Proper Cartwheel Form...

I am realizing that this post is LONG over-due. It is a story I have told and retold and never ceases to disappoint.
Nearly 10 years ago I was at my Alma Mater (can it be an Alma Mater if you only went for one year?) Utah State University. Oh how I loved my time there. I made some amazing friends that I will have for the rest of my life. We may not see each other often, we may not talk often, but when we do, it's like we were never apart.
Among those friends was a girl named Sarah Mae Smith (now Bindrup but I'll always refer to her as Mae Flower). To this day she is one of the sweetest girls I've ever known, not to mention beautiful and smart. I feel the need to inflate her a bit because the story I'm about to tell... well, it's awesome.
One day we were all sitting in the lounge of the Valley View Tower 2nd floor lobby (aka the lobby of our dorm) just talking, laughing and having a good time.
In the corner of my eye I noticed Mae Flower standing by the hall raising her hands HIGH above her head, as though she was reaching for the ceiling.
This raised my suspicions a tad so I asked,

"Sarah... what are you doing?"

Very sweetly and innocently she replied,

Well... I want to do a cartwheel, but I'm afraid I'm going to kick the ceiling."

Bless her heart. Bless her beating heart. I smiled and said,

"If you can stand like this (and reach my hands high above my head) and not touch the ceiling, you'll be fine."

It was in this moment, she dropped her hands to her side, frustratingly placed them on her hips, scowled at me like I was an idiot and said,

"Uh... your legs are longer!"

Bless her ever-loving, beating heart. All I said in return was,

"You're right."

Getting Spiritual...

I just heard a guy I work with answer his phone and talk to his daughter. She called because a fire truck was behind her with it's sirens on and she didn't have anywhere to go and didn't know what to do so she called daddy. I thought, "TOTALLY something I would do." which lead me to this story.

A buncha years ago, the Sanders family had a reunion in Las Vegas. One night all the cousins wanted to go to the strip... do the rollercoasters andwhathaveyou ;). So we piled into a bunch of cars and made our way down. After doing the roller coasters, a select few of us wanted to go back to the hotel. I had to drive because my parent's van was one of the cars and I was the only one able to drive back.

I don't like driving in places I am not familiar with, and VEGAS is not a good place to start. So crowded and I didn't know where I was going.

This was before the time of smart phones so I didn't have GPS available. We started driving and the other passengers in the car were emmersed in conversation, and it didn't take long for me to realize I was totally lost. I drove along looking for something that looked familiar. Asked the other passengers if they knew where we were, they didn't and continued with their conversation. I started getting really scared. I wanted to call my dad, but it was like midnight, and I didn't want to wake him up.

Silently I prayed for help. Prayed for some street sign or something that looked familiar. I prayed to get back safely and not alarm the other passengers. Within seconds my phone rings... it was my dad.

I answer the phone and he says this,

"Hey Jules, I was just getting ready to go to bed and felt like I should call you and see how you were."

I said, "Oh I'm fine just driving home."

I really don't know what I was thinking but then I remembered I was totally lost and said,

"Wait NO, I'm lost and don't know how to get back"

Then he gave me step by step directions to get home and stayed with me on the phone the whole time. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was prompted by the spirit to call me. For all he knew I was still out hanging out with all of my cousins, there was no way for him to know I was scared and trying to drive home. I will never forget that experience and it will always remind me that I am never alone. It will also remind me that my dad is in tune with the spirit and I trust that as much as I trust him.

Just a Number?

Oh boy... 28 has never felt as old as it did last night... I have this dear friend Paige. We have been good friends for a long time now. We don't see each other as much as we used to, but we try to get together every now and again. Last night she invited me to this party some of her mission friends were having. Paige just got home from her mission about 10 months ago, she is a year older than me, I was just excited to see her, it didn't bother me that we'd be hanging out with some fresh off the mish boys.

Oh boy... OH BOY!!!

Granted most of the guys were great, guys I could see myself being friends with. BUT I FELT SO OLD!!! The things they talked about, one kid talking about his first date post-mish. Talking about how they are excited about this really exciting promising job that is "Network Marketing..." Aka MLM... aka Pyramid scheme, where I'd think, "Oh the things that 21 year olds buy into."

I do not miss being that age.

The point. There was one child, bless his soul, who found out I was 28 and said, "That's ok" like it's something he had to comfort me about. Once he found that out, that is how he would introduce me to people. "This is Julia, she's 28."

