William Morris

A few days ago, an older couple went through my line at the grocery store. The husband is a frequent customer, but the wife doesn't come in as often, so she said, "Hi, Beth! I haven't seen you in a while! How are you?" We did the small talk thing for a minute, and she said, "What are you studying again?" I politely told her that I had graduated about a year ago, in Art History.

While telling me how she can't believe I'm already done, and how fast the time goes, her husband chimes in, "Oh neat! I have some William Morris ties! I should wear one to show you!"
In my head: William Morris ties? Who the heck is William Morris? Should I know this?? and.. ties??
Out loud: "Oh, cool! Yeah you should wear one sometime."
The man: "Oh I wear them all the time. I have, like, ten!"
"That's awesome." I'm glad their purchase is finished and there's another customer coming...

So, basically, when people hear you studied Art History, they assume you should know the name of every single artist that ever existed. And of course, I couldn't make myself look stupid, so I had to play along!

So I went home and wiki'd William Morris. Apparently he was an English textile designer during the 19th Century. That's great and everything, but uh.. the list of English artists that I am familiar with consists of JMW Turner, Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable, Henry Moore, Benjamin West who doesn't really count, because he was born in Pennsylvania, and William Blake who's mostly known for poetry.

That's a grand total of six artists. We would very briefly touch on furniture design in a few classes, but we didn't talk much about textiles. Maybe if I had studied Interior Design?

His designs are nice enough, I suppose... but next time that man comes in, if he happens to be wearing a tie with a print that looks like it belongs on an ugly armchair, I can look at him with my all-knowing-art-historian's smile and say, "William Morris?"

Thanks, Wikipedia.

Ok, I think this one's kinda pretty.

Grocery Woes

Inspired by my friend Symantha's last post, I am going to talk about my job.

Sometimes it gets really old.
Here are just a few of the things that get old because they happen every day:

• When customers tell me they have their own bags after I've bagged their entire $100 order.
• When customers hand me food wrappers and tell me they couldn't wait. I hope your card doesn't decline, 'cause then you just shoplifted.
• When someone hands me a still-wrapped candy bar, slobbery and indented with teethmarks, and says their kid doesn't want it anymore.
• When people hold their groceries back on the belt until I've finished the current transaction. It's there for a reason, and that is to get rid of you sooner! So let the stuff go!
• When people slide their card like they're trying to start a lawn mower. Be gentle, people!
• When people push their groceries forward on the belt, and onto my scale. I am a fast checker- I promise you every vegetable will get a turn! 
• When people rearrange their groceries after they've put them down. All you do is get in my way. Basically, once you put your groceries on the belt, you don't get to touch them again until you are taking them out of the bags at your house.
• When people tell me what they think the price is for every item. Thank you, the computer knows.
• When people put their groceries up one at a time, waiting for me to scan each one, watching the register to make sure it's the right price. I promise, grocery stores do not have some massive conspiracy to rip you off as soon as you look away.
• When someone stops me out on the floor, holds up an item, and says, "How much is this?" Just because I work here does not mean I have the entire price list memorized. Maybe you should try looking at the tag, or go to a checkstand.
• As always- people who yack on their cell phone while being helped, or who stand there texting when I'm waiting for payment. Especially when they get annoyed at me for so rudely interrupting their conversation to say, "39.80."
• This conversation, or a close variation: "The sign says it's (amount.)" "Ok, let's go double check." .... "Looks like the sign you saw was actually for that product, five items away." "...So it's not (amount)?"
• When people take their receipt from me and then leave it on the end of my checkstand. If you don't want it, tell me and I will happily throw it in my conveniently-placed trashcan.
• When customers cram items they don't want into the magazine rack at the checkstand. I am right here, just hand it to me so I can put it where it goes!
• When people hit on the cashiers.

This next part gets its own list, because it is especially dear to my heart...

Bad Jokes I literally hear ALL of these, every day:

• Do you accept cash?
• (Referring to name tags) Hey! You all have the same last name! Checker!
• (When an item doesn't scan) That means it's free, right?
• (To Underage cashiers) "No beer sold in this lane." Aw, guess I can't get the rootbeer...
• (To the card reader) "Is (amount) ok?" Well no, I'd prefer it to be free!

No offense- I know you are trying to be clever, and I'm pretty sure my own dad is probably guilty... but it wasn't funny the last 50 times I heard it.

I could go on and on about this stuff for days. Fortunately most of the offenses occur at the checkstand, and I get to wander all over the store for the majority of my shifts. I feel sorry for the cashiers...

