Pay It Forward

Yesterday was a day filled with unhappy passengers. It seemed nothing I did was good enough for people. Funny that the two people that were the most frustrated were the people who I helped the most. They were just too busy seeing the negative (negativity they actually brought upon themselves by not reading the guidelines for traveling on southwest) to see that I was being super helpful.

Tangent:
Let's say you flew to Oregon for a big fishing trip... would you look at the airline's website to see what the rules were for checking the fish?

If you were traveling with an infant, would you check with the airlines to see what kind of documentation you needed to make that possible?

Ok, back to topic.

So among all these unhappy passengers I was delightfully surprised when a random guy gave me a gift after I helped him. He asked me if I rode public transportation or drove to work. I was happy to report that I took the max. Then he asked how I pay for it, if I have a monthly pass or buy individual tickets. I told him I just buy tickets. So he handed me a pass good for the rest of this month! He was leaving town til September and wouldn't be using it anymore! I nearly jumped for joy! I thanked the guy a million times while trying to think of what I could give him. Nothing came to mind unfortunately.  I wish I would have written down his name to send him a thank you.

So if by chance you're reading this post, Mr. Anon from Phoenix, THANK YOU!

Now its my turn to pay it forward.

Hygiene Checklist

This afternoon I boarded the blue line train in beaverton heading towards my apartment downtown. After only having a handful of cheerios for breakfast I was pretty hungry and getting to the point of feeling sick to my stomach from the hunger. After I got on a very large woman boarded the train wearing a sleeveless dress. All of a sudden I got a whiff of her stench and almost lost it. Why do people choose not to wear deodorant? How do you not smell yourself when you smell that bad?  Unfortunately I was 15 minutes from my apartment when she got on. Every time she moved we would get a fresh smell. 

When I have my own world I am going to add a few rules non existent to this one.

Rule #1: if you plan on riding public transportation you must complete a checklist prior to boarding the bus or train. If you do not answer yes to all of these, you may not board.

1. Did you shower?
2. Did you brush your teeth?
3. Did you apply deodorant?
4. Did you brush your hair?
4. Have you recently washed the clothes that you are wearing?
5. Do you wash your hands after going to the bathroom?

This shirtless guy did not pass. In my world, he would not be able to board.

p.s. as I am typing this post, 2 smelly people have walked past me to get off the train. Showers people!!

Blogging from my phone

I never update my blog. I have the time for it. But after a long day at work, for some reason sitting at my computer and typing out a post feels like a chore. Plus the times when I get inspiration to write about something are when I am out and about. So I found an app for my phone. Hopefully this will mean more frequent posts!

Be seeing you soon!

Utah, People Working Together

I realllly need to go to Utah for a few reasons. (Never thought I would say that) And I can't find the time with work and other fun stuff out here getting in the way... I feel like I am booked up for the next two months and it's giving me anxiety. I remember the days when I could just hop on a plane on my day off and get away from everything for a day or two. Now I have "responsibilities" out here that limit that. My reasons for the needed visit to the Beehive state?

1. I miss my friends
2. I have a groupon expiring next month that needs to be used. Well two actually. But one is important because it was a bday present to Malpal. And I need to set up a time with her to use it.
3. I NEED a haircut! My hair is getting too long! I only go to a girl in Provo these days. I have gone to others in between Utah visits and have not been satisfied with the outcome. So no one else gets to touch my hair.
4. I want Cafe Rio.
5. I miss my friends. I might have said that already but it's worth repeating.

So in honor of my desire to return to Provo, I will post about my last trip out there. Which, by the way was probably my favorite. I wish I would have taken more pictures to document the day, but you'll just have to use your imagination.

First off, I had to go to Provo to use a groupon that was expiring for the Sweet Tooth Fairy. So I stopped there first to stock up on cupcakes and treats for everyone. Then I headed to Ty's. The day was spent running errands for him. Some of you may question the excitement level of running errands. You just haven't experienced it with us.

I made my annual return to the No Shhh zone at the Harold B. Lee. That and the 4th floor were my favorite places to be in the Lib. We were on campus to print and post these fliers for Ty. He needs work people. So if you know anyone needing an accompanist or needing someone to play at a wedding give him a call!

Mal and Ty thought it would be fun to walk on the red tape that was hanging in the HFAC hallways, only to find that it was there to keep people from walking on the sticky floor. Now the red tape was stuck to the floor. So Ty did some damage control.
Since Ty is poor these days he rarely eats out when I come visit. So this time we catered to his needs. He had coupons for free kids meals from Rubios. Mal and I were a little skeptical about using them since it so for kids 10 and under. And let's be honest, we clearly do not look 10. But Ty will do whatever it takes to get something free.

Next stop, were else but Walmart. It's the place to be these days. We were on the hunt for the OraBrush. Ty has cured his horrible bad breath with this bad boy and he was determined to help his father out also. Mal and I decided to take the plunge and check it out for ourselves also.

Not only do we get the orabrush with our purchase, but we get follow up emails from our own personal consultant to see how things are going:

How are my ora-brush girls doing???

Just wanted to follow up with you two and make sure you were getting the most out of your $4 purchase.

I want you to know that I'm here for moral support and can testify as a success story of someone who has MAJOR gagging reflexes, yet has made ora-brushing part of my daily oral hygiene for the past year or so. You can do eeet!

