So Long, Farewell, Auf Weidershen Good-Bye

Today is a very important day dear readers. What type of day is this you may ask? Today is a day for change. Enough with all of these presidential candidates offering you change- I am showing you change. Today is the day that I move back. Back to Idaho; back to school; back to comfort; just back to what I didn't think I would miss nearly as bad as I did. Today is the day of change. Tonight I am flying to Utah (and praying desperately that Southwest does not in fact lose my luggage.) My mom and I fly into Salt Lake around midnight. That will be fun. I'm really excited to be spending this time with her. I'm just excited. That's all. Then tomorrow we drive to Rexburg!! I'm so excited. I'm a little nervous, not gonna lie. It is new, and I'm going into the unknown a little bit. The unknown being my new apartment, and five new roommates. Five roommates who all checked in today- a whole day before me. I have no idea if they will remember to leave me room in, oh I don't know... the bathroom! Oh, and the kitchen would be nice too. (I just keep praying. It will be an adventure!!) It shall all work out. I know that it is time for me to go back to school.

I really will miss my family so very much. I have had so much fun with them these past four months. But it's just time. Time for me to start my future. I have had so much adversity in getting ready to go back to Rexburg. I know that at this time in my life, that I am supposed to be at BYU-Idaho. And you dedicated readers... know that life in Dewey is not everything that I could ever hope for. Not even close. But my time is done here. (Does that sound like prison, or what??) My bags are all packed. (All FOUR of them!! I have so much crap...) My laundry is all done. My dry cleaning is all cleaned. My debts at Hollywood Video are all paid. My gym membership is over. Dewey is ending, but the rest of life is just beginning. And I cannot wait. This next year is going to be...big shall we say. I just know that change is coming. And to be perfectly honest, it feels like big change. But it's a change that I wouldn't miss for the world. So stay tuned dear fans. These next few months are going to be a ride!!! So hold on tight, and brace yourself for some sarcasm coming your way. I will keep you posted. I promise. Thank you, and goodnight.

Does This Mean I'm Illegal?

So I'm pretty sure that I was treated like an illegal alien yesterday when I went to the doctor's office. It was all kind of weird. They wouldn't take my insurance...which is not too uncommon outside the state of Utah, (Thank you, DMBA...) and so I had a couple of options. Of course, I was being treated for a sinus infection, and my head was all stuffy. Therefore making some of the details a little cloudy. There was the $45 option: The doctor sees you for the symptoms that you have that day, but you are not on any medical records at that office. Or the $85 option, and you somehow get on medical records... So considering the fact that I was moving at the end of that week, I decided to take the cheap route. I didn't need to be on any medical records anyway. I just wanted some antibiotics so I could remember how to answer questions like, "How are you?" Not too much to ask. So I learned more about the $45 dollar option. It was basically this. We will let you see a doctor for $45 dollars. No questions asked. You are not on any of our records, so you were technically never here. It was all kind of weird. They didn't make me fill out any personal information either. I just had to sign some stuff that said that I wouldn't call and hound them for my test results. It was all a little bizarre. So I performed a Jason Bourne yesterday, and they won't be able to trace where I was from 9:00 AM to 10:00. Hahahahaha!!! That was my plan all along!! Take that, fiends!!!! Okay, I am apparently having some side effects from the medication. I should quit while I am ahead. (Or at least was ahead.) Thank you, and goodnight.

