A Hiccup in the Adventure

I'm back in Utah! Bwah!?!?! Yes I know. What happened to the European Adventure of unbelievable dreams and amazingness? Well it's still on! So no worries my friends (critics, skeptics, non-believers!). Steven and I are still going to be the "Traveling Gypsies Times Two" so never you fear! And never you yell at me for not posting for a week - yeah it's been one of those weeks - but now I can play some catch up.

Catch up #1: Heinz. Duh.

Catch up #2: After the bee sting incident we started to think about our situation. It's moments like bee stings where you really start to revlatuate your life. We hadn't started teaching yet because of this snag and that other snag which is uninteresting (aka slightly frustrating) and frankly not something I want to recount. Okay, maybe a small snag summation: It took us several weeks to work out the..."kinks" with BYU IS to finally get some assessment tests sent out for the boys to take. Praise the Lord they've taken them, the applications are in, the transcripts are sent, and now we await diagnosis, analysis, processing, and...funding. Love me a good waiting game. Once these things fall into place, we can order the the necessary classes and be on our merrily teaching way. ABC...123. Point being: our revelatuating led us to think we weren't being productive...we were land locked within a 5 mile radius...my feet hurt from daily walking...and the stress was starting to be taken out on each other which didn't bode well for a future together...as in the future year. Geez.

Catch up #3: Why are we back in Utah? Well as Steven might ask: "Why not?" I being less insufferable will go further than his conventional (though always thought-provoking and clearly something to consider) "answer" and give you the scoop. We are back in Utah awaiting a few of Bob's deals to come through, for the BYU IS waiting game to come to and end so we can start planning/ordering classes and curriculum, and some European accomodations to be solidified, so's we can pack up for our journey across the pond. Steve,being the logical, rational, financially stable, one on the trip, made just such the executive decision to return to Utah just this last Sunday. I felt slightly blind-sided at first and little..."WHAT THE!?!??!", but then he followed with a hurried (to blockade my clear upsetness) all-be-it "Yeah okay that makes sense" explanation: "Well there's no point in hanging out not being productive here while we wait on these things....spending money...when we could go back to Utah, be a little more productive (and by this he means he can work on his BYU online classes and new snazzy online tutoring job he discovered most cleverly via the Internet), and NOT spend money. Emphasis on the NOT. Don't you hate that it always boils down to money? Oh the curse and blessing of it!

Catch up #4: So after I decided Steve the Somber and more Serious was probably right about that (and because I couldn't stay without him anyway - nor did I want to), we purchased one way tickets to Las Vegas on Sunday night for the coming Tuesday morning. Steve did "allow" (psh - allow - ahem, yes actually allow) me to suggest Tuesday morning as the better alternative vs THE. VERY. NEXT. DAY. so we could gather our bearings and mostly - because the tickets were ridiculously cheaper. I knew "cheaper" would convince my frugal comrade. Plus, we had some areas of sentimental value I wanted to visit for the last time in Corte Madera before taking off: The Teacake Bake Shop (go look at it - I want!), playing Frisbee at San Celement Lycee de Francais, walking to "Our Mall" (which I'm sure one of us has pictures of somewhere...Steven! Speaking of pics - SOMEONE should at LEAST post about Stinson Beach...sheesh), playing some rousing card games (see here for details of my great losses...one day...one day) and Skip-Bo, things of this nature.

Catch up #5: We left Bob and the boys on Tuesday morning. Honestly, I was nervous thinking about what I would do at home for an undefined number of weeks - my hometown being located in the the Middle of SouthEastern Utah NOWHERE - with my time and energy. I guess I wouldn't be spending money right? So that's good. Plus, Steven being one who is most hard working and productive really needed to find himself some stability, routine, and cheap eating. I think we both teared when we ate at a small Cafe here in Huntington and the prices were better than reasonable...they were practically GIVING food away compared to what we were used to in San Fran. I stayed with Steven's fam (holla to his mom! She came and picked us up in Vegas AND fed us In-and-Out...mmmm) Tuesday night. We got to play a rousing game of Ultimate Frisbee with some of his old buddies which I really enjoyed (did I make you proud Steven? He's been coaching me for awhile now...), and feel the comforts of being in Utah again. There's really no where else like it. Plus, this option makes Steve happier, so you really can't argue with an improved happiness for someone.

