Odd Occurrences

Odd Occurrence #1: This past weekend, I was visiting friends in Logan and one friend had a photo album with pictures from when she was in high school. I found pictures of myself in them, one picture was from a dance I attended with my boyfriend, the first love of my life. I got kind of sentimental thinking about him and "the good 'ol days". Then, as it usually happens when you think about someone you haven't seen for awhile, I saw this guy's parents, who I hadn't see in ages. Okay, I know that's not how it's suppose to happen, but it's what happened this time. His mom showed me pictures of my ex and his brand-new baby girl (one week). He looked as goofy and as good-looking as I always thought he was back in the day. While she showed me pictures, his dad caught me up with what's been happening in K's life. Just before they left, she patted my hand and said, "You know, we always expected him to marry you and I was so glad because we liked you so much." Ouch. Nice, but ouch!

Odd Occurrence(s) #2: This has happened all week, so at what point does it cease to be "odd" and become "routine"? Anyhoo, my cell phone is set to go off three times in the morning; 7:10, 7:20, and 7:30. The first two are to drag me out of a deep sleep and the third is to get my behind out of bed. Doesn't always work, but it's a pretty good system in general. Well, every day this week, at exactly the same time as the third alarm, the sun rises above the mountains and shines directly on me through my east-facing window. It's like a double whammy: sun and alarm. The sun must currently be at the perfect angle to achieve this feat, so I'm expecting it to stop happening any day now. I only hope that it rises above the mountains after 7:30, not before.

Side note: I love my bedroom because of the light its two large windows let in. Currently, at night, my south-facing window allows beautiful moonbeams to fall on my bed and it's glorious. *sigh*

Odd Occurrence #3: This is my favorite. Teehee. Tuesday evening, after a long day, I returned home and climbed up the flight of stairs to my condo. As I did so, I got a perfect view into the bedroom of the house across the fence. It's been empty lately, so I was a bit surprised to see a man who had just finished removing all his clothes! Honestly, I didn't mean to look, it was just in front of me! And, because it took a second or so for my brain to register what I was seeing, I got a healthy look. *blush*

I love it when life throws little curve balls at me. Nothing too life-changing, just things that make me go "hmm" or "teehee" or even *blush*.

Movie Theatre Neighbors

I love going to movies on nights when most people don't go. Years ago, I would go to a movie every Thursday night because the theatre by my house was practically empty on Thursday nights. In fact, there were nights when I'd be the only patron in the entire place (6 theatres)! I loved it.

However, there is one aspect of going to a sparsely populated movie that has the potential to drive me batty. I get there early (as is my nature), sit in the middle of the back row, and patiently wait for the movie to begin. Then, a few minutes before the show starts, someone comes into the theatre, looks at all the empty seats, and decides that the one in front of/right next to me is the best option. I wouldn't mind if the theatre was packed, but it's EMPTY! What are they thinking?

Well, last night I was informed that I'm getting neighbors. There are 6 empty condos in my building and 8 empty condos in the adjacent building. This couple decided that the one right next to me was the best option for them! They close on the 14th. I have less than a week to enjoy the absolute privacy that I've learned to love. I can sit on my porch and know that probably nobody will ever notice I'm there - the building is far off the road and I'm on the 3rd floor - who looks up at the 3rd floor? Now I'll have neighbors that will sit out there when I'm sitting out there. Neighbors who will come home from grocery shopping while I'm enjoying the peace and quiet.

I know I'm not being very neighborly, but don't worry, I'll be better once I've gotten accustomed to the idea. I'll even bake them some brownies (I don't do cookies) to welcome them to my...I mean "the"...building. It's just that in my mind I figured the unit next to mine would be one of the last units to go. It only has 2 bedrooms and isn't significantly cheaper than a 3 bedroom unit. Plus, it's on the third floor! Who wants to have to go up those stairs every day??? I can't fault their logic; I had the same thoughts - my side of the condo has the best view of the mountains and surrounding area (mine is the best because I'm on the end) and when you're on the 2nd floor you have to worry about the people below and above you. Annoying.

