There is nothing quite like sipping chardonnay while you are flying over the Grand Canyon...

So after a miserable weekend spent on my couch, in which I went through an entire box of tissues, 10 bags of tea, a half gallon of OJ and I lost count how many gallons of water, it was back on the road again. This time to Phoenix, Arizona where I will spend exactly 24 hours before heading to Hell Paso.

Of course since we were taking the afternoon flight I still had to report to work at 0hundredearly and it sucked because I still felt pretty miserable. However, I had one of the smoothest drives to the airport I've ever had (seriously there was no one on I-15! It was a miracle!), then the airport shuttle picked me up as soon as I stepped out of the car, I arrived at the terminal and started the check in process when I realized that US Airways wanted to charge me for my suitcase. Being not quite as stupid as I may appear, I pulled out my star alliance silver card (thank you United!) and the lady was all, "Oh no ma'am, we won't charge you for your suitcase." Then she printed my boarding pass and handed it to me...and I just stood there for a second dumbfounded. I looked back like there must be some mistake and she said to me, "It was available, I figured I might as well." Yup that's right...upgraded to first class!!! 2nd time in 1st class in a week...damn I can't be complaining that much. So I get on the flight and the lady asks what I want to drink and I was all, bring me your finest chardonnay (which is like beringer's so not that fine...but you get the idea). So she brings me a glass of chardonnay (in a plastic cup) and it's what my mother would refer to as a "Shannon sized" glass of wine...meaning it's not freaking 5 oz like wine should be, but more like 12. So I'm sipping my chardonnay and watching the Grand Canyon below me...and the lady asks if I want more wine. I consider asking her whether she would like me to walk off the plane on my own free will, but hey there's no booze like free booze...so yeah, I drank some more wine. It made me forget the sinus headache. So the trip to Phoenix...yeah...flew right by.

Once I got here I realized that we were actually staying in Tempe and that made me just a bit nostalgic. Because my first trip to Tempe was my first trip ever where I got paid to travel, thanks to the 2001 SU football team (namely Dwight Freeney and David Tyree). And what a kick ass trip that was...back when we had a team...and we made bowl games...and we actually won the bowl games we made. Anyways, so tonight I went exploring a little bit and I am staying just down the road from the Fiesta Inn...and yes it still looks the same...including the trees that my friends stood in so I could take the picture. And all I could think of when I looked at the Fiesta Inn was the look on Vicki Dillon's face when she woke up in a bed with Jayme and I. Priceless. Then I drove down Broadway and saw the same Walgreen's where we "loitered" in front of the no loitering sign...ahh to be a freshman again. If someone had told me my freshman year that I would be flying back 7 years later in first class to attend a meeting, I would have looked at them like they were crazy. Then my freshman me probably would have gotten wicked excited that I actually did have a job and had moved beyond the poor college kid phase.

I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this rambling...but I think it's something uber sappy about memories and nostalgia and how much I miss my college buddies, but I wouldn't go back to college unless you paid me enough...yeah that's probably it. It's just been kinda cool to revisit a place where many good times were had.

That is all.

Travel craziness!



Last weekend was Kelly's wedding, so it was off to Chicago! To see more pictures from the wedding go to this website.

Wednesday I woke up really early to catch my flight, and it was non stop from there. Wednesday night was the bachelorette party. Amber (maid of honor), Kelly (bride) and I started out at the signature room in the John Hancock building for martinis. From there we ate at a delicious italian restaurant and then we started bar hopping. Due to the Cubs game there was little action in the part of town we were in, so bouncers were enticing us to enter their bars with free drinks. So we would go get a free drink, get a drink bought for us (in some of the bars) and then move to the next bar. The next thing I knew it was 2 am! We took a very long taxi ride back to the hotel and crashed.

Thursday morning I woke up feeling less than stellar. I realized that I am entirely too old to be acting like I'm 21 again (hell I was old when I was 21, now I'm just a dinosaur.) My liver has suffered enough abuse in my short life, I have reached the point where I should be nice to it. So, Thursday I laid low most of the day. All of this traveling has started taking its toll and I felt absolutely exhausted.

Friday we were back on the run again. It was spa day! We were treated to manicures and pedicures...which I am ashamed to admit, I have never had before. I had acrylics on my nails once, but I had never gotten a pedicure before Friday. I guess I didn't realize that they grind off the bottom of your feet, I mean it makes sense, but I didn't think about it. So I spent the rest of the day slipping in my sandals, because all of my calluses were gone. Then it was time for the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. At the rehearsal I warned the groomsmen that I was paired with, that it was entirely possible that I might fall over in my shoes, and if I should start to fall, he should do his best to not let me fall on my butt. This was a solid plan, except that to get down the aisle to the altar, the bridesmaids were walking by themselves. I think we practiced that walk at least a dozen times and I was the only one with the perfect pacing. Yay marching band! Yes, being a nerd comes in handy sometimes. Friday night was mostly a blur and before I knew it...it was Saturday!