So what do we do to maintain our sanity, working in a place where the same thing happens every single day?? The only option is to try and find ways to amuse ourselves.

This is a super crappy photo of a photo, but...

When we find toys left behind by customers, we do a little customizing and put them in our office. Here we have a Venom/Easter bunny, Transformers/Pooh, and others.


And sometimes we name the employees after Star Wars characters.

Just do what ya gotta do!

Bah humbug.

Why bother posting anything if nobody comments? 

Is my life really that boring to you?

LAME.

What Happens...

When you boil some water to make a delicious Mac 'n cheese lunch, and your husband is feeling a little mischievous? Don't walk away, or when you come back, you will find this.

 

Blue water!

 

And then of course, blue noodles.

Easier to see how blue they are with that cheese in there...

 

And of course, blue + yellow = green.

 

These pictures do not do that color justice. It looked gross. I can usually eat a whole box of MnC all by myself, but for some reason this time I wasn't quite so hungry...

But it was pretty funny.

The Bane of my Existence

Ok, that's an exaggeration. But this is really irritating me for some reason, and I must get it off my chest.

A few months back one of my friends came into class wearing this headband.

I complimented her on it, because I thought it was cute. I even thought it might be nice to have one of my own.

But THEN I started seeing everyone and their mom wearing it, and it's really starting to get on my nerves. Yes, it's cute. Yes, it can keep your ears warm. But doesn't it bother you when every other girl you walk by is wearing the exact same thing? They are literally everywhere! I do not go a single day without seeing multiple people wearing this.

No offense to any of my friends who have chosen to participate in this new fad; it's ok. You look trendy, just like everyone else.

The headband count for yesterday was seven. Seven of these stupid things in one day!

Are you Snoring yourself to Death??

I don't know if anyone else has run cross this ad online, but everytime I see it with its accompanying picture, I can't help but think:

"Wrap some little-boy underwear around your head!"

Problem solved.

Busted!

More about driving.

Yesterday, I went to drop Nate off at work, and we saw a car on the other side of our street pulled over, getting a ticket. I told Nate I was so glad they enforce the speed limit on our road, because there are so many little kids around.

When I headed home, I was behind a guy who was probably going about 40 on our little 20 mph road. I watched for the cop, but didn't see him anywhere. Shucks. But then! The cop pulls away from the curb where it was hiding sneakily behind some parked cars, the lights go on, and the guy gets busted! It was awesome. I debated eating my lunch out on the sidewalk to see how many people he would ticket with his sneakiness, but decided otherwise.

Is it weird that seeing people get "busted" makes me happy? :)

Jesus is Coming!!

Oh how I love Nursery.

Yesterday, little Steven decided it would be fun to throw all the crayons on the floor under the table. As his teachers, we decided that he would have to clean them up. Steven however, did not like this idea, and stubborn as he can be, just went off and played with toys. We stuck to our decision though, and told him they would have to be cleaned up before he left, because when you make a mess, you are responsible for cleaning it up (try teaching responsibility to a 2 year old). He still had no interest, and as time wound down, we tried different ways to get him to clean his mess.

First: asking politely. Failed miserably.
Second: "I bet I can pick up more crayons than you!" - "I don't want to." (This kid is too smart for our tricks!)
Finally: a discussion about Jesus.

I knelt down next to Steven and said, "When you make a mess at home, I bet you help clean it up to make your mom happy, don't you?" No response. "Well, this is Jesus' building, and it makes Him sad when it's messy. Don't you want to make Jesus happy by cleaning up your mess?"

Steven suddenly got super excited, and started running around yelling, "JESUS IS COMING, JESUS IS COMING!!"

Oh, great! What's gonna happen when Jesus doesn't show up?? I said nothing about Him coming! I just wanted the crayons picked up! The other teachers and I couldn't help laughing at cute little Steven, excited to see Jesus, who was, as far as we knew, not coming anytime soon.

But hey, at least he finally cleaned up the crayons.

Then the Angels Paint them Green

Yesterday during Nursery, it was a warm enough day that we decided to take the kids on an adventure outside. They loved getting out of our little classroom to look at the trees, bushes, and seedpods. Nathan even suggested going to where we could see the temple. How sweet is that? As we walked along, we would ask the kids, "Do you know who made the bushes?" And they always got the answer right: Jesus.
At one point, Steven found a tree stump, and I told him a little bit about how trees keep going underground, and they have long "fingers" called roots that spread out really far and drink up all the rain when it comes down. Then they grow into big tall trees, "like this one," as I pointed to another tree. Then Steven wisely, and adorably added, "Then the angels paint them green."
Yes, yes they do. Jesus created the world for us because He loves us, and his angels help paint the trees green. :)

A.u.t.o.m.a.t.i.c.