Still, I can't help but feel like they are honing in on my perfect seat at the theatre. *sigh*

I hope I like them so I can stop resenting them. :)

Funk Busters

As mentioned earlier, I've been a little down-in-the-dumps lately. That good cry I had did a lot to boost me out of the pit, but I realized that a bit more climbing needed to be done to get all the way out. I wasn't feeling as bad as before but wasn't quite my usual self.

So, I made some goals that are designed to help me get back to normal. I figure August is as good a time as any to make goals.

My Goals for August and Beyond:

1. Say 3 nice things about my boss every work day. I really like my boss, he's like a brother to me, but lately I've been unhappy with him. Since I still have 17 months left of my verbal contract, and quitting just because of a rough patch is stupid anyway, I thought long and hard how to overcome this bad attitude of mine. I can't do anything about the things he's doing to bother me except to react to them better. I chose this goal because it will help remind me of all the reasons why he's such a great guy and why I like him so much. Also, my coworker and I kind of egg each other on when we complain about our boss; if I'm saying nice things about him, I'm not encouraging her, she's not encouraging me, and we all feel better.

2. Walk 5 times a week. I am committed to this goal. So much so that I have changed my work schedule to help me accomplish it. You see, my evenings are so rarely free. Even when they are, I'm usually too tired or it's raining or something else keeps me from walking. I've tried unsuccessfully to wake up an hour earlier to walk in the mornings, but my body totally doesn't want to wake up at 6:30 if it doesn't have to. And, it doesn't consider walking as "having to". So, I now work 10am to 6pm, still wake up at 7:30, and walk for about 45 minutes. Today was my first day and it felt great. However, I'm worried that working 'til 6pm is going to be difficult to get used to. Oh well. It's a small price to pay.

3. No fast food. Exception: when travelling, but then I'll try to order healthier options. I think bad food = bad attitude. I'm not getting the nutrients I need to stay healthy, so I feel crappy. Plus, I've gained weight which really doesn't help the attitude. Now that I have a kitchen in which to cook (Yeah!!!), I can cook more, eat healthier, and start feeling better. However, as I discovered last week, just having a kitchen doesn't solve all woes. It has to be stocked with food that I want to eat. Last week I didn't go grocery shopping because I was leaving at the end of the week for a reunion, so by Wednesday I didn't have any food! Not just food I didn't feel like eating - I had NO FOOD. So, I ate out Wednesday and Thursday. Tsk tsk. Lesson learned.

4. One movie a week. I've been working too hard. I know that goes against the lack of motivation I talked about last time, but before that I was working too hard too often. No wonder I stopped wanting to work - it was all I had been doing for a couple months! So, in an effort to play a little (sitting on the couch watching Food Network doesn't count), I'll watch one movie a week. It doesn't have to be in a theatre, nor does it even have to be a rental. I have several movies at home that I enjoy watching that I don't view nearly as often as I could. However, there are several movies that have come out, or that are about to come out, that I would like to see, so I'm starting a list. Last week I watched Mummy 3. This week I'm not sure what I'll watch - maybe I'll rent something at Redbox tonight.

5. Church. I've started reading my scriptures nightly again (I stopped when I moved and couldn't find my French copy - even though my English copy was at the foot of my bed!), praying, and plan on attending my church meetings regularly again - starting this Sunday (though not my own ward - I'm visiting friends this weekend). It's a simple truth that doing these three things help me stay balanced and in good spirits. Why I ever stop, I have no idea.

Already, as I've started to work on these 5 goals, I feel better - even with the cold that's been coming on. Even though my body is getting sick, my spirits are healing. It feels good.



P.S. This has nothing to do with this post, but I wanted to mention it, just to keep you updated. Tomorrow night someone is coming to look at my room for rent. She's the only female who has shown interest in it, and from what I know of her at this point (very little), she has potential to be a fairly good fit. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

A Good Cry

I've been in a "funk" for several days.

