Need a Good Laugh?

Try this

Blokes and Pies

My funniest moment of the week:

I text my dad to say I loved and miss him. An hour later I get a text back that says, "Hi love..sorry it took me so long to get back to you I was baking a Peach Pie."

WHAT?! SO funny to me...if you know my dad he is a Guy's GUY--A Bloke is what you would call it in NZ. It just made me smile and giggle a bit. Mostly because he bakes so good and does it with his hunting buddies--some of which I can't really remember ever seeing in anything but camouflaged clothes!

The next morning I wake up and what is Uncle Neville (a HUGE BLOKE) doing? Baking an apple/berry pie...complete with the lattice topped look!

What the heck? All I could say was this could be a chapter in the book of my life....Blokes and Pies! Who knew???

Umm...Yeah...I can knit now...I know your jealous

So me and Mich have wanted to learn to knit for the last few months. And on Saturday night our friend Rachel taught us! It was so fun!!! The weather Bomb was hitting outside, Rugby was on, the fire was going and yummy food was all around, and KNITTING NEEDLES CAME OUT!!!

I have never even tried to knit before Saturday night...and I have to say my first attempt wasn't the best. I actually hated it! It was so frustrating and I forgot how much I hate doing something I don't know how to do and am not perfect at the first time--which I know is not realistic but is so true. I finally had enough and in my frustration said, "I hate knitting." And mich who thinks she knows me so well says...you just don't like it because you aren't perfect at it. WHATEVER! Okay so maybe she knows me. She was right....but still it didn't seem relaxing to me at all. I finally gave up and just watched the All Blacks play, or at least try to play--not a very good show by the All Blacks last night!

But then today the knitting fairy (aka Auntie Ali) stopped by. I sat down in the living room to do something and noticed that the knitting grew a bit and it looked like the beginning of a scarf. So I thought I would try one more time. I LOVED it! It was so much more fun today! I felt so grown up and could picture me making my grandkids sit down and learn to knit from me one day. Okay...so I am a tad bit dramatic and a maybe even a bit optimistic seeing that my little project doesn't really look like a scarf, but a girl can dream, right?

This is my new winter sport...if only it burned calories like running. Maybe I can wear weights or something???

Only in New Zealand (part 11)

"WEATHER BOMB"
You read that right! That is what they are calling what is happening outside my house right now!!! I think in all my years I have never heard the Weather call a storm a BOMB...only in NZ! What the heck?! that picture does not even do justice to what is happening outside! I got so sad when I realized that I will have a full year of winter....March to March---let's hope CA has a early early early Summer, like in December :) (Though, I will have that quick trip to Fiji where I will reveal in the sunshine!!!)

Though the weather was AWFUL today it was fun to be in doors and speak to a cool group of ladies. It was a fun day and now I am cuddled up at home being so GLAD that I am not in the storm.

The life of the unglamorous

Just a little update:

***I (though I am a tad bit embarrassed to admit) actually repeated the Hannah Montana song in my head in a few situations this week.
***I am still sick...but able to move.
***I am getting excited about coming home to have Tivo again...oh the days of rewinding live TV and having the good ol' fashion American Food Network (though I did watch Paula Dean today and it made me smile she was at least on in NZ)
***I am VERY glad I saw Dark Night last night--SUCH A GOOD MOVIE! Didn't think I would like it--loved it! Heath Ledger is BRILLIANT!
***I am speaking at something this Saturday and finally feel semi-prepared. Getting ready to speak for something is always a process I love and hate at once. I try to get really quiet to figure out what I should speak on. Then once I am there I tend to "feel the room" out and adjust accordingly. I actually love the moment once I am there and have to figure it out. But the only way you can do that and do it well, is if you do the hard work of being really quiet and listening before. Once I am done I am glad I did but I hate it....probably because there is no set rule to follow or memorize. It is just quiet and a pen. Then when I get to the event I am always so glad that I did it. Let's hope this one turns out okay.
***I am getting VERY excited about Fiji....2 weeks away!!!

