We're not laughing at you - we're laughing near you.*

Welcome to the official unveiling of Lildonbro 2011:

My fun theme is: Get it done in 20-1-1 (thanks Amber for the 'one-one' advice).

My serious theme for 2011 will be "Choose the Good Part" (from Luke 10:42 - about the sisters, Mary and Martha, "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.").

2011 Goals:

1. Read 50 books (I had thought of reading a certain number of pages - that way the really big books would get counted for more than one book, but I think I am going to aim for 50 different books because I figure the short ones will equal out the big ones...we'll see how this goes. Remember - I am copying G-sauce on this one...thanks G!).
2. Run a half marathon (Sorry Ashley, I know you said go for the full...but just thinking about the full makes me want to cry...if I run this and have no desire to go on for the full - I'm okay with that).
3. Budget - my goodness, this goal is going to be on here until I figure this darn thing out!
4. Finish my third story - That's right...I started a third. Real goal - write the third so that there can't really be a fourth.
5. Lose weight - I told you to look for it. Almost to the goal weight, so might as well keep it a goal.
6. Get motivated at work - this time next year I would like to have gotten a promotion.
7. Reduce debt - With a lien on the house so that I could get connected to the water, I have added to my debt that I was working so hard in 2010 to get rid of. I know I probably can't afford to wipe it all out in 2011, but I want to get it down so low that in 2012 I can make it a goal to be debt free (with the only exception being the house).
8. Home improvement - I want to continue to fix up the house. I could save up for new windows or new siding. I could fix the fence or the deck, I want to put a little brick patio off to the side of my house...I could do that.
9. Learn to compromise - My brother-in-law and I were talking the other night and he seems to think that I can't compromise...as in, "Can you handle marriage? Cause you seem like you can't compromise." So - I will just have to learn how...anyone want to help? This isn't limited to merely compromising...but I do want to improve my personal relationships with people. I'm...a bit of brat, and I would like to stop being such a brat.
10. Work on my serious theme - meaning - choose the good part...develop Charity and make Christ's teachings a more central part of my life.

That's it for now. Look for updates through 2011 on how I am doing!

Washington...nice apples.*

The official unveiling of Lildonbro 2011 is coming shortly - but before I could really do that I thought maybe I should remind you guys of 2010...a recap if you will.

2010 has been an awfully good year to me. It's had it's ups and downs, it's twists and turns. Surprises, successes, failures, the usual. The odd/cool thing about this year is that there would be times that I would remember Lildonbro of 2009 and think, "Who is that girl?" I really think that I have come a long way in all aspects of my life, I have changed so much and I feel that overall it's for the best. Among other things...I bought a house this year (as you know from my horror stories), Bryan hit his 18-month mark and only has 6 more months to go, I went to Boston and Ohio (reunion with the Teen Girl Squad!), I ran in several races with my sister, Kathryn, I was on a league basketball team, I got a lot better at frisbee, I feel more confident and happier...it's been great.

Here's hoping 2011 will be just as good if not better!

Okay - let's recap on the 2010 goals:

1. Read One Book a Month - Again, I feel pretty certain that I have passed this goal. I finished five books in the month of December (many of which were started in earlier months - a few in earlier years...I don't want to talk about it). So just like last year, I may not have read one a month, but I made up for it.
2. Finish writing my story - Check. As of early December I finished the rough draft of the second book I was writing.
3. Become More Handy - Um...I learned to use that wall putty stuff, I helped my dad add a shelf to my laundry closet (using a hammer, a level, nails, a saw, and wood!). Do I feel more handy on a daily basis? No - but I took pictures of the times I was handy so that should suffice.
4. Budget - uh... (please wait for 2011 goals)
5. Have more self discipline - half and half. I trained and ran a 10k, 5k, 8k (let's face it, the best self disciplined training was for that 8k). I feel I have done a little with the self discipline, but there is always room for improvement.
6. Get my PHR designation - Boo hiss. I came, I saw, I read and studied, I was denied. Try again in three years when they will at least let you sit for the exam...
7. Pay Attention - I read some news stories here and there. Okay - let's be honest here, I completely forgot about this goal until this very moment...so...epic fail.
8. Lose Weight - Thanks to goal number 5, this has been achieved...not all the way to my goal weight, Christmas and the well got in the way (holiday eating and stress eating). So this will likely appear again in 2011.
9. Floss - Dangit!
10. Be bold - I think I've done a lot better with this. Following up with people, I've had conversations with people I'd rather never have, confronting, confronting, confronting. Feels good...actually, I still hate it.