I've attributed it to a few things:

• Missing driving - I've been in the office almost 3 weeks!!
• PMS (sorry, boys, but it's the truth)
• Frustrations with my boss
• Insomnia
• Mild lack of spiritual obedience

This past weekend, though, I started to wonder if it wasn't really a "funk" but maybe a touch of mild depression. I had always thought that I had managed to avoid this family inheritance, but as I pondered my state of mind, "mild depression" summed it up quite nicely*. I haven't felt exactly sad - like after breaking up with someone or a loved one's death - mostly I've felt indifferent. Indifferent to work, family, friends, things that usually give me pleasure. Going to work every day was a tiny struggle and a couple times I was tempted to cancel plans with friends. All I wanted to do was sit on my lovely red couch and watch my newly-installed cable TV. In fact, Sunday, that's exactly what I did. I stumbled upon a SciFi Channel series that I'd never heard of, Eureka, and watched the all-day marathon of its second season...well...all day. (It's a pretty cool show, check it out!)

Once I started putting 2 and 2 together, I figured I could pull myself out of this funk/mild depression with just a little effort, now that I knew what I was dealing with. I worked out some issues with my boss, restarted some spiritual habits, and put more effort into work, and slowly I felt the clouds start to dispel. Hooray!

So, yesterday's bombshell fortunately didn't have quite the impact it would have had, say...last week. It still knocked the breath out of me, though. Please don't ask for details - I'm not at liberty to discuss anything - I'll just say that it was pretty heart-breaking. I didn't sleep much last night, thinking about it. Then I awoke with cramps (of course!!). I picked a fight with my boss this morning. He asked me into his office at lunch, shut the door, and asked me what was wrong. I told him I didn't want to talk about it. He kept pestering me (please don't follow his example!) until, like usual, he broke me. I spilled everything, sobbing with just the smallest bit of control. He spoke kindly, soothing me a little. His patient showed up, so I wiped my eyes and nose and left while he went to fetch his patient from the front. I went into a back room, lights out, sat in a corner, and this time really let loose. For about 5 minutes I cried out all my broken heart.

I dried my eyes, stood up, and felt like I was leaving my burden on the floor. I felt okay again. My heart is still broken, but I feel like I can handle it now. And, the mists of the "mild depression" have dispelled and I feel more like my normal self.

A good friend and a good cry. Aaahhh. Excellent.

*Did you know that one definition of "nice" is "accurate"???

Bertha and The Beast

A year ago, when my boss and I were trying to figure out if we were actually going to start offering mobile hearing services, driving a big truck and trailer was theoretical and I didn't worry about it. However, when we bought the trailer and it turned out to be 40 feet instead of 30 AND I stood in front of it and thought it was the biggest trailer in the entire universe, then I started to worry a little. I remember driving the truck for the first time, longing for my little Altima. I worried that I'd never learn to drive it and the trailer.

Almost 10 months later, Bertha and the Beast are like old friends. In fact, during May and June, I spent more time with them than my own family and friends. They were the only ones around on my birthday. They have witnessed Shawn's kisses, my reconciliation with Dad, scenic landscapes, and more cuss words and whistling than I care to admit. So, without futher ado, here are pictures of Bertha and the Beast.


I took these pictures at the Guernsey Armory. This one gives you an idea of how big the truck is. The trailer doesn't seem too bad, does it? Check out the next picture.

This picture shows exactly how big the trailer is. The ironic thing is that we only use a little more than half of it for testing. The very back of the trailer is where the electrical outlets, spare tire, and extension cords are stored. You can't see this from the inside of the trailer, it's like a false back, or something. From the back door to the back of the trailer (before the false back) is where I do the testing (next picture). From the back door to the goose neck was used for training by the previous owners, but I use it for storage. The goose neck is hollow, so perfect for storing things I don't need often. The room behind the front door contains some chairs, a counter, and two cupboards. This room I use to store things that I need on a fairly regular basis but not enough to justify cluttering the back room. I didn't take a picture of this room because at the time it was mega messy. Yesterday, I spent a couple hours reorganizing and cleaning, so it looks tons better. You'll just have to take my word for it.

There are three phone booth-size sound booths in the trailer (we're looking from the middle of the trailer towards the rear), the one on the far left is being blocked by the middle booth's door. Those two are always quarreling. There is a bench on which people who are waiting to be tested can sit. I sit at the "command center". That's my comfy black chair, my laptop that controls the audiometers, the audiometers (the three small rectangles fastened to the black mounts - the previous owner had bigger audiometers), and the printer. They automatically administer the hearing tests - all I have to do is push Start and monitor for any problems. It's actually a pretty handy set up, though it does need a few adjustments to make it perfect. All in good time, though.

