Well off I drove, and I tried to be very focused in the construction areas. Is was probably the first 45 minutes or more of the drive. It was also right as I was hitting Springville Mom called and asked for details and was concerned I'd only just left...but anyway. I was on my way!!! And wow was it a great trip. The weather was great, beautiful sunset, nice scenery, good music, and there were no jerks on the road. I will say this, in my boredom, I MIGHT have taken a couple pictures of myself with my phone (while maintaining my focus on the emptyish road). As seen below, I was very comfortably situated in my pajama pants, with one leg up and one by the pedals. It was actually the first time I'd REALLY used Ury's cruise control (I usually switched to manual when going up hills).
As I said, it was a good trip. I was sending occasional updates to Trina along the way. I didn't realize how FREEZING it was though until I got to Beaver for gas (by the way, I LOVE the 38 MPG thing with road-trips) and got out of the car. GHEUAYSAHA!!!! I practically leaped back in the car. Coooold. :( I got some Wendy's and a SOBE from the gas station (by the way, I LOVE gas stations. Have I ever told you that they are one of my favorite things about the US?) and headed back on my way. Another thing that had been entertaining me was watching my miles. About halfway through my trip my car's miles hit the heavenly number: "222222." I'd been waiting forever for it to do that. FYI - my favorite number is 2. Actually, my super favorite number is 22 because it is two 2s. I even snapped a picture of it (while maintaining a focus on the road around me).
Oh, Mom, for the record. The speed limit at the time of this picture was indeed 80. Also recall that my speedometer is 3 miles fast...slow...whatever. I maintained the speed limit the whole drive (unless I didn't realize it had changed) and never even went 5 over. :)I got to St. George at about 7:30pm. Lo and behold all my jetlagged relatives (excepting Marcia and Justin) were zonked out every which way in the living room. My favorite was Uncle Jim - he was sitting looking at his laptop. I even thought he was awake but he had just fallen asleep in that position. Ha! Well Justin kidnapped me as soon as I got there and we went to Wal-Mart and Target to buy him new headphones (his had broken - not surprising. He wears them 24/7 around his neck. He looooves his music). While we were out we said, "Let's go to a movie!" So we called and asked permission and she said, "Yeah but come and get Deanna she wants to go." Soooo we did. And somehow it turned into Monica, Maia, and Jim going as well. It was all good fun, seeing as I've met the two littlie ones like twice. We went and saw "Megamind" which I wasn't actually thrilled about because I'm not fond of Will Ferrell or kids' movies of late. But it was very cute and I recommend it - also not what you expect from the trailer AT ALL.
After the movie we went home and....you guessed it - went to bed! :) Grandma had blown up a big air mattress while I was gone and it was very comfy. It was actually electric - it fills itself up and when you have forced out the large majority of the air it suctions the rest of the air out. Very easy to use, I loved it. It was good sleeping, and I slept in until 7:30am! Gasp! And then I got up and ready for the day, put up the air mattress, folded my bedclothes, etc. etc. I had gotten up a bit earlier in the hopes to read my English reading. I got a page or two in before Maia turned on the tv and there was no way I could read (and I was too lazy to leave). It was mostly Disney until Marcia told her to change it because it was stupid and mindless and didn't teach you anything. She makes good points. So we watched a Community (I'm a failure, Mom. I felt like, "shouldn't I leave since I don't watch this anymore..." but I just blocked the crap and watched it and I still feel no inclination to go back to watching tv). It was the Community where...little pill-popping brunette loses her pen. My goodness! I forgot a character's name! Anyway...onward.
Marcia and Jim had gone off shopping because they were having a hassle trying to get everyone proper garb for family picture taking the next day. Grandma took Justin and me later to take them coupons and to take Justin to get a pedicure (he's got bad toenails too...must be a Lamb thing. Thanks, Dad). Justin made me stick around with him for that (I didn't mind - I did say he's my favorite. Though I would note, Maia had insisted Grandma bring me back with her. Oops!), and I chatted him and the ladies up. After that Jim took us around the corner to "Port of Subs" where we had...brunch.
The rest of the day was lazy and we didn't do much until Kirky and family arrived. Justin had come to the horrible realization that I'm not very musically cultured (to his music anyway) so he kidnapped Tubby and added about seventy songs (I think) to him (Tubby). It was rather amusing. Everyone was betting and speculating (the adults) about when Kirky and family would actually show up. They were in Las Vegas for the night visiting Erica and said they'd BE to St. George at 11am. We get a call, they left LV at 11:15am (about what everyone expected). It was rather amusing.
Once they arrived and we'd all been reacquainted I believe we dawdled a little more and then went to the nursing home for Great Grandpa's 95th Birthday Bash! It was veeery thrilling. One of Jan's daughters (Kira) and HER daughters were there and then us. G-Grandpa is just too cute of an old man. But it was so sad. Grandma came in once and smiled at Grandpa and he was smiling at her and she said, "Are you trying to remember who I am again?" And he just smiled at her (yes). He can't even remember his own daughter...that is so sad.