Everybody in this family needs to just calm down and eat some fruit or something.*

On Wednesday Pam and I decided to go to Noodle's and Company instead walking...don't look at me like that, it's cold outside. Pam got to go through before me and after she ordered her meal she turns to me and asks if she should buy a cookie, I laughed and said, "I don't know." She asks if I am getting a cookie and I told her I was thinking about it. So she takes the plunge and gets a cookie, in the meantime the other cashier is ready for me to make my order. I walk up to the register and start to tell him what I want and Pam walks by and says, "she's getting a cookie!" The cashier starts laughing and we both watch Pam walk away. Then I try again with my order, at the end I said, "And yes, I'm getting a cookie." He checks out what kind, nods approvingly at my choice of the giant snickerdoodle and punches it in. Then he asks if I want something to drink, I tell him I'd just like some water. So he pulls out a cup, tells me my total and I give him the money. As he is telling me where the water can be found a man walks right up to the counter and takes my cup! He just grabbed it like he'd been waiting for it. The cashier is slightly calling, "Uh, um," after the man and I am looking at the spot where my cup used to be thinking, "This always happens to me!" Because I kept thinking about the time my wheelchair was taken from me

see story below

The cashier and I both begin to laugh and he says, "Guess he didn't want you to drink water" and I fake whined and said, "But I'm thirsty." So the guy pulls out another one and I pull the cup in close while saying, "I'll just bring it in closer this time." Which got the cashier laughing again. He must be one happy guy, or a visit from Pam and I just made his day because from the moment I stepped up to his counter his day got more interesting. My money is with just a really happy guy.

So I find Pam and sit down with her and she was like, "Why is your cup so much bigger?"



And I said, "My cashier liked me." Then I told her the story of the cup thief. Once I got back to work I started to think, maybe the guy who stole my cup had a small cup like Pam's and from wherever he was sitting he kept seeing this cashier pulling out big cups for people while he was stuck with the cursed mini cup. Overcome with jealously and desire until he could no longer take it, he waited for his moment to walk up to the counter and unabashedly steal someone else's cup!

...Noodle's and Company is probably the most interesting place I have ever eaten...like living in a soap opera.

Now for the wheelchair - not nearly as interesting. In college I broke my foot while playing floor hockey (p.s. in college my dad had a saying, "It's either your car or your health." because I was always calling home because I broke, burned, cut something on my body, or popped a tire, smashed a window, killed an engine or transmission on my car). I had to go through the airport on crutches at Christmas time. To make this easier, the airline prepared a wheelchair to get me around, so on my connection they were going to have one ready to take me over to the next gate. I waited and waited and waited on the airplane and then finally they had a wheelchair for me. They explained that the guy had been there waiting for the flight, but an older lady came off of my flight and sat down in my wheelchair. Not knowing me from Adam, the guy must have assumed it was me and took the lady to my connecting flight. Once they got a new wheelchair the man was hauling butt to get me to my gate in time, yelling, "Coming through!" I was either covering my eyes or getting white knuckles from holding on to the handles so tightly.

Oddly enough, when that man took my cup on Wednesday - this is the story that came to mind. So no, this doesn't happen to me all the time, but it sure does stick with me.

Put the cookie down!*

In case I haven't said this, I am not staying at my house right now. Last week the well water went from dirty and sporatic to completely nonexistant. I spent the first night at Kathryn's house (last Wednesday) then Thursday it snowed so I decided if I'm going to get snowed in I'd like to be snowed in with my nephews and my niece so I moved on over to Joanna's house. I have kind of just moved in, which I kind of feel bad about. B.I.L. Ben tells me he's glad I'm there, I keep his wife company. I try to do my part, I snuggle with Ava all the time, play with the boys when I am not feeling old, scratch Tommy's back when he tells me to. I have changed diapers, gotten them ready for church (NOT easy), grabbed countless cups of milk and juice, collected countless empty milk and juice cups. I just still don't feel like I have made up for eating everything, taking over Ava's room, doing my laundry, etc.

But I have to say, I really do love being there. Sure...10 o'clock is going to bed late. I won't judge, I could use the sleep.

Anyway, just thought I'd give you that update as well as share some pictures of what I have been up to. Enjoy.

The snowman

Bushes covered by snow and lights.

Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-raaaaa*

Sorry about the lack of posts (not that anyone really cares) but I haven't been living at my house and I have been super busy with work and so I haven't really had time to write all that much.

Friday night I went to the Ward Christmas party. I wasn't going to go, I mean, it was on South Side...but my friend, Bryant, was leaving the next day for Christmas vacation and from there would be going out to school. I would probably never see him again and he was going and it would make his life easier if his friends went so he could say goodbye. So a few of us piled into a car and drove out there.

Once at the party I saw my old home teacher, Chris, and went to talk to him. I haven't really gotten to talk to him in a while so we were catching up and it was really loud at the party so we had trouble hearing each other. Chris asked how long I thought we could play "this game", meaning the game where someone says something and you say, "What? I can't hear you." ...FYI - we played it the whole time. At one point he said something and I thought he called me 'flapjack', he laughed and said, "why would I call you flapjack?" I shrugged my shoulders, "that's why I asked." So from then he decided that he would call me flapjack, then he was going to see how many people he could get to call me flapjack without knowing why.

So when a few of us were leaving I went up to him, held out my fist (like I was going to have him bump fists) and said, "Give flapjack some batter!" A later adaptation included me bumping fists and then opening my palm, face down and saying, "Pancakes!" I'm excited to show Chris this new development next time I see him.

So the few of us who left the party a little early went to O'Charley's for milkshakes. We got our menus and looked them over but milkshakes were not mentioned. When our waiter came Bryant decided to investigate the situation.

Bryant: Can I ask you a question?
Waiter: Sure.
Bryant: I'm a little bit concerned. (pause) I'm looking over this menu, (pause) I mean, (pause) my concern is around the fact that--
Me: Do you have milkshakes?
Waiter: Yes.
Me: That's what he's trying to ask.
Bryant: (looks at me in awe) That was brilliant, Jessica.
Me: (shrugging my shoulders) I know.