I wondered this week if life always feels unglamorous to the person living it. I was telling someone about my experiences and they were so excited and thought my life sounded so cool. Which makes me shake my head, while I have LOVED my experiences, especially here. I think that if you saw all the times that are not posted on this blog...you wouldn't really think that it is that great. Lots of tears, boring everyday stuff (that granted always seems to be a good story, but still just boring stuff), hard situations that I survive through and cry when I get home about, lots of fear over stuff that most people wouldn't be afraid of, more tears, and well...more tears. I was talking to a friend today and she was sharing how doing something that seems so incredible that she is doing is really really hard. And I thought, that is kind of life. People that are accomplishing things that are huge, living lives we want to live and doing things we never thought we could do are just as scared as us...they just actually do the things. Are people really as brave as we think they are, or do they just try stuff with tons of fear coursing through their bodies? I think that is usually the case. Now in the end they still really are brave, but they aren't brave because of what they are doing or accomplishing--they are brave for walking through their personal wall of fear.

Everyone's wall looks different. My wall coming here probably looks nothing like what yours would look like. I had so many internal things I had to face to come and stay here for so long...though the things that didn't scare me would scare some of you--brand new country, lots of new friends, new job, by myself...The things that scared me would probably not even make you anxious. Life is funny that way. We compare ourselves to others and think they are so much stronger than us, but really in the end our strength lies in different places, but until we stop looking at their strength which highlights our weakness we never get to actually live in our strong parts. Isn't life funny sometimes....

Life Lessons From Hannah Montana

Confession: I LOVE HANNAH MONTANA
I am not afraid to admit it...I do love it. One weekend I was sick and I was SO excited because there was a Hannah Montana marathon on. And I am not going to lie, I always go straight to the Disney Channel if I need some mindless TV to check to see if Hannah Montana is on. I don't know why but she just makes me laugh so hard.

Today I am home sick again...I can't remember being sick so many times in one winter, but I am once again. I was so bummed because I had so much planned and even had two friends text me to hang out today that I was so looking forward to hanging out with...but mostly I was sad because my friend Sally bought me the CUTEST coat yesterday and I was planning on wearing it today. My friend Luke teased me that I was wearing it in the house because i wanted to wear it so bad...I thought about it, but I didn't. I will save it for another day :)

So today there was no Hannah Montana marathon on, but there was a Punk'd marathon on which made me laugh all day...but the funniest part was that they showed a Hannah Montana video in between episodes...don't you think that is kind of weird? I thought so too! Now while I love the TV show I can't say I have heard much of her music...except when I am Sea Jay's listening to it with Elli and Raya, but i can't recall any of her songs except the main one for the TV show. But this song caught my attention today.

She has a song called Nobody's Perfect. I was mesmerized by the words...I know I am pathetic, but hear me out. I struggle with thinking I need to be perfect. This isn't a really new thing, but this last week I feel like I learned some really deep things about myself and had to face some hard truths about perfection and why I strive to be perfect. It plays out in different areas for me but it comes down to one basic thing...If I am not perfect I won't be loved. Now in my head I know that isn't true, but getting that to translate to my life and my mind and emotions is something I have to work on. So when I heard this Hannah Montana song...I kind of had to laugh at myself. Why is a 14 year old getting and I am just beginning too? We are kind of working on the same stuff right now...I guess you are never too old to learn huh? Here is her lyrics...with some of my comments mingled in with bold letters:

Everybody makes mistakes (HATE THAT!!!)... Everybody has those days... Everybody knows what what I'm talkin' 'bout... Everybody gets that way... [x2]

Sometimes I'm in a jam
I've gotta make a plan (I LOVE MYSELF A PLAN AND AM ALWAYS MAKING ONE IN MY HEAD)
It might be crazy
I do it anyway

No way to know for sure
I'll figure out a cure
I'm patchin' up the holes
But then it overflows
If I'm not doin' to well
Why be so hard on my self? (GOOD QUESTION HANNAH)

[Chorus]
Nobody's Perfect!
I gotta work it!
Again and again 'til I get it right
Nobody's Perfect!
You live and you learn it! (If only I could get this concept down!!)
And if I mess it up sometimes... (AND THIS ONE!)
Nobody's perfect

Sometimes I work a scheme
But then it flips on me (OH MAN SO TRUE FOR ME!)
Doesn't turn out how I planned (MOST OF THE TIME THAT IS TRUE)
get stuck in quick sand
No problem, can't be solved
Once I get involved
I try to be delicate
Then crash right into it (OOPS THAT'S ME TOO)
My intentions are good
Sometimes just misunderstood (YEP)

[Chorus]

Nobody's Perfect!
I gotta work it!
Again and again 'til I get it right
Nobody's Perfect!
You live and you learn it!
And if I mess it up sometimes...
Nobody's perfect

Nobody's perfect!
I gotta work it!
I know in time I'll find a way
Nobody's perfect!