I am also willing to provide a complimentary How-To demonstration for both of you. Mal, we can do it in person. You just may need to let down your guard and be vulnerable so we can do it together.

Katie, we can skype it. Or heck, just fly out here again lol. Golf and an ora-brush demonstration.

Either way, I want both of you using it so you can be on your way to a healthier and breathier lifestyle.

Much love,

Your Ora-Brush Consultant and Friend
Ty

Stella was looking a little dirty so we took her to the car wash to get cleaned up. Another one of mine and Ty's favorite things. It seemed like every time he was going to take it to get a wash he would call me to see if I wanted to come along. We fell in love with the Sonic car wash in Orem because they had free vacuums after the wash. Isn't she pretty?

Next stop, UVU campus to post more fliers. I wish you could have seen the precision at which Ty hung each paper to the wall. It had to be perfect. This picture is a little blurry but you can see he was serious about it. Plus with the chairs there he had to make sure when people sat down they wouldn't pull it down with their back or head.

Next we went to play ping pong with some of Ty's new meat head friends. Correction: Ty played ping pong. Mal and I got to sit on the couch and watch him.

Our final stop of the day was Redbox to get the best movie to come out this year. I hope it gets all the awards it deserves. Never Say Never. Yes, I made Ty watch it. Mal didn't come along for that part. She had to go home. Even though we had an early tee time the next morning, Ty and I stayed up and watched the first half of the movie. After golf the next day we finished it. I think he's a new fan!

The trip was capped off by an early morning tee time on Tuesday at my favorite place in Utah, Hobble Creek. Such a gem. It felt like we were the only ones on the course for awhile. We had fun. I think I won. After golf we at breakfast and then it was time to drive my SUV back up to Salt Lake to go back home. Yes, I rented an SUV. No, I did not get the economy car that I had a reservation for. Reservations with car rental companies are worthless. See my old post for more explanation. I ended up paying like $30 in gas just to fill the tank to go from slc to provo and back. Thanks gas guzzler.

It was a fun packed trip and I am itching for another one soon. I love those two kids very much. They are always so much fun to be around. I need to get them out here to Portland!

so good so good so good

Hi guys. I'm alive. I promise.

Are you ever wondering what to do with dying bananas? Instead of making banana bread (because sometimes you plan so well and even bring the bananas with you on your trip to Las Vegas to make it for your brothers and it doesn't turn out.) make these cookies instead. I hear this is an Emily and Jake specialty.

Creepy Vans

Yesterday while walking out of my apartment I saw two people around the corner. Even though it didn't look abnormal, for some reason I had the feeling that they were fighting. Sure enough after this thought popped in my head they began yelling at each other and using their arms and feet to convey their message. They were in a serious fight. I was on my way to catch the max to meet my parents downtown so I had to keep walking. But the funny things is that the farther away from them I got, the more I could hear them. Funny how that works. From my glances over my shoulder every few seconds I could see that the boy had now moved into the van they were arguing next to and the girl was still standing outside of it yelling at him. She was kicking and screaming and everything. I got semi nervous.

This van has been parked outside of my place for the longest time. It's slightly creepy, mainly because it hasn't moved much. Parking outside my place is metered parking. Leaving a car there for days can get quite expensive and annoying having to feed the meter every five hours from 8am to 7pm. Anyway. I never do this, but I called 911. And reported a domestic dispute. As I was talking to dispatch I could still see the couple and the girl seemed to be giving up and starting to walk away. I debated whether or not to tell the dispatcher this though, because I still thought it best for an officer to come make sure everything is alright. Who knows if anything bad was about to happen. I decided to tell her. She asked if the police were still needed. I said it would be a good idea for them to at least drive by. She said they would only come if there was hitting. Our conversation ended there.

Right then the max came and as I hopped on I felt great about being a good citizen/neighbor. But I know somewhere in Portland at least one police officer could have ended their donut break a few minutes earlier in order to make sure things were ok. The van was still there when I got home that night. I was half tempted to peek inside to see if the boy was sleeping in there. So weird.

In other news. Kelli and I walked to get our nails done a few days ago. I was wearing a Cardinals shirt and she was wearing a Red Sox sweatshirt (one that I had given her ;) As we walked across the street we not only passed by a Cubs fan, but also a Yankees fan. What are the odds?

Who's Bed Have Your Boots Been Under

I did karaoke last night. My friends and I actually go quite often. I don't usually sing when we go though. A beautiful voice is not something I was blessed with. So I usually sit it out and let others shine on the stage. So nice of me, I know. But last night Lauren came with me. And right away she chose a song for us to sing. Before I knew it I was handing our slip to the DJ. After what seemed like eternity, we were up on the stage singing a good country tune. "Who's Bed Have Your Boots Been Under" would have been much better if we were both wearing our boots that we bought together in Dallas. But it was still great nonetheless.

That song prompted me to do this before church this morning...


I spent my whole first paycheck from Southwest on these boots. And I never wear them now. Lauren got some that were way cooler. But I am not completely in love with mine anymore. They are so huge on me. That's supposed to be the style, but when you already have large feet, there's nothing cute about wear boots with an elongated toe. So, any takers??