So there's my Friday night. A new nickname and praise for my intellect when it comes to menu inquiries. I. Am. Amazing.

So here are some things I have learned this week:


*People working at the county aren't as scary as you think they're going to be

*Being chased in your dream means you are running from something, being chased by a bear means you are running from something big. Dogs blocking the way between the bear and you means you've got some great friends.

*Attitude is everything and once you make a choice to be in a good mood it starts to come a little easier.

*I now understand what a lien is.

*When one door closes another one opens

*I need to show more enthusiasm...and it doesn't take as much energy as I originally thought.

*Don't feel bad for wanting to get something done - Whenever I call people to 'follow-up' I feel bad, like maybe I'm too pushy and haven't given them enough time to follow through on their own. I need to stop feeling bad about this - in fact, I should be proud of myself - I'm not pushy enough.

*'Community' is one wickedly funny show.

No girl wants to marry a doctor who can't tell if a man's dead or not!*

I had a crazy dream last night. I was being chased by a bear. I wouldn't say that the bear was charging me or anything but even in my dreams, a bear isn't really something I want to get close to. I would move and the bear would follow. I would move faster and the bear would get faster. It was scary for Dream-Jessica, being stalked by a bear. I eventually ran up the stairs of the porch my Dream-Home (a cabin in the woods, who would have thought) and four dogs jumped up, they let me through and then kept the bear at bay. I woke up with an uneasy feeling, the kind of heart racing only dreams seem able to produce. I kept thinking about my dream, what's it mean? So, I did what any dreamer would do...I google three main components of my dream. Being chased, the bear, the dogs.

• Being chased - anxiety about an environmental factor
• Being chased by a bear - BIG anxiety...usually overwhelming obstacles or competition
• Dogs - symbolizing that your strong values and good intentions can help you conquer. They also symbolize your friends (loyalty and the such)

It was very interesting to learn these new things this morning, and kind of helps me understand Subconscious-Jessica.

So...I think the bear is the well, or lack of the well. I didn't get the loan by the way. I will get a letter of explanation, but part of me thinks I know the explanation, I haven't really had the house that long. So, I was back to square one. I was looking over the county website about connecting to the county water line and was confused on the numbers, so I decided to do the unJessica - I called. I was scared, I always sound like an idiot with these types of things (like I did with the well people).

The phone was answered quickly and I thought, "That's nice"* but it was a false sense of security. I was quickly "transferred" and then transferred again. But I finally got to speak to one lady and I told her that I was looking into connecting to the county line but I had a few questions about the pricing page on the website. From there we got to talking about my options and it turns out that I don't have to pay the amount in full before they start to do the work...wha?? I guess somewhere along the line my sources misunderstood. So I am going to speak to Katie in financing and we are going to discuss doing this sooner rather than later. And there's no penalty to pay the county back early, so should I get a hefty bonus and decide I want to just get rid of my debt to Henrico County, I could.

In other news - it's supposed to snow here tomorrow. We shall see.

What's that have to do with the price of eggs?*

Today's lesson: Attitude is everything.

I had yesterday off, no real rhyme or reason. I have 2 days of PTO to take before the 31st (the other 5 are coming with me to 2011 and California) or I lose them. So I looked at my work schedule and took yesterday and next Monday off. I wanted Fridays, but my Fridays for the rest of the year are either too busy or already taken care of (a.k.a. Holidays). So Mondays it is.

I didn't do much yesterday. I didn't do much all weekend. I don't think I've really had days like that for a while because I have to tell you, it feels great. Not even my stupid well could bring me down (okay, Saturday was plagued by remorse, grief, and general ticked off-ness about the well). My brother-in-law inadvertently made me cry Saturday morning, but it started as a good cry, he wasn't mean to me...he actually did something so nice that I got teary eyed, and then once those tears came all the stress of the last couple of weeks came crashing in and walla...blubbering idiot who had to run to the bathroom because she hates people seeing her cry.

Speaking of stress - here's a quick update. I hate the well - really, really hate it. The water is coming out a light gray (sometimes a dark gray depending), and it's smelling sulfuric again. It won't even help to call the filter people because the well is taking out all its pent up anger on me and on my house. I have put in for a home equity loan...a foreign option to me. I am praying and praying and praying that I get it because I need to connect to the county line faster than I can save up for it. So please, if you're the praying type, pray along with me.

That's that, I don't want to talk anymore about the well. So the whole point of this post was to talk about two things. The first - PTO days where you don't really do anything are great! I have been in such a good mood today, my mind just seems clearer and I feel overall - happier.

This morning, Pam was at my desk and we were talking when Bob walked by. Pam told him he looked tired and he was saying how it was his kids' fault. Then Pam said something about him always being grumpy (she really has a way of making people feel good) and he said that other people make him grumpy. So Pam said that other people don't make him grumpy, he makes himself grumpy. I jumped in and said that it's all about choices, attitude is everything. So Bob slightly brightened and said, "Attitude really is everything." I don't know if that was sarcastic or not, but then he went on, "Thanks guys, I'm glad I came over here, you've put me in a good mood."