So, there you go. Now you know what I drive and where I practically live while on the road.

Guernsey, WY

Guernsey, WY

If I ever become wealthy enough to retire without having to worry about money, I'm going to move to Guernsey, WY. As many of you know, I spent two weekends in this small town during June, and frankly, I fell in love with it as soon as I crested the small hill and saw it for the first time. When I went back for the second weekend, I wished very much that someone would come with me so I could share this little piece of heaven. In the end, I decided to do something very uncharacteristic and take pictures. More characteristically, I procrastinated until the evening before I left, hence the coloring in some of the pictures. Tee hee.

This was my first view of Guernsey. I had expected an ugly town, since I hadn't been very impressed with Cheyenne when I went there. So, the trees and loveliness of it was pleasantly surprising.

Did I mention that Guernsey is small? Notice the population. No Wal-Mart, no fast food, no stop lights. I could drive down every street in the place in less than an hour. According to what I could see (don't stake your life on these facts), there were 4 bars, 1 diner, 3 hotels (mine was the largest), and several churches of differing denominations (not my own, though). Oh, and a small grocery store that saved my life a couple times. But that's between it and me. Sorry.

This is where I stayed both weekends I resided in Guernsey - three nights each time. The place boasts 30 rooms, like I said the largest in the town - the others had 11 and 4 rooms.

My bed wasn't mega comfortable, but the room had a fridge, a shower with great water pressure, and a cooler, so it was do-able.

This is the diner at which I ate every dinner. I was tempted to try a couple of the bars that had, so I heard, decent food. However, I could walk to the River View Restaurant - and it was a nice little walk - and I really liked the food.

Admittedly, I'm a creature of habit. The first night, I tried the Club sandwich and it was the best I have ever eaten. Mmm mmm mmm. However, in the spirit of adventure, on the second night I tried the above sandwich, the Renegade BLT. The rest of my dinners traded off between these two sandwiches; three nights Club, three nights Renegade BLT. To heck with adventure! What make it "renegade"? In addition to the usual accoutrements (bacon, lettuce, tomato), the sandwich had pepper jack cheese (yummy) and a fried egg. Sigh. It was so good. I'm going to have to try to make it at home. I'm craving it mega! Oh, and the first night I tried the fries - subpar - so I stuck with tator tots the rest of the time. Just in case you ever eat here.

The following pictures are views of the river from a nice bench by the river. I'd always walk to the diner and read a little at the bench either before or after eating. Oh, it's the North Platte River, for those of you who were wondering.

Guernsey was part of the Oregon Trail and you can still see the ruts made by hundreds of carts.

While traversing the tourist park that houses the above ruts, I came across this tree. Whenever I see trees such as this, I think of my friend Tearese, who first showed me their beauty. I named this picture "Tree for Tearese".

I got kind of silly while driving around. Hence this next photo. Tee hee.

Please note the bug guts all over the windshield and realize that this was after I had cleaned it. Those suckers are a permanent part of the glass, I'm afraid. Well, until I pay $40 to have Bertha detailed inside and out, I hope. It's also fun to see what direction I was facing (not driving, since I was also taking a picture - I'm a safe driver!) and the temperature at the time (around 8pm or so).

This picture illustrates one of the things I loved about Guernsey and the land around it. The grass and trees were very green, then there'd be these white-gray rocks jutting out like teeth. Unfortunately, the effect is a little lost due to the setting sun, but I still think it's pretty.

I love this place. I hope I get to go back again someday.

Life Lately

Has it really been almost a month since I last posted?? How did that happen. I still remember sitting in that hot tub...it was so relaxing! I've been back to that hotel numerous times since that night, but my thrifty nature hasn't allowed me to get the suite again. Sigh. I hate my thrifty nature sometimes.

I've been gone a lot lately. Remember back in April when I wrote about how busy May was going to be? June was busier. I was gone 16 of the 30 days in June, and the longest consecutive period I was at home was 5 days. The shortest was 1.

