Not the answer I was looking for

One of my new favorite rides is Tower of Terror at California Adventure Land. These two guys were next to us in line and as we were buckling in one nudged the other and said, "talk to them, they're cute."

The dude next to me immediately engaged me in some light-weight conversation leading to a question like, "so have you ever been on this ride before?" I gathered from the talking that the boy next to me worked at Disneyland and had been on the ride countless times...so I asked, "So are you gonna scream like a girl?"

When he finished guffawing he gave me some tough guy response like, "chaaa, NO!"

I simply stated, "oh, I am!"

The ride began, I giggled and screamed...like a girl. When it was all over the boy turned to me again and said that he hadn't even heard me screaming. I just smiled and quietly thought to myself, "that's just because it blended in with your screaming."

So boy, whoever you are, the answer to the question is, "of course I'm gonna scream like a girl." Because even if you are not going to scream I'm gonna think you're funny and confident and if you do scream, hey...you're covered!

I woke up Friday morning...

After all the catastrophe I decided that the happiest place on earth was a good place to go. I hit snooze a couple of times and then...all of a sudden...BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM CRASH! WTF? I figured one of the cats had pulled something over. I knew it wasn't someone in the house because I knew if I couldn't break in nobody else could. After much searching I discovered that the giant mirror over the sink in one of the guest bedrooms had come a-tumblin' down. Hmmmm? I just left it. The house keeper can clean it up next Thursday before Joanna gets home...I was going to Disneyland.

Disneyland was fabulous. I got to go on all the rides I wanted to go on and I didn't even get wet on the water rides...sweet! The park was open until midnight because of UEA and we had fun fun fun up until the very last minute.

Fortune cookies

I just ate too much Chinese food and topped it off with 2 fortune cookies.

"Next week your luck color will be green!"

and,

"You'll accomplish more later if you have a little fun this weekend."

I love fortunes.

Yeah, let me tell you about it.

Yesterday started off pretty lazy. I had to take Candice to the Long Beach Airport and once I got back, showered and decided to head to the beach it was lunch time and I still needed to buy sunscreen. No worries, I decided to take the PCH up past Malibu to a really great beach. I found a Target and a Jack in the Box on the way and though it took a bit longer than anticipated to get all the way up there it was well worth the drive.


I wanted to go see The Duchess and found a theater near the house that was showing it at 9:45. I changed my clothes, grabbed a quick bite and paid my $10.50 to see Keira Knightly in a variety of 30lb wigs.

When I got back, Charlie the cat was waiting for me in the driveway. I got in the front door and left it open for him while I set my stuff down. He is still a little leery of me so I walked back out to grab him and the front door closed behind me. I don't remember if the F word came out of my mouth or not but you wouldn't blame me if it had. Their front door locks automatically and I had just left the only key sitting on the entry table...I knew I was screwed.

If you've done the math you know it was around midnight at this point. Luckily the house across the street still had a few lights on. After trying all the doors about 3 times and doing pretty decent damage to one that seemed a possible break-in route, I walked sheepishly across the street hoping maybe Joanna left a key with one of the neighbors. No such luck. I used their phone, because of course mine was in the house next to my keys, and woke up my mom. To make a really long story blogable, Gloria (the caretaker of the old man who lives in the house across the street) let me make about 100 phone calls and eventually told me to go to bed in a spare room and worry about it in the morning. By the way...most of those calls were to locksmiths who advertised 24 hour emergency service (for about $200), I left at least 5 messages and didn't get a single call back. NICE!

While laying there fretting I remembered that Joanna's house keeper was scheduled to come between 8 and 10:30 the next morning, saved. I got up at 6:30 and headed back to Joanna's to sit on the porch and wait. Gloria sent me with a cup of tea and 3 papers had been delivered so at least I had entertainment. Marcie, Gloria's replacement, brought me toast and orange juice at about 10:15 and the housekeeper finally showed up a little after 11.

Now I am just tired, embarrassed and worried about how I am going to mend the door I shoved (with apparently a lot more aggression and adrenaline than I thought).

So, that is my vacation so far.

A double 2'fer

On Saturday, Marie had the brilliant plan to go get the 2 for 1 massages at the Utah College of Massage Therapy. That makes the $25 hour long massage a mere $12.50. You don't have to ask me twice! We got there around 3 expecting a long wait as is usual for the Saturdays when they do the 2 for 1. Instead, they told us it would be30-45 minutes...score! When I emerged from the 50 minutes of bliss, one of the guys who worked there indicated that they still had students that needed to give massages and they were short on clients. They asked if the 6 of us would stay and get a second massage for free. Um...YEAH! Two hours of pure relaxation for the scanty price of $12.50, that's a no brainer!

I decided!

The jury is in, I'm headed to California on Monday. I'll be staying in Aunt Joanna's beautiful house, she'll be in Hawaii. I'm gonna do L.A. like a tourist, The Getty, the Queen Mary, La Brea Tar Pits, Disneyland, the BEACH...and maybe dinner with some old friends. Can't wait! And Meg...I have never kayaked with work!

I did some fun stuff this week too. I got to see some mission friends at Lacy's 30th and it was so good to catch up.


And last night Natalie and I went to the Jazz game.

Even though it has been a good week I still can't wait for my mini-break....

I need a break

For the last few years I have been lucky enough to go somewhere great about every six months.

I have come to depend on these trips to keep me balanced. Though I love my job it does not come without a significant level of stress and its fair share of challenges. The time off is only one of the reasons these trips are important to my sanity. It gives me something to look forward to, something to plan, a motivation to save money and yes...a reward for all the hard things in the previous six months.

I am going on a great cruise in February so I thought that I would be able to survive until then...I was wrong. REALLY WRONG! I am going crazy, 11 months is really just too long. I have fall break from school next week so I am looking for a last minute vacation that I can do on a budget, a beach is preferable but not necessary. I have a few places I could go and have a free place to stay, some of those places are within driving distance, the others would cost about the same for a flight as it would to drive somewhere. I am at a loss.

Here are some of my options...

Los Angeles--drive and stay with friends

San Francisco--drive and stay with friends (maybe get a hotel in Carmel for a night or two:)

Florida--fly and stay with a friend

Houston, TX--fly and stay with a friend

Or I could find a last minute package online and go somewhere I have never been and I can explore. I need help so make your suggestions and tell me your favorite getaways.