I was up bright and early to get to the salon to make my hair look pretty. My hair looked ok...but it did not look nearly as good as when my cousin does it. I seriously should have flown her out to Chicago just to do my updo. Then I drove to the church because Kelly was shaking too much to be trusted behind the steering wheel. After much prep work we were ready to go down the aisle. Everything was beautiful and all the bridesmaids made it down the aisle without tripping (this actually was quite a feat because the other 3 bridesmaids are used to wearing combat boots)! A lesson I learned at the church, if you are going to be partaking in a Lutheran service, let your bridesmaids sit down. We stood in front of the entire damn church (without air conditioning) for an hour! All of the bridesmaids were checking the back of each other's dresses after the ceremony because we were afraid that we had Swass in our dresses!

The reception was beautiful, complete with a string trio on the patio during cocktail hour. The food was delicious and then it was time to dance! Because I was a bridesmaid, whether I wanted to or not, it was my obligation to have my butt on the dance floor having a good time. I started out dancing mostly with the little kids...and they are fun! They don't care if you can't dance and they just want to have a good time too. Then my walking partner decided he was going to attempt to teach me to swing dance. I had the step down no problem, but he got frustrated when I couldn't turn appropriately...so he gave up...back to dancing with the little kids. Then this very arrogant pilot came up and decided that he was going to monopolize my time for the rest of the evening. Which was mostly fine because I had someone to dance with (of course no slow dances...just the fast ones...like toxic and hey ya), but also not so fine because I was trying to figure out how I was going to ditch him at the end of the night (I'm not that kind of girl!). So the evening was getting ready to wrap up and I still hadn't bid the guy adieu. Then as I'm contemplating what to do I look over and my friend Kelly is face down on the ground! Yes, the bride had fallen on some liquid on the dance floor and 2 guys had carried her out in the hall. Because I was the only bridesmaid left I went running after her. After a ton of drama she turned out to need 11 stitches in her lip. It really could have been much worse. And for all of you that think I don't deal well with the sight of blood, I'll have you know that I am growing! I sat right with her and didn't freak out at all! And as for my dance partner, he ended up picking up another chick at the bar and they left together. All in all an eventful evening.

After an hour of sleep (I'm not kidding) I headed for OHare where I proceeded to pass out for 2 hours in the Red Carpet room. I managed to board the plane, but I don't remember taking off and I barely remember landing.

A half a day at home and then it was off to Clearwater for work. One day flying, one day meeting one day flying back...and I have a cold. And I am kind of miserable. Which was very evident when I was in line at the supermarket today. I didn't even want to go grocery shopping, but I didn't have any OJ, or really anything else in my apartment, so I was forced to. So back to shopping, I'm waiting in the checkout with my throat on fire and this woman in front of me is holding up the whole line while the cashier finds out whether red beans are covered under WIC (or whatever sort of federal assistance that I pay for, that she was attempting to use). That wasn't what bugged me. If people really need the help, then they should get it. However, after we go through the fiasco of food stamps, she has the audacity to buy a pack of cigarettes. I just wanted to kick her in the shins, take her infant and scream at her that she should give up that filthy damn habit and spend that money on her kid. I swear people really piss me off.

So now I am home for 4 days...then it's off again. With the program that I work on ending, there is quite a bit of travel coming up. And I have 3 weeks to recoup before the next wedding...whoo!

That is all!

Back in Utah again!

So Labor day I flew back to Utah late at night...and less than 8 hours later I had to be back at the airport to catch my flight to Florida. I spent the past week in Tampa for work. The weather was nice, but I didn't get to enjoy it because I was in meetings all day and half the night. I came home mostly exhausted and a little bit grumpy.

Today I went down to Utah's only sports bar to watch some football with the boys. It is starting to feel like fall again (kinda chilly this morning), which makes it feel like football season! It was a good time, but I'm glad we didn't stick around to watch the SU game...cause they sucked...again.

In other news, I was driving around the area today and some lady had a license plate that said, "My son-in-law's a stud." That's it...no explanation, no company promotion or anything. I passed this vehicle and did indeed determine it was a woman driving...because it would have been so much creepier had it been a guy, not that it wasn't creepy to begin with...because it was. I think I'm still shivering thinking about that.

So 2 weeks from tonight I will be partying it up in Chicago for my friend Kelly's wedding. Considering that I am going to bed at 10 on a Saturday I should really consider upping my partier factor. I have been such a grandma lately. No alcohol tolerance (I feel like crap the whole next day), yawning at 8 on a Saturday, waking up really early...when did I grow up and become lame? Next thing you know I will start having delusions that I want to have kids...don't hold your breath. So I think next weekend I have to make myself go out ...or at least stay up late...so I'm not totally lame when I have to be shaking my butt on the dance floor.


Only in the state of made up religions could this happen http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=4189573.

That is all.