TBT: Jealousy in San Fran

It's that time we've all been waiting for : Throwback Thursday!! I'm probably the only one that enjoys this, but it's like back-journaling, and fun. I struggle with finding pictures worth giving a 'holla' to because most of my pictures that are older than 5 years are at my mom's. So, I'm using this beaut that I rediscovered on Facebook recently.

Ready for story time? Let's go.

My brother, Chris, is sixteen years older than me. He's kind of been like a second dad. When I was younger and carefree and could do whatever I wanted (kind of) I was able to visit him often. One time he worked it out with my parents for me to go visit him while he was living and working in San Francisco for a summer. I was so excited! I always felt very special on these trips to visit my brother, and we always got to do fun things. I was so pumped! And then I found out.....THE girlfriend was coming, too... .... *dun dun dun*

Now, it wasn't unusual for Chris to have a girl along when I was with him, and it never bothered me. I could always tell that I was still in first place, and it was all good. There was something different about this girlfriend, though. I could tell that I was being nudged into second place, and that does not bode well when one thinks one is the princess. Now I HAD to go so that I could show everybody what was what.

I got into San Francisco, and for the first bit it was just Chris and me. We got to go zooming through the San Francisco streets on his motorcycle, we went to a Giant's game, we saw the Golden Gate bridge, I hung out with his roommates, and slept on his floor. Then one morning I woke up and heard another woman's voice. The OTHER woman, as it were. Now the motorcycle sprees were over and we had to take the truck. Now I was stuck in the backseat. Now I was in second place.

It didn't take an Einstein to notice that my cheery disposition had left the building to be replaced by flying daggers. I honestly hardly remember anything that we did while THE girlfriend was in town, but I very distinctly remember when this picture was taken. I wanted a picture of my brother and me, but he insisted that he get a picture of THE girlfriend and me. Take a good look at that picture. I'm trying to smile, but I'm all prickles and can barely turn up the corners of my mouth. I don't remember what happened right before, and I don't remember what happened right after, but I remember knowing my end had come.

Now that I'm 26 instead of 13 I'm grateful that my brother married Tiffany. I even like her now. I'm not really sure when that change came about, but Tiffany is a fun sister-in-law. Thank you, Tiffany, for being nice to me even when I clearly wanted to strangle you. Maybe we should retry San Francisco someday? I promise I'll be a much more civil travelling companion.

TBT: Disneyland 2006

I am kind of starting to love Throwback Thursday. I wasn't going to do anything on here today because I'm behind on normal blogging, but so many people were putting their TBT pictures up on the internet that I couldn't help it.

I have been itching for Disneyland these days (that can also be read: I have been dreaming about Disneyland nightly) so I decided to go for a Disneyland picture. This picture was taken Christmas of 2006. It was the second Christmas we had spent at Disneyland, and I have decided that Christmas is the best AND worst time to be in Disneyland. Everything is extra magical with that Christmas glow, and the decorations are super fun, but it is is SO busy. Disneyland was so packed they kept driving shuttles around trying to convince people to hop on and go to California Adventure.

This picture is me, my dad, and my younger brother, Garrison, waiting in line for Peter Pan. As is normal for most families, my mom is taking the picture and so is not featured, but she is there behind the lens. There is something about Disneyland, and something about Peter Pan in particular (the story, the ride, the movie, etc.), that made me truly believe I didn't want to ever grow up. Now that I'm grown, it reminds me that I don't want to ever act old and fuddy-duddy.

Moments after this picture was taken my dad and Garrison took a flying ship, and my mom and I were in the one behind them. My mom and I were laughing the entire time as we watched Garrison try and touch everything within reach. He wasn't digging the 'little' rides that my mom and I adore in Fantasyland, so, my dad recommended he try and appreciate all the work and detail that went into making those rides what they were even if he didn't care for the ride itself. It turned into Garrison trying to touch everything outside of his vehicle on every ride. It was like he was three years old, but don't be fooled: he was 16.

TBT: Baxter the Rock

I am totally embracing the Throwback Thursday thing even though I'm about 5 years behind the times in doing so. First, I have a question: How old does a picture have to be to count as a 'throwback?' Hopefully not more than a decade because I don't have anything that old handy right now. 

Today I would like to reminisce, give a shout-out, hollaback girl (I'm told that doesn't work here - whatever), about my Physical Science class my Freshman year at BYU. Almost everybody at the university had one required semester of physical science or something equivalent to that. If you were working on prerequisites for the Elementary Education program you had to take two semesters, and the second semester was dedicated solely to rocks. Geology I guess, but rocks. Seriously. Rocks. 

Please direct your eyes below to view a picture of me with my favorite rock: Baxter.

I liked Baxter because he was a big one and he was pretty inside. The lab also had a massive piece of pumice, but it was ugly and poky and hurt my hands when I'd pick it up and carry it around over my head (it made me look like Wonder Woman, or just weird, but I was cheating because it's stupidly light). Most of the rock samples were very tiny and fit in tiny little storage compartments, but not Baxter. Baxter was huge.

My roommate took this picture our last night of studying in the rock lab before the final exam where we had to identify 100 rocks. Not pictured in this TBT post, but happened only moments later, is when my roommate shot some sort of chemical up her nose that is supposed to test the effervescence of the rock. It's a fond Freshman memory. (Not so fond is thinking about how many rocks I licked and how many other tongues were on those rocks.)

My TA for lab time was in love with rocks. She would disappear on little studies to various rockeous places in the world to study more rocks. I imagine her house is covered in rocks both inside and out. As I recall she was engaged, but I think she mentioned her fiance once when someone asked about the ring on her finger. Everything else she ever said was about rocks. 

Anyways, I spent more time around rocks that semester than I will probably spend around rocks for the rest of my life. I studied rocks like crazy, and I aced that stupid final exam. I now remember nothing. I'm not sure why they felt such an intensive study of rocks was necessary, but, oh, the times we had in that rock lab.

TBT: Oxford Gate

I have never done the Throwback Thursday thing, but I find myself nostalgic this particular Thursday and thought I'd go with it. Here we go:

I find myself a bit out of sorts today: Mr. Mitchell is attending his Fire Academy Boot Camp, and so I'm without my man. I've watched too many movies/shows taking place in London, and so I'm homesick for my favorite big city. I found 5 gray hairs on my head, and so I'm feeling betrayed by my body even though I know I have a whole lot of youth left in me. I miss the days where I took the time and effort to get ready and felt that it was productive. There's something about this picture that seems to wrap all of those things up in to one.

I was 20. I was living the dream during my semester abroad in England. My biggest concerns were about seeing everything I could see, somehow getting those darn term papers typed up and turned in while out exploring, and wondering how things would stand with Mr. Mitchell when I returned. I was so fulfilled and (mostly) worry-free that as soon as my head hit the pillow each night I was sound asleep and did not awake until my alarm went off.

I look at this picture and wonder why I didn't better appreciate the results of my efforts in front of the mirror (because even I will say that I look good in this picture). I find myself feeling lucky that I had such a wonderful opportunity to live in London and explore the United Kingdom. I find myself hoping that I can take Mr. Mitchell there before we're too old to run around from dawn to dusk. I cannot wait to share those special places with him.

There's really not anything in particular I'm trying to say here. Just letting my brain run rampant and trying to get myself back 'into sorts.'