Catch up #6: I'm home. Steve drove me from Cedar City to Emery County where I've now been on the computer thinking of options, plans, ideas, books I could read, non-money-requiring activities I could do to pass the time until we go to Europe. It's a waiting game...something I'm not good at...but clearly something I have to learn to accept. Patience is the worst virtue EVER! Who even made it a virtue anyway? Psh. But it's one we all have to learn I suppose. The point is...I'm back in Utah...a little hiccup before the adventure...one I will try and make the most of and be completely grateful for (or see reason for?). After all - I won't be able to see this great state of mine for an entire year - and I should try and appreciate it now.

Stay tuned Travel Fans, Friends, and Fam...because the adventure will start again...and I don't want anyone to miss a moment just because of this pesky little hiccup. Oh, and if anyone needs anything done, weeded, washing, mowed, scrubbed, baked...please...throw me a bone.

It stung me!

Yesterday, Steve and I bought a volleyball. We walked a long way to find our volleyball. The closest sports store to us was probably...oh...like 3 miles away at a Big 5 Sports something or other. But we really wanted a volleyball. I mean we REALLY wanted one. Steve's been teaching me how to play Ultimate Frisbee - no I mean like REALLY play (he's practically professional...he would be professional should there be a professional league where other professional frisbee enthusiasts could play...and Steve would play...professionally) - and although I'm a willing (and frustrating..ed) pupil, we decided it was time to mix up our daily exercise routine. VOLLEYBALL!

Today we took our volleyball out to practice. There is a little French School 2 blocks from our house that sports a large (soggy) grassy field in which soccer, frisbee, and other "running about" sports are easily enjoyed. There's also a sand volleyball court. Until today it was just standing there in mockery of the sport we couldn't play. And although we now HAVE a volleyball to really show that court who is boss, there are only two of us. It doesn't make for particularly intense playing, but we try and take things one step at a time.

After playing on the sand for awhile - we (I) decided it was time to move to the grass. The sand was frustrating me. So we moved our pepper game to the grass and started to volleyball about. My skills were starting to find their groove again just when a bump glanced off my left forearm a little more than my right forearm and caused Steve to dive for it. When the volleyball had hit me I felt a shocking, stinging pain in my wrist and glanced down to see a wasp securely attached to my wrist with his mean little stinger snugly inserted into my arm!

Sh**!

Yes...I said it. I didn't mean to! Weirdly, it's the first word that came to mind. I think it scared me as much as hurt me. It was creepy seeing that little wasp suddenly implanted into my arm. Oddly enough I brushed it away gently - ya know so's not to hurt the little beggar further - and looked at Steve with shock on my face and tears in my eyes.

"It stung me! A bee Steve! A bee! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

(okay okay...so it's the red dot towards the top of the pic...there's shade so it's hard to see the swelling and redness...and you can't capture sting pain in a picture! Don't snicker! It may be small but it burned!)

Steve's face faintly hinted of a slight awkwardness at hearing my slippery "sh" word thinking I said it because of my bad pass. Ah ha. No Steven! Bad passes do not justify an "sh" word! I use my "sh" words in much more provocative and serious situations: ie driving on the freeway with idiots. That's a great time for "sh" words...that and bee stings!

So I run to Steven holding out my arm in a "fix it!" kind of panic still screaming "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! It hurts!" I'd not had a sting since...well probably some childhood moment when I stepped on a bee. Remember doing that? I didn't! Steve's response was "haven't you ever had a bee sting before?"

Psh!