So, I have a little bit of a beef with automatic stuff.

Faucets- You always look silly waving your hands around until you hit the sensor, and then they keep turning off while you're still soapy.
Soap dispensers- Can't seem to get the right amount. You either get way too much, or have to go back for a few more drops.
Paper towel dispensers- You have to do a little "Jedi mind trick" hand wave ten times to get enough paper to actually dry your hands, and soemtimes you just give up and use your jeans.
Toilets- Always scare the pants off me when I stand up and they go WHOOSH!! and you're afraid of getting sucked down.

Now one more thing has been added to the auto-bathroom collection. What else is there, you say?


Yep, that's right. These days the human race is so unbelievably lazy that we don't even need to overdo ourselves by grabbing a handful of TP after doing our business. Just hold your hand under the dispenser, and out it comes, with a nice little whirring sound. I was pretty surprised when I first discovered this phenomenon on campus, and couldn't really believe that BYU was actually putting money into auto-TP dispensers instead of other, more important things. Really.

One unfortunate factor of said TP dispenser is the noise. A girl a few stalls over from me obviously needed quite a lot of TP, as the infamous whirring gave her away. I don't want people knowing how much I'm using- awkward!

Nate decided that the next invention will probably be a little automatic hand and does the dirty work for you! Oh the luxuries of technology...

25 Random Things

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. Then tag your friends!

1. I'm finally getting around to doing this! I feel like I can never think of anything interesting to say for these things, so this will probably take me an incredibly long time. But I still want to anyway.

2. I love getting those random email surveys from family members, and love that so many of us participate in filling them out. Makes me feel closer to them while we're all spread out everywhere.

3. Sometimes I wish that my whole family (extended, in-laws, etc) all agreed on things like politics and religion, but then what would we talk about?

4. I have the greatest family ever. We are all smart and good looking, and we're some of the most fun people to be around. (Don't you agree?) I think about everyone individually and want the best things in life for each of them, whatever that may be. I miss everyone all the time.

5. I like thinking that when we were younger, my littler cousins looked up to me, and now I look up to them, too. And I hope they can still look up to me. Heck, I look up to all my family members for different reasons.

6. Nate and I have already talked about baby names, and (sort of) picked some out, though the "plan" is not to have kids for a few more years. And most of the names are girl names. I wonder if that means anything, like we'll have a bunch of boys.

7. Sometimes I feel bad when people talk about their dreams and passions, because I've never really known what mine are, besides the obvious having a family.

8. Which is why I don't know what I want to do with Art History, it's just something I enjoy learning about. Well, why not?

9. I cry easily reading books, watching movies, and listening to music. Nate teases me for it.

10. I have a strong interest in anything to do with WWII, and sometimes wish I had grown up then, so I could say I did my part to help. I admire those (from all sides) who had to live through so much.

11. I actually wish I lived in many different periods of time. I guess I don't find my own quite as interesting.

12. When I was a little kid taking gymnastics, the only reason I quit was because it was time for me to go up to the next level, but I was too afraid to.

13. When I started working at my grocery store, I was afraid I'd hate it, and thought it would only be temporary. Now it's the job I've had longer than any other, I've made lots of friends there, and I plan to keep working there until I graduate. It's helped me learn that whatever I do for a living, it has to be something I enjoy and look forward to every day.

14.I love palm trees. I think of them as a symbol of my home, which is NOT Utah. Whenever we head out that way, I get more and more excited when I see more and more palm trees. Nate even took me out to see some here in Provo a few winters ago; they were about 3 feet tall.

15. I prefer having short hair, but because my husband likes it long I will keep growing it out between cuts to make him happy. My new goal is to donate, cut, donate, cut...

16. When it comes to flying: I don't dislike it, but I find it a little overwhelming. I usually get teary-eyed at some point during the flight, because I'm sad (or happy, in the case of Provo) to be leaving someone/thing and sad/happy to be going elsewhere.

17. Whenever I send an email, post a note/comment, or write on my blog, I read through the whole thing and adjust it probably ten times before posting it, and read it again afterward, because I'm weird like that.

18. I've been called "creative" by many people my whole life, but the truth is: I wish I was more creative. I can do things, I just have a hard time coming up with the ideas myself.