Sometimes I fix things up
And they fall apart again (OH MAN THIS TOO IS ME!)
Nobody's perfect

I might mix things up
But I always get it right in the end

There is my life lesson for the week...thank you Hannah Montana!

It's Official

I am missing lots of things back in the States. Some things I miss are silly....TARGET (man I can't wait to get back there!)


Some things I miss are simple....
starting my car and having it work,
paying for gas and getting more than 2 gallons,
going to fast food (well the truth is I didn't go that much in the States but for some reason I miss it here),
eating popcorn at Scott & Amy's house,
the grocery store that has stuff that I miss...like black beans
And oh yeah I MISS mexican food!

But mostly I miss some of the people that make me smile in the states....

Laughing in Sea's kitchen (which is now her OLD kitchen...can't wait to see the new one!) with my friends for hours!


Good time in Pasadena!!! Islands can't be that far away if we are all together!


Best friend reunions and being TAN!



Bagels, Diet Cokes and Girls I LOVE!




The Aiello house!!!


My WW friends!

Time with the kids!!!
(this isn't ALL the kids at ALL!! But this picture seemed to represent what I missed...funny moments with all of them. I can't wait to see them all!!!!! Auntie Dana is officially ready to take you to ice cream, candy and the movies!!!!)



The Reynolds!



JANICE!!!!! (and Disneyland Of Course..)


For those of you that don't know...here is the official statement: (Mich you might want to skip this line) I am flying home on Sept 13th (But me and Mich and the Wed Wines girls are still saying there is still an IF in that sentence) Barring something crazy--which is always a likely possibility in my life--it looks like I will be flying into LA on Sept 13th! My emotions are mixed. For the first time I finally began accepting it last week and I actually could picture myself in the States again. I haven't quite grasped the concept that I won't be hanging out with my friends here everyday yet....I have just arrived at seeing myself in CA. In my head, I think I just assume that all my NZ friends will be there with me...that isn't true??? It sure feels true!

So maybe it is a good sign that I am missing some things from home. It isn't a good sign that I get INCREDIBLY sad thinking of not hanging out with people here--so pretty much I just don't think of it at all. Ignoring it seems to be working just fine!!

I don't know what Sept holds, but I do know that even though I miss things in the States--I will leave my heart in NZ....the only bummer about moving all over the place...you tend to make friends, then be SO sad they aren't a part of your every day life! So for those of you in LA, will you pencil me in for the week of Sept 13th? And for those of you in Redding...I should be home the next week. And Mom and Dad--how I love you!!! And will be so glad to by at your house for a couple of nights!!!

And for those of you in NZ...please hang out with me ALL the time until Sept!!! :)

Truth Through Risk

Check out this interesting site

Watch the video and go to the site...I think it is going to be VERY interesting.

Life Dreams Fulfilled

Don't you love those moments when you are right in the middle of something and all of a sudden you realize one of your life long dreams are being fulfilled. It is a surreal moment. This week I helped some friends with a fundraiser. We did Stock Take (inventory) for a book store in town and in return they got $800--cool, huh?

About 4 1/2 hours into scanning book after book after book, and then rescanning it because I had double scanned or counted wrong I had this thought: "Oh my gosh I wanted to be the person that scanned things with the little red light gun. (which by the way because of a very very bad date, I do know that there are actually engineers that come up with the ability for that little red light to be scanned...but I digress) I am living my dream. AGHHH!!!" Why did I scream? Because it about did my head in that night. It was quite possibly one of the most miserable jobs I could think of. Not only, do you have to not talk (which is a nightmare for me) so that you can concentrate and not redo your shelf over and over again...which I had too! But your mind is left to just think--which is never good for me. I am not one of those people that need tons of time by myself and/or in my head. Most of the time I end up going crazy and over analyzing everything. And last night there was one particular scenario I was hoping didn't happen throughout the night, and want to guess what happened? Yep, you guessed it--the one thing I hoped didn't happen--did. SO there I sat by myself scanning row after row after row, trying to have a good attitude, trying not to be irritated and trying to be a nice person. None of it really worked that well, but I did laugh in utter amazement at myself when I realized that I was living out a childhood dream...scanning items.

