In its prime

Today I finally stopped to take pictures of one of my favorite sites in Tooele County. I always admire this old home as I pass and have every intention to come back and take pictures. Today I passed it with my sister, and the setting sun made for perfect lighting. She insisted we stop, and I am so grateful we did.

Check out Communal Global to see images of what some other gals from around the world did today.

Memorial Day Memories

It was on this day back in two thousand and nine that I experienced Tooele for the first time.

After accepting the position at Excelsior Academy, my next step was to secure a place to live. I searched the internet from top to bottom and was only finding houses for rent. I didn't want to fork out that much money for just little ol' me.

I knew the only way to find a place in the area was to network.

I had already contacted a few people on facebook. (I sent a message to a girl who had hosted a News Year's Eve party. She had to be cool. It turns out that she also happened to be the Relief Society President of the Singles Ward in Tooele.) But the sense of urgency wasn't there. They were all willing to keep me informed about what they heard, but were they really listening out? I knew if they met me, they'd be more proactive in helping me in my search.

I made a trip up to Tooele on Memorial Day 2009. (I was already almost in the area for the weekend anyway.)

Megan, the Relief Society President I mentioned earlier in parenthesis, offered to show me around and help me locate some places and introduce me to people. I called her on my drive to Tooele and she mentioned that she was headed to a barbeque and that I was more than welcome to come with her there.

We agreed to meet at a central location. The local Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart should've been easy to find. And most people would've found it immediately. I figured it was on Main Street, but no matter how many times I drove up and down that road I couldn't find it. I sent a text Google's way and got the address. Even with the address, I knew where it should be, but I still didn't see it when I drove past. I was too distracted by taking in the sights I guess. I finally saw it tucked away behind a front row of shops and restaurants.

I was early for the designated meeting time. Of course. I was nervous, and I had nothing else to do. And I feared getting lost. I waited for what seemed like forever before Megan showed up.

She still had brownies in the oven at home, so we got in her car and went back to her place. I met her mother. So far, my impression of the town was very positive.

We headed to the barbeque. I met a handful of girls who would be in my ward. None of them were helpful in suggesting places I might be able to live. Turns out, they weren't being rude; there just aren't places to rent in Tooele.

After the barbeque, we headed up the street to a local park to play volleyball and kickball. As much fun as I was having, I didn't want too much time to pass because I was determined to find a place to live that day.

I met many of those who would become my closest friends that day. I like to reminisce with a few of them about that day.

I texted one friend today to remind him of our first meeting. "It was on this day in 2009 that I first met you. And it was because you didn't remember meeting me that you later labeled me a stalker." Hahahaha. Good times.

Casey, my sister, and I drove the back way to Tooele, which was the way I took one year ago. We arrived at the same park where I played kickball on that fateful day. After an hour of Ultimate Frisbee, I returned home to the apartment I secured on this day last year.

Ah, the memories.

This is what my April 30th looks like

My sister, Casey, lives about 35 minutes from me on the other side of the Oquirrh Mountains. We live in two different valleys both affected by the lake effect snow of the Great Salt Lake. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, I might get dumped with inches of snow while she gets nothing or very little. Or vice versa. Yesterday, she posted what her April 29th looked like. Although I was experiencing the same cold weather, she got the bits of snow, and I did not. However, I wasn't so lucky this morning. This is what my April 30th looks like.

What does your April 30th look like?

SWF looking for her Settling Soul Mate

My sister, Casey, lived with me over the summer. Neither of us had jobs, so we watched/streamed quite a bit of tv and movies. She would often quote 30 Rock or tell me about an episode. I've always liked Tina Fey, but she took a special place in my heart during her political days. But when I watched a couple episodes of 30 Rock when it first hit the air, I wasn't hooked. I wasn't impressed. But I was also a lot less funny then.

Fortunately, I found myself with a little time one day and started watching again. Now 30 Rock is a weekly treat.

Watch this episode.

Time out. I have a feeling you didn't really watch it.

Fine. At least skip to 11:06. (If I knew how to deeplink Hulu, I would.)

"The Universe wants us to settle for one another. There has to be a reason this keeps happening to us, Liz. I think that fate is telling us this is the best we're ever going to get. We're each other's settling soul mates."

"Settling soul mates? That is grim. And I've played Monopoly alone."

"Well, I know it's not ideal. But we both benefit. I could open jars and kill bugs for you, and you could make me look less gay at work functions."

"...Why fight this? Grow old with me, Liz? In separate bedrooms."