Justin and I were doing the rounds being sociable with everyone (within our family anyway). Marcia kept telling us to go talk to Preston. He and Roxanne were off to the side...well, Justin did that, and I went to Grandpa (Bear). He had me sit on his leg, "Here sit on my bad leg, it's good for it." Uhhh, ok....I sat very tentatively on it and chatted with him about editing. He told me, "Oh well you need to be careful with those books some are very naughty. [Romance novelist #1] and [Romance novels #2] and [Romance novelist #3] write very naughty books." I said, "Haha how do YOU know, Grandpa?" He looked all flustered and said, "Oooh...well, I found out VERY accidentally. Very accidentally. That's what I told my bishop." hahahahaha After awhile I said, "Uh do you want me to stand up now?" and he nodded and nodded and pushed me up and gasped for breath (jokingly).
Justin and I after awhile retired to the couch and we were both so EXHAUSTED we were just trying to pass out. Someone took a picture but I am waiting for many relatives to start posting said-pictures on facebook. In fact we spent like a half hour taking pictures and pictures and pictures which I am excited to see.
After the party we all separated. Justin/Deanna/I went with Kirky and family to Costco. I thought it was just for sustenance until we ate later so I didn't eat anything. Main point of this story is that we were talking and for some reason Justin noticed a kid (a fat kid - let's be honest) and said, "Look Tub-Tub bought [insert name of game]." I'm sure he wasn't intending to be RUDE and I said lightly, "Justin that's rude!!" and Erica noted, "Yeah welcome to America, people are LARGER here so you can't just say that." Justin accepted it and said, "It's not like I was calling him fat-a or something..." Agree. So we were doing our own light scolding but a lady from the table beside us who had obviously been eavesdroppping said, "DON'T be rude! I don't care WHERE you're from, RUDE IS RUDE!" (Somehow it had been mentioned he hadn't been in America for awhile) Ummmm...hello? I don't care how rude he is I was annoyed that she was being defensive of something that was none of her business. Don't defend her. I thought SHE was rude and...UGH. She just really irked me. And yikes. I guess I haven't quite forgiven her yet. Oops. I should probably work on that....so Justin said, "Yes ma'am..." and apologized or whatever. But when Maria and Kirk came back (it had just been us teens while they looked around) and we were leaving, the lady said, "You need to teach that boy some manners blah blah blah blah blah" -- again with the irking. Way to make him feel terrible about himself. So I grabbed him by the shoulder and marched him away before I was snotty in return. heh. I'm very respectful of my elders.
In the car we had a nice little chat about it haha. Maria was like, "I was confused. I thought she was going to say Preston. But then I was like wait...Justin?" haha that angel-faced innocent Justin of ours? Never! I should stop talking about it. Forgive and forget. Right-o.
More dawdling and then Kirk/Maria/family went back to Las Vegas to drop off Erica. Lots of pictures. Justin and I decided we were going to dinner since everyone else had apparently eaten when we thought we were eating later. So we went to Cafe Rio (once again "Take Deanna with you!" - I didn't mind taking her (actually Marcia told Justin on Friday night when we were off by ourselves "You can't monopolize Tess!" haha) but everyone made it out like we hated her and didn't want her with us and I think Justin was getting a hard time for asking for money and blah blah blah...he was just really off for the rest of the night). When we got back I headed home.
The ride home was mostly uneventful until I got gas. Once again, it was freezing, I was tired, and I spaced on putting the fuel cap back on. Well...that's gone forever. I went to Wal-Mart when I got back to Orem but there weren't any (I saw where they were SUPPOSED to be but they were all gone. That made me feel better that other people are fuel cap losers). Anyway, that loss was a bit much for my cousin-missing tired constantly-emotionally-strained nerves and I sobbed and sobbed for much of the trip home (mainly after I went to one gas stop and the lady bluntly...okay she was a LITTLE nice about it....that they only had fuel caps for trucks). So I sobbed and sobbed until Stephen had assured Trina who had assured me that I didn't need to worry about it until I got home. Yeah I still need to get one...but either way. I learned something about myself this weekend. Initially, I overreact to everything. Give me a little while and forget my initial reaction and I'm normal, but at first I stress and panic over things to the point that people stare. Oh yeah - funny note --- the first song that popped up on Tubby on the return trip was "On the Open Road." Oh and I lied about uneventful - going back over hills was very windy and hard on Ury. Poor guy. Also, what with people never closing the doors hard enough, I finally pulled over to reclose all my doors. I didn't realize how windy it was until I got out of the car and nearly got blown away. DANG. Poor car. No wonder he wobbled (the steering wheel).
Well that's my weekend. I feel like I had more to say about the days after...oh yes. Last night was what I feel to be my first "late-nighter" getting homework finished. As I mentioned before I didn't get everything completed that I had wanted to, and I don't do homework on Sunday, so I had to cram it all on Monday. It worked out okay, until I finished and realized I had even more to do. Jooooy. But it is all good now. :) Bring on Thanksgiving! I am already done with one of my classes until after the holidays. YES!!
Love you. I have to flee from before Trina and Stephen's home teachers now.
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