I Saw the Stars!

Hank and I went to California a few weekends ago to attend his grandpa's surprise b-day party. We definitely needed a break from our monotonous lives and it fit the bill! I'm always so amazed how close we are to such great places and yet we never go! Then I remember that we are dirt poor and such activities don't necessarily fit in our budget. Some day! :)

I'm thankful for all those who helped calm my anxiety/need to explore my surroundings.

We visited the 7 dwarves serving as columns. Hank pointed out my resemblance with Grumpy.

Oohed and Ahhed over the Mickey Mouse fencing....

Visited the Stars!! Why I've always wanted to see star imprints of famous names in concrete? Not sure... (This ones for you dad!!!)

Attended the surprise party!

And hung out with really cute kiddies...

A special thank you to Hank for sitting far back in his chair, making my head look abnormally large...

We had a great time and loved seeing everyone! Hopefully there will be more family gatherings in the future!

Blah.

Sometimes I open up Google, stare at the search box and contemplate typing in "how to fix my life." I do this multiple times a day and get irritated everytime that the answer isn't at my fingertips.

I guess theres a reason.

Cringe.

Last week while playing the Birthday fairy, I had a bit of an accident. Its taken me a few days to be able to write about it since thinking about it makes me dry heave. Sound dramatic? Wait till it happens to you. Then you'll understand.

I was rushing after work to make it to Target, the cupcake store, the party store, etc. As I unloaded my cart from Target, I realized some party supplies were in the front seat for Hank to see. With the trunk still open, I thought I would go to the front seat and grab them to hide. While in the front seat, I decided to put my purse down on the chair. I ran back to the trunk, threw the party banner inside and slammed it shut. Only problem was that my hand was it in. Closed. Shut. Hurting like hell. I started panicking. I immediately thought to myself, "How will I get my hand out of the trunk?" Typical answer, "Unlock the trunk with the keys! [non-strategically located in the front seat of the car!]

I glanced around the parking lot to see a woman a few rows away getting in her car. I yelled for her to help, but since I was panicking, I made no sense at all. After a few very long seconds of confusion, she ran over and grabbed my purse. Naturally, she started digging for my keys in my suitcase sized purse (I still love it mom, thank you!) Fortunately, my trunk detects the keys so all she needed to do was throw my purse my way so I could get my hand out. Explaining this in my state probably took longer than her just finding the keys! :)

This woman saved my finger. Magically, it is still intact! She starting to freak out and wanted to drive me to the ER. I have never felt so dumb in my life. Who shuts their hand in the trunk? And don't obstructions typically prohibit the trunk from closing?! Ironically, I backed into a car a few months ago which has significantly affected the trunk's ability to shut. Not this day. It shut just fine and very quickly. Two slams weren't necessary. I will never forget the feeling of metal, bone, metal. Yuck.

I think I will go puke.

For your viewing pleasure, but the pictures don't do it justice.

I will be going to the Health Center tomorrow per Barbie's orders given days ago. Mobility seems to be more of an issue than I expected and its numb and tingly. This is the last thing I have time for but it significantly affects my ability to type :)

Won't You Love Me?

Can I come cuddle, sleep and play at your house this Friday-Sunday night? My parents forgot to arrange a babysitter for me this weekend. If you are able, interested, and willing to watch me, please let my negligent parents know.

Thank you for considering me in your home.

Much love,

George

Hank's Real Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated Hank's 25th Birthday. He is now "basically 30" as he has been calling me for the last year. Again, I stand by my advice to marry older.


I wanted to do something special for Hank's birthday but selfishly hesitated to based on my busy schedule. Luckily, Hank has amazing family & friends who quickly responded me regarding the possiblity of a surprise party. So I started planning!



I wasn't exactly sure where to throw a surprise party, but my first thought was to check out Nickel City. We went there a week earlier on a date and LOVED it! Sure its a bit trashy... but who cares?! On my way home from work, I stopped by to check it out. I wasn't sure how much it would cost or if the party rooms were up to par.



