Awww...fer cute.

It's always good to know that someone cares.

I'm in no mood for fun, T!

I am in a lousy mood. (Also, I just noticed how the word "louse" is in "lousy." Does this mean that my mood actually contains lice? I sure hope not. But if it did, I'm not sure how much worse it could really get.) I'm pretty grouchy. Why? No idea. I just am. I'm tired and work is being retarded and I just wanna go home. But I'm supposed to work for another 3 hours. [whimper]

I'm actually pouting at my screen right now. Nothing better around to pout at, y'know? (For all those of you who might be wondering, no, this is not the "cute" fake pout I've sometimes been accused of. I'm in a rotten mood and I mean it.) And I just feel...meh. It probably doesn't help that I'm actually waiting for a migraine. My vision went all funny earlier, and while it's possible that was due to having not eaten, it's more likely that it was the first symptom of a migraine on the way. And now my vision is back to normal, so I'm waiting. I mean, I might not get a migraine. Visual symptoms are unusual enough for me that I don't have the details all pinned down yet. But it's really far more likely that I will get one. And I'm hardly in the mood to be optimistic about this.

So, what to do? Stick it out here? Go home and hijack T's work laptop? At least then I'll be at home, out of this wretched skirt and nylons. And then when the migraine hits, I won't have to go anywhere. I could even get ice cream on the way. Of course, that would require movement on my part, and I'm hardly in the mood for that, either.

Hmmmm...I wonder if I can imagine a scenario that would improve my mood. What if the man of my dreams came to rescue me from my workplace and we could start a whirlwind romance? Blah. In this mood, I'd probably smack him for being annoying. Now, if a good friend were to come and coax me into mobility and a movie at home, that might work better. If there was ice cream. And it was the right sort of movie. Not completely sure what sort that is, though; laughing would undoubtedly help, but it'd take a lot to get me going right now. A sad movie may actually suit better.

Of course, imagining it doesn't make it so. Guess I'll have to coax myself into mobility. Hate that. Is it too much to ask to be coddled every once in a while? It gets old, providing your own comfort. Also, it just doesn't work as well.

[Sigh.] I think I will head home soon. Then I can at least derive some pleasure from hiding out in my room. It's hard to feel like you're hiding when you're in a cubicle in the middle of a huge room with bright overheads. This is really a curl-up-in-the-corner kind of mood.

And if any of you have actually read this far and are now feeling depressed and suicidal, I apologize. Go get some ice cream and curl up in a corner. It's good for the soul.

Life Achievements

I have finally acquired my first wish-list item from IKEA! That's right, folks. Dreams in the fulfilling here. Which did I choose? Prince Charming, of course! But I call him Paul.

Really. Polka?

So, Tianna and I are on our way to work today. (Actually, technically, we were on our way between work, going from SLC to Orem. But that's really neither here nor there.) I'm listening to the radio--a country station, if you're interested. And in the middle of this song, polka music starts playing over it! It was so weird! The station wasn't fuzzy or going in and out or anything. There was just this psychotic addition of polka to country. And it lasted a good thirty seconds. So bizzare.

54 Things to be Happy About

There was a talk in Sacrament Meeting today about gratitude, so I started making a list of things I'm grateful for on my program. (That's the whole point of programs, y'know: to provide writing space during our meetings.) Anyway, here's what I came up with:

• Excedrin (What can I say? I had a headache this morning.)
• my queen-sized bed
• my color-coded scriptures
• music
• musical talent in others
• Sonja, Drawly, and Sir Guy
• my car
• beautiful flowers
• good-smelling candles
• the Holy Ghost
• my job
• cream cheese
• alfredo sauce
• stars
• inside jokes
• friends who love and support me
• a cool breeze
• being barefoot
• good books and movies
• my hair dryer
• playing with small children
• the gospel
• lotion
• garlic
• contented snuggles
• massages
• thunderstorms
• working from home
• feeling useful
• glasses/contacts that help me see
  
