Davis & Co. Part 2

The next morning found us ready to play soccer but no one to play soccer with. So we decided we should go jogging. Apparently Davis has many a jogging/walking/biking trail, and it was up to me to pick one. I picked the arboretum because Claire kept saying it so fast I could have sworn she was talking about a burrito, and I like burritos.

It was a lovely run, although it was a very hot day, and I do remember admitting that I hadn't been that drenched with sweat in many years. It was delightful.

I Googled these arboretum pictures, so we are not in them, so stop looking for us.

After the run we were starving, so we decided to go to the Fuji Sushi Boat place and eat a lot of sushi.

I really did end up eating a lot of sushi, and I am sorry to say I wasn't able to get a really great picture of it all.

Right before I thought I would pass out, I decided it was best to just leave the table and go pay for my meal. We walk up to the front desk place, and no one was around. No problem, we can wait.

We didn't wait long, because soon a 6ish(?) year old kid came up behind the desk, climbed into the chair, and held out his hand for my bill and payment.

I gave it to him.

After he played with the machine and my card for a moment, and after Claire and I exchanged bemused glances, an adult came over to help the small boy and that is when I realized I should have taken a picture earlier.

But I was filled to the brim with sushi, so I was kind of slow. I did manage to grab this picture, though:


Afterwards, I passed out in the car while Claire drove us to the Sacramento temple. All I have to say is, "Whoa!" The inside of the Sacramento temple is absolutely amazing. It is gorgeous. I have been in ten temples and I think this one might win "best interior decorating." It in no way wins "best all-around," but I was really stunned the moment I walked in, it simply took my breath away, and caused me to come up with this award system.

An interesting feature of the Sacramento temple is the wild turkey herd right on temple grounds. Who knew?


I just want everyone to check out these flowers:

They are as big as my head!!!!

See?

The next day I went to Claire's ward, and while she was in a meeting for the ultra-righteous, I stumbled upon this little bit of heaven:


Yup. A dating box.

Really.

I was so glad I had my camera with me.

It took every ounce of self restraint and goodwill I had in my body not to put Claire's name in there. While I was contemplating what a great joke it would be if I did put her name in, I was also contemplating who to put her with. I only knew one male first and last name set, a rather infamous gentleman in the ward, when I glanced over and discovered the entire ward in pictures. While I was suddenly overcome by all the possibilities, I talked myself out of ruining Claire's life and just decided to walk away.

It was maybe one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Davis & Co. Part 1

Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking a jaunt up to Davis to visit with my friend Claire.
Our first order of business was to immediately go to Claire's favorite pizza place, the Symposium! (I added that exclamation point. It is not part of the restaurant's name.)
The following picture serves a few useful purposes. You get to see the restaurant. You get to see that it is painted orange. You get to see Claire, and you get to see a tree. This is not the only tree in Davis. This tree is only one in a million. In fact, Davis has so many trees, that if I had a fear of things dropping out of trees and onto my head I wouldn't leave the apartment.

Ever.

Yes, there were that many trees.

The Symposium(!) is Greek in nature, and the first thing that happens to your senses (after your eyes adjust to the dimness of it all) is this mural:

I suppose she is a likeness of someone from the old country. Not Meryl Streep, though.
My favorite aspect is the blending of the old and the new, the real and the unreal. I think that plant in the left hand corner is an excellent example of both of those things.


I don't really remember how it all came about, but suddenly, words were flying between me and this guy, and how we came to be on those podium things I think had to do with "needing the upper ground."
I would just like everyone to notice the store next to the Symposium(!), which is "All Things Right & Relevant."

I have no idea what that store contains. You'd think by the name of the store it would be obvious, but I really need it spelled out for me.

After the Orange Buildings, we went to Claire's homie's house for a little Wii action.
I've never Wiid around before, so it was quite the mental experience. Here we are boxing with our excellent fighting stances:

The following picture is included because I really like the style of the guy on the right. His boxing moves mostly include shaking and shimmying. Who knew that the same technique one might use with maraca's would win a Wii boxing match?

This place was pretty great, because we were offered ice cream after our boxing matches. I like ice cream, but not all ice cream is created equal. So, basically at the same time, Claire and I say, "what kind do you have?" (Or, a variation on that question.) Our host said, "Ummm Blackish Cherry something... and Chocolate Malt..." I'm not so sure about this, but Claire asks if they were Thrifty's and he answered yes. Suddenly we say, "Black Cherry and CHOCOLATE MALTED CRUNCH?!?!?!" our voices getting louder at the end as we realize one of our favorite ice creams was in this very house. Chocolate Malted Crunch, baby.