There was ONE guy there who was 28 as well, and he introduced us like it was fate that we were both there. THE STARS HAVE ALIGNED!!!! YOU ARE BOTH 28, I'M SO HAPPY TO BE THE ONE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO YOUR ONE AND ONLY!!!!!!!!!! Honestly I should have taken him, clearly 28 these days is similar to leprosy the chances of finding someone else as seriously stricken as I am, I should grab him up and never let go.

The best part.

The infant continuously put his foot in his mouth throughout the night, but at one point he said something, which I don't even remember, but I remember laughing at his idiocy, and one of his friends (a normal human) looked at him and was like, "Dude, don't say that to a girl." To which the fetus responds, "Come on, she's 28, I'm 22, clearly we're not going to date."

Oh son, you couldn't be more right, but trust me, it has NOTHING TO DO with the fact that I'm 28 and you're 22, and has everything to do with the fact that you are a ridiculous human being, who I don't feel like supporting for the rest of my life as you go from one MLM scheme to another. I hope that kid get's married soon. He'll end up dating a 19 year old who sees him as wise and cultured, who has traveled the world and seen so much selling pest control and security. Oh how happy I am to be out of that age range.

A War of Words

Today something happened that shall remain as one of the most awesome things to happen. I got into a poem fight. My friend got engaged last night so I wrote on her wall on facebook a little sonnet. In response a mutual friend of ours saw my sonnet and raised me a sonnet. There it began. I can't let this die in the never ending abyss that is facebook, so I am copying it here. It makes me happy. We begin

There once was a girl named Kristen, For a husband was all she was wishin She conquered her fears (only took three years) This is one event I shan't be missin. Congrats roommate, I'm so happy for you.

His response

I raise this sonnet with another sonnet: Kristen and Spencer sitting in a tree, They will be as happy as can be But first they will wed And raise their street cred This poem is better than Julias.

In between these comments the suggestion was posed to have a poem battle at the reception, whoever wins gets to initiate the cake fight.... This was our reaction

Challenge accepted :) It's on Michael Hanks BRING IT

Him

I accept this challenge, just you see That my slew of words will set cake free And bless our ears with a sugary rhyme Then push the baked good squabble line So bring your best my opponent of late Cause in the end I will be victor, and you…the lone roommate.

Me

Gasp! Said she, in reply to his threat I shan't be undone, though the bar has been set. I know this girl well having shared the same wall But I know you as well and I know you shall fall. The date has been set and the stakes have been made When the challenge is won through the cake YOU shall wade.

Him

I am aghast at such a quick reply That surely has caught my eye Yet not enough though a decent try To beat my cunning, funny ply For you will be beat no one can deny Such a worthy foe she may ask why To be scaled next to this Hanks guy Is a sure way to lose, a sure way to cry Yet the real winner here, I will not lie Is the soon to be wed couple on high

Me

You should be aghast that just shows you're unfit To compete with this girl, who has such unmatched wit Though never before has this battle been waged You'll feel I'm a pro once completely upstaged. So again I say BRING IT. Let the games begin In this first annual wedding sonnet war we're in.

Him

Such big words for such a weak refrain For the king of the hill I will remain This sonnet war more like an unfair fight Where surely I’ll rule the wedding night And you left alone in a poets disdain Like a stray cat in the pouring rain

Me

Such harsh words and surprising "big talk" For one who most assuredly will walk Whist I remain as the cake fight goes on With smile on my face when the victory's won. You can rhyme, you can sing you can even dance None of this save you from my poetic lance. A worthy component you well may be But someone in my shadow is all I see.

Him

You won’t give up, and so I’ll cease And give this FB thread some peace And let our Kristen bask in the joy Of telling the world about her boy But now know this before I end My piercing words will surely mend Your empty threats and bland prowess That soon will leave you a cakey mess

Me

K :)

Did I tell you, or did I tell you... straight up awesomeness.

To Whom It May Concern:

Last night I went to The Civil Wars concert, which was absolutely amazing, if you don't know who they are you should look them up... like NOW... this blog will wait for you. Welcome back, now that we're all on the same page of how awesome they are, I wanted to talk about a song they sang last night that hit home. I've heard this song a buncha times, but never really paid attention to it. Joy Williams (the girl in the duo) is having a baby in like a month (props to her for doing an hour and a half show in 4 inch heels) and she introduced this song as what she is feeling right now being so excited to have this baby. The song took on all new meaning to me. This is what I will sing to my babies when I'm preggo fer sher. Right now it's what I sing to my hubster, (if that confuses you thinking, "You have no hubster" that's the point) It's called To Whom It May Concern, these are the lyrics.