The ancient man in the brown tweed jacket explained the 3 packages to me. Naturally, my eye looked straight to the least expensive package: $10. Yes, $10 (+ $1.50 per person for admission.) He proceeded to explain that we could bring in a cake, but not food since the other packages include their pizza. Um, their pizza looked worse than Ruthe Deskin Elementary School lunches so I explained to him that "wasn't going to work." He said we could "work something out." What exactly does "working something out" at an arcade entail? Fixing the machines after hours? After much deliberation, he decided another $10 would suffice. Done. Less than $40 for this event was more than I could ask for!


It turned out perfect. Well, almost. First, Emily had to decorate the entire room because we got there to find out we actually couldnt do it early. Second, Hank ran away from me trying to blindfold him and put in earplugs...but after a few tries, he gave up. Third, Hank insisted a package be mailed to a customer RIGHT as we were leaving. Seriously? He is so weird.


I got to drive around making wrong turns to make him lose his sense of location. This was hilarous. It worked until I dropped off his package at FedEx and he could smell Burger Supreme--of course, since it always smells like its on fire!



When we arrived at Nickel City, all his friends and family were there to yell "suprise!" Thank you to all who came to celebrate his special day. It meant a lot to him and he had a fabulous time! This really helped make up for my failure to do something the last 2 years :)



I didn't get any pictures of him blindfolded since I was busy directing him, but here are some from the night.



Hank's 25th Surprise Birthday Party at Nickel City



Just to add to the great night, the owner didn't want to charge me the extra $10 for bringing my own food. He said we were great and that wouldn't be necessary! Then he went to the back room and grabbed one of the really expensive prizes and told me to give it to Hank.



He said "see you next year!" To which I replied, "Actually we come every Tuesday!" Embarrassing.

AFV

I found out a few months ago Hank and I may not be compatible. I learned this somewhat important piece of information in a battle over the remote control. I wanted to watch The Amazing Race; he insisted on watching America's Funniest Home Videos. Originally, it seemed like he just wanted to oppose my tv show. Not the case. He genuinely wanted to watch it--its his favorite. AFV?! Seriously? I have despised this show since I first saw it in the 80's.

I was reminded of this unspoken conflict in our relationship tonight...right now, to be exact. Hank has laughed hysterically at a squirrel eating Pringles, a "stray dog" entering a wedding reception and scratching himself in the aisle, and "feelers" on rotten potatoes causing a child to cry/scream (to name a few!) I just don't get it. There has never been a video on the show that I couldn't rationalize as staged. When there is a possibility of a staged event, I don't feel its deserving of my laughter. I become a skeptical grump.

AFV: A man runs into a glass door
Hank: ::Laughing uncontrollably:: "That's a crowd pleaser every time!"

Ok....so I may hate the show and those who submit staged videos with a passion. But I cannot help but laugh seeing Hank laugh so hard he cries. I never thought I could love someone who enjoyed AFV so much, but I do!

Heaven.

I've driven by a sign advertising the opening of a new cupcake store in Provo about 10 times. My curiosity has been killing me--"could it be THE cupcake place I've been dreaming of?...the producers of the ideal solution for my Saturday sweet-tooth splurge?" I assumed it wouldn't meet my expectations, as it had the appearance of a national chain of The Coffee Bean (my mistake--its really called the Cocoa Bean!)

Today as Hank and I met with H&R Block, I couldn't help but wonder the entire time what the cute little store next door contained behind its doors. As we drove away from the appointment, I remembered we forgot to include our tithing....so I demanded Hank run back inside and ask them about it. He left the car running, in park and grudgingly went back inside to fulfill my demand. I sat there, torn. I had a serious decision to make and only a few minutes to make my move. I had to think quick. In a split second, I was reminded of the total of our tax return (much more than we expected) and my unhealthy curiosity to learn more about this cupcake store. I DID IT. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RAN INSIDE! (Fat girl, yes. Regrets? no! or at least not until I weigh myself tomorrow.)

I don't typically like to blog about food. Its boring, somewhat embarrassing, and typically unproductive. Today is the exception. I feel morally obligated to share with you what I so deeply enjoyed today.

From one sophisticated palette to another, do your self a favor and invest a portion of your tax refund on a cupcake, or two, or three.