Wedding Doorbells Rang

Another rather large event in my life occurred a few weeks ago. I got married!! Okay, no. My dad did though- for real life. He married a wonderful woman named Julie on March 22, 2008. They were married at my Uncle's house in Sandy Utah. It was a lovely wedding. It confirmed my belief that children should never see their parent's weddings. It is just so insanely awkward. I'm not gonna lie. The wedding was nice, but completely crazy. You have to understand my Aunt and Uncle. They are the most generous people you will ever meet. They always have some random people living with them... there are always a million people there. It is insane! (But full of love.) It is so crazy that I have determined that if I ever suffer from writers block, all I would have to do would be to set up a video camera and record for about twenty minutes, and I would probably have at least seven different plot lines going on. It is crazy. And the noise level is comparable to some sort of rally. No lie. So the day of the wedding came. I flew into Salt Lake, and began my princess day. (After all, it was all about me anyways...okay, no.) That day was full of hair and nail appointments. It was actually a lot of fun. By no stretch of the imagination would I want to do it everyday, but every now and then is fun, and maybe even healthy. So the ladies got beautified, and I tried to be of assistance to my father who was in fact totally freaking out. I'm not going to lie, it was actually really funny. I hope that doesn't sound mean. I'm sure I'll be like that too- but I'm not there yet, so I decided to just enjoy it! Probably the worst part of the whole wedding was that I had to sing. (Hey, it got me out of a wedding gift!!) I sang Someone to Watch Over Me. I was kind of freaking out, because I didn't think all of the notes were going to come out. Basically the only singing I had really done in the past 5ish months was in the shower. And no real performance time since that awful show, The Secret Garden last May. So needless to say, my range and technique were gone. That was kind of troublesome to my heart. I was totally freaking out. But it all worked out. My Dad wanted me more as "background noise," rather than actually performing. (Thanks Dad!!) That was real nice. But it did allow me to stand in a corner by the stereo (no time for an accompanist...) and hide while I sang. I was only harassed by the photographer. (My cousin.) I hit all my notes. Thanks to many prayers and a diet of Hot Tamales and Apples that day. And the wedding continued. (Oh yeah, did I mention that I started the wedding? Weird?) So I walked down the aisle. (Which was the living room) and went and stood by the bishop. It was awkward because I had to wear nylons, which equaled me almost falling out of my shoes like four times... oh well. Then my Dad and Julie did the whole wedding thing. Then it was time to meet and greet all of these people from my old ward. That I was in 10 years ago. There was a common theme to all of our conversations: "Emmilie?! You are so grown up!!! You are so big!!" (Well I would HOPE so!) So that was fun to see my old Activities Day leader... it was nice. Then Aaron came to the wedding, and we had fun watching all of the kids dive into the chocolate fountain. So yeah... that was the wedding. I took a few notes, and decided what I may or may not want at my wedding. I want a chocolate fountain. That's about all. Oh, and I will be getting married in the temple... so yeah. That will be good too. Oh, and by the way- I now have a new step-sista. Her name is Jillian, and she is amazing! I love her to death. She is so sweet, and crazy. (Crazy like me!!) So now I have too sisters. Hooray! Oh, and I kind of went a little crazy with my camera before the wedding, so I shall share. And I would like to repeat what I said at the beginning. Children should never see their parents getting married. It's just plain weird on so many levels...

Me, Jillian, and McKenzie. Sista Love.

Me and Cooper. I really enjoy this picture. Mostly because I had attacked him right before Kristal snapped the picture. I caught him off guard!! Hahaha. I am the superior sibling...

This is my cousin Blake. He is so incredibly handsome...

Gabriel!! I love him so much!!

This is my favorite cousin...ever! His name is Steve. (For real) And he is the best!!