I smiled and said, "No, you put yourself in a good mood." It was just one of those "after school special" moments that makes me laugh. So he laughed and left and then I was still laughing and told Pam that it didn't seem right that she could push the blame off to him for making him grouchy and then try to take the credit for putting him in a good mood. But that leads us to Point 2: Attitude is Everything.

So - no matter what happens with this whole well issue - I am choosing now that I am going to be happy. People can't decide how I am going to feel, only I can decide how I react to the things they say and do (...and along with 'people' we are throwing in derelict wells). I am going to end 2010 as optimistic and positive as I began it!

It's always about YOU isn't it?*

“Our goals should stretch us bit by bit. So often when we think we have encountered a ceiling, it is really a psychological or experiential barrier that we have built ourselves. We built it and we can remove it. . . We must not expect personal improvement without pain or some ‘remodeling’” ( Neal A. Maxwell. Deposition of a Disciple [1976], 33–34).

It's time to start thinking about goals for 2011 and a rhyming theme. Let's recap:

• Get a date in '08 (Said "oh-8")
• 'Bout time in '09 (oh-9)
• Do it again in 2010 (twenty-ten)

Eleven....heaven, leaven.

There's:

• "Excellin' in '11" (said to force the rhyme).
• "Wellin in '11" (kind of like slumming it OR getting rid of the well - obviously my feelings on well have taken a turn for the utmost worst)

Um...maybe it's time to give up the rhymed themes. ...anyone with any brilliant ideas on this one???

Possible Goals:

1. G had the goal of reading 50 books this year (2010) and she is almost there! I was thinking about giving myself a similar challenge and then I looked at the books on my 'to read' list...Atlas Shrugged, How the Allies Won the War, Jesus the Christ, Catch 22, Moby Dick, Paradise Lost...these books are not your average book. So as much as I want to be like G - I think I'll have to scale it down to 25-30 books for 2011.
2. I want to get rid of the well - enough said.
3. Run a half marathon.

I am still working on some more, I will have the finalized list to you by the end of the month. In the mean time I am open to suggestions!! Any goal ideas or rhyming efforts are much appreciated!

This is like a moment from a horror movie.*

My well and I have a love/hate relationship. There are perks to having a well, no water bill being basically the only one that comes to mind. Some of you remember back in July my well debacle. You may also know how much it costs to connect to the county line (over $6,000 once all is said and done). Luckily, in July we were able to fix the problem by calling two different companies, one for the well itself and one for the filtration system. The total came to about $300 or so - BIG savings there. Since then, life had returned to normal, the love had been restored between the well and me.

Then came the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The water began to come out of the faucets nice and murky. So I called up Dad and we (and here I mean HE) changed the filter. We ran the water a bit from almost every faucet to help clear out the water. We thought life was to go on from this point, but then the water started to act funny...just like July. At first it seemed to just hate Elaina and when I would come around it pretended that nothing was wrong. (We call this the dancing frog syndrome). I believed Elaina of course, I was just hoping I could somehow fix the problem on my own.

Turns out there is something called a "bleeder" button on the filtration system. The fact that it is called a 'bleeder' button joined with the fact that when you push it water shoots out of it...makes me gag uncontrollably. I was hoping that would fix the problem...but, of course, that would be too easy. So the water still choose when it would come out and then it got all murky on me again. So I called the only people I know that might be able to help with this. The Well People as I call them.

They were able to come out this morning, they are here as I type and I have to admit I feel like a bumbling idiot. One of the guys asked me if there was a clog in the filter...My first thought was that if I knew that there was a clog in the filter I wouldn't have called them, I would have gotten rid of the clog. But how does one know if there is a clog in the filter? I know nothing about wells! So I stood there for a moment, probably with the deer in headlights look and finally said, "I'm not sure," smile, "my dad changed the filter." Yes...blame Dad...he's not here to defend himself. Then the other guy came back and asked if I could turn off the breaker to the well...what the?? I didn't even realize that my well had a breaker, but you know what? It makes sense. Seeing my delay he said, "in the breaker box" and that gave me time to collect myself, I said, "Yeah, sure, I think." Idiot sighting number 2. I went back to the breaker box and found one for the pump and water and I figure that did the trick because they haven't come back to say I'm a moron.

I hate having people here, I never know what I am supposed to do. It's flipping 28 degrees outside and these people are here trying to help me and I feel like I'm being ungrateful sitting in front of my space heater, blogging while they are out there losing appendages. It doesn't help that the one I interact with most has a beard and a hat...so no matter what he actually looks like I find him attractive. There needs to be a term for this...hat goggles? Beard goggles? beahat goggles...beahat goggles it is. I suffer from chronic beahat goggles.

I'm just praying that they can "fix" the well. I don't want them to come back to the door and say, "Yeah, there's nothing wrong with your well you idiot...but thanks for the laugh this morning, our facial muscles needed the workout."

She's not going to squeeze my shirt like that, is she?*

I gave a talk in Stake Conference Saturday night, except that it wasn't my stake. I don't know which makes me more nervous - speaking in front of a crowd I know or speaking in front of one where I don't know as many people. I think both crowds have the same affect on me.

To me - public speaking is like taking the stairs at work. I have taken the stairs everyday for three years but it never gets any easier. I think that no matter how much I speak in public, it will never get easier. I mean - I used to be a trainer and at least once a week I would stand up in front of 15-25 people...I just had to say the same thing every week but I was always nervous.

