Rod-E-O

Trina, Bethany, Amy, Charlotte

A couple of summers ago my friend Lisa took me to the biggest rodeo in Utah. (This is also the friend who introduced me to rugby and she's an amazing ballroom dancer too). Lisa is fun to attend events with because she knows all the ins and outs and can explain what is going on. She was the one who explained to me just what makes the bulls and broncos angry enough to try and buck off their riders. I enjoyed the rodeo so much, that I bought a cowgirl hat... yee-haw! Anyway, when I heard that there was a rodeo in Marshfield on Friday, I had to go. Now... I didn't expect it to be as big as the rodeo Lisa took me to... but I was still a little disappointed. The arena was, well, small and there were less bleachers than at my high school football stadium and I was in the minority in my cowgirl hat. Little did I know, though, that professional rodeo actually began on the East Coast in Boston and DC. Who'd have thought? It was a good time watching the steer wrestling, the calf roping, bronco and bull riding, barrel racing. The cowboys weren't quite as skilled as the ones in Utah, but they were from places like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania... ;) There was the premier rodeo entertainer who showed his skills with a lasso, a whip, and even yodeled for us. Here is a little clip of the most dangerous sport in the world for your enjoyment:

Official

Okay, maybe, just maybe... I never got my license plates changed from Utah... and maybe, just maybe, I always panicked when a police car would drive up behind me... in case he did pull me over and I got a double ticket. Not that I speed very much. Well... it is official now. I have Massachusetts plates. Yes, I waited until three days before my registration expired. It was kind of a sad thing, though... I could always recognize my car in the parking lot because it was the only one with Utah plates. And it's almost like I'm relinquishing my identity as a Utahn. I'm not sure if I officially qualify as a New Englander, yet, though. This guy at the beach in NH asked me where I was from because I wasn't as brazen as girls from around here. I guess that's a good thing...? At what point do you become from a new place? That's always an awkward question to answer when I'm travelling... Should I say Utah or Massachusetts now?

Little Road Trip

Last Saturday I went on a little road trip up the coast. We started out by going to Ogunquit, Maine... the most darling little beach town. Unfortunately, it was a little foggy, but that didn't stop us from having a fun little picnic on the beach. My friend Sue had the cutest little picnic basket with matching napkins, plates, and even goblets. (Sidenote: I've always wanted a picnic basket. Maybe the picture in my mind is Southern belles in big hoop skirts with parasols and the accompanying dashing gentlemen.) While walking across the bridge we noticed a bunch of boys fishing... but instead they kept pulling up crabs. I think they enjoyed the attention from a large group of girls. The sun came out just as we were leaving. Next, we went to Hampton Beach in New

Hampshire. It was a little bit ghetto, but they had a sand sculpture contest and a good fireworks show... I'm a fan of both. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

One thing that was weird for me... there was another Charlotte there! She is here for an internship this summer. I am not used to being around someone else with my name, since it is not very common (one reason why I love my name... good job, Mom & Dad). It is very confusing! I don't know how everyone deals with it all the time. It always feels weird to say her name too... like I'm not sure if everyone will understand that I'm talking about her and not me. I kind of felt like that when I was learning Russian grammar and it was something completely different from what I was used to in English. I wondered if I really said it that way, if people would be able to understand me... which of course, they did. Anyway, just a random neb thought.

My Boston Family

A very sad thing has happened... My Boston family has moved back to Utah. The last week before they left I was able to see all the kids in action. I attended Maglet's ballet recital where she rocked out to Bohemian Rhapsody and twirled theatrically to Polar Express... such a star! I also saw Kat's team win the championship soccer game and Karl's team win the semi-finals. They both have so much talent... the games were just fun to watch. Kat's game even went into a sudden-death shoot-out after two overtimes. Talk about exciting!

I have so many good memories from the last year with the Peo's...

