Fourth Picture

I don't usually do this stuff, but I really needed a new post on the blog. So I'm playing this game.

Rules: Open your pictures file, got to the fourth folder, and then the fourth picture. Post the picture and write a little bit about what was going on! The first three folders were wedding pics, the fourth was just a bunch of random pics & here is #4 in that folder.


The last day of our Cabo Trip 2007. Notice our semi-fake smiles we were sad to be leaving. It was a fun trip with a fun group of people. We stayed in a beautiful home, this was the view looking out from mine & Hoot's room. The beautiful Sea of Cortez.
Me & Hoot, Chris & Christina, CJ & Sheena, Craig & Faith, Brent & Diana, & Jakelle. Good times!

Hey atleast it's a good pic, you were very close to having to look at dogs, cows, or mountain range. I'm afraid Hootie has many more picture files than I do.

Hope you had a funday Sunday.

Random 9/11 post

It's late, and the day is close to over, but I was just remembering 9/11, and some of my thoughts on the people who caused that dreadful day.
I'm sure we all have very distinct memories of where we were when we learned of the events of that day, and the tragedy that struck our country. It's one of those things you don't forget. It's one of "those" distinct moments that you'll always remember the details of. Similar to the memories of where they were and what they were doing when Kennedy was shot, or the Challenger going down, that our parents have.
But bigger.
I think it changed everything. Regardless of how I may have felt before, I realized the world wasn't safe and oh-how evil it could be.
I also realized that I had a passion for the journey of a career I was about to take. I had already applied at SkyWest, I remember so many friends and co-workers asking if 9/11 changed how I felt about flying. NO. Does it make the prospect of some things with my industry different, more challenging? YES.
I was still eager to join the ranks in the clouds. It's scary to know that people find my "office" as a weapon of mass destruction. However, technology and security does give terrorist more loops to have to jump through, now. (I am not, nor have I ever been over eager about TSA, just look online for the SNL skit on TSA and liquids, that is my general consensus on alot of them, they seem that brilliant!)
How dumb is it that I never had to check a bag until two years ago. (When traveling stand-by, that's the last thing you want to do, if you actually want a change of clothes with you.) Now I do because, I'm sorry, but I can not go on vacation and fit all of my needed liquids in a 3.4 oz container or less and all in a quart size bag. Why this change, because a couple of idiot terrorist guys, who planned to make bombs using liquid contents. The day that was discovered, it screwed my schedule so bad, I was stuck in Illinois for an extra day, and my little brother's flight home got delayed/ cancelled.
It's is always interesting to talk to my fellow crewmembers who were working this job and listen to their adventures and where they were stuck when FAA and the Government closed all US airspace for the days following 9/11. People have amazing stories of where they were, who they rented cars with, where they drove home from, & how many planes were left stranded without crews, because they felt the need to be safely at home with their families, too.
Terrorist are a possibility I still face at work, and believe me I have seen some creepy things, scary people, and seen people doing their strange (to me) chants/ prayers in the airport and on my plane and wondering what their next step would be.
I don't know if I really had a point, but I do know that while 9/11 changed so many things, how we view the world, it also has taught me we can't let them win, we can't live in fear. I think it brought alot to the surface. I think it was part of the ice burg that pointed us to Iraq & Afghanistan...which also begs a huge thank you to all our troops. To all those amazing young men & women who sacrifice, their lives and their families, for our freedom. I also feel a need to be grateful that they are willing to go, so we don't have to worry about drafts, people like my little brother who joined the military in a time of need, to make a difference. He's been a United States Marine for 3 years and will finally (He's been eager) see the desert this winter.
Just a babbling blog post to remember the impact of 9/11, to say I HATE TERRORISTS, and thanks to our amazing military men & women, who value not only their own, but our freedom as well.

Ode to the belly ring

So yeah it's a strange topic, but it's my blog, so I can put whatever I want.

WARNING- if you read this it might make you dumber, and you'll probably waste 2 minutes of your life. :)

So I've decided it's probably time to get rid of this thing I've had for over 8 years, strange as it is, I've kinda gotten used to it. The idea of navel piercings used to gross me out... I think it was the idea of people who shouldn't be sharing, flaunting it, that I envisioned.

But when I was 18, old enough to sign for it myself, I decided to do it. It was the day I was shopping for my Senior Hop dress. My mom was so annoyed because I got a little lightheaded and had to make a smoothie dash, she was bugged that I did it the day we needed to find a dress. She didn't tell me I couldn't do it because I was old enough to sign for myself, and oh by the way, at that time I had a pretty cute, hard stomach.

Anyway, I did it. A totally pierced up tattooed guy did it, which actually made me feel better, 'cause I figured he for sure knew what he was doing. It was also the first thing I kept hush hush from my dad.

Fast forward three weeks later, I had to get surgery. My lack of prior planning meant I didn't have a plug for it, and I didn't want it to grow in while I was in surgery, I hadn't taken it out. (You can't have any metal in/on your body.) Since it was still on the DL from my dad, the nurse came in and told my dad he had to leave the room- she said she needed to some shaving for surgery prep- (It was a hernia surgery & it was low, but not there, and she didn't really have to shave me), she had to use tweezer/ plier things to get the stud ring apart and out of me.

When I was in recovery the nurse and my mom came in. My mom took the ring out of her billfold, and the nurse tried to put it back in, I was still drugged on the anesthesia, and all I could think was "you need to lubricate it, dummy, try Neosporin" but I couldn't verbalize it, they didn't, & I had to get it repierced.

The second dude was some clean cut, UofU med student, I liked the rough lookin' guy better. He told me if it hurt I needed to tell him, because that would mean I already had scar tissue. To give you a visual he took a blunt needle & would try to work it in, and twist it in, to work it through the hole. Oh it hurt like hell, way worse than the first time, I definitely had scar tissue, but I wasn' t going to let him know it and be out the $40 from a month before. So I ended up with it redone.

And I've had it ever since. It was just something I personally wanted, didn't want to show to people, or wear things that made it visible. Unless you saw me in a swimsuit, you probably never saw it.

I remember in college some of my high school friends crashed at my place, and when they saw me changing, they were a little shocked. Just my own little personal vice, the tattoo thing was never for me.

I remember the day we finally told my dad, Ashley had hers done also. I'd probably had it for 3 years. It went something like "You have WHAT in your stomach?" and we both showed him our bellies. (Strength in numbers.) I'm quite sure he wanted to rip both of them out, right that minute. He was far from thrilled, but we pointed out that it wasn't permanent, we could get rid of them whenever we wanted.

So I guess now I've decided it's time to get rid of it. (And my stomach is far from being as in shape as it was in high school.) So there's my lame post attributed to a belly ring, but I felt like sharing.

Later.