I practiced my talk so much that I had it memorized in case something happened to my hard copy on the way to the meeting house. It came in handy when I kept losing my place. I would look down, have no clue where I was on the paper and just look back up and keep going. It was nothing short of a miracle.

I shared a story in my talk about my BYU-Idaho days - it not only went with my topic but I feel it was responsible for me standing up there speaking. President Bednar used to have little "Family Home Evenings" with wards from campus, it was a little Q&A and people would ask all sorts of questions. I remember once, President Bednar (a.k.a. Uncle Dave) said that if you are looking for an answer from the Lord you need to show him that you are ready. Raise your hand in class, volunteer to say the prayer, accept callings and assignments that come your way - basically, participate. So a few months ago I was ready for an answer and remembered President Bednar saying this - I thought, "Okay, I'm ready for some answers, I'm going to participate." I was basically going to become a 'yes' girl where as before I had been a "I don't know, maybe" girl. Three days after I made that decision I was asked to teach FHE in my ward, the day after that I got a phone call from one of the Sunday School teachers asking me to sub for his class. ...I really don't like being up in front of people, and both of these "opportunities" required an extended amount of time in front of people. But I said 'yes' to both.

My topic Saturday night was on Temples and this story worked well with my talk because I had already had a trip to the temple planned for the Saturday before having to teach these two lessons. I told of my experience there while preparing for my lessons. The peace and comfort and the understanding that I was blessed with so that I could teach these lessons. For Sunday School, I had read the scriptures for the lesson at least four times and felt lost...kind of like when you read Shakespeare without someone there to guide you through it. You read the words but then you are like, "Wait, what just happened there?" While I was in the temple I decided to read the scriptures again and suddenly I understood them, it was so easy that I wondered at how I hadn't understood them before.

I found that I suddenly knew exactly what to teach and I was given comfort where before I had been pretty much a nervous wreck (cause seriously, if you know me, you know I don't like being in front of people).

I think my talk went well on Saturday - people came up to me and told me that they really enjoyed it and I'm hoping they don't just do that to be nice. Cause if I didn't enjoy a talk I wouldn't bother. One woman came up to me and told me that it was exactly what she needed to hear and that made me happy because I had been praying all day for that, to say the things that people needed to hear.

In addition to teaching those two lessons I was also asked to give the closing prayer at the meeting in the Priesthood Room on our Stake Temple day and of course, asked to speak in the Richmond Stake Conference...But hey, I got the answer I had been ready for.

I coulda been a contender.*

Mafia: a murder mystery game played by a group of 6 or more people. Usually roles are decided by drawing a specified card (i.e. the Ace means you are a detective and the Jack means you are a mafia, regular card means civilian). The bigger the group, the more detectives and mafia you have. There is a narrator who conducts the game, instructing everyone in the group to close their eyes, then having the mafia awake to kill someone. Once that is done and the mafia's eyes are closed the narrator has the detective(s) awake and point to someone they think is the mafia, if the detective is right, the narrator nods their head. Then, everyone is "woken up", the narrator announces who is dead and the "townspeople" try to figure out who dunnit, the detective tries to steer them in the right direction without revealing that they are the detective (cause the mafia will kill the detective if they know).

Last night, instead of playing Frisbee, we got together to play games. Mafia has recently become a group favorite. So last night we began to play but the group was pretty small and we never made it past one round. Some people thought we should have two mafia, but others felt that if we had two the game would end too quickly (like it wasn't already ending quickly...) So we decided to give it a shot. We also added on one or two more players. So the game did get batter.

The stories that the narrators came up with were great! Once we were in a crack house, once on a cruise, when I was narrator we were at Dairy Queen (I don't remember how that came up, I think Drew said he wanted ice-cream) and the dastardly Dairy Queen employees were taking out the customers. Poor Kathryn, she had a rough night. On the cruise she found a dead body and pretty much in all others she died. She was chopped into pieces on our train ride (I am pretty sure we were going to Hogwarts but no one confirmed or denied that), she got pushed through the railing of the Eiffel Tower (therefore she was in pieces). I always swore to avenge her, and usually we found the mafia pretty quickly (not because of my skills, mostly because of other people's). I was mafia once and my partner in crime was Nick. Nick's first action as mafia was to order a hit on my sister! I looked at him and shook my head 'no' but he nodded and since he is Italian and really could be part of the mafia I conceded and instructed the narrator to kill my sister...

Brittany was the detective and she was adamant that Nick was the mafia. There were only a few of us playing at this point and all of them raised their hands to vote Nick as the mafia, so I quickly raised my hand too...Orin's reluctance to vote for Brittany in the round before was how I figured out that he was a mafia too, I couldn't give myself away like that. Brittany and Nick went back and forth for a while discussing arguing the matter. Brittany admitted to the group that she was the detective and gave a very detailed account of how she questioned the narrator about Nick's guilt and it had been confirmed. The evidence was damning. I couldn't save Nick, the best I could do was go on and try to win the game for the mafia. In the heat of the moment, when Nick realized it was a lost cause, he said, "If I'm the mafia then Jessica is the other one!" and pointed at me.

