Lookin' Good

Well readers, let me catch you up.

Last week was spring break, which I started by hitting the ground running.  I cleaned out my entire 12 sq. ft. closet and donated four garbage bags of clothes and shoes to the D.I..  Then my shelves collapsed on me, so I rebuild them and put everything back on them.

It took all of about a day and a half, and most of it occurred in the middle of the night.  I don't sleep well when I'm in the middle of projects.

Anyway, my mother convinced me into heading down to Phoenix for a couple of days to visit my aunt.  We left on Wednesday night after I got off work, which turned out to be around 9:30.  We, meaning my mother, my big brother Rob, and me, got to Flagstaff around 1:30 in the morning, where we spent the night.  It was quite the coup, because we all got our own bed, and Rob even got his own little room, which worked out pretty awesome for my mother and me because he snores like a helicopter.

We hit the road around 10 the next morning, and made it to my aunt's house around 1:30.  We spent the better part of that day just catching up, and I had to show my aunt some of our wedding stuff (i.e. the dress, bridesmaid dresses, shoes, venues, engagements, the ring, the cake, etc.), which she just gushed over.  Hooray for good taste!

The next few days were intense.  We saw the famous "Mystery Castle" built by a man during the depression on the outskirts of the city.  It turns out he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, so he left his wife and daughter in Oregon and moved to Phoenix.  He ended up living for a number of years after that, and died of a heart attack in 1945 (apparently he was misdiagnosed).  When word traveled to his family of his passing, and that he had left this pretty epic house in the middle of the desert to them, they immediately picked up and moved to Phoenix and into the house.  They lived in it for 65 years.  Well, his daughter did.  His wife died in 1970.  His daughter just passed away last November at the age of 87.

Then we did a little shopping.  I was on the hunt for the perfect purse, and I had to find something adorable and age-appropriate for my aunt.  She's a little fashionably challenged.

The next day Rob and I were tired of sitting around the house all morning so we grabbed my mom's droid and went on our own adventure around the city.  First we headed to Tempe, but it was completely crazy because of Spring Break at ASU.  Our journey then took us to Scottsdale, which wasn't much better because of Spring Training (don't tell my dad!).  There were people in baseball jerseys everywhere.  Talk about insane.

We ended our adventure at the Mesa Temple, where we enjoyed the fresh air that was heavy with the smell of citrus.  We learned that all over the grounds are orange, grapefruit, and one kumquat tree.  It was really cool, and it was nice to get in a little spiritual edification.

After that we were spent, and headed back to the house where we had turkey dinner.

I was welcomed home the next evening with some awesome snuggle action from my luscious fiancée.  All was right with the world.


Well readers, after almost a solid two months, I'm happy to announce that Operation Ocean Sunrise Neptune is still in full swing, and is still successful.  I feel good, I look good, and now Sky is really starting to like what he sees.  I still have those words he said to me just before new year's burned in the back of my brain, and I can't help but still feel self-conscious when he looks at me.  I still have this nagging fear that he's going to look at me that first night and be completely repulsed by what he sees.

Anyway, keep it real readers.