• taking pictures
• feeling at peace with myself and my life
• my migraine medications
• drawing on T, especially during Sacrament Meeting
• music you can't help singing along with
• air conditioning
• noisily happy babies
• people who share my sense of humor
• psychobabble
• laying on a quilt in the back yard with music, a book, and the kitties
• forgiveness--for myself and for others
• colors
• the relief and wonder when a headache finally goes away
• examples that give me hope--proof that it can, in fact, be done!
• electricity
• crushed ice
• evidence that God is working in my life and interested in me
• trees
• being included
• strong opinions
• sleeping in
• sunglasses
• wearing high heels anyway
• getting things right

HOLY COW

I just spent 2 hours getting from Salt Lake to Provo. Bother that crazy Memorial-Day-weekend traffic, anyway. Always such fun when you're driving stick. Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupid....

On the upside, the scenery was beautiful. It was stormy in patches, and there were some wonderful things going on with light and shadows and cloud formations. And I took pictures! Aren't you glad?

Fun with heresy!

Institute and I...well, we've had an interesting relationship over the years. I am encouraged to reflect on this as the new term begins and I am forced to attend Institute in order to keep my housing contract. I've never lasted more than a coupla classes in the past, but I have to do better this time around. For your reading pleasure, I present some of the highlights of my past experiences:

1. I was quite excited to attend Institute when it was on the Pearl of Great Price--it's my favorite volume of scripture! But our teacher was out of control; the sort whose goal is to show you how smart he is, not to teach. He went on and on about the creation and the changes the world will undergo at the "end of time" and all the specifics involved in these processes. He was a chemistry professor, so he knew all about how these changes would be effected. [Rolls eyes.] At one point, as he was detailing the chemical reactions that would be involved in turning the earth to glass (all about some particular scripture that when he read it, meant the earth would be fired twice, but didn't have that particular meaning to any of the rest of us), Tianna leaned over and asked "How does he know this?" My reply? "He knows everything! God asked him!" I refused to return as long as this guy was teaching.
2. Same guy, same class, even. (Since I so loathed this man that I wouldn't go back to him ever again.) He proceeds to launch into a discussion of numerology: "Well, 3 is the number of the Godhead. And 4 is the number of...anybody know? Earth, obviously. And when you add 3 and 4, you get 7. Now, Zion, as we all know, is the seventh letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Coincidence? I think not." I mean, really. It's possible that that last bit gets quoted by Tianna and I quite frequently. "You mean it's raining outside, and the cafeteria is serving enchiladas? Coincidence? I think not!"
3. And one final tidbit we learned from this most august of Institute instructors: a burning in the bosom is the least effective way to feel the Spirit. You may have thought differently, what with it being in the scriptures and all, but nope. He actually asked the class how we feel the Spirit, and when some unfortunate soul offered this response, he swooped down on them in righteous indignation. "That is the least effective way to feel the Spirit. Anybody else?"
   
4. I don't even remember what course of study this next guy was teaching us. (That's how great an impact it had on me.) I do, however, remember him talking about The Mortal Messiah: "It's a great read!" Now, when I heard that, I thought of books that I can't put down, and knowing as I do that it's several volumes long, I was led inevitably to "You'll read it cover to cover to cover to cover..." Tianna busted up laughing, along with the entire row behind us; apparently, I wasn't as quiet as I'd thought I was. Oops?
5. Okay, same teacher. He decided, one day, to teach us the Doctrine of the Snowflake: (ok, so I don't actually remember the application of this doctrine; I think it was coming to Christ or something ridiculous like that) but it was based on every snowflake being different from every other snowflake. Now, I've heard this theory debunked in my classes, so it annoyed me to hear it used as a teaching tool for gospel principles. And then there were all the fun, snarky applications I could make, like "What happens when we melt? Is the first thaw like the Second Coming?" and "Do we make good snow angels, or are we too powdery?" This is the reason Tianna enjoys being around me: I'm not afraid to be sacrilegious.
   