...you dirty rat.

Everyone was thrown off by it, what kind of mafia turns on the other person like that?! He's a canary. Some people were like, "Where did that come from?" and Nick stood by his accusation that I was the other mafia and he was selling me out because I was so quick to raise my hand against him. Everyone voted Nick off and we all closed our eyes. I knew I was going down, no matter who I killed it was over, I had one chance. When Orin told the mafia to open their eyes I pointed at the people on either side of me. It's against the rules to kill two people at once, but this was my last chance - the game had been ruined anyway might as well make it interesting. Orin seemed to agree. I closed my eyes, Brittany opened hers and likely pointed at me to verify that I was the other mafia. When we all opened our eyes Orin told the story of how both Michelle and Cam were taken down, there was an uproar from the crowd that two people had been killed, I said I knew I was going out and I was going to go out big...I ADMITTED that I was the killer. And then the most amazing thing happened...two of the players still didn't think that I was the other mafia...that would have been genius for Nick to point at a civilian and say that they were the other mafia as his dying words...but unfortunately Nick's accusation was a crime of passion not an intricate plot to win the game. I almost got away with it too...but it reminded them that I had confessed to being the killer. Kathryn was shocked.

I killed my sister for that guy and he gave me up in a heartbeat...

Then in a different round when I was just a civilian, we were trying to figure out who the mafia were. For a moment I wondered if it was Kathryn, she had that kind of smile when I asked and I thought how horrible it would be to have to accuse my sister and how much worse if I was wrong. Nick was trying to get me to vote for Brittany, but I didn't want to vote with him and then him end up being Mafia...I was still bitter. When he realized he couldn't get me to vote with him and that people might vote him off, he turned the mafia against me. The very person he was just accusing helped him to vote me off. He said that he didn't think I was mafia, but he could tell I wouldn't vote with him and he had to do what he had to do to stay alive...when the mafia struck again - they killed him. So much for staying alive.

What am I supposed to do with you now?!*

My mind has been flat lining after work this week, and pretty much since some point last week. So I'm sorry I've been MIA. Nothing too exciting has been happening, as you saw in the last post I put up my Christmas stuff on Sunday. I love Christmas.

We had a basketball game on Tuesday, we are in the playoffs. Oh - and Gretel, we play at several different locations. Last week was Mechanicsville Church of Christ. This coming week is the West End Home for Girls and Boys on Broad street (7pm - Tuesday night...). There - G gets her own little shout out.

It was a pretty fun game, someone on the other team stole my rebound from me...seriously, it was in my hands and he knocked it out. A girl on his team picked it up and hesitated so I went for it and held on for dear life. They called a jump ball and we got possession. I wouldn't say that I was angry, but I would say my "kick it up" button got pushed. I don't like when people take something that I believe is mine, and that rebound had been mine.

I guess I didn't realize how differently I was playing compared to earlier games in the season cause at one point a girl on my team, Megan, said, "Where did this aggression come from?" and I smiled and nodded and was like, "Yeah, I like it." I thought she was talking about the other team, and when the other team is more aggressive, I am more aggressive. Then she said something about the rest of the session and I realized she was talking about my aggression.

At one point I went for another rebound. There was a person from my team and a person from the other team and I ran up to take it before it went straight to the guy from the other team. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I got that ball, and then there were arms around me and a leg hitting my butt and I was on the ground with some dude on top of me. Normally I jump right up after this, but I felt like I gave myself some time to get up - I think I was a little in shock. My left arm hurt, I guess because of the way "we" landed on it. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack, not cause my heart hurt but because my arm felt the way I imagine it hurts when you are about to have a heart attack. I keep waiting for a bruise to show up so I can take a picture and show off - but this one refuses to surface, though it still hurts like there is a huge bruise there.

Oh - so here's my complaint for the post. So Katie usually plays on my team for church ball. Recently it was announced that Isaac would be released from his calling at church - with that Stephanie and Isaac will move their records to Bon Air...and with them?! Katie and Kristen (sp?)! So I made the mistake of asking halfway through the game what Katie was going to do if Stephanie moved her records, cause I have always known that Katie would move them to Bon Air if Stephanie did, but I thought maybe we'd have some time. Get the season started so it would be too late to switch...Katie wasn't going to tell me until after the game but since I asked she had to be honest, they were moving their records, these girls aren't going to be on my team!?

Who am I supposed to play with now?! So - Richmonders...any of you looking for a basketball team in January? I'd love to have you!

In other sports news - we are still playing Frisbee...we missed the memo about it being freakin' cold! Last night it was cold and there were slick spots on the ground. I hit a puddle and slid and somehow thought I came through unscathed, until after the game when Kathryn pointed out that the back of my pants and shirt were muddy. I guess I was that cold that I didn't feel a thing. I took gloves yesterday, and that made my fingers happy...cause when your hands are cold and you try to catch a Frisbee you feel like maybe those little digits might fall right off.

Your life is an occasion. Rise to it. *

I had a very good, long weekend! I won't bore you with the details just the highlights...that I remember.

I made these!!!

I call them gingermuffins (you have to say it with a British accent). They are gingerbread cupcakes and they were fabulous!

I had dinner on Thursday with the family...

