Dude, where's my car?

Kenny called me early at work this morning:

me: "City National, this is Jill"
Kenny: "Kenny's Phone, this is your husband. Good Morning!"
chit chat ensues....
Kenny: "So...guess where my car is?"
me: "The parking lot (no), our car port (no), McDonald's' parking lot (no) ... where?"
Kenny: It took me awhile, too. Think about it."
me (thinking): "hhmmmmm. **lightbulb** oh. Oh! Crap."

After work on Friday, Kenny met me at my office in Irvine so we could drive to Oceanside together. We were spending the night and next day with some of his high school friends and their families. (Allow me a quick diversion: Freddy, Mandy, Shanna, Blair and kids - thanks for a super fun weekend. We had a blast. Pictures coming soon.). Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. Kenny's car was parked safely in the parking structure at my office. The crazy-high-tech parking structure with scales and electric key cards. The one that traps me in occasionally when all I want to do is go home. The one that would make it very difficult to get Kenny's car out, since mine was currently in. But I won't get into that dilemma. The point is that we didn't remember until today. Three days after leaving it. Our weekend was that good.

Putting evolution to shame.

For those of you who don't know, I can't eat wheat (or a myriad of other common foods. This is a recent development, so for the time being I follow it more as a guideline that a rule, but I'm working on it). It's a bummer, but I console myself that I can - and will - eat dark chocolate.

Someone brought muffins into work today. No big deal. People are always bringing crap into work, and usually it's not of the "high-quality, extra-enticing/tempting" variety. Today was no exception, except for the dark-chocolate-chunk muffin. I caved. But, rather than eat the wheat (and deal with the numbing headache it was sure to induce), I picked out each morsel of chocolate. Like a kid with a bowl of lucky charms. Or like an ape and fleas (see fuzzy, poor-quality, google image above). It was the thought of this last example that left me kind of disgusted with myself. But then I remembered that it tasted so good. Who said evolution is always a good thing?

Side note:
The irony of this food intolerance issue is that I never really cared for chocolate before. I liked it and would eat it, but I've always preferred treats of the fruit variety. But now...I can't get enough dark chocolate. I know it's not the worst treat for me, but I'm a smart, logical person and can't deny the fact that all the antioxidants in the world aren't going to erase the calories. Oh well. Life is too short.

Catch Up V2.1: The modern Stoneage Family

On the way to the Grand Canyon, we passed...Bedrock.  I wished we had stayed here, even if it was an RV park.  It makes you think...how many random treasures like this exist in remote places all across our country.  Too bad gas prices are making it impossible to find out right now - just think of the possibilities... oh well, back to the matter at hand.  Can I get a "Wiiiiiiillllllllllllllllllllmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaa!"  Thank you, Fred.

The family.  Anna takes her driving responsibilities very seriously.  Ask her about the first time she rode Indiana Jones sometime (she was the "driver").  She'll tell you how Kenny kept yelling at her, "where are you going?!  you're going to kill us!"  She was maybe six or seven.   Kenny let her continue to frantically struggle with the wheel until she was on the verge of tears before he told her she wasn't really driving.  It seemed funny at the time...

Mama

Becca made me laugh with this pose.

So then I wanted to pose.  Becca's is better.

What are they all looking at?  Someone getting pulled over.  Exciting times with the Nielsen Family. 

The Family huddled in the only spot of shade while I tried to get a few more pictures...

Like this one. 

Taking pictures of yourself, sans tripod, can be rather difficult.  

Not that kind of Green

From Left, Jemaine and Bret

I digress from my "catch-up" posts to vent. I'm a little green right now. Not eco-friendly, tree-hugging, organic-eating Green (albeit I like all that stuff), no, rather I'm the jealous kind of green - the swamp thing, crazed covetous monster kind of green. Let me explain.

It's no secret that I love Flight of the Conchords ("FOTC"). LOVE them. Like, I would finally hook up my T.V. and "pay-millions-for-HBO-just to-watch-them" kind of love, or the "camp-out-just-to-see-them" (like those star wars people) kind of love, or the "I-want-to-have-their-collective-babies" love. I've blogged about them in the past, I've even visited their native land (New Zealand) and took pictures of their billboards, preordered season one, had memorized the first episode before it even aired on HBO, and even caved to becoming their myspace friend. I'm that dorky and obsessed.

Anyway, Kenny's been studying really hard for a test, so when Hudd invited him to the BPM Magazine/Chromeo after party at the Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood the other night, I encouraged Kenny to take a break and go have fun. He did and I went to bed early. Around 3:30am I get this text: "Bret from FOTC." I was too asleep to fully comprehend - and good thing, too, because I probably would have driven out there immediately in my PJs. So when he came home (about 40 minutes before I had to wake up for work) he wakes me up to tell me: I met Bret (pronounced "Brit") tonight. No more sleeping for me. So jealous. My consolation prize for being a supportive wife was the new issue of BPM with FOTC as cover models. The article is good, although you'd think the author could have at least spelled Jemaines's name correctly, and the pictures are better, but it's still not the real thing. I'm sad...and very, very green with envy. He owes me, big time.

Catch-Up V2.0: The Big Hole

So in my last post, I mentioned we visited the Grand Canyon with my family. My parents, sisters, grandparents, and Uncle Doug & Aunt Kathy met us there for a few days of site-seeing and eating. Good times. (Lots of pictures...)
Mom and sisters checking out the view from the South Rim.

Becca...
Anna... (try not to get dizzy. If heights make you nervous, stay away from the Grand Canyon)
I kept wondering...

