Day Twenty Nine

Laundromat Perks

(West Yellowstone):

Multiple machines- I can wash everything at once.

Friendly owners

The scent of fabric softener

Small talk opportunities with the most random people

Free WIFI

Two hours to sit and do nothing

tada

Day Twenty Eight

If perhaps you needed a great song for running, biking, or any kind of rigorous work out:




Thunderstruck.
[ACDC]

Day Twenty Seven

List of "Fun Things to Do" taken from friend Jimyl's blog.
I enjoyed reading these during another uneventful shift at the front desk.

White- Complete
Black- Still working on it



1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more to charity than you could afford to
7. been to disney
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sung a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty- guess the boat tour doesn't count?
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden in a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo’s david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted [characiture]
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistine chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theater
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. been sky diving
66. visited a concentration camp
67. bounced a check
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london
77. broken a bone
78. been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. kissed a stranger at midnight on new year’s eve
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. gotten a tattoo
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person
96. swam in the great salt lake
97. been involved in a lawsuit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

Day Nineteen

Good times [waitressing]:

It's an average night at the pizzeria. I've been waiting tables all day and have found my groove in the basic routine of filling drinks, pre-bussing tables, printing bills, and asking customers the generic questions: Where are you from? Did you go into the park today? Any bear spottings? How long will you be staying here? Multi-tasking and timing. An elderly couple has a seat at booth #10. After getting their sodas, I pull out my pad of paper (pen in hand) and ask for their order. I almost cringe at myself, thinking about the face I most likely made upon spotting an insect in the old man's hair. Disgusting. The little black critter had comfortably nestled itself in the six-inch comb over. Part of me feels bad and wants to tell him about the home he has provided on his scalp. But how to go about doing that?

"Excuse me, sir, but there's a bug in your hair."
Yeah right.

Also, I am currently working at the motel front desk. The sweetest lady just came in to check out from her honeymoon stay here. Darling. Side note: I hope for a honeymoon in the mountains. Wouldn't mind the Hawaii trip or whatever but the mountains would be ideal. She left me with a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Vanilla Caramel Fudge. I've never tried this flavor. Usually I stick with New York Super Fudge Chunk or Cinnamon Buns. This looks promising though. Little does she know how much this made my day.

Much love from the 406.

Day Twelve

If you wanted to know my schedule for the next five months:

Sundays and 1/2 of Monday I have off. The rest of my days are filled with waitressing, front desk work, and the occasional housekeeping. Morning and night shifts. I love it. I love being busy. I love being so tired that I fall asleep each night within 5 minutes of laying down. I love meeting people from all over the world. I love making people happy by giving them food. I love the milkshakes, black & white-checkered floors, and sparkly red booths at the diner. I love the old western feel at the other restaurant. I love that neither job ever plays country music. I love working at a desk and answering phones. I love wiping down toilets and changing used sheets (who doesn't).



More useless information about my life:

I am residing with four other girls this summer. All good friends from USU/Bountiful. Our place is just great- above a restaurant in town. For the first time in two years I have my own bedroom. We have a deck. Pictures to be posted later.

We are keeping tally charts of: a) How many times we are asked "Are you Mormon?" b) How many waitressing nightmares we have [this was a big problem last summer], and c) How many numbers we get from customers on receipts/tickets/napkins.

There was a buffalo in front of our place this morning.

I have a list of 7 restaurants in town that I still haven't tried.

Just started the book "To Kill a Mockingbird." The first chapter was alright . . . I should probably keep reading.

I feel like I never left this little town.

Change of plans . . .

I am currently in West Yellowstone, Montana for the summer [not Jackson, Wyoming].

More details later.

Enjoy the Passing of Time

People simply want what they can't have. It's just in our nature. Sometimes we work incredibly hard for things we want and after finally succeeding, the fun is over. Other times we chase hopelessly for things out of reach- desperately wanting them, never even getting close. Always ready for the next thing, ready to find something better, ready to experience something new.

For most of this semester I was excited to leave Logan and head to Montana. Now that I have less than a week here, I'm beginning to wish I had more time.

During the winter I craved hot summer days and flip-flop weather. Last week as the weather warmed up, a time or two I complained about being too hot.

When I eat salty, I want sweet. When I eat sweet, I want salty.

For weeks I was scrounging up pocket change for gas money. Now that I have enough, I tell myself I need more money to wash it- maybe get some new seat covers.

On Tuesdays I want Friday. On Wednesday I want Friday. On Thursday I want Friday.

On mornings that I can't sleep in, I take forever to wake up and grudgingly get ready for school. On mornings that are free, I wake up early.

When I'm working in the summer, I'm excited to travel. When I'm traveling, I'm excited for school. When I'm in school, I'm excited to work.

Hope for this week:

"Enjoy the passing of time."

[James Taylor]