Who's on First?

With this being the first week of school I thought I would share with you some good and bad firsts of mine.

I remember the first day of kindergarten. I was wearing a faded blue top and my new blue jeans. My hair was perfectly permed, my Sesame Street backpack filled with crayons and paper, and in my arm a roll of paper towels. I remember being very nervous. What if I don't know the answer, will my teacher still call on me? I just barely learned how to spell my name, is she going to require more from me? I don't know anyone, will I ever make friends? Sure enough, my biggest fears were all diminished and I made lots of friends and had a wonderful time.

The first boy I liked is currently on Facebook and has every opportunity to read this so I'm just going to use his initials. In second grade I thought I was in love with K.B. We were partnered up in a play as husband and wife and I thought for sure I would die of happiness. We got to rehearse our lines together, just him and me. The best part was that I knew a few girls who really liked him too and they were all immensely jealous. Sometimes he would look my way, sometimes he would talk to me. I even put his picture in a locket of mine. Oh K.B. you will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first boy I ever thought I loved.

There's many other firsts that have been a great deal of stress for me. My first job was as a car-hop working at Kirt's drive in. My first boss was an &%$@^*, my first date eventually came out of the closet, and my first car accident wasn't that great either. I think my least favorite first was my first time driving a car by myself. I'm pretty sure I almost caused at least 5, no 6 accidents, but I made it home alive...

This week I started a new job and my first day at the U of U. It's going to be tough getting back into a regular study schedule, but I'm sure (with a lot of ice cream) I will manage.

Tonight I had another 2 firsts that brought me great joy and then great sorrow. My friend's Dad was kind enough to send me home with some fresh tomatoes from his garden. I went home immediately and started to make my very first homemade marinara. Oh it was turning out perfectly! Everything was coming together: the noodles and bread were coming out perfect. And then I got side tracked...

Smoke was rising from the oven door, and I gently opened it to find that the bread (covered in olive oil, garlic, and oregano) was on fire. Not just a little, but enough for me to use the fire extinguisher for the FIRST time in my life. I was so disappointed with myself that I burned the bread.

However; there is one good thing that still turned out. I managed to cover the simmering sauce and saved it for a later date.

Moral of the story: come hell and high-water....save the sauce.

I'm grateful for...

Rainstorms

Pandora

Friends with phones

phones

phone chargers

straightners

sunsets

Eating out

paint

sunscreen

chapstick

blankets

netflix

facebook

speed dial

pineapple

fake flowers

real flowers

mini vacations

feeling pretty

comfy shoes

bandaids

a/c

full tank of gas

vanilla coke

anticipation of seeing a friend you haven't seen forever

seeing that friend you haven't seen forever

DayQuil

Claritin

Clothes

Paychecks

doctors

indoor plumbing

britta water filters

good books

chocolate

frosty's

exterminators

cool summer evenings

fall leaves

new beginnings

makeup

flip flops

soft towels

cameras

best friends

laptops

car snacks

water

playing in the water

coats

toothbrush/toothpaste

Loratab

Creativity

Baking

Color

compliments

watching great dancers

magazines

sample perfume

angry chic music

therapy

a listening ear

watermelon

brownies

nail polish

sewing machines

fabric too pretty to use

cardstock

paper

markers

rubber cement

teaching someone

learning something (outside of your field) that makes since

fireplace

having proof

breakfast

full fridge

magic 8 balls

lava lamps

tissues

calamine lotion

happy movies

moving movies

inspirational movies

productive days

teaching yourself something

taking the initiative

inspiration

writing

candles

letters

being silly

Halloween

poetry

memorizing poetry

writing poetry

being right

having your opinion challenged and still being right

Christmas Eve

New Years Eve

never making the recipe before and have it turn out perfect the first time

water fights

picnics

solitude

intimate parties

late night talks

late night movies

late night snacks

sleeping in

waking early to a sunrise

yoga

being a girl (despite it's challenges)

new outfits

old outfits that you redesigned

thrift stores

people asking for your help

being able to help that person

people calling you out of the blue because they were thinking of you

being helped

having people care

lazy days

medication

feeling confident

being confident

children laughing

being able to calm a crying child

great hair days

my ability to find something I like about everyone

my ability to create anything I want

my ability to sing

my ability to nurture

my ability to take nothing and make it something beautiful

my ability to make words mean something

my ability to ease someone's pain

my ability to love

my ability to to sew/cook/clean/write poetry/paint

helping someone without realizing it

mother's

the gospel

the scriptures

blessings

taste buds

finding a new favorite restaurant

tears of joy

finding out what's wrong

anticipation of falling in love

planning

being silly

having someone be silly with you

changing for the better

kicking a bad habit

feeling happy

being happy

stories

having a crush

being asked out

the good times with my family

being taken care of

unexpected visits

a clean house

good role models

cloudy days

sunshine

spontaneous vacations

spontaneous gestures

haircuts

loss, love, and more life lessons!

I refound my love for swimming.

My friend Tammy and I went to the new 7 peaks that opened here in Salt Lake on Saturday. I was going to be so sun smart this time because I always get sunburned. So I applied once, twice, three times (a lady) and was so proud of myself. I get home feeling sunkissed and exhausted. So, after taking a much needed nap, I wake to find a HUGE sunburn on my back. Yes, I did apply sunscreen there, however; it was more of a *squirt* "I think I got my back" sort of thing. No, I did not get it.