Kenny demonstrates. Aunt Kathy and Uncle Doug (my dad's older brother - and Kenny's favorite.)
The sisters at a ruin
Dad...
Jill at one of many, many gift shops
ruins or gift shop?
Grandma takes a break on one of Mother Nature's benches
We were having a cherry seed spitting contest off the rim. I caught Aunt Kathy just as the seed is forever sent to the hole. If in twenty years there's a cherry orchard growing on the south rim, I accept no blame. Later, my mom pretended to fall over the ledge, my dad pretended to jump, and Becca faked puking over the rim. My grandma was so proud.
Awwww. I *heart* him
Grandma puckers up for the camera (very very rare) with her man Glayde who was the hero with the binoculars. We saw condors! Can we talk about an uglier bird? Seriously gross...like a sunburned vulture. We were also almost attacked by spoiled squirrels. We got away, but the little boy with the ice cream cone wasn't so lucky. Collateral damage. We had to give the squirrel something.
The parents.
Kenny. Who needs crayons when you have condiments, utensils, and lemons. Again, my grandma was so proud.

Coming up: Bedrock and Williams, AZ. Hope you're ready.

Catch Up V1.0: The Birthday

I've had many lessons on "achieving goals" and one principle of the lesson is to break up big activities into smaller, more manageable tasks. We've all heard this, I'm sure, at some point or another, but I rarely follow advice. I should, though. So,as June has been pretty packed so far, I've decided to break up my "catching up" posts and drag them out over the next few days. Nothing super eventful is happening before Saturday, so this is a good week to do it. So here's Chapter 1: the Birthday.

This guy turned 29. 29. The very last year of his twenties. After this it's...the thirties. (some of you may know the implications of this birthday for me... but I won't get into that here. All I'll say is "yikes.") Anyway the big 2-9. Wow, that came fast. Luckily, his optomism, demeanor, fashion preferences, body, and looks still scream 19 (for better or for worse, but mostly for better).

We were at the Grand Canyon with my family on Kenny's big day, so the day began with my parents and sisters storming our hotel room with several donuts (stacked on top of each other to resemble a cake) singing "happy birthday." The rest of the day was pretty chill: a late breakfast at some country cafe, wandering around the tacky gift shops in Williams, AZ, seeing/hearing real ghosts in a fabric store, HUGE pie (thanks again Uncle Doug and Aunt Kathy), a long drive back to CA, and a yummy dinner at Lucille's courtesy of Amelia and Hudd (thanks guys!). Then bed. Our soft, warm, non-hotel bed. Glorious.

The Haunted Fabric Store

My Dad loves tacky gift shops and thought Kenny should be the Sheriff for his birthday. Kenny thought he should be the Sheriff everyday.

Anna and the pie...this particular piece would be the "chocolate-dipped-strawberry-cream pie. And it was amazing.

"What did I get him?" you're asking...nothing. Yet. This is what he wants: (Remember how I said he's more 19 than 29? Last year he wanted -and got - a Powell Peralta skateboard. I love him.) Anyway, if any one is so inclined, feel free to donate to the gift fund. Kenny is excited to surf this.

Rusty Piranha Quad. 6'0" (yes this picture is of the Tri, but he wants a quad)

We came home a day earlier than planned, so on the drive home we invited a bunch of friends to join us at the beach the next afternoon for some food and boccie ball.

Kenny, Elise, Skyler, Ryel, Dale, Nick, and Rebekka (sp?).

Nicole and Jeff had to leave early - before the camera came out, so no picture. Sad, but we were glad they made it at all. And that Nicole brought her delicious fruit dip. So good. Later, the newly engaged Jenn and Will showed up and Will proved to be quite the boccie ball player.

It was fun! Thanks to all those who helped Kenny celebrate!

Kenny, thanks for staying so young and fun despite getting older and for looking better and better every year. You're a total babe. Thanks also for being hardworking, ambitious, faithful, and kind. I hope this year is your best yet and that you live it up (which I know you will). I love you.

Random thoughts...and a much needed diversion.

So women in my family generally aren’t what one might call “well-endowed.” This misfortune tends to only be worsened after childbirth/breast-feeding and we tend to appear almost concave – unless we gain weight all over. The joke is that my uncle once told my aunt that he was going to buy her a shirt that said “Front” and “Back” just so he could tell the difference. (Yes, a dumb joke, but it suits that particular uncle.) Anyway, given the genetic disadvantage, I’ve always sort of assumed I’d get a “boost” at some point in my life. However, over the last few weeks, the wrist-support-thingy for my keyboard has sprung a leak and has been pooping little silicone boogers all over my desk, my lap, my desk chair, etc. They’re sticky and gross – they really look like something that guy in the car next to you was digging out of his nose. And they make me reevaluate whether I want to pump my chest full of this crap someday. I keep picturing someone sneezing into my chest cavity. Besides, is looking like a twelve-year-old boy really so bad?

Update:
After reading Whitney's post from this morning, I'm thinking it might actually have it's advantages...

Misc.

Me and Kenny.

My too cute nephew, Hudson.

I'm getting ahead of myself. First things first... Happy Birthday MOM!
This is my mom. She likes crafting, her family, and home-decorating. She's pretty, and fun, and she really likes me and Kenny. And we really like her. I'm glad you had a great day!

So if you've read my sister-in-law, Nicole's, blog you already know all about my fun weekend. Missionary send-offs, graduation parties, late-night treats at Harbor House, after-parties at Detroit Lounge with Datarock, long runs, the beach, yummy seafood, Lost, early morning walks, church, a picnic at the beach, Handsome the turtle, and a little boy in undies and a fedora. Good times.

The awesomeness that is Datarock: (Thanks Hudd, for knowing

everyone and always getting us into fun parties/concerts!)

The famous Amelia and Hudd:

Amelia, Hudd, Jeff (kind of), Pickle (a.k.a. Nicole), and me. Dancing at the Detroit Lounge.

Me and the sisters-in-laws: pickle and ameliaFun times!