6. Another from this same dude: we're sitting in class, and he's talking about the final Judgment. And he says, I kid you not, "It's not like you can just live your life contrary to the gospel and then just change and expect Heavenly Father to be okay with it." I couldn't help it; this was too much. I threw my hand in the air and said, "Repentance says we can." He gave me this look, like 'where did you come from?' looked away, and continued on as if I hadn't spoken. I think that was the last time I attended that class.
7. Well, last week, I started a new class. We're doing the Doctrine & Covenants. And on that note...did you know that heaven is the most colorful place there is? We won't only see color, but we'll hear color, we'll feel color, we'll taste color, we'll smell color! I can't wait!
8. We were collectively implored to "join with [him] in pushing back the veil of forgetfulness." Then he told us all about the pre-mortal existence, in quite remarkable detail. Seriously, my Institute teachers, collectively, must have amazing sources. Where do they get this stuff? I'm kinda jealous.
   
9. And lastly: "Light is the antithesis, or opposite, of dark. So are they the same? [Pause, in which nobody answers this ridiculous question.] No, they're not. They're different." Also, "Light always wins against darkness." Except, as Michael pointed out, in the case of black holes. (Apologies for the geekiness; that's just what happens when you sit by a geek.)
   

Well, there you have it. And people wonder why Institute isn't my favorite thing in the world. I have, however, discovered the key: make sure you go with somebody who will support you in your sacrilege and laugh at your heresy. This makes it all bearable.

I don't understand it, but I'm grateful anyway.

In case anybody was wondering, my cream cheese is still good. And still yummy!

Fun with homophones!

.This sign is prominently displayed in several locations at my workplace:
I guess people have been struggling? The funny thing is that the same day this sign went up, I actually processed a book where the foreword was labeled "Forward." It made me laugh. Rather a lot.

Motherly Threats

Overheard this weekend:

Mother: Son, if you don't bring me those wipes right now, you're gonna clean Baby's diaper with your tongue!

Son: What does it taste like?

Hold on, dearest! I shall find you!

Yet another theory on the messages from the universe:

Will: if you pronounce phonetically with a foreign accent

it says "JIT" = hit "VI" = me

so as you can see you've got a big "HIT ME" sign on you

Of course, this is ridiculous. I do shower, so it's not like all the letters are there together. But almost in direct contradiction to this stupid theory, today's tattoo is a picture! Try pronouncing that with a foreign accent!It's a dude! You can see his head at the top and feet together at the bottom. His right arm is holding a sword out in front of him, and his left arm is up behind him in true dueling form. Do you realize what this means?! My soulmate is fighting for me! If only I could find this J.I.T. VI!

Yes, those are pretzels.

Tianna is pretty much amazing.

A message? My soulmate?

So, theories about these letters that keep showing up on my person abound. Back when it was just J-i, Will was certain it was an alphabetical countdown...no doubt to something horrific. But then the "T" showed up, and he was proved wrong. As usual. (Of course, he maintained that it was an unfinished "H"...whatever.)

Here's what showed up today:As this is clearly "VI," Tianna has posited a new theory, and it goes like this: Somewhere in the world is a man with the initials JIT, the sixth. He's no doubt royalty, due to the "VI." And I am destined to find him and marry him! We're soulmates, cruelly separated by fate.

(Tianna: "Too bad it isn't JTT; then it'd be Jonathan Taylor Thomas! But he's waaaaay too young for you anyway.") I roll my eyes rather too much to be healthy when I'm around my friends. But that's another theory for another post.

What can I say? I'm a worrier.

Okay, so in reality, the kitties are just fine outside:

I can't believe I almost forgot!

On Sunday, another letter showed up on my arm! This one came by way of the kitties and their claws, however. But it's very clearly a "T":
I really can't figure out where this is going. J-I-T? But it's just so unlikely that all of this could possibly be coincidence! I await further messages...