Hate Crime

Oh, so the other day I was thinking about my blog, and thinking that I never have anything happen to me that is blog worthy... (Remember people, I live in Dewey...) And then I had a moment of sudden realization. Realization that I was a total idiot for not remembering this rather large thing going on in my life. So to shed some light on it, let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time I went to Salt Lake, and after a difficult trip, which included breaking up with my lover... I flew back home. (The best part was staying with my sista friend, Kristen!!) So I was a little distraught to go back to Arizona. I'm pretty sure that there were some tears involved... But I had to go. You know, family was there, and good stuff like that. So I get to the airport, and check in with my luggage. Nothing out of the ordinary. I was worried that my flight would be delayed because of the weather. "Of course not," I thought. "That sort of thing never happens to me." I continued ignorantly. Foolish girl. Well, my flight was not delayed. Everything was going well, and according to plan. I landed, and had kind of a funny feeling. I attributed it to being back in the state of Arizona. But pushed it aside, determined to be happy, and focus on seeing my wonderful family again. So I went to the baggage claim to go get my luggage. The only problem was: it was not there. Yes, dear readers. Southwest lost my luggage. It was a moment of, "Are you kidding me right now?" And just like those Prescott Valley people, they were quite serious. "Oh dear..." was all I could think. There may have been a few colorful words in there too, but we can sum it up with "Oh, dear." So I go and talk to the Southwest Baggage Official People. They give me the normal, "Well are you just a moron?" deal first. I assured them that I did check baggage, and that I was looking on the right carousel, and that it was indeed not there. Once we got past the moron phase, I had to give them all of my information. That was fun. I was ready to give a blood sample too. Luckily my blood was not necessary. Just my patience. Which after seeing how the man in line before me was clearly lacking patience, I decided to give a little extra. It worked well. They gave it one more pointless search around the baggage area. My bag was no where to be found. Sadly, I got on my shuttle, and tried to ignore the jabs about the lack of luggage from the shuttle driver. I think he was disappointed. It meant no tip for him. I had two hours to think and reflect how losing that bag was a perfect way to end the trip. That was a fun ride home... Then once I finally got back to Dewey I had to figure out what all was in my precious bag. Many VERY sentimental items. Basically my entire wardrobe was in there. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to wear, since after all, the original point of the trip was to see my lover. So I took almost everything to have choices. That was smart... All of my clothes that I bought in New York, my scriptures, my make-up, my bag from Disneyland, my drugs, (That was fun...) My phone charger...basically everything I owned. It was horrible. I won't lie.

I prayed, and prayed. I called Southwest everyday for a week to see if they had any news for me. It was never good news... So on the fifth day some lady called, and was like: "Sorry. They only award $50 in replacement. But still send in your information to get your claim." Luckily I hung up the phone before I really freaked out. My freakin' Wicked Hoodie was $60!!! That would be oh, so helpful!!!! I was so mad. I wanted to egg Southwest...or something undesirable. Something. I prayed instead. I just figured that this really sucked, and I would have to make it work. So I made arrangements to go with my mom down to Phoenix to go shopping. Because of course, Prescott has NOTHING!! (Unless you are a cowgirl, which I am most definitely NOT) So we went shopping, and I tried to replace my closet. Well $700 later, I almost have everything replaced. It has been insane. I still have to try and get my stuff from New York replaced. I have no idea how much that will cost. OH MY WHAT FUN!!! So thank you, Southwest. Now I REALLY have to get a job up in Rexburg. But I found out something about myself. I am not really a freak-out-in-your-face-when-you-ruin-my-life kind of person. That is one positive. And I got some cute new clothes. And I was able to make many jokes out of this. So that was good. I was grateful. I would never, EVER want to do this again though. I wasn't that grateful. So I sent a letter to Southwest, with a list of everything in my bag and a picture. I really hope that they find it. The odds are not exactly what you would call good, but I'm hopeful. So the moral of this is that I was a victim of a hate crime. (Well I hated it!!!) This is the picture that I sent in. So if you see anything like this, let me know. Thank you, and goodnight.

Why is the Dust in Arizona Red?

So today I was doing my monotonous daily routine... Now that I have quit that wretched job, I have to make money somehow. How you may ask? I clean my house for my mother. It is actually really relaxing. And it leaves me alone with my thoughts. You know, because I have no other alone time... (Sarcasm button: ON) Anyways, I was dusting today, and to my surprise I find that the dust here is red. And not just on my TV where I first noticed the fore mentioned dust. Indeed not. Upon closer inspection, I found to my surprise, that all of the dust in Arizona is red. Just one more reason for you to think that I really am on an alien planet. It was utterly bizarre. Perhaps in my weakened condition, (I have a sinus infection...) I found it to be much more interesting and amusing than it really should be, but alas. I found it worthy enough for my blog. I would take a picture, but I do not want to throw myself into that wave of insanity. Taking pictures of dust. (Who does that?!) Okay, Horton. (And that statement does not prove my insanity either. I was referring to Horton Hears a Who... the dust speck...my Seussical days are flooding back to me now...) Ahem. Moving right along...