I found my settling soul mate not too long ago.

I have made a lot of awesome friends in Tooele. Two of my favorite friends are a couple of guys who are roommates. I spend a lot of time at their house. Since I live alone and don't have family here, I've made them my family. It's the place I go when I want to be with people without having to entertain or be entertained. Nothing is required. We just chill. I like that arrangement.

On my drive back to Tooele after Christmas break, I got a few texts in a row from one of these boys. It started out with "I know you like me." I immediately responded with "You know I like ____." (Explicitness only occurs in my journal and not on a public blog.) And he did know. I've talked to him about it before.

He didn't stop. He kept telling me how much I liked him (yes, you read that correctly) and suggested we start dating. His rationale? "We get along just fine, and you don't let me walk all over you."

We get along just fine.

Yeah. That's exactly the relationship I'm looking for.

Never once did he tell me he liked me, or that he liked spending time with me, or that I made him laugh, or that I made him want to be a better person, or that he missed me while I was gone.

Nope. None of that.

I guess if I let my loneliness control my life, then we'd be growing old in separate bedrooms by now.

Homeless

I've recently started volunteering at the Family File desk at the Salt Lake Temple which has led to an immersion in Family History.

When my mom propositioned going to Florida again for Christmas, I only agreed if I could get more information from my grandfather in Mississippi about his family. Many generations are assembled on both sides of my father's family and on my maternal grandmother's maternal side, but I didn't have much information about my maternal grandfather's family.

I had no idea the gold mine that was available to me. My grandfather took me to a small cemetery near his home where a few generations of his family was buried. I took 93 pictures of headstones. I spent the last couple days inputting information and linking my family together on new.familysearch.org. (I even input information for a family that isn't even related to me...at least that I haven't found yet...and provided the missing link needed to populate several generations. It was so exciting to serve someone I didn't even know!)

It has been a fascinating adventure.

However, as I listened to my grandfather, I realized that he had spent almost his entire life in the same area. He served in the army which took him out of Mississippi and he spent a little time in a couple towns near his hometown, but he had lived there his entire life. His parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents had also lived there their whole lives.

When I looked back at the family history that was already there for me on my father's side and my maternal grandmother's maternal side, these families were also born and raised in the same places their entire lives and for generations.

All of these families lived down South--Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina--which makes me wonder why I live in the West. I don't have any roots here.

Identifying this family history should make me feel more connected. Instead it has made me feel homeless. I don't know where my home is. I know where my parents live. I know where I graduated high school. I know where I started kindergarten. I know where I went to my first dance. I know where I learned to walk. All of these places are different. I don't know where to call home.

As the cheesey cliche goes, home is where the heart is. I believe that. Every place I've lived has been my home. Right now Tooele is my home. I have friends who treat me like family. I have people who care about me and treat me right. Tooele feels like home. However, I could easily leave after this school year in search of a new home.

That leaves me with the same feeling: homeless.

A mighty change of heart

I must be experiencing a might change of heart.
It's snowing right now. I opened the blinds so that I could enjoy it. I can barely see the field across the street from my school, but I'm loving it. It is so peaceful. I even considered walking outside to let the flakes fall on my face. Alas, I must stay inside so that I don't lose my job.
Speaking of work...

You light up my life

It was just after midnight. I was sitting on my couch using my laptop to prepare some things for school. All of the sudden, there was a bright light outside my window. The light resembled that of fire, but there was no way a fire that large could flare up that fast. Within moments, it was gone. A few minutes later, I heard a low rumbling sound much like the roar of an engine and my floor vibrated slowly. Admittedly, I was scared. I didn't know what caused the light or the noise. Of course, I turned to facebook for comfort. I posted, "There is something strange happening in my backyard. I don't know if I dare look outside."

Moments later, my sister, Casey, posted that she had just seen the most amazing meteor in her entire life on her drive home. She said, "It looked like Superman shot across the sky. It was so bright; I was blinking the image for several minutes."

I was a little jealous of Casey, having spent almost an hour the night before in the bitter cold watching for meteors as brilliant as the one Casey just reported seeing. I commented on her post, "I hope you made the ultimate wish."

I, never knowing what caused the strange light in my backyard, went to sleep.

The next morning, I checked facebook as part of my morning routine. A friend of mine, Brian, who works as a reporter for The Spectrum, commented on my post saying, "You aren't the only one to report such an incident." He left the link for the newscast on KSL.