19. I need to eat something at least every three hours. I've learned that if I go too long without even a little snack, I get uber-cranky and there's usually some crying involved.

20. I watch something on Discovery Channel every day. (Mike Rowe and Bear Grylls are my favorite).

21. My laptop battery is fried, so the only way I can get it to turn on anymore is to do the following: unplug the cord, take out the battery, hold down the power button for 10 seconds, plug IN the cord, put IN the battery, and hit the power button again. It's a bit of a process. I can't afford Mac's ridiculous prices to buy a new battery, so that's how it goes.

22. One of the greatest compliments I've ever received came in the form of a letter from my ex-boyfriend in high school, only days after I broke up with him. I'll keep it forever, and I still consider him one of my best friends.

23. There are some things from high school (friends, choir, wrestling, even teachers) that I will always miss, but I don't think I'd want to do high school itself ever again.

24. Growing up I have wanted to be: an artist, an illustrator of kids' books, a veterinarian, an acrobat/gymnast, a dolphin trainer at Sea World, an Egyptologist, an archaeologist, a crime scene investigator, a coroner, a teacher, an EMT... And now I have no idea, except that I want to be able to travel. Thanks, Aunt Pam.

25. I don't like not knowing the future, especially in terms of where we'll live and what we'll do... but I didn't know a few years ago where I would be today, and I think I'm ok where I am. Hopefully it will always stay that way.

26. I keep thinking of more things to say, now that I'm trying to be done. Here's the last: I think it's pretty cool that I can use the phrase "my sister's sister" and confuse people.

27. (Ok ok, I have one more) I am always amazed at how much my niece and nephew and "little cousins" have grown up every time I see them. When Rachel goes to college, I don't know what I'll do- and it's only a few years away!

I tag Jessie, cause I know she loves it, and anyone else who feels like doing this.

Can't Stop Now

I am... hungry.

I want... it to be Christmas.

I hear... "Clocks" by Coldplay, and my cell phone ringing...

I never... make the bed.

I wonder... what my future will be.

I always... sit cross-legged.

I usually... take a nap every Sunday.

I search... for ways to make people happy.

I am not... going to stay in Utah any longer than necessary.

I dance... when I'm feelin' groovy.

I sing... whenever I know the words, and sometimes when I don't.

I wish... I lived in a house.

I dislike... mean customers.

I rarely... hide my feelings, unless I'm at work, and the customer "is always right."

I cry... when I'm hormonal, mad, or hungry.

I jump... to catch runaway balloons at the store.

I fear... driving in snow, which I have to do today.

I have... a fun job.

I should... go eat lunch.

I dream... the most random dreams ever! seriously.

I need... to send presents to my familia.

I love... my husband, my family, and my life.

I tag Cait, Jessie, and Ashley.

Elf Yourself!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

My Favorite Email

This is the best, most hilarious email I've ever gotten. Even funnier when read out loud. Enjoy.

WAX is "Not your Friend"

All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax.

My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: "Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet." So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom.

It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out.

(YA THINK!?!)

So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ("Cold wax," yeah...right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull.

It works! OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.

With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the one strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my *hoo-hoo* and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (Yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!!

I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. OH NO! What have I done???!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP!! Everything is swirly and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious..Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.

I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???

Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip. I touch. I am touching wax.

WHAT?! I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair.

Then I make the next BIG mistake...remember my foot is still propped up on the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down. My LIFE FLASHES BEFORE ME!!!!!! I hear the slamming of a cell door.

*Hoo-hoo*? Sealed shut! Butt?? Sealed shut!

I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!"

What can I do to melt the wax? Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? WRONG!!!!!!!

I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit.

Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.

So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cement-epoxied myself to the porcelain!!

God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!

I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter - "So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!"

There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or hoo-ha?"

She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night.

While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!!

By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.

My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!!

The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend.

It's sooo painful, I but I really don't care. "IT WORKS!! It works!!"

I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up.

I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair....THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT!!!! !!!!!!

So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.


Next week I'm going to try hair color......

Man, I'm so Behind!

I was tagged again, this time by Jessie.
Here we go!

3 Names you go by:
1. Beth- always, since birth. Call me Elizabeth and it may take me a second to realize you're referring to me, or I'll think I'm in trouble.
2. Bethypoo- A lovely gift from Kaycie. She and Leah are the only ones who use it.
3. Domino- A nickname at work, from when I cut my hair super short, and Allen decided I looked like supermodel bounty hunter Domino Harvey.