PJ's and Pain

I stayed home from work yesterday and today due to migraine-ness. Fortunately, Tianna was willing to let me use her laptop so I could just work from home and still get some stuff done. But it has not been at all fun. Actually, we both stayed home yesterday; Tianna wasn't feeling great, either. So we both hung out, working in our pajamas. I watched movies while I was doing mindless work (can I just say that I really enjoy Meet Me in St. Louis?). After 5 hours, though, I'd reached my limit. Instead of getting better, the headache got worse, and I couldn't concentrate or look at a computer screen any longer. I was also nauseous, so I took some of my nausea medicine and went to bed around 4 pm. Sometimes, it's just better to be unconscious, y'know?

Today, I thought I was doing better. Until I moved, when I realized that I only felt better when I was completely stationary. Tianna was going to work today, but I convinced her that it would be a Good Plan for her to leave her laptop with me, and she could use my comp at work. She's such a dear. Of course, I didn't get around to working until 2:30 pm...whatever. By then, my headache was mostly gone. But I was left reeling from the side effects of having ingested so much caffeine in my Excedrin. (I may have, in an act of desperation, taken 5 pills instead of my usual 4.) I was all jittery and shaky and weak and light-headed. In celebration of the fact that I could move without wishing I was dead, I took a shower. It nearly killed me! Ok, not really. But I did almost pass out, and I spent the next half hour lying on my bedroom floor, recovering my strength. So it was still good that I was at home. I'll take those feelings over a migraine any day, though.

Since I could only manage 3 hours of work today, I'm definitely gonna have to take a loss in my hours this week. Especially since I'll be leaving for Idaho with Tianna around 2 pm on Friday. But that's life, right? Paralyzing pain?

Mad watch! Mad watch! MAD WATCH!

I have always loved Disney's Alice in Wonderland. It was my favorite movie as a child, and I can quote the entire thing along with the movie to this day. And it was not only an encouragement to my imagination, but also a learning tool! I learned how many days are in a year from the Un-birthday Party scene:

Mad Hatter: "Now, statistics prove, prove that you've one birthday."
March Hare: "Imagine, just one birthday every year!"
Mad Hatter: "But there are three hundred and sixty-four un-birthdays!"

Clearly, 364 un-birthdays + 1 birthday = 365 days in a year. Is this an unusual way to learn such things? I still follow this train of thought every time I need that figure.

Check out this book I just bought!

Yes, those pages are hooked together. Anybody else find this awesome?

Service & Shooting OR The First Sunburn of the Season

Yesterday was my ward's annual Service & Shooting Activity. (A couple of years ago, this was actually the first activity T and I heard about in our new ward. We wondered what, exactly, we had gotten into.) But it's actually really cool. Bishop has a construction company and is also an ex-Marine who lives in Spanish Fork. This makes him the perfect guy to build a War Veterans' Memorial in Spanish Fork, which he did, several years ago. So the Service part of this annual activity involves cleaning up the memorial in time for Memorial Day celebrations. It's a lot of work; there are five separate monuments, one for each branch of the military, as well as walls listing the names of veterans from the area. But it's good work, and it doesn't take too long when you have a dozen or so people going at it. (Also, it's located in a very nice cemetery, and I like to take a stroll amongst the headstones after we're done. Very quiet and peaceful. Even if the sight of so many children's graves breaks my heart.)


Afterward, we adjourned to the gun club for some pizza and shotgun shooting! I think that my favorite part of this is all the people who have never even held a gun before. (Like me!) Well, I shot last year, too, but only a coupla times. I was much improved this year. Not half bad, actually. Our second counselor actually told me to stop looking so surprised when the pigeons broke. Guess I looked shocked? (Actually, it was hard for me to tell, as I was busy trying to regain my balance after every shot. The recoil kicked me back on my feet every time!) After everybody who wanted to had shot a bit, we played a game. Everybody lined up, and the first person was supposed to hit the clay pigeon. If they didn't hit it, it was up to the second, and then the third, person. If the first person missed and the second person got it, the first was out. If the first two missed and the third got it, both the first and second were out. If everybody missed, all were safe. And we just passed the guns down the line, taking turns being first. We've got some sharpshooters in the ward, so I wasn't bothered when I didn't make it too far. But the last time we played, I won! I'll have to admit, I felt kinda spiffy. Even if my arms and sides are sore today, and I have a rather large, dark bruise on my arm. Oh well?