Why are you so far from me

In my arms is where you ought to be.

How long will you make me wait?

I don't know how much more I can take.

I've missed you, but I haven't met you

Oh but I want to

How I do

Slowly counting down the days

Til I finally know your name

The way your hand feels 'round my waist

The way you laugh, the way your kisses taste

I've missed you but I haven't met you

Oh but I want to

How I do

Dear whoever you might be

I'm still waiting patiently

Vindication

I will start this blog off by saying, I know this is not exactly nice of me... but I can't help it ALRIGHT? Over three years ago I worked for a company who shall remain nameless, cuz the internet can be a scary thing. While working for this company I had a friend who became my manager. Once he became my manager, I think he just assumed that I would take advantage of the friendship so he started treating me as such. I would call in sick, and he would go to my friend who also worked there and say, "So where is she really?" One day when I found out my parents were moving, I was having a really hard time with it, and kept crying at my desk. I finally emailed him and said I needed to take a personal day. He wrote back and said, "Do what you need to do, I hope everything is ok." As soon as the door shut behind me, my friend told me he went to her desk and said, "So where did she really go?" She replied, "Um... she's been crying at her desk all day... she needed to leave." Needless to say, our friendship went down the tubes at a rapid pace. A little while later I was pulled into his boss's office with him, and was told how I wasn't meeting guidelines and what I needed to do to fix that. One of the criteria was he had to review every file I did and sign off on them. I felt like some of the things they asked me to do, were unreachable goals, but I told them I would do my best. About 3 weeks later I got called in again. I knew I had done everything they asked, and as far as the unreachable goals went I knew I got as far as was possible, so I was feeling pretty good. I asked him, "Am I in trouble?" He said, "No, this is just to follow up from last time. You have made a dramatic improvement, and have done a great job over the past few weeks." So I was feeling better. When his boss walked in and told me again that I wasn't meeting standards and that I hadn't been having him sign my files, and that I wasn't doing what they asked. I looked at him astounded and said, "He just said, verbatim that I had made a dramatic improvement and that everything was fine, and this was just a meeting to follow up." He looked at me confused and said, "You must have misunderstood me." I was speachless. I knew in that moment my job would be gone in a matter of weeks, if that long. I knew it was my word against his, and he was going to lie. I was completely thrown under the bus and knew there was nothing I could do about it. I asked him point blank if he was signing off my files, to which he replied, "I may have forgotten a few." I said, "If you don't sign those, it looks like I'm not taking them to you, and I don't have any proof that I have. You HAVE to sign those." Within the next couple of weeks I did in fact get fired, for failure to do what they asked of me. Keep in mind, they fired me a week before I was having surgery, I had a week of sick time saved up. Sick time doesn't get paid out if you get fired, only the PTO. So I lost all of that. I was fired on the last day of the month, so I didn't have insurance the following month. They knew I was having surgery, and I know this was all methodical. I was sad for about a day, but knew really quickly it was a blessing in disguise I was incredibly unhappy there, and leaving that job brought me to the job I have now been at for 3 years and absolutely LOVE. The point of this blog. Today I was leaving the break room and walking down the hall and who do I see walking with one of the managers. HIM!!! As soon as he saw me his face went bright red. The last correspondence we had was right after I got fired I sent him an email telling him he was a coward and basically a horrible person. I said, "Do you work here now?" He said, "I just interviewed." I said, "Oh well good luck" and we went our separate ways. I walked to my desk with a co-worker and said, "Well... he's not getting that job." I didn't say anything to the manager, another girl who got burned by him did that herself. The point of this post is to express the sheer joy that I felt when he saw me walking down the hall after his interview, and knowing that the thought that most undoubtedly went through his head was, "Crap..." That makes me smile.

Weird = Potential?

I went to dinner with my friend Jon on Monday and we were talking about dating, as we always do. Side note- I love being great friends with guys, because I can talk to them about dating and get advice as to what is going on in the guy's heads, and help them know what is going on with the girls. Anyway I was telling him about my current dating situations and I was telling him it was just a weird situation I was in. I wasn't used to this feeling. What he said was simple but profound:

Weird means new, new means different and different means potential.

How true that is, and it's something I've thought about a lot since then. At this point in dating, if anything felt the same as something in the past that didn't work, what hope is there in that? But weird... this is a different feeling.

Nother side note... after two years I learned how to add pictures to my blog... turns out it was pretty easy, and right in front of my face. This is me and Jon when we first met on a cruise two years ago. This picture makes me laugh every time I see it.