I'm really enjoying being on the road, though. I'm getting used to driving 12+ hours; anything less seems like a blink in time. Books on CD are life-savers. As are sunflower seeds. Oh, and lots of water. Needing to use the facilities has a way of keeping me awake like nothing else.

I like the work I do. I've been testing the Wyoming National Guard a lot and work with the same officers each "event", as they're called. We've learned how to work together well and each time things are more efficient than the last. I *heart* efficiency. I like meeting new people, too. Even when I've been in the same location, working with the same officers, the people I'm testing have been different. I get a thrill when I explain to a young man why he needs to protect his hearing or he'll be deaf before he's 30 and he gets it. That look of enlightenment on his face is like a drug. He'd never considered the danger to his hearing before, but now he has knowledge and with that knowledge he can do better, be better. And, I'm the one who gave him that knowledge. Sigh. Yeah, I like it.

I love exploring new places, eating at local diners, chatting to the locals. I love flopping down on my hotel bed (especially if it's comfy) after a long day's work, knowing that I don't have anything I need to do - no laundry, no cleaning the bathroom, etc. - and allowing myself to just relax for a little bit.

I love Mint Crispy M&M's (a limited Indiana Jones flavor) and can only find them in one truck stop along the drive to Wyoming. I stock up, but not as much as I'd like. I'd like to wipe out the store and have one bag every week 'til the wretched day that they're all gone, but I don't. I buy 2. One for immediate consumption and one for the next day. Or later that day, if I'm weak. I'm usually weak.

It tickles me that the guys and gals who work at the truck stops are getting to know me. I stop at the same ones along the route, because I'm a creature of habit AND because I know I won't run out of gas before the next stop (very important to my sanity). This is a true story: coming home from Wyoming this past Sunday, I stopped at my normal Rawlins Flying J and the girl (who I mentally call Amy because she looks like my brother's ex) smiles and says, "Hi, Julie! Welcome back!" I wonder what my face looked like. I know it must have showed my surprise, I'm an open book. Then I smiled back and made some witty remark I don't quite recall well enough for it to still sound witty in the retelling. We chatted a bit while she authorized the pump, I walked back to pump my gas (imagine having to go into the store, back to the pump, back into the store, back to your truck every time you stop for gas and you stop 5 times going just one way - it's the only exercise I've gotten in months!), and when I returned to pick up my receipt, another guy was there who I've seen a lot of times and he also knew my name without asking! I think it's funny.

I enjoy being busy. I like feeling that I'm contributing to my boss's business in a way I never did before. I'm actually bringing in money instead of just managing it. I like making more money and being able to afford the condo and new furnishings. I still have to be wise with how I spend money, but it's worth it to have a home of my own. Side note: owning a home sometimes interfers with my daydreams of the guy I'm crushing on who lives somewhere else. In my daydreams, he always has to move here, I can never even consider moving where he lives. Oh well. :)

Being gone so much, I haven't been able to hang out with the people I love as much, but the next couple weeks will change that. I think I have plans with practically everyone I care about! I'm even seeing friends and family who live out of town! If you don't have plans with me yet, and you know I love you, please email me/call me and let's figure out something!!!

It'll be nice to be home for a long stretch of time. Like I said, I may go to Wyoming the first weekend of August, but it's not definite yet. The commanding officer wants me to do the event, but there's a bit of a hiccup that would bore you, so I won't expound on it. Anyway, if that job falls through, it looks like I won't have another one 'til the second week of September, the week after I get home from my cruise. Wow! What am I going to do with myself if that's the case? Well, I'd like to go to Bryce Canyon at least once (Cardine???), clean my bathroom (not done once since I moved into my condo; I'd be ashamed to admit it except I use it so rarely it's like brand new), organize my unorganized 3rd bedroom, and maybe start reading Shakespeare (refer to my New Year's goals).

That's pretty much it. I've left out some pretty interesting stuff, but to get that, you'll have to call or email me. Teehee. Aren't I clever? Hahahahaha.


P.S. Will someone please change my background colors for me? They are stuck in Spring and I have absolutely NO motivation to change them. Hmmm. Maybe that's one of the things I'll do if I don't get another 'job' before September. Don't hold your breath, though, I'm really not motivated.