I know y'all are wondering about the sunburn part of the title. Well, I believe it got started during the Service and Shooting. I didn't notice though, on account of the fact that it was freezing up there! Seriously, when I wasn't shooting, I was huddled in a blanket with T. But then we came home, and I spent some quality time on a blanket in the backyard with the kitties and a book. Well, I'm paying for that. I think I actually alarmed several people at church today--my legs are basically fuschia. I've also got a nice red patch on one side of my neck, and my arms are quite burned as well. They don't hurt, though, like my legs do. T's mom made me lay down last night so she could put vinegar on them (she and Tianna both swear by this remedy, although I couldn't really tell a difference). Today, my skin is still hot to the touch and hurting very badly. Poor me. You'd think I'd learn, as this happens in some form every year.

Oh. Other dumb thing I did today: when I stood up in sacrament meeting to lead the rest hymn, I kicked my left ankle with my right high heel. Yep, I cut it open. (Not badly, but there's a clear line where I drew blood.) I amaze myself.

So, I haven't had bagels in a REALLY long time.

Tianna just pulled a thing of cinnamon-swirl cream cheese out of the fridge. "Kessa! You buy food to eat it!" We both know this has been in the fridge a very long time, unopened. She turned it over to check the date; June 2007. That's right, friends, it's almost a year old. We decided to keep it. :D

I miss my kitties.

So, our landlady has decreed that our cats must be outdoor cats. We delayed putting them outside as long as possible, but we finally got them collars and tags and decided we needed to start getting them used to the outdoors. So t'other day, we took them outside and played with them. And again the next day. At first, they weren't at all pleased. Well, the kittens did alright, though they didn't much care for the grass. Sonja was definitely against the idea. But they've all gotten used to it.

Yesterday, Tianna decided when she left for work that the kitties would be left outside, since it was so nice. (Of course, while I was at work, Will sent me this story and I kinda freaked out. Tianna may have been railed against.) Let it be known that I am against the plan of making them outdoor kitties. This was not helped by the fact that when BJ went over to check on them, he couldn't find them anywhere. When T got home, they were still MIA. She finally found them, though--they had been hiding under a blanket, apparently all day. Probably from the python.

After work, we went out and played with them again. Last night, Tianna decided the time had come for them to stay out overnight. She assured me that they would be just fine. And they were, although Drawly's collar was lying on the patio this morning. (It's a breakaway collar, so I am guessing that Sonja or Sir Guy just pulled on it too hard.) But I really missed the kittens playing around me while I got ready for the day. And when I went outside to see them, Sonja kept on meowing as if she had been abandoned all over again.

This evening, I was out in the backyard on a blanket, doing some work and playing with the cats. But the wind got cold, so I came in. I left those kitties outside in weather I saw fit to come in out of! I feel awful. And every once in a while, they paw at the screen door (it doesn't close all the way) to see if they can get in. It breaks my heart.

I've been told over and over from various people that they'll be just fine. But it's killing me to do this to them.

Idiots! There will be a flash!

Ok, so this is actually a follow-up to my earlier post. I discussed theories about the meaning of the "J." tattoo with a few friends. One said that it meant the universe knew my initial and was watching me. Another, far more realistic, explanation came from Tyler:Tyler: Hm.

Perhaps demons possess your pen.

And are trying to communicate with you.

If the next few days it gives you letters that spell "UST GIVE IN TO EVIL" then this is certain.

Tyler: You can never tell with gel pens.

me: do demons like to live there?

Tyler: Is the gel from petroleum products, or the SOULS OF THE DAMNED?

Darned if I know!

Tyler: I imagine it makes good black ink. Black...LIKE THEIR SOULS.