• Going candlestick bowling
• Living with them when I first moved so that I could find a place that I liked
• My birthday! Delise cooking me breakfast in bed and dinner for a party for my friends
• Discussing where to find the perfect make-out couch
• Calling eachother to look up googlemaps whenever we were hopelessly lost
• Hours of American Idol Karaoke Revolution fun (Build me up Buttercup!)
• Tie-dyeing t-shirts with booby spots
• Family dinners where Delise would ask everyone the best part of the day (and loving the kids saying when I came over)
• Playing board games around the kitchen table
• Being a "spice-wussy"
• Trying my hand at yoga, standing sit-ups and pole-dancing exercise videos
• Laughing... over Boston-isms... Brian Regan... boys... anything
• Attempting to stay awake during action movies or funny sitcoms late at night and failing miserably
• "Eat Like a Pig" dinner
• Girls Nights Out with plenty of shopping and food
• Hours of therapeutic talking while curled up in blankets on the couch
• Beach outings to Nantaskett
• Taking embarassing pictures in Puerto Rico
• Evening family scripture study, prayer and reciting Articles of Faith
• Getting creamed at MarioKart on the wii... and the kids praising me for not coming quite in last
• Everyone trying to keep the dog Lucy from jumping all over me as soon as I walked in
• Taking care of me after surgery and anytime I was sick

I have been so impressed with the love they have for eachother and everybody. Jeff and Delise have been such good examples for me of charity, selfless giving, being good parents, and so many things. I am a better person for having had their family in my life. Thank you for everything... I don't think I could have survived the last year without you. It meant so much to know that you were there for me. I'm really going to miss you guys!

The House Where I Live

So... Jen, this took me a while, but I was out of town when you tagged me...

the sink: for some reason they don't believe in divided sinks around here, so I have to use that little tub to wash dishes. I have a very old dishwasher, so I still have to do a bit by hand.

the fridge: I have a visitor right now, or normally this would be very, very empty. My niece Audrey painted the Tink picture last year. Isn't she amazing?the toilet: this bathroom is tiny... most back here are. It really makes me miss my Sugarhouse bathroom. It had a huge wall-to-wall mirror and counter (even if it was bright pink tile with turquoise accent).
the laundry: yes, I have to pay to do my laundry. I am just grateful that I don't have to go to the laundromat like some friends. I just have to go down this cobwebby, steep, narrow staircase into the basement, being careful not to hit my head.

my favorite room: one reason that I chose this apartment was the cute flowered tile around the fireplace, and I found the cool wall hangings that match. My sister, Jessica, came out last summer and helped me decorate. Didn't it turn out cute?

my closet: here is one half...
here is the other half...
and this dresser and armoire are also full of clothes... so what?bonus picture: so you could see the rest of my bedroom... funny story about the paint. When I looked at the apartment all the walls were white. I moved all my boxes in but was waiting for the furniture. When I came the next day all the windows were open and my stuff was in the middle of the room... my landlady decided to paint... without telling me. No, I wouldn't have chosen that color... and I already had my bedding, so I know it doesn't quite match, but oh well.

So... that's how I roll until September when I move. Now I tag Joy, Rachel, and Melanie... I've never seen where you guys live now.

Tagged!

Four jobs I've had: Teller & FSR at Zions Bank, A/R Accountant at IHC, Project Accountant at Jacobsen Construction, and Financial Analyst at ASCOA... and as a bonus I spent a few months selling clothes at Ann Taylor

Four movies I can watch over and over: Pride & Prejudice (any version), Princess Bride, A River Runs Through It, and The Little Mermaid

Four places I have lived: Utah (WVC, Holladay & SLC), Russia (Rostov, Sochi & Krasnodar), and Massachusetts (Weymouth, Quincy & soon... Brighton)

Four favorite TV shows: The Office, Seinfeld, American Idol... and, um... Smallville? I don't really watch TV too much...