Sometimes dreams are like that, huh? It was more than I hoped for--not just scanning a few items, but scanning items for over 4 hours with my own scanner gun. That is way more than I ever hoped for, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. I was running on the beach thinking about that whole idea, as I thought of some disappointing areas I have faced as of late. I sometimes get the thing I so desperately think I wanted--and even get more than I had originally thought, and it just doesn't come the way I thought it would. I hate that about life. I feel like my life has been on a roller coaster the last few months. Dreams have been realized, dreams have been dashed, dreams have been ignited and dreams have been shattered. I can't say I have enjoyed it but it is what it is. If I can learn to endure it when my shattered dream are staring me in the face I think I will be just fine...

Staying with this theme, let me tell you about another life long dream. (Mom you may want to skip this part...) I loved adventure since I was a little girl. So much so that when I played house, I couldn't just play house, I had to play "disaster house." What is that you ask? I would think up a disaster and I would then have to save people or I had to keep everyone okay until people came to save us all. My favorite was plane crash or scary man coming in the school. I guess I always just had a sense of risk and adventure and pictured myself in all these crazy as situations. Well, today again I had one of those life long dreams fulfilled moments.

My friend Luke called me today saying, "So I have the cell phone number to the Prime Minister of Fiji--the other guy (a former coup leader) gave me his number. What should I say to him?" WHAT?!!! Of course my friend Luke has the Prime Minister's (who also over threw the government and is how he is in power now) personal cell phone number, why would he not? Luke follows that up with, "I also have the Secretary General's cell number." Of course he does! Luke called the Prime Minster today and we now have a meeting with the Prime Minster of Fiji while we are there...as well as with another former coup leader and some other people in the country. I am not sure what this 10 days in Fiji will be like but I have a feeling that it will be nothing short of an adventure. And did I mention there is a slight possibility I can't get back into NZ when I return? Yeah...will just hope for the best on that one.

As I hung up with Luke and drove to work I had to laugh at my life, yet once again. You never quite know how dreams are going to be fulfilled and you never know how you are going to handle it. But the last 7 months have been crazy and it only leaves me wondering what possibly could be next.

Happy Birthday Tyler!!!

(Tyler and my mom in Germany a couple of years ago)

Happy Birthday Tyler!! Auntie Dana hopes that you have a great DAY!!! And I hope that you have found something fun to spend your Lego gift card on!!!

Email me and tell me all about Holland and your birthday and all the cool stuff you bought!

I love you!

Go The Warriors!

I LOVE going to sporting events! And I am pretty gutted that I have to miss out on going to a baseball game this year, but last night made up for it.

Mich and J took me to Aukland for The Warriors game. We made a night of it and made some FUN memories. First we went to Burger Fuel. I have heard about this place forever, but I had never gone. So we went and it was YUMMY!!! It was one of the best hamburgers I have ever had and the yummiest beer battered fries!



Then we went and got chocolate before the game. Of course what else would you do but get chocolate for this occasion--okay well it works for any occasion :) J and Mich have told me about this awesome Chocolate Boutique, aka Death By Chocolate (which is what J calls it) Which was to DIE FOR!!! (and mom we MAY have bought someone chocolate there whose bday is in July...)


Now we are fully prepared for a good Warriors game!









It was such a fun night and I made sure we took lots of pictures (as good American Girls do!) to document the whole night!! But Jared did laugh at me that I never took one of the actual game--it was too exciting to stop and take a picture--at least that was my excuse :) We laughed a ton, yelled a ton, made great memories, and we celebrated a WIN for The Warriors (which made the ride home much more pleasant!) The funniest thing to me, though, is that you actually cheer "Go The Warriors!" "The" is a part of the team name...I did giggle at that quite a few times, but I definitely yelled "Go The Warriors" plenty of time, which was farily easy because they played a GREAT game!

It wasn't quite a Dodger game (or a Giants game, Aiello family :) which I would go to if I lived closer to the stadium...Giants are much better than the Dodgers--:) But it was SUPER FUN!