It was delightful.

I had been extremely thirsty since arriving in Davis. Thirsty thirsty thirsty. The appearance of Chocolate Malted Crunch did nothing to curb my desire for water, and when asked for a glass, I received the largest cup I've ever seen. I call it a torso cup because It is mostly the size of my torso.

I must have had something in my eye...

Grrrr....

Today is a day off, and I hadn't really planned it all out.
On my agenda:

1. Work out
2. Clean desk
3. Maybe organize bathroom

It would appear that I could accomplish these things. I took care of number one like, 10 minutes after I woke up.
Check.

Have I begun the other two? NO.

You may be wondering why. Well, it's simple: My favorite magazine ruined everything.
My favorite magazine is In Style. I don't know if you know that about me. My second favorite magazine is Wired, but I stopped subscribing to that after I moved a million times and all I had the strength to keep up on was my In Style subscription.

Okay, so, I got the new issue of In Style the other day. Last night I looked at it.

It has been redesigned.

The cover hasn't been, though. The cover looks normal, good, and wonderful. Imagine my surprise when I open the magazine and realize the fonts have changed! That was not the only thing that changed. There were multiple changes, and I didn't sleep well last night because of it.

I am very sensitive to design changes, and this mess hit me hard. I almost felt like I was reading Glamour Magazine, and I hate Glamour Magazine.

Anyway, after my workout, I still didn't feel quite right. It was then I remembered that In Style made a huge mistake with the new redesign and that is what was bothering me. Of course, what could I do about it? Just suck it up, I guess.

I tried to get over it.

I really did.

I tried cleaning my desk, but I couldn't focus. Stupid In Style was driving me mad.

So I sat down and wrote out a lengthy letter to the editor about how they ruined everything. I usually think those letters are dumb, but it helped me feel better. I'm sure it won't get published (it really was long) but I'm fine with that. Maybe some low-down staffer who ends up reading those things will get motivated and find the courage to tell someone higher up that she agrees with me, and maybe things will change.

Nah.

I doubt it.

Anyway, I'm still a little miffed about it, but I did what I could.

So in this mood, I check my email and realize my credit card statement was ready. Finally. I've been waiting for that thing FOREVER. I was so excited, that I submitted my payment immediately. I double check my bank account, and there is plenty of money for me to to make a payment at this time. I scroll through my transactions, and realize my school loan repayment hadn't been posted yet. Hmm..... I am pretty sure I made that payment ten days ago. I double check my records, and I certainly did make that payment. Today is my due date, so perhaps the payment will be posted to my account today. I'm fine with that.

Then I start doing some math. Do I have enough in my account to cover the credit card and the school loan? No. No, of course not. I had already taken care of the loan in my head when I submitted payment for my credit card.

Crap.

So, I go about trying to figure out how to stop payment on my credit card. It's not due for another few weeks anyway. I log in, and it says, "Just hit cancel next to the payment you would like to cancel."

I take a look, and there is no "cancel," just the word "pending." That's not going to do me any good. So I head on over to my student loan website, to see if I could adjust the amount I paid. Every month I usually over pay on my loan, so if I could get in there and adjust it, I would still be able to make my payments, but I would also have the cushion I needed in my bank account.

Apparently, it was impossible.

So I was just sitting here, thinking about the fines I will accrue due to my insufficient funds, with more crap on my desk (when I was looking through my records, it got a little messy) when mom comes in with the mail. I had received something from my student loan. It was a letter informing me that my payment didn't go through, and I would need to repost it.

Remember how I made that payment ten days ago? Well, even though I was glad that I was able to post the exact amount due, I was also a little worried that if I posted it online, it would take another ten days for them to tell me it didn't go through. And, of course, TODAY IS THE DUE DATE. Not wanting to risk it, I decide to call them up and make a payment over the phone. According to the website, this is an easy option and you can call anytime.

So, I called Utah, (where my loan guys are) and I started in on the automated voice thing. I entered information and suddenly, after entering my life story, the voice says, "According to your account information, it looks like it would be best for you to speak with a customer service representative." I could tell I was being transferred, and then another voice came on the line, "Due to the holiday, our offices are closed." Click.

That was it.