Well, guess what? It happened again! Another ink splotch! T says this one is an "i":
So, what messages could the demons be sending me that start with "Ji"? "Jiffy peanut butter is evil?" Dude, I already know that!

An advantage to being tall? No way!

I honestly don't know how short people navigate an office such as mine. It's one huge room of cubicles, and I can only get to where I'm going because I can see over the tops. If I couldn't...oh man, I'd probably still be wandering lost somewhere.

Personalized Tattoo?

So, at some point this morning, I looked down at my arm and found that there was ink all over it. Apparently, it had been resting on the tip of my gel pen. I know, I'm retarded. But later, I looked at it from a different angle and discovered that it looked like a "J."! What think you?

Addendum

• I took my glasses off and my left lens popped out! The screw holding the frames shut came out; fortunately, I was able to find it. BJ is on his way home to retrieve a mini-screwdriver with which to fix it, as none of our creative substitutes would quite do the job.

It is definitely still Monday.

Today is such a Monday.

Weird things that happened to me today:

1. I saw this guy. (Okay, that one was really cool.)
   
2. I witnessed a car drive the wrong way on a one-way street.
   
3. The corner where I cross the street from the Conference Center, where I park, to the COB, where I work, was entirely blocked off for construction. I wasn't allowed to cross the street in either direction; I had to walk a block south to cross the street, then back north to the COB.
4. I was introduced to the new girl as "Kessa."
5. As I was on the phone with the Help Desk (whom I loathe) to try and get my user account and email and whatnot set up at work, it was brought to my attention that my Church membership number is invalid. The guy advised me to check with my ward clerk to make sure I had the right number on my recommend. Tianna got her ultra-cool source to hack into Membership instead; I had it right. The only logical explanation is that I have been excommunicated without my knowledge. The implications of all of this are still unclear.
6. The server I use at work decided that 4:30 pm would be a fantastic time to engage in some not-so-harmless selective implosion. Yes, you read that correctly. Selective implosion. An entire folder (with tons of subfolders and files in it), a couple of files out of another folder, and 1 file out of the lone surviving folder within that second folder. All gone. It's like the server is being eaten from the inside out--but only the juicy bits. We even waited until everybody had gone home and rebooted it; no luck. My stuff is just GONE.
   
7. I stopped at Borders on my way home because I was totally frazzled and I find bookstores soothing. Outside was a line of weirdos camping overnight for tickets to buy Stephanie Meyers' new book. I wouldn't even do that for Harry Potter! But maybe I'm just a stick-in-the-mud.
8. I just smoked up the kitchen making pizza rolls. I opened the oven door and fwoom--smoke. My eyes are even stinging. Nothing burning, though, so this is inexplicable. Fortunately, our smoke detector is on the other side of the house. (Who planned that?)
   

Seen on my way to work today...

Just awesome.

Cat Consequences

I love my cats. They're adorable and I heart them. But they have peed on my bed twice now, and this is not at all cool. Saturday evening, I went to go to bed (I was rather sick, so it was quite early), and found cat pee on my bed. Comforter, electric blanket, sheets, mattress cover...they got it all. I was so trashed, however, that I couldn't do anything about it. If I'd had the energy, I probably would have cried. You ever feel so lousy that you want nothing more than to just go to sleep, and anything that gets in your way is a catastrophe? That was me. Fortunately, Tianna is an angel sent from heaven. She took all my bedding off and got it in the laundry. I slept on one blanket and under another that night.

But none of that is the real reason for this post. An amazing thing happened to my comforter: it got melted! Not so amazing, you say; stuff happens in the dryer. What's amazing is that this happened in the washer. We can't figure it out. So bizarre.
As you can see, it's also rather torn up, so one theory is that it got caught on something (this part is obvious) and the friction against the drum is what melted it. All parties agree, however, that it is exceedingly strange.
Tianna to the rescue again! Since I am not about to go out and buy a new bedset at this point, she "helped" me sew it up. What actually happened is that I cut off the bad material, and she pinned and sewed it and made it work. I love that girl.
So yeah, it's a funny corner now. But it's whole again, and that's what really matters, isn't it?