Again today, going about the near prison like routine, I noticed something else that caught my eye. I was driving through PV (Prescott Valley, although "Village" works too-) and to my utter astonishment a banner was hung on many street lamps. On the banner: The iconic I Heart NY picture. Oh, but this had been modified. It now read I Heart PV. As if that wasn't enough above it read this little thought provoking phrase: "In a PV minute..." No ladies and gentlemen. Try as you may, Prescott Valley- or "PV" will never have minutes similar to New York. And don't for a single "PV minute" try to convince me of the similarities between New York and Prescott Valley. I literally did a double take when I saw this, and laughed out loud for like 4 minutes. Just because PV is larger (not by a vast amount) than Dewey, it will never be considered a city. It's just not happening folks. I'm sorry. And you would never call the residents of a city "Folks." It just goes against so many laws of the universe. I really wanted to stop and take a picture... but I could not. I was late picking up some child from school. Maybe tomorrow!

Considering that this very well may be my last week...ever...living in Arizona, let alone Prescott, I am going to try to appreciate the natural...beauty that surrounds me here. Most of the time my appreciation turns to incredulity. "Are they SERIOUS??" They always are, and it makes me laugh. So maybe I should highlight the humorous parts of living here. After all, they are quite serious about it.

Dewey, and All That the Name Implies

Okay. I live in Dewey. Yes, it is a real place. And yes, I have mentioned it once or twice before, And yes, tonight I will be mentioning it again. And yes. I really do live here. And yes, it really is called Dewey.

I was reading over some of my previous entries, and they all have the common theme of hope strung along into them. Hope that my time in Dewey would get better, and more exciting. HA!! In fact it did not ever get more exciting. I hate Dewey with every fiber of my being. It is the bane of my existence. I have to report that it never got better. It was not a sweet wine that got better with age. It was more like an old piece of cheese...that just continued to mold. I didn't have to work on a ranch...that was good. (I'm looking for the positives here.) Everything about Dewey (with the exception of my wonderful family) was horrible. My job was the job from Hell. It was so crazy. I try to joke about it, but some of the things that happened just aren't funny. I have yet to make sexual harassment funny. If you have any ideas, please pass them along. My Singles Ward was terrifying. It was the most nerve-wrecking experience having to go there... Probably the most difficult part was the whole not having any friend thing. I really don't recommend it. You know, but I practiced my story telling skills... to myself, in the hopes that one day Dewey would offer me an audience. But alas, it did not. I really don't mean to sound...forlorn or anything. I'm doing well considering everything... I just figure that it's important to tell the facts... Things are good. Never fear, fans!! I have been faithfully counting down the days I have left in this *&%$#@&*@!#$&%$ place. (Which translates into great) I ONLY HAVE 6 DAYS LEFT!!!! And I will miss my family SO much!! But I can't wait to have a life again. haha. Really. I'm so excited that I will have a social outlet other than facebook. Life will be good. And I'll have friends to do things with on the weekends!! I won't be stuck at home blogging, or on facebook!! HOORAY!!!! Thank you kind fans, for listening to my venting. You have been so great these past few months, and I promise to be more upbeat in just a few moment's time!!

So these pictures are rather definitive of my stay here in the Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and Dewey. The first one is a great representation of how society and relations surrounding me are trying to pressure me into falling into the unthinkable...a cowgirl!!! (gasp from the crowd...) But never fear. I have not given in. Thank you. The second picture is also accurate. Those of you who know me very well, and can read my facial expressions know that this is a "I'm smiling because that is what' expected" face. I call it the humoring face. I was humoring my sister. I was humoring the universe in coming to live here. But hey, it all worked out. Maybe not in the way that I was expecting it to, but indeed, it all worked out. I learned a lot. Life lessons; like: Never leave your daughters alone with the men that work behind the front desk at a gym. It never means anything good. Please remember this. Thank you, and goodnight.