Yup. they just hung up on me.

After being miffed about the swift hangup/kick to the side of the road, I thought, "WHAT HOLIDAY?!"

Oh, right.

Pioneer Day.

Only once have I benefited from Pioneer Day, and that did not offset the anger I was feeling today.

So, I posted my payment online, and will pray it works out.

Sigh.

My desk is still a mess. I'm still blaming it on In Style.



On a happier note, a received a notice from the nice folks at United Airlines stating that I would lose my miles if I didn't do something to keep my account active. I could either purchase a plane ticket, or use a few miles and get a subscription to one of these magazines that they have so nicely listed below. I took a look at them, and yesterday Wired came in the mail once again.

So maybe today will have a happy ending. I'm going to go eat some fish sticks and read some Wired and see what happens.

Sunny and Foggy

This is a recap of our visit with Paul and Marissa. It's a little late, and I apologize for that. I was about to start blogging about this past weekend when I realized I hadn't done this post yet. I think things should be done in order (sometimes) so here we go:

We all went hiking on the Jim Green Trail, my fav trail around these parts. You may notice how sunny it is. It was like, 6:30 in the morning and already 100 degrees.

To beat the wicked heat that I only slightly exaggerated about, we went on over to the coast and found it all sorts of foggy. Sigh. We still had a smashing good time, though. I would like to draw your attention to the first picture, if you will. I would like you to notice that Paul is wearing the baby contraption and also the dog contraption. It is amazing. He gets all strapped in, and everyone is a happy camper. I would also like you to note the intensity of Taffy's aura. I think she knew that this is the exact spot I saw Sirius Black only a few months ago.


What is that in the water past my brother? A SHIP! A SUNKEN SHIP!!
I've never seen one in real life before. It was so exciting. As we were driving by, everyone in the car got all excited about it, and I made mom pull over so I could get a better look.
I'm not quite an expert on Ship-Unsunkery, so I don't really know what those helper boats are doing, but I'm sure it's something great. Marissa, who had already known about this ship because she saw it in the paper said the poor boat got lost in the fog and hit the jetty, and that was that.
The time Paul's head turned into a very fierce looking kite.
The time we were blown away at the amount of surfers and wondered why we hadn't signed up for surf camp.
The time Paul tricked Toby into the ocean. If you look closely, you will see Paul thoroughly enjoying the experience and Toby thoroughly freaked out.
One of the many times the rule book was referred to, often with disheartening results.

Well, disheartening for some people. Others found the occasion joyous.

So that was a quick recap, I hope you felt like you were there.

Oh, and I got about 5 bruises from Toby that week. That is almost one bruise a day.

Essence of Ocean

A few days ago, this happened.

A few days after that, my parents received this in the mail:


Cute, no?

And on the back, this message from Jodie, "Grandma and Grandpa Cohen, We miss you! This is an Elle creation from the Children's Museum. I think the girls could go there every day and not get bored..."

Yesterday we got another similar looking package in the mail, this time addressed to me.
I was so excited to see what my little nieces had created for me. I got a feeling in my chest that something really cute was about to happen.



On the back, this message from Jodie, "Myriah, Brandon made this for you. Enjoy!"

Wow, this is a most excellent art piece. Now, even though my little nieces didn't actually make it, I feel loved just knowing they might have been thinking of me.

Thanks, Brandon!

I know the creator is suppose to name his own pieces, but I've decided to name this one "Essence of Ocean."

Hey, Palm Centro!

Well, I got a new phone. Ky's recent acquisition of her new phone got me thinking that maybe I was due for an upgrade as well. Usually I'm dying for the upgrade time because my phone had been acting up. But my old phone is really in ship shape condition, but decided to give it up for the Palm Centro.

I'm so excited. I hope it is everything I've dreamed it to be.

(If not, I've got 30 days.)

People Just Don't Care

Grandma comes back into the waiting room and tells everyone she needs to use the restroom, so she goes into the restroom. (I think she was talking specifically to me, but she spoke loud enough and wasn't really looking at me, so maybe she was addressing the entire room.)

I go back to reading Glamour Magazine, which turned out to be a waste of time. No surprise there, really. I always bring a book to doctor appointments, but I am always wooed by the magazines, unless the office only has Central Coast Living, then no thanks. I already live here, I don't really need to read about it. And, all the offices have it, so it's not like it's a novelty. Now, the eye doctor is the only one around that has OK! Magazine, which is my favorite "what the crap are the celebrities doing/wearing?" magazine. It's always a treat when we go to the optometrist.

