Tribute to Holland

Holla-girl, I miss you.  Thank you for all the laughs.  I am sharing some of my favorite photos of you.  I will always treasure our time together.  My favorite face you made was when you would get so excited about something, you would open your mouth as wide as you could and basically shake with excitement (see the pic with the toy gun).  It is the funniest thing.  I am grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the knowledge that families are forever.  Your sweet parents will hold you in their arms again.  You are free from the bodily pain you experienced for the past 14-15 months.  You will continue to do great things.  Love you, love you, love you!

Therapeutic Thursday

I felt like I hadn't had much to blog about recently, so I've been struggling to come up with a post.  Now I can't stop typing!  I will give you a quick run-down, then share a therapeutic embarrassing moment to at least get some laughs going since this blog has been so dormant.

1. My nephews Sam and Ben came to Utah for most of July.  They stayed with their other grandparents and I got to see them a few times.  We went to Despicable Me 2, Nickel City, and Oma's.  I was actually surprised when I offered to buy ice cream or Del Taco and they were like, "Nah, we're good."  What kid turns those down?  Skinny kids, I guess.  Interesting.

2. My sinuses decided they HATE me and created a very unpleasant quality of living for the past couple weeks.  The infection was way overly dramatic, and I think my sinuses need to grow up and stop throwing these tantrums.  That Amoxicillin showed 'em.  It was really a gross and miserable time for me.  Very traumatic.

3. I started giving plasma for some extra cash.  The first time was less than wonderful.  They had to keep moving the needle because my vein needs to grow up and stop throwing these tantrums.  We only pick on the right arm now.  I even started to pass out that first time and they had to rush over with a capri sun (cherry-flavored... why does God hate me?) and an ice pack.  Those of you who have ever met me even once know how much I am always hot and wanting to move to the Arctic Circle (yummm Arctic Circle shakes... mmm).  Well, when I give plasma, I am the only one in the room who is shivering so violently, people stare.  I started bringing an afghan.  People stare at that too.  It's awesome.  The money is awesome!!  My sinuses have caused me financial stress since I can't give plasma with an infection and while on antibiotics.  Next week, however, I'm looking forward to some serious blood money.

4. My brother and his lovely wife surprised me with a visit this week!  We have been hanging out with her family (since I'm the only Andersen left in Utah - Heather moved to Moscow, Idaho by my parents).  I love her family, and it has been an awesome few days.  We went to Happy Sumo for dinner the first night.  Seaweed triggers my gag reflex.  If you've had sushi with me (aka Andj and my family), you have seen me throw up.  Sorry.  I planned to get a tempura plate, but the special rolls were 1/2 price... so I asked the waitress if there were any rolls without seaweed.  She said no, but that they could wrap it in "soy paper" instead.  Wow, sounds amazingly scrumptious.  I'll have that.  Well, I did, and guess what, world - you win.  I LOVED IT!!!  I am SO cultured now.  I could do sushi like that ANY TIME.  I ordered a second roll.  It was... a... great night.  We then went to a movie and Yogurtland and talked.  I love family!  The second night, we had a BBQ at her parents' house and it was bomb dot com.  I even liked the ribs.  I know.... my palate is really growing up (take a tip, sinuses and veins).

5. While at the BBQ, I got a call from cousin Mike (living at and taking care of the yellow house with his lovely wife Heather [yeah I'm surrounded by Heathers]).  He said, "Hey your nephew is here."  I figured Sam must have wandered over to the house from his grandparents' (they live on our block), so I said, "Oh, okay..." then remembered he and Ben went home last week... "wait... what???"  Apparently, nobody mentioned ETHAN was visiting from Boston!  He was staying with his grandparents who also live on our block.  I know - Spencer really branched out when he married a girl who lived 5-10 miles away in exotic Provo.  So, we headed to the yellow house to say hi.  We teased/asked him about his girly-girl Grace for probably 10 minutes and had fun while he played Zelda and occasionally answered our questions.  Ah, adolescence.  Love that kid.

6. I am the choir director and chorister in my ward.  Not the first time - and I'm positive it won't be the last.

OK, now that you're up-to-date on my life whether you wanted to be or not, I will share an embarrassing story from my college days.  I think it is so great to laugh at ourselves.  I might make Therapeutic Thursdays a tradition.  We'll see.  I'm about as good at keeping up a blog as I am at getting Star Wars references.

So, when I lived in the Colony (circa January 2005), BYU campus was a frozen tundra.  You watched people fall on their butts every single day on campus.  I even joined them a time or two.  I don't know if you know this, but I'm pretty good at not falling down ever.  I am not clumsy at all.  Wait... nope.

I was walking home from school with extreme caution and with a major cold, when I noticed an attractive, strapping lad walking behind me.  Basically my thought process was, "Oh he's cute.  Don't slip.  Don't slip.  Don't slip.  Don't slip.  Don't slip.  Whoaaaa that was close.... don't slip!"  Well, I did.

That's not even the embarrassing part.  I actually caught myself before I fell!  SUCCESS!  I knew how stupid I looked, though, and realized I had to ease the tension by making a joke about it to this attractive boy.  "Man, it sure is... slick.... these days."  Eating out of the palm or your hand, Linz.  How are you not married?

That's not even the embarrassing part, either.  He laughed.  A lot.  Then, he ran to catch up with me and talk the rest of the way.  SO cute.  We made small talk and got to know each other a bit.  He lived in Santa Barbara Condos.  He was so cute.  Man.

I was looking straight forward when he cracked a joke and turned to gauge my reaction.

I laughed so hard, my cold decided I had had enough fun for one day, and a huge snot bubble popped out my nose.  I knew he was looking right at my face.

I sniffed it back in and kept talking like nothing happened.  I was mortified.  He took off for Santa Barbara.

The end.