I went to the Temple on Saturday (it was fabulous). When I got home Mary-Carmen and her husband were here to visit. She said her daughter would take a while to warm up, but I think we have a connection. She totally gave me a hug, played with my piggy bank and pointed at the cat a lot. I have no clue what she said the whole time, but she was way fun.

Saturday night I went over to Joanna's and we made Christmas wreaths.

Sunday night I finally rearranged the furniture and put up the Christmas tree. ...it needs a little TLC...and a tree skirt. I will get one of those soon.

I don't really remember all of the rest and since I want to post something already I won't try to sit here and remember it all.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! I will be making the rounds soon to read up on all the blogs!

Man I just gave your momma a piggy-back ride and she weighs twice as much as I do! *

Today I am grateful for basketball.

In the past, mostly the past month, I feel certain that I have informed you that I am not a good basketball player. Once upon a time I thought I was a good player, I had confidence and all that jazz. Playing on a real league this fall has shown me that...well, that maybe I'm not as good as I thought. It was like this when I played ball with the guys on Thursday nights...there are not many girls who can play competitively on a guys level, it's just not possible, no constitutional amendments or equal opportunity legal jargon can change this fact. It doesn't help that the extent of my basketball career was always playing low stakes ball with church girls in a cultural hall (pardon the rhyming).

Anyway, so this "season" I haven't really felt the sport, if you know what I mean. I'm more than happy to sit it out if there is someone who really wants to play (very unlike how I am with church ball when I want to play the whole game).

I tell you this because this week was different. We had two games this week, the first was Monday night and it was fun! I played the whole first half, I got a few steals, got a foul (even though I ran into the guy, they called the foul on him - I love co-ed sports), and I just felt good. We won - which always helps to boost the good feelings.

Last night I was just hoping I could feel the same way cause I liked feeling good about it instead of apathetic. I feel like I played okay, I stayed out of the way. But sometimes I felt like my upper body strength was dismal. I don't know if the passes I got were hard or if my hands are flimsy or what. We were totally beating the other team, so I didn't worry about the game and I just had fun running up and down the court and used the time to practice my defense (church ball will be starting in a month after all).

In the second half Katie (I know you're reading) called a time out when Chris R. had the ball. We walk over to her and she says, "Jessica needs to make a basket." (By the way - I haven't made a basket the whole season). I really didn't need to embarrass myself, I had already tried a shot from directly beneath the basket which had gone up and over the basket in a large arch...that's embarrassing, I didn't need more of that. But everyone who heard her agreed that I needed to. I kept insisting that I didn't need to and one person turned and said, "I'll be looking for you every time, open or not." ...yeah, we were ahead by that much. So I got a little nervous, tried to hide behind the opponents and avoid getting passed the ball. Chris passed me the ball, I put it up, and it hit the rim and fell away. At least it touched the rim. Then a few moments later the ball was in my hands again, I dribbled (which, by the way, when I dribble I picture myself looking like a 12-year-old girl learning to dribble for the first time - if you have seen this phenomenon, you know what I think of my dribbling skills), turned and put the ball up. ...the rest of the story is told through my adrenaline pumped perspective. The sound of the ball going through the net was crisp and clear. No one could hear the ball bounce against the court floor because at that same time the crowd jumped to their feet and the sound of their cheering drowned out all other sounds. This was the greatest shot in the game...(ahem - except for Clint's buzzer shot at the end of the first half. The shot that people take haphazardly, not expecting it to go in and on rare occasions it does and everyone stands in awe).

Okay - back to reality. But seriously, I heard the ball go through the net and I heard a loud, collective cheer from my team. Their little one was growing up so fast, she finally made a basket. The cheer sounded louder than the 7 people it could have possibly come from. It felt good, but despite the fact that it felt good the first words to come out of my mouth were, "Okay, can we stop this now!" I didn't want the ball anymore, I made my basket, I reached my goal. Didn't stop the ball from coming my way a few more times, but I feel pretty confident that each time I just passed it off to someone else.

All in all - a good game with a good team. Can't wait for the tournament.

I like the night life. I like to boogey.*

In no particular order, pictures from the Harvest Ball... Updated per Tami's request

Amber and Me

Benny

Drew and me

Andrei

Jordan and Me

Jesse decorating (better than I can)

With Daniel

With Bryce

With Benny
Benny showing off some sweet moves

With Chris G.

Tall girls just don't understand...

Don't stop believing - with interpretive dancing from Bryant

I love my sister

With Kat

Kat

Bryant

Chris G.

With Claire

Sarah, Kathryn, and Mary

With Sarah and Mary

Matchy, Matchy

With Chris B.

With Kat

Nicole, me and Amber

...we interrupt your regularly scheduled program...

Have you ever had one of those days where you want to shoot yourself in the face?

Not to kill yourself, or even to disfigure yourself...it's just one of those days where you hate your job, somehow your purse gets turned upside down so that when you pick it up everything falls out, if it were raining it'd be pouring and your umbrella would have broken...

Today is one of those days for me.

My, my, the bulimia has certainly paid off.*

I ran it. ...a week ago - I am so behind on my blog!

But I ran it - My time: 46.25

They tell me my pace time was 9:16.9/mile...I was aiming for a 10 minute mile, so as you can imagine, I am very happy right now.