3 Restaurants I love:
1. India Palace- Best Indian food EVER. They should have one in SoCal.
2. Chili's- Nate's not a huge fan, but I love their food.
3. Olive Garden- I've only gone twice, but it was delicious! Going to make that one happen more often for sure.

3 Trips to plan on this year:
1. Hopefully to California sometime soon. November?
2. Possibly to a family reunion (Dorsey side) in Texas around Christmas.
3. Virgin, Utah this weekend for Redbull Rampage!! heck yes.

3 Things you want badly:
1. A pet. I miss animals. :(
2. To move into our new apartment already! (4 days!)
3. To finish school and get out of Utah.

3 Pets you have/had:
1. Xena, Warrior Kitten.
2. many, many other kittens
3. Trixie, the mutt-dog.

3 Things you did yesterday:
1. Went to church
2. Made homemade bread for the first time (yum!)
3. Watched God Grew Tired of Us (very good)

3 Things you ate today:
1. My bread
2. Sour Patch Kids
3. ...that's all so far. I think I'll go eat lunch...

3 Fears:
1. Being cut open (I have this mole I need to have removed... not really excited about it)
2. Future pregnancy problems/labor in general.
3. Not having enough money.

3 Things you plan on doing today:
1. Packing some more
2. Doing laundry
3. Going to work

3 Things you plan on doing tomorrow:
1. Going to school
2. Packing some more
3. Going to work

3 Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas
2. Halloween
3. Thanksgiving

3 Favorite beverages:
1. MILK!
2. Juice
3. Root Beer

I tag whoever wants to be tagged.

Six Random Facts

Cait tagged me, so now I get to share 6 random facts about myself and/or Nate.

1. I usually sleep under the covers, but Nate pretty much always sleeps on top of them (except in Winter).
2. I always have to have something sweet around the house. Whether its cookies or candy, I can't stand not having munchies!
3. I can't sit normally in a chair. One leg always has to be folded up under me, or I sit cross-legged (even at school, with those annoying little desks).
4. I think I feel more relaxed when there's a little bit of clutter around the house, but Nate can't stand it and often has to tidy up before he can study.
5. Nate & I are major pack-rats. We have an entire storage unit practically full of stuff we'll never use again, but don't want to throw away.
6. We have the COOLEST Halloween costume idea EVER. And you'll have to wait and see what it is.

Ctrl + Alt + arrow

Whoa.
Just try it, and tell me if anything freaky happens to your computer too.

Tag, you're It.

3 joys
-My family
-Spending time with Nate
-The Gospel

3 fears
-Losing loved ones
-Being mugged (I have pepper spray!)
-Not being good enough (at whatever)

3 current goals
-Be better at scripture study
-Better temple attendance
-Master Spanish & Italian

3 current obsessions
-Sleeping
-Good books
-Wanting a new apartment

3 random facts about myself
-I have broken two swings while on them.
-If I wasn't LDS I'd probably have a tattoo.
-I love anything to do with ancient Egypt.

I tag: Caitlin, Rachel, Jessie, and Megan.
What are your... 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current goals, 3 current obsessions, and 3 random facts about yourself.

Just for Fun

What is his name? Nathaniel [not Nathan] Dorsey

How long have you been together? Three years this October

How long did you date? We dated for 1 year and 10 months & have been married for almost a year!

How old is he? 21

Who eats more? He can eat 2-3 times what I do at dinner time, but I think I snack more during the day.

Who said I love you first? He did, but he knew I was impatiently waiting!

Who is taller? That would be me... only by about an inch or 2 though. :)

Who can sing better? Hmm, I don't know! We're both ok. We both sing along to the radio and I love listening to him.

Who is smarter? Nate is the science genius; I don't understand any of that stuff! Talk to me about Art History and that's a different story.

Who does the laundry? I think I do it more often, but Nate helps too sometimes.

Who pays the bills? We both have certain things we're in charge of. I do rent and electric, he pays the car stuff.

Who sleeps on the right side? Nate does. Once we switched just for the heck of it, and I couldn't sleep!

Who mows the lawn? haha, we don't have one right now, but I'm thinking that will be Nate. I'm the only kid who escaped ever having to mow the lawn at home.

Who cooks dinner? I try to when I get off work before him, but he's usually in charge of our tasty Sunday dinners. (He's the better cook)

Who drives? Nate. Our car is manual and I have yet to master the technique.

Who is more stubborn? I think we're about even there.. Neither of us likes to be the first to give in with something, though of course we both do sometimes.