I got in my first car accident.

However; this was not my car's first car accident. I was driving on South Temple heading home (east) and as I'm going through 7th east intersection (on a very green light I might add) this car (traveling west and turning left onto 7th east) decides that I must be turning right not straight (it was 11PM) and decides to turn left, right in front of me! So I hit her full on with my car and get the passenger side of her car! My car was completely totaled but, I felt so bad for her. She was 17, driving a 2000 and something Honda Civic and she gets the citation for "failure to yield". She kept apologizing over and over and I kept reassuring her that I am fine, it could be worse, and that car was about to go anyway. Poor thing. (The girl and Betsy, my cute little car). That car has been through 7 drivers in my family, countless trips to Southern Utah (and twice to Yellowstone) and many trips to and from Weber High. It was a very good car.

Right now I'm just trying to figure out the insurance and finding a way to get around. Thankfully I have an amazing ward and a very understanding Dad!

Life Lesson Learned...sometimes "our blessings come through raindrops"

Not enough room...ie.

I will have a roommate come August. As I move things around to make room for her I realize that there was barely room for me! I have a year and a half of a single, roommateless life and I've managed to spread out. So hopefully I will figure things out soon.

Now I'm just looking for a job. I've applied to 14 jobs over the weekend but I'm coming up short.

Went to the Farmer's Market fashion show and ended up helping backstage dressing models. It was good to be back around fashion lovers. I miss the love of fashion that I had, and lost. I feel like I'm getting back into it. I'm now helping with the Live Arts Festival with their fashion show. It's good to be back doing what I love.

Things have been a little tattered in my life lately and I really hope that something comes along to give me that zeal I had for life again.

To Dad (this is what I wrote him for his father's day gift)

You taught me how to change a tire and how to bale hay.
I listen, even when you speak no words, to everything you say.
You taught me how to work hard morning, noon and night.
And for things that I believed in, to stand up and to fight.

When I was sick you cared for me, when I was well you cheered!
And you were always there protecting me against those things I feared.
You taught me right from wrong, you showed me good from bad,
And you taught me how to find the happiness even when I'm sad.

You made me finish the things I started and do the things I hate,
Even now I hear those words "cooperate and graduate."
You taught me to kneel and pray when times were rough and hard,
and the things that brought me pain, you told me to discard.

You care about me now as you cared about me then,
and anytime I'll fall down, you'll pick me up again.
And when I'm angry, happy or poor, tired, joyful, or sad--
I know you'll always be there, how? Well, cause you're my dad!

Lilacs and Pandora

Two things have always been able to calm me: the smell of flowers and music.

I remember the first day of high school, palms sweating, heart pounding, and adrenaline pumping. I was nervous, and I think my brother Danny could tell. He was a senior to my lowly sophomore and the chauffeur for the year. I don't remember too much, but I do remember the sound of Linkin Park's Meteoria pumping through the speakers of our car. Somehow, it suited the blood churning in my body and amazingly, I was comforted.

A year and some-odd months later I was about to take my first test on the driving range. Once again my brother drove and hard core Sum 41 pounded through the entire car and into my body. Somehow, at that moment, 2 wrongs (adrenaline from being petrified and adrenaline from the music) made a right, and my heart was stilled.

As I sit here the perfume of the lilacs float through my open window. It reminds me of the countless times I "ran away" and ended up in a garden or field, letting the smells mix through the air and calm my fragile heart. Tonight is no different.

Tomorrow is a big interview. The job isn't anything fantastic, but the benefits will be an answer to my prayers. It comes with great pay, great hours, and tuition reimbursement. I've always been stressed about school and money and this would be the best opportunity to finally put an end to all of it.

So thanks to an open window and Pandora, I think I can rest easy tonight.

Wish me luck.

Clara Belle

Used bike: 100$, Bike lock: 30$, Wicked cool name for the bike: priceless.

(However all of this was bought on a Visa card so it's not as witty as I thought!)

So, today I drove by a thrift store and outside was this extremely cute bike! It kept calling to me "Lizzy, buy me!" I stopped by the store and asked how much it was and he said it was 100$. Well, recently I've been looking at bikes on ebay and everything was at least 150$ and then 40$ for shipping. So when this was already the perfect bike and I didn't have to pay for shipping it became sold.

I drove it home and tried to install the lock bracket thing (that holds the lock on the bike), but it wasn't working and then after an hour I gave up and just decided that I didn't need the bracket thing. So I decided to take her out for a spin. I thought this was such an amazing bike! It's so cute and so I christened her then and there: this is Clara Belle.

As I was riding her around the block I realized 3 important things...1) I am incredibly out of shape, 2) Clara Belle is one of those old bikes that have the brakes on the pedals (which is one of the reasons I fell in love with her, she reminded me of my childhood bikes) so I'm going down hill I'm trying out the brakes and...they're not really working. And the third very important thing I realized is that...Clara Belle doesn't turn! It has one of those really wide turning radius! So I'm turning and I'm braking and I'm huffing and puffing and I thought to myself "I just spent 100$ on a big mistake!"

I thought that I could ride my cute bike to school when I got to the U. I also thought that If I go to close places I could save Betsy (my car) from some unnecessary wear and tear. But now I have a bike that doesn't brake, doesn't turn, and can't really go uphill.

Life Lesson Learned: Never buy anything because it's pretty.

Liz