I spent the day in the colony yesterday with a bunch of family from my grandma's side. I had a great time but was bummed when I heard they were having Walks and Talks for lunch. I love going up there to eat the food but was not real keen on the throats and feet of geese for the meal, so they made me my favorite... Noodle soup. It's unlike any other type of soup I've had and would have no idea how to make it but it's just amazing. Yesterday, on Saturdays, is also fresh roll day so we had tons and tons of fresh dinner roles. I went and saw my Aunt Katie and she had made homemade apple pie too. It tastes just like my moms. Funny cause Grace just posted on her facebook how grateful she is for my mom's pie crust recipe. I wonder if she realizes that recipe is from the colony and people pay top dollar for those pies.

It was a great afternoon. I love the environment but could never imagine living there. I think the thing that I like (but would also probably drive me nuts eventually) is that you're never alone. There's obviously a huge sense of family and community; being part of something unlike anywehre else I've ever been. Family run in and out of all the houses. There's no such thing as a doorbell. Your house is your cousins house, your grandma's house, your aunts house, all your families house. So, people just run in grab some butter, run back to the bake house/kitchen house, run back over to borrow a newspaper and it just goes on and on. And that's what you do; all day long. The men don't come home until later cause they're all out in the fields or shops working. Well they come when it's meal time, but then leave to work again. Yesterday, though, after church and supper we all gathered at my cousin Kathy's house. And what a night it was. A house full of loud Germans all yelling in two different languages makes for a good night.

Dangling Darlings

Yesterday was the first day in my life getting to wear fun earings. How exciting! And yes... I did break down and repierce the left one so they are perfectly even now. oh OCD go away!

Friends Forever...

Kelley Farmer. I really don't even know where to start when talking about you. I'm not quite sure where the beginning of our friendship is. I guess the first memory I have of Kelley is going to Chesterfield shows together. I remember her telling me at one point that the only reason she was hanging out with me is cause she didn't have anyone else to hang out with at these show. She straight up said, "yeah, I'm using you." And it was love after that :) But in all reality, we really weren't amazingly close when you lived in Newcastle. By the time we started becoming close, you were preparing yourself to leave the state of Wyoming. You did, and you never looked back.

I the midst of everything I was going through during that time period of my life, the one thing that I definitely gained.... was you! There have been times that we have fought like crazy, not talked for weeks, and yelled at each other, but the test of a true friendship is if you can pick each other up afterwards and still care. We definitely have that one down. I know you haven't always agreed with the decisions I've made in my life, but you have bit your bottom lip and supported none the less.

When I think of our friendship, I think of a deep running connection more than crazy silly memories (although we definitely have them). I think of bawling on the phone with you year after year about my roller coaster life and sharing all the nitty gritty details with you. Kelley, thanks for being you!

Car Conspiracies

Okay, so I realize that I'm blogging, once again, about my car conspiracy theory. I seriously believe that cars are like a small child that you have to sink money into in order to just maintain and it really drives me nuts! So, this month, I will have spent approximately $800 on my car alone! It's crazy. First, I buy an extended warranty when I got the car and apparently, I have to get these regular scheduled maintenance checks done on it just to get that warranty valid. I've spent more money maintaining my car than that warranty cost. And every time I go to get that check up done (this time being a 45,000 mile check) they print me off some silly piece of paper saying that everything's fine. Really? NO KIDDING! I didn't have a problem before I brought it in and paid 200 dollars for you to confirm that! WOW! Surprise. Then, I have to get it licenced in Wyoming which is crazy expensive and that's on top of the monthly payment. Now, I get the monthly payment but why do I have to pay 300 bucks to get it registered in this state? It cost me 24 dollars in South Dakota.

It was kinda sad removing my SD plates. Not that I'm not happy where I was, but I hate change and actually thought, as I was driving home, how this would be the last time driving with South Dakota plates. Now, if I could just afford those cool UW plates.... Soon, Soon.

Friends Forever....