Who kissed who first? Nate kissed me- it was Halloween and afterward there were fireworks! (Some kids nearby were playing with sparklers.)

Who proposed? Nate, on March 8, 2007 at Bridal Veil Falls

Who has more friends? Let's see. Nate has work friends, friends from home, and biking friends. I have work friends, school friends, and a handful of best friends. But most of the time we just hang out with our very best friends- each other.

Who is more sensitive? What a silly question. Aren't girls always more sensitive? But he's very sensitive to my lame girly feelings and tries to be patient and understanding.

Who has more siblings? Nate. He's the oldest of 5 with one brother and three sisters. I'm the baby of 4; one brother and two sisters.

Who wears the pants? I think Nate does, though we make any and all important decisions together.

Now you know a little more about Nate and me! In other news, Nate and I are going home to Escondido, CA on Sunday and I can't wait to see all my family!!

Carpets & Little Blessings

I'm currently sitting in the apartment, bored, waiting for the carpet cleaners to come. The owners of our complex told us that our carpets were scheduled to be cleaned sometime today and that we had to get as much as possible off our floors. Unfortunately, they neglected to give us a time frame, so I have no idea when the surprise visit will happen. So until they come, our bathroom and little kitchen are crammed full of the items that previously sat on the floor of our bedroom or living room, and its pretty annoying. It's my day off this week, and I cant even get to the dishwasher or sink without having to fight with a lamp or the sideways coffee table. Oh well. They better get here soon, so I can try to put everything back and once again have a functioning home.

Anyway...

A few weeks ago I experienced a little blessing in the form of a four-year old boy at the grocery store. Most days I truly enjoy my job, but of course sometimes I can get irritated at customers or impatient to go home. This happened to be one of those days when time went too slowly and I wanted to be done. For a few minutes there weren't any customers checking out, and my fellow checker Charlotte and I were just chatting to pass the time. All of the sudden, we saw a little boy go toodling by with a large pack of fireworks over his shoulder.

Now, you have to be sixteen years old to buy fireworks, and we expected to see a mother following behind with a shopping cart. But after a minute or two, no mother appeared. Struck with curiosity, Charlotte and I decided just to watch and see what this boy would do. 

We have two or three shopping carts that have an extra seat attached to the back, where bigger kids can sit while their parents shop. I hate these carts. They are almost twice as long as a normal cart, and they are impossible to steer without difficulty. However, whenever this little boy comes into the store, the mother kindly takes the giant cart and lets him ride in the big kid seat. So, even without a parent, that's the cart he chose.

I watched as this little boy, barely tall enough to reach the handle determinedly removed the brake, threw his fireworks in the cart, and began to maneuver it through the store, amazingly without knocking anything over. He made his way down the store, and finally when he started to get himself some frozen dinners, Charlotte went to ask where his parents were. He explained that his big sister was in the store and he was helping her shop. By now some customers were ready to purchase their food, so our supervisor Dexter took over with the kid. They left the giant cart off to the side and proceeded to look for the big sister. They even called her name over the intercom when they couldn't find her. Meanwhile, the little boy was completely fearless and not worried about anything. He just wanted to buy his stuff!

Dexter: "Did you know you have to be at least 16 to buy fireworks?"

Boy: "I'm old enough!"

Dexter: "Oh, really? And how old is that?"

Boy: "Four."

(Apparently he only needed his sister for the money)

Upon discovering that there was indeed no sister in the store, Dexter decided he would walk the boy home. When they got outside, the boy surprised him by hopping onto a tricycle and heading off! He had actually "driven" himself to the store. On the way, Dexter continued to chat with him.

Dexter: "Did you know it's called a TRIcycle because it has three wheels?"

Boy: "Nuh-uh, it has four!"

Dexter: "...really?"

Boy, counts the wheels: "One, two, three. HEY!"

Upon arriving at his house, Dexter learned that nobody had even known the boy was missing. He was supposed to be playing at a friend's house, but he had seen his sister and her friend head out to the store and decided to follow them. They had no idea he was ever there, and they left the store without him. Apparently he was unfazed, because when he walked into the house all he said was that "I need money!" 

He really wanted those fireworks.

This was probably a frightening experience to his mother when she learned that her little boy had been all by himself in a public place. But for those of us who were working, impatient to go home, it lifted spirits and brought laughter to a previously boring day. It also made for a great story. Now whenever that little boy comes in the store (with his family), I can't help but smile and admire his fearlessness and determination.