Happy Birthday Hayley

On Friday night it was one of my Wed Wine's girl's bday, Hayley. We went to this great restaurant on the water and had such a fun night! There was lots of laughter and lots of pictures and lots of fun! Here are the girls from Wed Wines (minus Rachel and Nui...they couldn't be there)

Top 10 Lists

So today is July 11th....which means that it is some of my favorite people's birthdays!!! Happy Birthday Kerri and Derrick (and Hayley :)

Since my cards for both Kerri and Derrick are on my table right now and it is July 11th (and technically I have one more day to call them, since it is only the 10th in the States--Gotta love the whole "I live in a different day" thing :) I decided that I needed to let the world know (or the few of that read my blog...hehehe) how much I love and appreciate them both!!!

Top 10 Reasons I LOVE Derrick:




10. He calls me Daners
9. He was scary red bandanna boy his first year at Simpson and now he is one of my best friends (I know Derrick...you weren't scary--but you kind of were)
8. He would go running with me in college even though I ran SO slow
7. When we catch up on the phone or in person I NEVER wonder if he cares how I am doing...he cares so deeply about what is happening in my life.
6. He still loves me even though I don't drink or like coffee....but in NZ I have seemed to drink a fair amount.
5. He (and Danielle) has walked through some of the most difficult things in my life with me--even when I hated all men, especially married men.
4. He is, hands down one of the BEST listeners I have ever met in my life.
3. Some of my favorite cafeteria memories are filled with him....hours in the cafeteria, laughing forever, and when we thought we looked so Collegiate holding our cups of coffee (well I didn't have coffee, but I held the cup)
2. He ran an ENTIRE half marathon with me in Huntington Beach, without training, because I was nervous about doing it myself.
1. He is DERRICK FLECK! Anyone would be lucky to have a friend that is half as loving, compassionate, giving, kind, gracious, funny, and wonderful as him!

I love you Derrick!!

Top Ten Reason I LOVE Kerri:


10. She knows way too much about me :) (not really kidding...hehehehe)
9. She was "Homie g Funk Barbie" our Freshmen Year
8. She has been one of my best friends for 14 years now and each year our friendship has grown deeper and stronger.
7. She is the MOST empathetic non judgemental friend
6. She has walked with me through some crazy life experiences that only we could relate to....
5. Two Words: Spindrift Vacations....ahh the memories!
4. She encourages me to be who God created me to be
3. She holds HOPE for me when I have lost all of mine
2. She fills my last 14 years of memories---from crazy car trips in college, late not talks, early morning calls, trips to Waremart--aka Winco to get Candy, Bread and other essentials, summer vacations at the beach, reunions in Loomis and Redding, WEDDINGS!, time with her family in Reno (a story in and of itself), calls crying from the numerous places I have lived my adventure filled life, and sweet memories of laughing until we cried and crying until we finally had to laugh!
1. She is my forever friend--Friends make up my world and allow me to traipse all over the world, because I know I always have them to lean on, laugh with, cry with, be frustrated and am completely illogical with...Kerri is that Friend! I hope you all have a Kerri in your life...

I love you VERY much!

Wednesday Wines

It is Thursday here in NZ today, but since it is Wednesday in the States I thought I would share with you guys my favorite part about my Wednesdays: WEDNESDAY WINES



I meet some of my most favorite people in NZ on Wednesday at the Astrolabe after work and we talk, complain about our day, sometimes eat lots and lots of fries, flirt a little with the bartender or the cute brown hat guy playing pool (well me and Rochelle do at least--hehehe) and always LAUGH a lot! I look forward to Wednesday every week. And this week I was not disappointed! We laughed so hard and loved getting to be apart of these girls lives. The funniest part about Wednesday Wines to me is that I don't drink wine. I actually hate it. I have tried to like it numerous times and always try a sip thinking maybe this time I will like it. I even went wine tasting in Santa Barbabra (which was so fun!) but still no such luck at becoming a wine connoisseur. I actually love the whole idea of it and love holding the glass and feeling rather adult, but I just don't like it...and definitely don't like it enough to spend the calories and money on it :) So I stick with Diet Coke, but Wednesday Diet Cokes just doesn't have the same cool ring to it!