Four favorite foods: my mommy's spaghetti, ice cream, chocolate and peanut butter (and any combination of the last three)

Four places I'd rather be: a warm sunny beach, hiking in the mountains, playing good volleyball, and on vacation in a foreign country

Four places I've been: Finland, Brazil, Egypt and Israel

Four blog buddies I want to tag: Kristie, Jakob, Heidi and Amy (I would tag Jessica, but I know she won't do it...)

I Went Skydiving!

Blue Skies

You'll never believe what I did this morning... I jumped out of an airplane! Yep, I went skydiving. My bishop is an avid skydiver, goes at least once a week, and arranged for a group to go. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it) for Amy, it was raining two weeks ago when we had originally planned to go, so she was able to come with us.
As part of our training before we jump, we had to watch a video with a lawyer. The first thing that appears on the screen is "SKYDIVING MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR YOUR DEATH." But that did not deter any of us... we waived all of our rights to sue and suited up. I kept thinking that I should have been more nervous than I was, but when I do scary things, I don't let myself think about it and just go. I didn't really start feeling scared until we were halfway up in the airplane. Two jumpers got out at 5000 feet. The first guy just kind of stepped out of the plane and shot back like a bullet. I had to gulp... um... was I really about to jump out of a plane?! Oh, and one of the girls who went up before me had a twisted parachute, so they had to cut it away and use the reserve. Yeah. When we got up to 10,000 feet, my bishop somersaulted out of the plane, then Amy, white as a ghost, barrel-rolled out and my turn arrived. I stepped up and crouched at the door, toes on the edge, with my arms crossed over my chest. We rocked forward, back and OUT! A scream escaped my lips and I froze... I couldn't remember what I was supposed to be doing... I was in the air... falling through the sky! Luckily, when I felt us start to twist, I snapped out of it and remembered that I had to arch my back, kick my feet up, and hold my arms out. Free-falling didn't actually feel like falling... more like flying. The wind was rushing up (I couldn't hear anything), and almost feels like it's holding you up... suspended in mid-air. This lasted about 45 seconds while we fell 5000 feet, at which point, my instructor Rich signalled to pulled the cord. I looked (important step) and reached down to find the orange tab and pulled. The parachute opened, pulling us up... this hurt the worst as the harness came a foot higher than it had been. Yeah, I'm sore.
We slowly floated down for the remaining 5000 feet, taking about five minutes. It was beautiful... still didn't feel like we were falling. It really almost felt like I was supported or attached to something on the ground. We glided in for a standing landing (I didn't quite stick the landing, but close). As scary as it was, I had so much fun and would definitely do it again!

Our Nation's Capital

I was able to take a vacation this last week (June 6-11... not even a full week). The first real just vacation since I started working for ASCOA (everything else has just been quick weekend trips, a couple of days off). My friend Joy did a great job of blogging, so here are links to her blog... and I'm just going to insert a few additional random comments.

Washington DC Day 1 Joy forgot to mention that we made friends with a squirrel in the statue garden. He kept eyeing us and the granola bars we were eating. He came closer and closer... but Joy didn't get scared... not at all.

I also liked this picture in the Air & Space Smithsonian. We basically just tried to take as many goofy pictures as we could. It made me remember how fun I used to be before I felt like I had to be responsible.

Day 2 Just some random tidbits I learned in the International Spy Museum... Did you know that the Allies created an entire fake army with blow-up tanks and cardboard cutouts of planes? They used it as a decoy to throw the Germans off the mark for the big D-day attack. We also learned to look for suspicious characters and "drops" where spies could exchange info/items. We found many the remainder of the trip... DC is pretty much crawling with spies.

Day 3 We had such an interesting conversation with Joy's aunts and uncles. They told us about their family's experiences being Japanese during WWII. The government forced Japanese citizens to leave California or be forced to live in camps. When their family was able to move to Utah, they were some of the only Japanese people in the entire area they lived in and could feel it. Sad to hear of such prejudice, but it still happens. By the way, her family is just so nice. Her aunt just wanted to feed us until we were ready to burst. The food was all delicious as well.
Oh, and speaking of random connections, at the get together Adam took us to, Amy and I ran into friends from our trip to the Holy Lands in 2007. I can't believe it's already been a year!