So, yesterday as I was driving home from Newcastle, I was reflecting on my friends and how, at almost 28, there are so few that I would count as extremely close friends that I could share just about anything with, and I wanted to take some time to commemorate some of them. So, I'm going to write a blurb about each one seperately as the days go by. Sisters: this excludes you guys... You're not just my friends but family so don't get butt hurt. I'm gonna start randomly so, tonight I shall start with ALISHA DOMINA-HATLELI

I remember the first time Alisha and I talked.... If my memory serves me correctly, a bunch of my other friends were mad at me in the 6th grade and we were standing by the principles office when Alisha and Angie Armstrong, so graciously said that I could hang out with them. Who knew that that conversation would play a major role in my life. To this day, I still get crazy texts from that ever so funky friend. You see, the thing with Alisha and I is that we bring out a seriously weird or some people say crazy side of each other. I find myself laughing hysterically with her for the most ridiculous reasons. You would think we were not lucid if you saw most of our interactions together. We definately have a serious side together though and can cry, talk serious, and now... talk mommy talk but for the most part, Alisha calls me a dork and I reply with, "you silly bisquit full of gravy." No one really gets it, but us; and I think that's how we like it. For example, this last summer we were in Rapid driving through the drive up window and she had a hair sticking out, I made a hand motion trying to demonstrate how her hair was sticking out and before you know it, we could barely pay at the drive up window because we were both laughing so hard. Really quite silly, but love every second of it. Some of the most memorable memories include things that I shall not post for the world to read as we were wild young teenagers enjoying every minute of the day together, but I shall bring up a few clues that only Alisha and select others will pick up on. Alisha: Smacking me over the head with a phone when I was talking to Mo and not thinking twice about it... as if it's normal to, for no reason, rip a phone out of someone's hand, hit them over the head with it, then graciously hand it back to them. Taking a bath in 2 two inches of water because you believe you have pnamonia. Poor Kimmy. Poor Poor Kimmy. God bless her soul. A horse stampede. Need I say more? A garbage can, Heather, Erin, and your dad elk calling at 3 in the morning. WITH YOU SOUND ASLEEP!!!! Your wonderful dog Billy. May he rest in peace.

I could go on and on, but Alisha, I so appreciate your friendship. The fact that we don't have to see or have contact for months, yet can still bring out the high school fun lovin' side of each other without any expectations. I still can't believe you're married and HAD A CHILD!!!! Thank you for being a part of my life; thank you for going on a double date to prom, skipping school with me, letting me crash at your house for days on end, and thank you for just being you. I LOVE YOU!

Oh and one last memory, skipping school, having Mrs. Peterson call your house looking for us, me stupidly answering the phone (in the days before caller ID was invented) and then driving a hundred miles an hour back to the school, walking into the office and I believe my exact words to Mrs. Peterson were, "Oh come on Mrs. Peterson, you know how it is. Sometimes you just need a break." Then busting up laughing when she didn't just "know it is". She was not happy. Not happy at all with us! Love you Alisha.

And So Is The Season of Snow

I regret to inform you that I am blogging about snow. GRRRR! I HATE SNOW. However, on my way to Worland on Tuesday I encountered my first snow flake this year and within a half an hour, I could barely see the road. It is officially upon us and I am officially depressed about it. WHY DID I LEAVE YOU INDONESIA!?!?!?! Ok, not that bad :)

Spice and Pipes. WOW!

This week I was in Cheyenne this week and one of my coworkers drove me 3 blocks up the road into the local CENNEX to show me something. I was shocked to see what I saw.... There, sitting at the register, was a LOLLIPIPE. That's right ladies and gentleman: A real pipe made out of lollipop; making it legal to sell to kids. No need to be 18. And not only that, it works. It has a carb on the side of it, and actually has a hollow hole all the way up to the bowl. Below is a better picture. I picked the grape flavor but they come in all different flavors and colors. The white straw is to stick in the hole at the part you would suck out of. That way, when you're sharing your pipe with all your friends, no one gets the lollipipe sticky from their saliva. It also comes with a little bag to store your pipe in and a little box. Grand total for the pipe: $5.99. They sell them right next to the "spice". Spice is also legal for all ages and can be bought at any convenience store. Basically, it's synthetic THC (marajuana). It will get you high but hasn't been out long enough to do any studies on the harmful affect to the body. When I went to buy the lollipipe to show people, the lady asked if I wanted some spice to go with it. I couldn't believe it. She showed me the spice and one of the names is "Chronic" which is also a general name for good weed.