It's not like I wanna blow up the plane. I just want to store my bag according to your safety regulations.*

This could happen to you...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/19/airport.security.issues/index.html

A member of the U.S. Airline Pilots Association described his experience as "sexual molestation," according to union president Mike Cleary.

It's true, this is all from CNN.com but even without this article, I should have mentioned in Boston Part 1 that this could happen to you. In fact, one in four Boston bound travelers feel used, inappropriately handled, and dirty after going through security.

It happened to one of our own, Caitlin got pulled aside and completely handled by some female airport worker. Certainly there was no need to touch her like that! ...Or there! Or right in front of everyone! There used to be a time that a traveler could travel with a sense of decency, and even when that was taken from us - they took those "randomly chosen" individuals off to the side where only the most observant of travelers would notice them being patted down. Now they just run their hands all over your body in front of everyone! The kid who came out of the machine after Caitlin just stopped and stood there, the look of fear in his eyes suggested that he thought they would all be subject to that, and he was next.

It was a little entertaining for those of us not involved in the "pat down" and if I weren't so afraid of the TSA taking my camera and arresting me I would have taken a picture...I did however, buy Caitlin her lunch. It is after all, a social norm for someone to at least buy you dinner before touching you in such a way and I knew that woman touching Caitlin had no intentions of buying her a meal.

Caitlin however probably didn't laugh as much as we did (which again, wasn't that much) at her experience, in fact, I'm certain she was a little unnerved by it. So reading this article made me realize what a problem we have on our hands. It also took my mind to the fact that I have 78 days until my California trip...in 78 days this could be my fate...

It bothered me in the article that someone said that it wasn't that bad it was like, "Going to the doctor for a physical." Yes - going to the doctor for a physical isn't that bad...but it's what you went to the doctor for, it was expected. When you are headed to Boston for a weekend with friends you don't expect a physical from a TSA worker without a medical background. It's offensive to people because it is not the same thing, nor should it be.

Another thing that bothered me was when the article quoted someone saying it was better than a bomb going off in the air - or something like that and it made me think of a quote I heard from Thomas Jefferson once, "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." I agree with him and I'll take my chances with too much liberty.

You're my same height, that is neat.*

Boston: Where rules are made to be broken
...Where everybody knows your name

...Where donkeys meet some opposition

...Where tea is meant to be dumped

Day 2 of the Boston trip (sorry I'm so behind - I've been super busy this week). First and foremost - we wanted breakfast and not just gingermuffins and donuts...pancakes were on my mind. We bought sweatshirts from a street vendor and I asked him where a good breakfast joint was. He said, "Where are you from?" I said, "Richmond, Virginia." Then he said, "Boston really isn't a breakfast town." NOT A BREAKFAST TOWN?! What have I gotten myself in to?! Apparently the rave about Dunkin Donuts is for the coffee not the breakfast delights. But then he told us of a little place called Anthony's

Anthony's did not disappoint...

We went back to the sweatshirt guy so Caitlin could buy one and I told him breakfast was a success. Then I got a new job...

Then we got a little lost and decided to check The Book in an alleyway...shortly after some guy called me "Shorty" and asked me something - I couldn't understand him, I felt like the friend in "Adventures in Babysitting" who lost her glasses in the subway station (bus station?) and thought a rat was a cat...okay so I didn't really, but whatever. Elaina laughed cause the guy called me shorty and I was the tallest person in the group.

Elaina's new hat I think it's a bunny.

For day 2 we did the Freedom Trail and Quincy's Market (though we accidentally found Quincy's). Quincy's is where we found the fake Cheers.

And a street performer. I felt like I was in San Francisco again...except that I was freezing!

(Video should load on Facebook page (link to the right)...blogger doesn't like my videos)

He juggled knives with that one blade spinning around, 12 feet above the ground.

Classic Stalker Picture








Then it was off to the Freedom Trail

While we waited to take a picture of Sam Adams' grave we ran into this festive looking guy. We listened to his interesting stories and even his funny joke about the Beantown Pub across the street...it's the only place you can drink a cold Sam Adams while looking at...a cold Sam Adams. It wasn't until he said, "On our next stop," that I realized he was a tour guide and we were tour crashers. I had just thought he was a guy who dressed up and stood by Sam Adams' grave telling stories (it's not like I haven't seen something like that happen before...)

People in Boston were so nice, we had a couple come and ask us if we needed help finding where we were going when we were crowded around a map in the T (metro), then a guy asked us if we wanted him to take a picture of all four of us by the sign to The Old North Church. Then he ran off with my camera and I chased him down, kicked him in the kidneys, and got my camera back...just kidding, he gave the camera back right away.

We toured the bell tower (creepy stairwells) and the crypts (just plain creepy) of the church and came to discover that that's one shady church...they moved bodies around all the time to make extra money...skeesy (sp?).

The coolest part was when our tour guide was telling us how this man "flew" from the bell tower while shooting pistols, and just as she said it a cannon went off...couldn't have asked for better timing.

Random photos

Finally we got tuckered out. We went back to Quincy's got dinner and went back to the hotel room. Kelli and Caitlin asked me to "dramatically" read "The Taking Tree" Done and Done.

Then we had our own Boston Tea Party and took pictures in our Boston hoodies.

....then we returned to life on Monday morning - sadness. I miss Boston.