Flowers of my Very Very Own!

Saturday afternoon, I accompanied Tianna to the nursery so she could buy seeds for her vegetable garden. While she bought seeds, I wandered the greenhouse. (Let's be honest. Flowers are beautiful and seeds are boring.) I decided that I needed flowers! We have tons of plants in our house, but zero flowers. So I bought two plants! One is a white Clara Begonia:
The other is a Snowfire Angel Earrings. It's so pretty!I really hope I can keep these alive. We figured they were ideal for me, since the begonia is classified "Easy" and the Angel Earrings like partial to full shade. (This means they can stay in my bedroom!)

Wish me luck in my flowering efforts!

Nicknames

My name is Jessica. This frequently gets shortened to "Jess" by my friends. I like this. (I hate "Jessie" and won't stand for it.) My dad calls me "Red" (for my hair) and my mom calls me "Ladybug" (for...I dunno why), but they're the only ones who use those appellations. Lately, I've acquired a new nickname: Kessa.

It's like this. Tianna ("T") has a nephew (actually, she has several), and he can't say either of our names properly. T is "Tanna" and I am "Kessa." I decided I really liked "Tanna" and started using it. She decided to start calling me "Kessa" as well.

This whole Kessa thing, though, has gotten quite out of hand. There's another Jessica at work, so we decided when I first started that I would use "JHJ" on forms and emails and whatnot to cut down on confusion. But T uses "Kessa" to others all the time, so it's been picked up by my coworkers. Including the one who does a lot of our computer support, so my login is Kessa. In more than one place, actually.

I remember the first time "Kessa" was used by somebody I wouldn't name a close, personal friend. I was at work, at a computer in a large, open area. Minding my own business, y'know? From far away, I hear a shout: "Kessa!" It took me a minute to realize that I was the one being addressed. Another minute of confusion ensued when I realized that it was coming from exactly the wrong direction for it to be Tianna calling me. I turned, and a coworker was talking to me! So weird. Since then, though, it's become pretty established, even at work.

Now, don't go thinkin' I don't like the nickname, 'cuz I do. It's just taken some time to get used to it being used by everybody.

Silly Tanna...

Also, Tianna just plugged in her headphones when her computer volume was way up. She started twitching and convulsing in what was, I have to say, a hilarious manner. It took her about 10 seconds to even reach for the headphones; I credit this to shock. All this is understandable; I could hear it, too! But it was also so amazing to see.

Crazy? Possibly. Yummy? Definitely.

Wednesday night was 31-cent-scoop night at Baskin Robbins. From 5 to 10 pm, they were selling scoops of ice cream for 31 cents, and Tianna, BJ, Michael, and I had all decided to go. We were not expecting, however, that it would be freezing cold outside! I went home from work early so that I could help Tianna weed the garden and get it ready for planting. BJ came over, too, and we were out there for quite a while. By the time we finished, our fingers were painfully frozen and my back muscles were sore from shivering. Not fifteen minutes after we got inside, Michael showed up, fresh from work. The three of us had decided that ice cream was not a high priority, as we were all popsicles ourselves. Michael, however, still really wanted to go. (Such a troublemaker; wouldn't let us just relax and thaw.) We all hemmed and hawed for at least an hour, until I decided I was un-frozen (certainly not warm) enough to go.

So Michael and I went. And when we got there, the line was only partially wrapped around the building! So we stood in line in the bitter cold for about half an hour before finally making it inside. Just before we got in, it started snowing. I couldn't believe it. It was snowing, and we were standing in line outside for ice cream. What was wrong with us? Fortunately, it was warm inside, if crowded. And eventually, we made it up to where we could order. I only got one scoop; Michael tried to convince me to get more, but I reminded him that I was freezing, and had been for hours. (I got pralines and cream, and it was delicious!) We headed back home to eat; there was nowhere to sit or stand but back outside, and there was no way I was going to stand in the snow and eat ice cream. All in all, it was a memorable experience.