There was only one lollipipe left and she made sure to let me know that they would be getting more by halloween. This is what we're up against folks! I was so appauled and couldn't believe my eyes. You might be wondering why spice isn't illegal. Statuate states specific drugs that are illegal and spice, at this point, does not fit into any of those statuates. It is illegal in 11 states thus far though and hopefully will be illegal in your state soon. So, if you see a kid walking around with their lollipipe smoking spice, don't call the cops cause.... IT'S ALL LEGAL! Amazing what our world is coming to. Thanks mom and dad for never letting me "smoke" those fake cigerettes from when I was young. This is just another more provacative version of that and it disqusts me. However, I suppose you couldn't get high off of candy cigerettes but, although it took some years, those candy cigerettes probably laid a lot of the ground work and was the gateway for the wonderful lollipipe

Piercing The Ears

So, after all these years I finally got my earlobes pierced. When I was like 14 I got a piercing up high on my ear. That was the first piercing I ever got. Jared Sallee's mother posed as my mother at Sturgis Bike Ralley of all places for me to get that one done. And I do still wear an earring in it. The second piercing I ever got was with Alisha Domina downtown Newcastle. We got our flubber pierced. Ok, that sounds bad but it's the little cartilage part on the inner part of your ear by your cheek. The next piercing I got was another above my first piercing but it always hurt and closed up eventually and the last piercing I got was my nose. That was when I was like 19 and thought I was cool. But I took that out shortly after getting it done as well. However, lately, I have been wanting to wear cool dangling earrings but never got my lobes pierced so wasn't able to.


I once heard Oprah say on one of her shows that only like 4% of women die without their earlobes pierced. I wanted to be one of those 4% but then I thought to myself, "Who really cares if I'm part of a statistic that means absolutely nothing." So.... after all-day meetings in downtown Cheyenne, my fellow coworkers dragged me to the mall to get er' done! I wasn't worried about the pain at all, but was much more concerned as to whether the holes were going to be even. I made the lady stand there for like 15 minutes while me and my friends examined the little purple dots to see if they were lined up and after that time, I still think one is lower than the other. Oh well.... In 4 weeks I shall be able to wear some dangly earrings.

Pet Peeves At Their Best

Ok so I have this pet peeve and I've had it for a long time, but lately, with all the meetings I do and all the group discussions I'm in, it seems to be rearing its ugly head. I can't stand it when people ask questions at unrealistic and inappropriate times. For example.... If I'm in a training and the trainer says, "Yeah, we're gonna have to run a little late since we didn't get to everything I wanted to cover." I don't want to hear every one's personal dilemmas with that. Here's what normally happens: A trainer will announce that to the group of 30 or whatever and inevitably, there's that one person that raises their hand and wastes my time by asking, "Well, I was gonna go to lunch with a friend and I have to meet the plumber at 5. Can I go a little early anyways?" I DON"T WANT TO HEAR YOUR PERSONAL QUESTIONS!!!!! Wait until it's break time and ask the trainer then! I don't care that you have a plumber coming to your house and I"m sure none of the other 29 people in the room do either. Like, don't people think to themselves first if this is an appropriate time to ask specific questions that only relate to themselves? I guess not cause this happens all the time and I just want to scream, "ASK AT A BETTER TIME!"

And Once Again...

Nothing new to report. Sorry guys. My life has been consumed with work. But this weekend should be a good one.... Abby's birthday party. Stay tuned.

Attached are some favorite pictures of me in sheridan.