I watched the newscast and got really excited. That bright light I saw was in fact the light from the meteor Casey had seen while driving in Salt Lake. I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to get to school to talk to others about it.

I hadn't missed out (entirely) on the greatest astronomical event of my life.

Three months in review

I can't even remember the last time I clicked on my Blogger bookmark. My last post was in mid-August. I miss blogging. I miss writing in my journal. So many things have happened, but I haven't taken the time to stop to record them. I'll have to refer back to my facebook status updates to try and remember the noteworthy things that have happened in my life recently to begin recording them. Until then, I'll generate a list of some important points. I can't promise that they'll be chronological, nor will I promise that they will make sense to everyone.

I stayed home sick today from work. I have a cold, although part of me wishes it was swine flu. I still don't believe that disease exists (despite the number of confirmed cases in Tooele County).
Speaking of Tooele County, I'm officially a resident.

I didn't vote this year which makes me very sad. It's the first election I've ever missed in all my voting years. I never took the time to familiarize myself with the candidates and proposals for this county. I didn't want to go to the polls uneducated and pick the name that sounded the best. I was ashamed that I neglected my patriotic duty to be informed and to share my voice.

I really like Tooele. Or at least I did until it started to snow.

My car broke. The transmission gave out. That wasn't the only thing wrong with it. It would've cost more to fix than it's worth. It was a blessing in disguise. Well, actually it wasn't even disguised all that well. I was certain to die in the car I used to drive if I were to have driven it in the snow.

That means I bought a new (to me) car. It's number one selling point for me was traction control. I told myself if I ever lived in the snow again then I wanted a car with traction control. I was sold on that feature years ago when I lived in Provo and dated a boy who drove a car with traction control. I was never scared when I drove his car, but I was always scared when I drove my car.

So far, I love my car.

Second only to traction control is my other favorite feature. It has a tape deck. That's right. I can listen to cassette tapes any time I want in my car. The only problem is, I don't have any cassette tapes. So I'm adding that to my Christmas List. As a matter of fact, it's the only thing on my Christmas List (since the last item was satisfied a little over a month ago). I want a mix tape from each and every one of you. PLEASE. And make this wish come true faster than my wish for a Snuggie.

Speaking of Snuggies, I got one! YAY! My life is complete now. My younger sister, Casey, got one for me. I'm using it right now. To show my appreciation for her wonderful gift, I created this photo album of me enjoying my Snuggie. View the album here. You'll be ever so grateful you did. (Of course, I have to thank Casey again for taking the pictures for this gratitude photo album.)

I'm the in the Relief Society Presidency of my ward. I was a little, make that a lot, intimidated by the calling. I've never felt like I was the woman that I imagined all members of Relief Society Presidencies to be. As always, the Lord has helped me to grow into my calling. This calling has been the source of great happiness and countless blessings these past couple months. I look forward with great anticipation to the tremendous blessings that will continue to occur in my life as I serve diligently.

I really like my ward. It's smaller than I would like, but there are new people and visitors every week. We'll be busting at the seams before you know it.

I've made some really great friends in my ward as well. I have something to do every night of the week. We go on amazing adventures. Click here, here, here, here, and here for some photos of the great things we do.

I like teaching. Teaching is fun. The rest of my job isn't as fun. Well, I take the back. The social part of my job is fun. I have made some really good friends in my colleagues. One of the other fifth grade teachers has become one of my favorite friends. We went to St. George together during UEA and hiked in Zion and caught a couple shows. We went to The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) at the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City and to Aida at Tuacahn.
Gosh, I miss St. George. I almost drove there last night. I just didn't want to drive back today. Oh, well. Thanksgiving will be here in a week-ish. I can hardly wait.

My students are amazing. They are adorable. They are smart. They work really hard. They make me giggle all the time. I had a student say to me the other day, "You laugh more than anyone I know." I took that as the highest compliment. I like them, and they like me. They like me so much, that they want me to have the finer things in life...including a dreamy boyfriend. They invented a boyfriend for me a couple weeks ago named Chad Hotpants. He has been the source of many a conversation since then. I even had a student bring in a picture from a magazine of Chad Hotpants. He clipped out the cartoon of a man climbing a ladder with the seat of his pants on fire. Hahahaha! They had a heyday the one time I ever let them write on the white board. Enjoy these photos of their graffiti.

Well, this post is entirely too long. I'll have to save some other random information for another day, but I wanted to get these posts under way so that I could post a few days worth of "I'm thankful for..." posts. I really enjoyed that last year.