Day 4 It was on this day that I began to realize that my feet hurt. Bad. I can't remember the last time my feet hurt so much. We were also very, very hot. I thought Amy was going to pass out in front of the White House. She took this picture after we told her we wanted to try and hold the building in our hands...
Also, if you get a chance, ask Amy if she can talk and walk onto an escalator at the same time. ;)
Day 5 I'm really sorry that I dragged Joy and Amy to the zoo in the hundred degree weather, but in my defense, we were supposed to go in the morning before it was boiling hot, but we didn't make the Holocaust museum the night before. AND we each picked one thing we wanted to do and this was mine. Hey, random, I know, but I'd never seen giant pandas before. Aren't they cute? He was eating an enormous popsicle. Plus, my family likes zoos. My daddy buys an annual pass to Hogle Zoo every year. I've also been to the zoos in Chicago, IL, Knoxville, TN, and St. Louis, MO.
Umm... we accidentally left Amy when we boarded the train that night... I don't know why she didn't see us running to jump on. She said someone tripped her.
Day 6 While waiting in line to see the mansion at Mount Vernon, this member of George's cabinet entertained us with a cricket-like game. The ball is on a lever which you hit with the paddle to make it fly into the air, at which point you swing (basically, pitching to yourself). The ball must land within the marked field, though, or it is a strike.

This trip was so relaxing. I didn't realize how stressed I was until I came home and it all hit me again. It was just so nice to get to spend a week with good friends that I have known for years and years. I can't believe I've known Joy for a decade now... and she still likes me ;). I don't remember the last time I laughed and laughed so much. Thanks, Amy for providing comic relief. I love you guys!

Paid Holiday

I love holidays... I mean days during the week when I don't have to work. For some reason they seem more free than the weekends. And even better when they have perfect weather like Memorial Day did. We went to the beach in Scituate with my Pembroke friends to bask in the sunlight. However, as Holly always says, the Atlantic is so much colder than the Pacific. I dipped my toes in and then stayed away because it was freezing! Ted was braver than I, and went into the water. The first try he didn't go all the way under, so we had to try again. Can you see him shivering?

Afterwards, we had lunch at Friendly's and had delicious ice cream - mine was Reese's (in case you didn't know, I'm addicted to peanut butter. and chocolate. and chocolate mixed with peanut butter). When we were sufficiently stuffed, we continued driving south to Plymouth. Unfortunately the rock was under construction (see picture below furthest to right) so we didn't actually get to see it. We did see the Mayflower II and enjoyed a nice walk along the coast. At that point, I was exhausted... but Holly and Ted still wanted to enjoy the last night of their trip. So I took them to the train so they could explore the North End and Fenway Park. I know... but I was really, really tired. And they even brought me back a delicious cannoli from Rich's Bakery. Mmmm. Come back anytime! :) Seriously, I had a fun time with them. It's nice to have family around.

Beautiful Day

On the Sunday of Ted & Holly's visit, after church we had a picnic at the Mt. Auburn cemetary. My friend Kristie also had a visitor, her friend Heather (whom they call Heather B. because she also has a sister named Heather). I met Heather B. when I went home with Kristie to Virginia for Thanksgiving last year. The weather was perfect and beautiful and warm. It made me want to dance, so I did. Afterwards, we drove to Lexington and Concord. I seem to have been there a few times this year... each in a different season, though. This was the first time that I went to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetary, where Thoreau, Hawthorne, Alcott, and Emerson are buried. It's strange to think that all these great authors were friends and lived near eachother.


Our last stop for the day was Harvard campus, where Ted obviously has little respect for authority. I went on the unofficial Hah-vahd tour last October with Mandy and her mom and tried to remember tidbits of information. I really should write things down.