I feel so lucky to get to hang out each week and laugh with these girls...even though as I was describing my 10 year college reunion coming up they commented on the fact that they haven't even had their 5 year high school reunion! So I am a little older than them--well a lot :) But it is funny how life kind of evens itself out and they are okay with the fact that I could have baby sat them---and one of my friends, who shall remain nameless said to me this week when we were discussing my dating life and how I should go on NZ Dating.com to find a husband so I can stay in NZ forever..."My dad is single, and he is cool..." That by far has been the best comment of Wednesday Wines thus far...mostly because she was kind of serious :) I think I will skip being her step mom, but I do love her!

IF (we are saying if so that we can stay in denial a little longer...when I say we I mean Michelle:) I come home in the Fall I will miss Wednesday Wines so much, but the did promise to keep me on the Wednesday emails that lead up to Wednesday Wines. Which sometimes is just as funny as Wednesday Wines!

Heading to Fiji Via The Vortex of Drama

The drama of my movie like life was over the top...even for me today. Let me start at the beginning. I have a friend here--Luke, that is has started a Trust (similar to a non-profit) to help people in Figi. Him and his family went to Fiji on a resort vacation and ended up making friends with some of the employees at the resort. He quickly saw the dramatic difference between how they lived and how tourists lived in Fiji. He has taken a few trips there and has started a Trust to have a way to help move the culture forward, through building projects and bettering the villages he has contact with.

He his heading to Fiji in August and asked if I wanted to go and see what he was doing. I decided why not? I am on this side of the world, I love that I will get to play with little kids with dirty clothes, I love that I will see people's lives affected by a few people's giving, I love that I will get to watch my friend Luke meet with Coup leaders (don't worry I will be safe...and have adventure!), and I mostly love that it will be HOT there!!! I haven't felt my toes for two days now!!

On Thursday last week I called United to see if I had enough frequent flyer miles to be able to go. I wasn't holding my breath, but I knew that the only way I could go was an air mile ticket. Suprisingly, it took less air miles to fly to Figi than it does to fly from LA to Redding...what the heck? I tell Luke that it looks like I can go with them. He reminds me that I am on a visa and to check to see if I can re-enter NZ if I leave. Oh...hadn't thought of that.

I check my visa on Saturday (why I did it on Saturday and not on Friday when the immigration offices are open--who knows?) As I read my visa my heart drops when I read the line--"your visa is valid until Sept 15 or until you leave the country." OH NO! After looking at the immigration website over and over I am so bummed, and frustrated because my ticket is only on hold until Sunday and I can't call immigration until Monday to double check. United would not extend my held ticket until Monday, but said there is heaps of tickets and you will be able to get a ticket on Monday easily....famous last words!

On Monday I call immigration and have them tell me that there is no way I can leave the country and re-enter unless I apply for a multiple entry visa. Which I "might" be able to get before the trip, but there is a loop hole. What is that you ask? Wait until 5 days before your flight and then go into the immigration office and they will process your visa right there. (risky!!)
I planned on booking another ticket and placing it on hold while I figured out what I wanted to do, but I forgot because I was having a pity party for myself on Monday. (it was a good one...balloons and streamers and all...Rochelle it wasn't a real party :) hehehe)

Tuesday rolls around and Luke thinks I should call one more time and ask immigration. I do and they tell me that I would be able to re-enter on a visa agreement that Americans have with NZ, I just would only be able to stay til my current visa is valid. What the heck?! My heart continues on the roller coaster of emotions--excitement again that I might be able to go. I quickly call United. At this point Luke and another friend have booked their tickets--around the dates I was able to get with my frequent flyer miles. I am so excited that I am able to go and wait patiently (well, those of you that know me know there isn't much patience that was probably being exhibited but i was trying!) for United to process my ticket, she comes on the line saying, "Oh I am sorry we have no flights for the 9th available." WHAT?! "The next available flight is on the 11th." WHAT?! There was HEAPS of seats! I tried everything I could to get her to help me, but nothing!

I was SO mad as the roller coaster headed down again. I text Luke saying it might not work I can't get out on the day they are arriving. (and since they are heading into villages I don't think it will work). Wednesday morning I try calling United one more time....same answers. I pulled all the shanagins I could to get them to find me a flight on the 9th to the 19th. NOTHING. Luke worked it out that I could still get there on the 11th and he could do his meetings in the airport city while they waited for me. I called United one more time. They had the ticket on the 11th-19th.