Well maybe I had but I didn't remember it stinging so bad! Sheesh! He also asked to make sure I wouldn't have any sort of allergic reaction. "Luckily" I knew I had been stung before and I had not reacted poorly to that - but geez it still hurt! Our volleyball "game" was at an end. How very sad. Instead Steve, me, and the sting came back to the house and put ice on it. I can't describe the almost immediate relief the ice bag upon my sting brought. It was amazing! Now, almost 6 hours later the pain is very dull and only acts up once in awhile. I still can't believe I was stung by a bee. I also can't believe that a bee sting is the most exciting thing I can think of to post about after 3 weeks in San Francisco. Does that make sense to anyone? Don't worry folks - we've got plans - big plans! We're going to take pictures of those plans too so just wait for it! For now, however, you get bee sting stories. Ow! Ow! Ow!

My little Ken Doll...er...Steve Doll...David Doll?

A few days ago Steven and I decided to go a little crazy and walk to the OTHER mall across the street from our usual shopping center. We have a "usual" shopping center because we walk there every...single...day. Sometimes we make the trip twice a day. Why? Well, we don't have a car yet. YET! I stress yet. Thus, we have be resigned to walking everywhere. It's good. No it is. We get our exercise and er...our exercise. It's about a 40 min walk to our "usual" shopping mall and we don't mind it that much. There's a Barnes and Noble, a cutsie little Teacake shop which I will document and post about soon (come to think of it) a shoe store (from which Steven bought two very enjoyable pairs of shoes - one pair being Flippity Flops (welcome to the flip flop fold Steve)), some good places to eat, and some ZGallery slash Sur La Table type stores. Not bad. However, the "other" mall, right across the Freeway, sported a Nordstrom (mmm) as well as a Cheesecake Factory. I was sure they had more options - but those were the few things we could see from the Freeway when we zipped by in a cab from the Ferry or coming home from church (the only two reasons we ever pay for a cab...stupid fuel prices...crappy...grumble...). I'd never eaten at the Cheesecake Factory and Steven had been there but once. Thus, we decided that night to go partake of the Cheesecake Factory and explore "the other side."

Well my friends, the OTHER SIDE sported not only the Cheesecake Factory and a beloved Nordstroms, but a Gap and Banana Republic as well. After eating we (aka I) decided to peruse the Banana Republic. Mmmm. It was the best Banana I'd ever been in . The entire bottom floor was dedicated to women's attire - and let me tell you it was a LARGE bottom floor. I tried on this dress...
And this dress...
I loved them both. I wanted them both. But alas, could not as of yet purchase them both...or even one of them for that matter. Sad! If I chose though - it would've been the turquoise number. Mmm. Soon. Very soon.

The fun didn't stop there. Using my logic and Girl-dar, I realized if there was an entire bottom floor of women's apparel, well there would be an entire floor of men's apparel as well. And I just so happen to have a man (Ken doll? Oh yes the wheels were turning)who could USE some apparel with me - so we headed upstairs.

Now, it's a well-known fact that the womens like to dress mens. I don't know guys - it's like the child-hood dress up games and Barbie/Ken Doll fantasies we used to have as little girls. Dressing them. Fluffing them. Making them look just how we want them. It's a little crazy - but it's the female way. It was my way. I started slowly - picking out a sale shirt here and an enjoyable chino there. When Steven made it into the dressing room with the loads of clothes I - I! - got to pick out...he came out looking something like this..With some of these...
My favorite being the previously pictured argyle with some GREAT stripped black dress pants on ridiculous sale for $35 marked down from $98! $98!! Don't even get me started on the boot cut jeans marked down from $79 to $25. Okay fine - get me started. They were great jeans - and they LOOKED great. Steve was a real sport letting me have "my way with him" at Banana and he walked away with the afore mentioned pants of stealer deals by the end of it all. However, after our many tryings on and contemplating the inseams and cuff lengths, this is the only pic I ended up taking...
No really - I realize this strapping man may look a little (a lot) like Agent Mulder/David Duchovney - but that's only because you aren't used to seeing Steven in a stripped collared shirt and tasteful blazer. Now that you are - expect great things. Oh yes, great...great things.