedroom to their bathroom...) set up with a full size "two-story" (regular bed height) air mattress, complete with balloons and streamers as requested- a treat basket as a bonus.
---------Lots of stuff happened while I was there that I shall document, possibly in my next post--------------
Before I knew it, I woke up on Sunday morning and it was time to go meet Leonard for another 4 hour date. The drive home was very calm. I was worried I would hit traffic, so I left at 11. I don't know if there was traffic or not later, but 11 was just perfect for me. The way out of Idaho was lonely and empty. The most exciting things that happened were 1) seeing a roadkill wolf, 2) playing "traffic parcheesi" with a motor home and a truck pulling a trailer (they parked themselves next to each other, blocking both lanes and bottling everyone up behind them) for about 20 miles, and 3) a white SUV that pulled in front of me, and then a big mass of black crap fell off the wheel well and got thrown up onto Leonard's brand-spanking new windshield, giving it a lovely little chip. I wanted to kill, or at least maim, the SUV driver. Leonard didn't do anything to you!!!!
I stopped in Malad to get gas. There's a Burger King there that was mobbed- it had a line out the door. Apparently everyone stops in Malad (which I still think should rhyme with "salad"). I used the bathroom and got back on the road. The weather was nice the whole way back, if a little hot.
When I got into Utah, a highway lane came out of nowhere and scared me. Then another. And another. And another. Pretty soon I was driving on a road six lanes wide with quite a bit of traffic. But I made it back to Provo and breathed a sigh of relief as I drove off the exit ramp. Then, BAM- I got rear-ended at the end of it by some guy who apparently thought I was part of the road.
Kidding. That did not happen. That would have sucked. I drove to Erin's and dropped off the cooler and played with Will for a little while. (Of course, I also took time to pilfer some meat, corn, and popsicles from their 4th of July). I drove back to good old #4 and put Leonard to bed. I think he is happy to be in his own home again. He's a trooper- and put his whole heart into getting me back safely. I think we bonded. But I'm sure he's pooped- poor guy.
And I, ladies and gentlemen, am an official Adult I think! I have successfully traversed the wild. I have found myself and my way home. Now let's get some drums out and have some dancing. And I think I should get a new name. Mollie Pedal-Foot. Or something similar, but more clever.
I'm done now. 40 hour work week starts again in about 10 hours.
until again,
mollie
p.s.- I was grieved to discover I have inherited mom's driving eyes. So sad.
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