Roller coaster up....with a quick down! Why you ask? Right as she was about to give me my confirmation number she says, "hold on I can't fly you out on the 19th. The next available day I can fly you out is the 21st." YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!???!!! I actually asked her that--not quite with that intensity. She said, "yes ma'am we can fly you out on the 11th and return you on the 21st." I had her hold the ticket so frustrated. I called Luke and said welcome to being my friend and entering the vortex of drama...my life really is a movie, but this is shocking even for me! He just gave me a nervous laugh...

Talking to Luke he suggested I try and get out on the 18th (instead of me staying in Figi by myself of 2 days (I'm all about adventure but that didn't sound like the coolest plan). Yet one last time I call United and had them retrieve my held ticket and ask them to switch it to the 18th from the 21st and I will buy that. I am not holding my breath at all at this point, positive that there will be no flights on the 18th. He finds a flight and then says, "there is a flight on the 19th, is that the date you would like?" WHAT?! Oh my heck!?!! You have got to be kidding me!?!! I double check numerous times that he said the 19th and that I could really have it. He says yes numerous times and I begin heading up the roller coaster, saying I will take that ticket--please purchase it! Then I add, "just for fun will you check the 9th for me?"

He checks and responds with, "yes I have a seat on the 9th for you." REALLY?!?! This has got to be a joke! So I double check quite a few times with him that I can purchase that flight and tell him buy it for me please!!

So in all...I spent 4 days on the emotional roller coaster of Fiji...hitting all time drama/movie like highs in my life to end up with the EXACT same ticket I had put on hold on Saturday!!!!

My friend text me tonight, after I let him know that I am back to departing and arriving with them, saying "Wow that was a lot of drama--this trip should be interesting with you on it." I am going to choose to take that as a compliment :)

So all that to say I am off to Figi for 10 days to do who knows what??? But the journey to Fiji was as dramatic and emotional as most of my trips overseas and I haven't even left yet! We will see if I really will be able to get back into NZ on the 19th....

Movies As An Escape

Have you seen the movie The Holiday? I kind of like this movie....well who I am kidding I love this movie! In fact last night when I woke up at 2:15 with a killer migraine, and couldn't go to sleep I finally popped this in at 5 and it made the time pass by rather nicely...it is kind of like my Excedrine® Migraine in NZ. Sea Jay made me watch it this Christmas at her house and then before I left for NZ she sent me the DVD in the mail (I have GREAT friends!)

Well, I have watched this movie many times. And my friend Michelle laughs at me at the "life lessons" I seem to get from this movie. But Kerri and Sea Jay and I decided a few years ago that movies and books were a very acceptable form of escape. They kept us from really leaving our lives, giving us a few brief moments in our day when the only problem was, "Is the main character of the book or movie going to get what we so desperately think they should?" But sometimes, movies and/or books also give you a good laugh in your day when your life reminds you of them. There are many things I could choose to analyze in this thought process...like do I watch too many movies? Do I live in a fantasy world? Should I just live my life and forget about the funny dialogue in my head that happens throughout the day? But I will choose not to because that just seems silly...

Tonight I drove out to my friend's house a half hour outside of town. As I drove there I had that funny moment of the running "movie dialogue" in my head. I sat in traffic....I know?!!! Who knew there was traffic in this itty bitty place? But it reminded me of how much I LOATHE traffic. As I traveled outside of town to Kiwi Fruit country, I had to laugh at my life. Remember that scene in The Holiday where Cameron Diaz has landed in this tiny town in England and is driving into town (on the opposite side of the road)? She is running away from her life's problems and trying to pretend that she has it all together....yeah that was me tonight.. I was so far out, all by myself, trying to get over my really bad day, and all of a sudden I turned down this little road and started to laugh. I sometimes wish my life really was recorded (then secretly slap myself thinking....HECK NO do I want my life documented...I am straight crazy sometimes!) But tonight, was one of those moments, as I drove down this tiny road and thought to myself--"yikes don't hit me" to every car that was coming by and reminding myself to stay left, and was lamenting too myself how pathetic my life is quickly becoming...I just started to laugh. My life really was a scene out of The Holiday--minus the hot passionate love affair with Jude Law...but I do still have 2 more months here. hehehehe

