eighteen hours

Just got back from San Fran yesterday morning. At 8:30 a.m. After driving since Monday at 2:30. If you do your math correctly that's 18 hours. Of driving. Without being able to sleep because I can't really sleep in the car. 

After getting home at 8:30, I had to get to class by 10:30. I had class all day long, 

then I had a volunteering gig,

then I had some last minute homework,

then I had to go to Taco Tuesday TWICE with different friends.

Then I cut my friends hair.

Then, at 11:00 p.m.

I went to bed.

After a 40 hour day, if you will.

 

erica

A few weeks ago, one of my high school best friends, Erica, got married. In high school, we ate lunch together, played at our school talent show, played and went to concerts and Denny's on the weekends. We had jazz band together and since there were so many guitarists and bassists, we got to go in a side room and just jam and talk the whole time with a bunch of people.

She was in my high school band, TeliFone Pole, as the bassist. Her bass was stellar, had a wood top. We (Megan, Erica, and I) were best of friends and band buddies and we hung out all the time. (One time we played a show in my basement and a few other bands came. They played so loud some of the pictures fell off the walls!)
We did things like... 

take Valentines pictures and post them on our friends Myspace walls as a Valentines card.

 

Boys Bathroom Madness.

 

Wore matching shoes to stake dances.

 

Had pie parties.

 

And jammed. All the time. And sometimes played shows.

I guess you could say we were a little weird. But whatevs, we had fun.

Anyway, this girl got married and now Megan and her are both Swensons. So I'll know when I've found the right man when his last name is Swenson.

 

You go, guuurl.

little sister

I have exactly one little sister. Little meaning younger. That's the only thing I can say about her that is littler than me. Her personality, height, and amount of time she can talk are all bigger than mine. This girl is not shy.

 

I'm extremely close with all my sisters in different ways. But being the youngest two kids, Lindsay and I have always had a special bond, if you will. On vacations, we always shared a bed. On cruises, we always shared a room. When the three older kids moved out, it was Lindsay and me. So you see, we were always paired up, so naturally, some bonding is gonna happen.

 

My little sister just started chemotherapy for Hodgkins Lymphoma. She's doing good and has a priiittty good attitude. I didn't know our family could get closer than we were (cause we were daaang close). But I think we just might have because of this. Trials always bring blessings and I've already seen many. 

Lindsay is one of my three best friends (sisters) in the whole world. 

We laugh and laugh whenever we quote [and especially when we see] the beginning of Titanic. The line where Rose as an old lady says, "Aww yes. The woman in the picture is me." To everyone else, that line has no humor. But to us it does.

We always sing 'Some Nights' by Fun loudly and harmonize in the car.

When we were kids we shared a bedroom. Whenever Lindsay would go to the bathroom, I always smelled her hands to make sure she'd washed them. She usually did, but sometimes she didn't. And when I asked to smell her hands, she would refuse... obviously I wasn't stupid. So I'd tell her to let me smell them, and she'd finally just go wash them. I was such a good teacher of hand washing.

Dad used to pay both of us a whopping two bucks an hour to massage his feet. We gladly did it, and often. Two bucks was like five candy bars back then! 

 

 

So, I say...

Girl, kick that cancer to the gray-ound.

autumn

my favorite things about autumn:

fall colors
leaves changing
cool weather
halloween
starbucks caramel apple spice
scarves
decorations
caramel apples
pumpkin treats

mitt

  

just got back from las vegas helping romney campaign! it was pretty swell. they bused us down from salt lake, provided all meals (generous meals, at that), and provided hotel stay at the marriot. we went door to door asking people who they would vote for. one lady said she wouldn't vote for romney if her life depended on it. i wish i could make her life depend on it. how foolish of her. we made some phone calls doing the same thing. we went hot tubbing and walked the strip, ate tons of m&m's and soda, and sat on the bus for over 12 hours total. it was grand, and i'm being totally serious.

bittersweet

Summer is pretty much over. Monday was my last boating day of the year. It was terribly sad. Like, I honestly felt a little emotional.

 

Summer did me well. And so will fall, I hope.

A few of my favorite things about summer were:

recording my first album ever

Lake Powell

weekly boating trips

playing with little Albus

and taking family pictures.

I am excited for fall; wearing scarves and cardigans, drinking apple cider, and going to corn mazes. But it's always so so so sad to see summer go.

31 years

My parents got married 31 years ago today.

My dad was the 3rd guy that wanted to marry my mom. Third one's the charm.

He asked her randomly one day, and she said she'd have to think about it.

She was crazy... I mean look at this man.

She was only crazy for a few days till she said, "Mmmmkay." 

They got married and had some kids, including myself.

[Their younger years]

 Not only are they ridiculously good looking; they also have ridiculously good looking kids.

But in all seriousness, I really can't tell anyone how much I love those parents of mine. Sometimes it hurts. They are my ultimate heroes. I consider myself an excellent cook just because my mother is. And I always compare men to my dad and usually they aren't good enough, no offense to them.

 

They've still got it.