Anyway, I was in the middle of reading something lame in Glamour when Grandma pokes her head out of the one-seater bathroom. It appears Grandma has suddenly become a secret agent. She gets all shifty eyed and looks to the front desk and then motions to me and looks back at the front desk. She "whispers" to me, "Myriah, come in here."

Um... no thanks Grandma, I'm really not that interested.

I walk over and as I am hustled into the small room I become increasingly worried about what I might find. I hoped it is nothing uncomfortable.

Grandma looks at the scale. (A very fancy, digital scale, by the way.) She steps on it.

She says, "I don't know how to use it."

I push the "Start/Stop" button. Then she says, "I want you to measure me."

I turn the scale off and begin to adjust the height thing.

Me, "Don't they measure you at all these doctor's offices?"

Gma, "No, nobody does anymore."

Me, "I might have to crush your hair a little bit, Grandma."

Gma, "Oh, it's okay."

That's when I knew this measuring thing was really important. She didn't care about her curls.
At that point I got down to business.

Turns out Grandma is 5 feet tall. She said she used to be 5 foot and 2 inches. She still might be if she stood up straight.

As we were leaving the bathroom she said to me, "It's a shame I don't get measured more often. People just don't care like they used to...." and she finished it all off with a sigh.

Yeah, yeah...

Yeah, yeah, I know the corn feed was weeks ago, but I just got around to posting these pictures. Well, it wasn't all about just posting, I had a lot of decisions to make. First off, I decided not to post the pictures of the wedding that occurred on the beach the same day of the corn feed. I also needed to decide not to post the picture of the old man with his swim trunks and suspenders. But I think my best decision was when I decided not to post the pictures of the middle aged woman changing under her muumuu right in front of us.

I would just like to say that the bathrooms were pretty close by, and she could have easily walked there to change her clothes. Instead, she chose to treat us to the biggest laugh we had all day. Oh man, I took so many pictures of the process. I really liked the one where she had to use a little girl for balance as she put on her pants. Or when she so "discretely" put her shirt on and pulled her muumuu off while not being discrete at all.
Sigh.
It was really quite humorous.

Anyway, the corn feed! I LOVE CORN!!!!


And here is Amanda looking rather Great Gatsby-ish, I think.

Nice work, Amanda.

Weeks Ago

I don't know why there is a HIKERS LOGBOOK at the top of Valencia Peak.

After all, the trail is only 2 miles long. Granted, it is two miles of hot, dusty, straight-up-hill hiking, so that is something, but it's not like hiking for two miles is really an accomplishment.

As we came upon the end of the trail, we stumbled across a few people writing in the HIKERS LOGBOOK what I firmly believe was a brainstorming session for a poem. I regret that I did not write a poem, a short story or the like. But what I regret the most was letting the people I was with woo me off the mountain before I had the chance to read what previous hikers had penned. I was foolish, I admit.

I'll just have to find something else to laugh at.

The Introduction

I have to say that I was a little bit nervous meeting my new niece. I mean, would she like me? Would I like her? Anytime you meet someone for the first time it's always up in the air. You never know. And, there is so much pressure when that person is in your family. I always hope we will hit it off.



And we did! We like each other!!!!

Nozzle

Great news: Paul, Marissa and their entourage arrived today. Yup, we totally get to chillax with them all week. I'm pretty excited. Tonight is a big family dinner, and I had the honor of retrieving Grandma. We had a discussion about ice cream. I like ice cream far more than I like cookies. Grandma says she likes ice cream more than she likes cookies as well. I say hogwash. If she is such an ice cream lover, how come she makes all those cookies all the time and makes us eat them even though they have nuts all up in them and I hate nuts and don't even really like cookies?

I think there is more to Grandma's ice cream /cookie face-off, but I don't want to discuss it any longer.


Let us fast forward 20 minutes and you will find me emerging from my room with a decision to make.

It was between hanging out with Grandma and the other women in the living room, or outside with Dad, Paul, and the dogs. I chose outside. Dad has got himself a fancy new garden hose spray nozzle. He got it at OSH. It was nice to be hanging out with them, chatting about the nozzle, testing it's ability. Paul was impressed with the nozzle's durability. (The one he has at home is not so durable.)

Anyway, it's nice to have a brother around.