Sometimes movies and books are an escape for me to give me enough of a break to go back and face reality. Sometimes my life is the book or movie and I laugh out loud at myself, which also then helps me face life again realizing that it can't be that bad and I always just think it will be a funny story one day. Even the most devastating of stories in my life have made me laugh months or years later. Tonight I told a story that I never thought I would laugh at, but genuinely laugh at now realizing how unbelievable the events in my life are sometimes. (curious which one? Remember when he moved there on Wed, broke up with me Thurs, I had to confirm it on Friday and Saturday he left and I never saw him again??? And I genuinely laugh at how crazy some of my life stories are and I am thankful that my life is never boring....thank goodness for BEST friends, they keep me sane and that helps me laugh at life--I love you girls!)

So next time you are facing a situation that just seems to horrible to be real or to ridiculous to face, just picture it in a movie and picture the best Actor/Actress you want playing you! It really works....try it! (Kerri picked Reese Witherspoon for me...nice compliment...I still think Jennifer Aniston is my top pick, but if she is unavailable I'll let Reese read for the part--hehehehe. Really in moments when you think life is never going to turn around picture that person playing this scene in your life and tell me you don't at least smile....)

Happy 4th of July

As I type this my friends in the states are having BBQ's, sitting in the sun, swimming, this kids are going crazy waiting for fire works, and if you were in Redding you are enjoying the 88 degree weather (which you deserve for not getting any firework show this year!): a perfect 4th (minus, of course, my presence).

I woke up this morning at 5am to my Aunt's text....(thank you Aunt Denise I love you!), freezing (it is snowing less than an hour away) and my 4th of July celebrations are all concluded! But I did have some sort of a 4th. To start off my good friends Jared and Michelle both got me gifts (do they know me well or what?) J actually was embarrassed for me and asked this lady in the mall who was handing out flag balloons to kids if he could have one--after chasing her through the food court to catch her before she left. Then Mich, not knowing J had got me a gift bought me a super cute red bracelet and an adorable black bracelet (she said she was going to for a red white and blue theme but the black bracelet was just too cute to pass up--I agreed!) Here is a picture below....I made an apple pie (Sea Jay's amazing butterscotch apple pie that my mom had to send me butterscotch chips from the states to be able to make) and posed with my 4th of July treats....notice my ski jacket and gloves...that is just too weird to be that cold on the 4th!




Then after a meeting (which Deby decorated in Red, White and Blue and had special decorations that she bought while in Hawaii a month or so ago--THANK YOU DEB!) Mich, Jared, and my friend Emma went to a 4th of July party I knew was happening....they are good friends and went with me.

We did fireworks...here is me looking up at them...again notice the clothes we are wearing. It was SO cold and raining and windy.



But we did see fireworks...



Here is Emma, me, Mich and my other friend Alice...all in all it was a very memorable 4th of July...like one I never had before!

The 4th of July and Fingerless Gloves...

Those two things should not be in them same sentence!! But they are!!! As I type this blog I am sitting at the computer so cold wearing fingerless gloves....As my friends in Redding are in 105 degree weather---and a town filled with smoke!! I am sorry guys that there are no fireworks there this year!!

Today is the 4th of July in NZ and I have been sad that I am not going to be home for the 4th for over two months now. The 4th isn't just a day of the month or a public holiday--It's an EVENT, It's a MINDSET, It's FRIENDS, and It's MEMORIES...

You just can't recreate that, but we will make some attempts tonight. I wore a white shirt and a red ribbon in my hair (seriously I never dressed up for the 4th but this year...well there were those flags shoes and star shorts, stacie remember those?). My friend Michelle wore red/white and blue for me today, too. Tons of people text me to wish me a Happy 4th and even though I have a meeting tonight!!! :( I will be going to a 4th of July party after, where the host found fireworks!!! They are illegal, but we will have fireworks so who cares? And we will have hot dogs and hamburgers! Plus I made an apple pie---what else would an all american bring?

It is supposed to rain and I will be gutted if I don't see them...but nonetheless I will try and have a Happy 4th :)