[end post]

okay, not really. but seriously, 2011?!

i feel old. i guess i am.

i'm graduating in april!

scary business.

actually, BYU makes it relatively painless.

(i only jest to the slightest of my abilities)

this new year has been a good one so far.

new classes. new work schedule.

new garrison schedule.

it's a lot of new which is a lot of good.

our new years 'bash' was quite the extravaganza.

our family [mine & gar's] sat at the kitchen table

until midnight...then the party started.

we had some "bubbly" and "clinked" our plastic

cups together [because we're classy people] while

saying "happy new year!" then hugged each other

and said "goodnight." 

it was buckwild. should've been there.

the next morning we set to work. literally.

half the clan went to the church to set up for:

THE FINAL RECEPTION.

it was a blast. and a blur.

we've got such an incredible support system.

they're all over the country.

it means a lot to us to recognize that love.

after the clean up we had to pack up.

it was a long and tedious process but we 

managed to get everything into our suitcases 

and nothing was overweight!

unfortunately our packing skills and my dad's driving

skills were the only 'impressive' skills on display that day.

for some reason the entire philadelphia airport was constipated.

no joke. they needed some ex-lax to get things moving.

and they were fresh out.

we stood in line for quite some time to check our bags.

then stood in line again to get screened...

oh, did i say screened? i meant: pat-down.

gar got screened. but they got me.

i guess the apparent disarray of jumbled bobby pins [from the

reception the night before] shoved in my head [that set

off the metal detector] just didn't seem to please the TSA.

no, sir. they noticed the bobby pins, even told me the bobby pins were 

the dirty culprits-they were dealt with severely- yet they still pulled

me aside and did a full body pat-down.

mind you, they never touched my hair.

i thought the whole thing was rather humorous, having been the

victim of numerous 'random' security checks.

i'm not one to complain, but seriously TSA?

every time gar and i have traveled i've been checked for some

reason or another, without fail. we've got the count to a solid: 5.

i'm hoping to get to at least 15 before our first child.

i think that might be a couples record or something, i'll look into it.

superfluous facts aside, the reason i mention this is just to state that i

kind of know my way around the pat-down. i could probably take the

TSA lady's job, but i really don't want it.i used to think that. 

i definitely had no idea what i was in for this time.

when asked if i was okay with having the pat-down i said "yes"-thinking

to myself, "really? you're asking me this? you have a gun, i'm in a clear box

in the middle of airport security, and i've no other alternative-what do you

want me to say?" i toyed with the idea of saying "no." flat out and giving

no reason for the objection, but it wasn't worth it. 

they had me in the box of shame. 

i wasn't going anywhere until this lady was done with me. 

the whole thing was uncomfortable.

i walked away feeling as though i had cheated on garrison.

that's not good.

not at all.

but i've gotta give it to the TSA.

my hats off to you [i mean, you've already got my innocence] 

you guys did it again!

saving the public from the hazards of cosmetology-kudos!

i guess that was the best 'welcome home' we could've asked for.

but provo had another welcome in store for us.

that's right folks. provo loves us.

in fact, provo hasn't stopped loving us since our return.

the temperatures haven't reached above freezing, yet.

i doubt they will. maybe in june.

that's when i'll be able to finally ride..
my brand new ROAD BIKE!!!
i certainly hope it's before june.
she's gorgeous. she's also scared to death of me.
[the feelings are absolutely mutual]
i don't want to wreck her and she wants me to love her.
so we're waiting until the time is right, then we'll go out for our
first ride, it'll be magical. and one day i'll post pictures.

that's our year, so far. systematically monotonous.
it's not to say that it has been dull, it has not been so by any means.
there's just a good deal of sameness to our routines.
and that's perfectly okay by me.

there are still plenty of days ahead for spontaneity.
just not now.

[end post]

okay, not really. but seriously, 2011?!

i feel old. i guess i am.

i'm graduating in april!

scary business.

actually, BYU makes it relatively painless.

(i only jest to the slightest of my abilities)

this new year has been a good one so far.

new classes. new work schedule.

new garrison schedule.

it's a lot of new which is a lot of good.

our new years 'bash' was quite the extravaganza.

our family [mine & gar's] sat at the kitchen table

until midnight...then the party started.

we had some "bubbly" and "clinked" our plastic

cups together [because we're classy people] while

saying "happy new year!" then hugged each other

and said "goodnight." 

it was buckwild. should've been there.

the next morning we set to work. literally.

half the clan went to the church to set up for:

THE FINAL RECEPTION.

it was a blast. and a blur.

we've got such an incredible support system.

they're all over the country.

it means a lot to us to recognize that love.

after the clean up we had to pack up.

it was a long and tedious process but we 

managed to get everything into our suitcases 

and nothing was overweight!

unfortunately our packing skills and my dad's driving

skills were the only 'impressive' skills on display that day.

for some reason the entire philadelphia airport was constipated.

no joke. they needed some ex-lax to get things moving.

and they were fresh out.

we stood in line for quite some time to check our bags.

then stood in line again to get screened...

oh, did i say screened? i meant: pat-down.

gar got screened. but they got me.

i guess the apparent disarray of jumbled bobby pins [from the

reception the night before] shoved in my head [that set

off the metal detector] just didn't seem to please the TSA.

no, sir. they noticed the bobby pins, even told me the bobby pins were 

the dirty culprits-they were dealt with severely- yet they still pulled

me aside and did a full body pat-down.

mind you, they never touched my hair.

i thought the whole thing was rather humorous, having been the

victim of numerous 'random' security checks.

i'm not one to complain, but seriously TSA?

every time gar and i have traveled i've been checked for some

reason or another, without fail. we've got the count to a solid: 5.

i'm hoping to get to at least 15 before our first child.

i think that might be a couples record or something, i'll look into it.

superfluous facts aside, the reason i mention this is just to state that i

kind of know my way around the pat-down. i could probably take the

TSA lady's job, but i really don't want it.i used to think that. 

i definitely had no idea what i was in for this time.

when asked if i was okay with having the pat-down i said "yes"-thinking

to myself, "really? you're asking me this? you have a gun, i'm in a clear box

in the middle of airport security, and i've no other alternative-what do you

want me to say?" i toyed with the idea of saying "no." flat out and giving

no reason for the objection, but it wasn't worth it. 

they had me in the box of shame. 

i wasn't going anywhere until this lady was done with me. 

the whole thing was uncomfortable.

i walked away feeling as though i had cheated on garrison.

that's not good.

not at all.

but i've gotta give it to the TSA.

my hats off to you [i mean, you've already got my innocence] 

you guys did it again!

saving the public from the hazards of cosmetology-kudos!

i guess that was the best 'welcome home' we could've asked for.

but provo had another welcome in store for us.

that's right folks. provo loves us.

in fact, provo hasn't stopped loving us since our return.

the temperatures haven't reached above freezing, yet.

i doubt they will. maybe in june.

that's when i'll be able to finally ride..
my brand new ROAD BIKE!!!
i certainly hope it's before june.
she's gorgeous. she's also scared to death of me.
[the feelings are absolutely mutual]
i don't want to wreck her and she wants me to love her.
so we're waiting until the time is right, then we'll go out for our
first ride, it'll be magical. and one day i'll post pictures.

that's our year, so far. systematically monotonous.
it's not to say that it has been dull, it has not been so by any means.
there's just a good deal of sameness to our routines.
and that's perfectly okay by me.

there are still plenty of days ahead for spontaneity.
just not now.