A lowly Private no more

A few note worthy things have been happening here at MMA. 
We'll start with the good:

 We're moving on up in the world! Dan was recently made a Specialist. This caused me a great deal of stress because of the traditional rank promotion. I got to stand in front of his whole company, rip of his old rank, put on the new one, and then punch him as hard as I could. 

I was really nervous I would mess it up somehow and got so scared that I wasn't paying attention and  totally didn't go up when I was supposed to. And then I blanked out on which way the little symbol goes! 

Luckily I guessed right and he didn't end up with an upside down patch. Whew. He got to give a 30 second acceptance speech. Think Gettysburg address. But better.  Further moving us barely above the poverty line, I got a little pay raise at work - on the same day that I got both bled on, and vomited on. 

And now the bad:

(not our actual neighbors, but good representation)
So we have these neighbors across the street. Who like to get totally smashed and become rowdy at about 2 am. But only on weeknights! Seriously, who gets wasted on a wednesday? It's gotten old really fast. Where as I avoid confrontation at all costs, Dan opens up the window and yells to them to "Please Keep it Down!" This did not work last night. The rowdiness continued for another half hour. So Dan proceeded to walk over there at 2 am. I continued to cower in bed. He confronted these intoxicated/drugged up people and they actually did quite down. But it happens every week, and we have many weeks to go. Oh how I long to move... Somewhere without noisy neighbors. With a dishwasher. And a washer and dryer. Wood floors. Giant storage closets. And a yard for my dog. Gotta dream Big!

And Finally, The Ugly: 
I love teaching my Sunbeams, I really do. And when it comes to preparing my lessons, I'm a manual purist. The Church develops these manuals to be the lesson, not some random powerpoint you come up with on your own... But I had trouble in good conscience using the manual coloring sheet for this weeks lesson.

I think its totally creepy. I'm afraid a lot of 3 year olds had trouble sleeping because of those faceless kids...

Stuff White People Like

Among my favorite humor blogs (alongside Cake Wrecks and Passive Aggressive notes) is Stuff White People Like.  Its so funny. And so true. We just lived #128: Camping.

'If you find yourself trapped in the middle of the woods without electricity, running water, or a car you would likely describe that situation as a “nightmare” or “a worse case scenario like after plane crash or something.” White people refer to it as “camping.”'

(Cory & Quinta)

(Rebecca and Chris)

("Uncle Dan's" little helper)
Some of our friends (incidentally all white) invited us to go camping this last weekend and Dan & I were down for an adventure. It started out a bit crazy (really long windy nauseating drive to a full campground in a "dixie downs" like location and then a reroute), but all is well that ends well! We ended up in a really nice State Park and had a fun night.

(this is the pretty state park. but you can't really tell, due to the fact this was taken with a cell phone. all the pictures were, because someone forgot to charge her aforementioned regretted fancy giant camera)
"Once in the camp area, white people will walk around for a while, set up a tent, have a horrible night of sleep, walk around some more. Then get in the car and go home. This, of course, is a best case scenario. Worst case scenarios include: getting lost, poisoned, killed by an animal, and encountering an RV. Of these outcomes, the latter is seen by white people as the worst since it involves an encounter with the wrong kind of white people."

(I personally think Dan & Cory's leg weapons make them look like the "wrong kind of white people")
The RV thing is true. The "camp host" was this totally drunken mountain man who told us bizarre stories of his previous life as a therapist/hypnotist when we went to his RV to try to buy fire wood from him. Awesome. 

( I am pale and cold. But I like camping near the Pacific Ocean)
The true reason to camp = s'mores. Quinta and Rebecca introduced me to this amazing concoction: the Reese's smore. It is an experience.

Dan and I are hoping to do some more outdoor recreation in the next few weeks. Try to make the best of the ETERNITY we have left in Monterey. Perhaps do some backpacking with REI gear. Nothing is whiter than that.


 

A Champion Among Artichokes

So, a couple of weeks ago I decided I needed to get back into running. I found a nice little 5k coming up in 3 weeks and signed us up.

(Me before the race, sure of my eminent domination)
I thought 3 weeks was plenty of time to get in shape enough for a good time in such a short race. I hit the treadmill and worked up to a speed which I though would insure complete race domination... 

(A less than enthused pre-race Dan)

Then came the day came for our big Castroville Artichoke Festival 5k! Turns out treadmill running is a bit different that actual running. Actual running has things like an incline, differing terrain, weather, and there isn't a ground moving beneath you propelling you forward. Actual running is hard. And I suck at it.

(the course went through the artichoke fields.)
I finished, at an okay time - but I'm now moving my running activities outdoors. It's for the best - though I'll miss watching Biggest Loser while jogging. 

Dan however did great at our little 5k! He got 13th Overall and 1st in his division. He got a medal and is very proud of it. I'm happy for him, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard "Lauren, how does it feel to be married to champion?"  "Do you know who I am? I am a Champion." etc etc etc.

I'm just happy I have this awesome shirt to sport around town.

We were also the lucky recipients of two artichokes a piece, for which I need to find a purpose. Not gonna lie, I've never cooked/bought/touched an artichoke before. Perhaps I'll just put sunglasses on them.

A Mother's Day Shout Out

(She's so cool, and pretty good at shooting!)

My mother, Lesley Lyn Hales Benson is simply the best. My mom makes everything special: amazing themed birthday parties, wondrous holiday traditions, exciting family vacations. She's smart, setting an example of education as she earned her degree in Physical Therapy. And then setting an even greater example in her choice to stay home and raise me and my sisters. She tolerated the spirited child that was Lauren which is a feat in and of itself. She listened patiently as I reported every detail that happened in my intense kindergarten life. Even as a child she treated me like I was a person on her same level. I loved feeling like I was my mom's friend, that we could talk about subjects we both found relevant. Today she is still one of my best friends. No one and nothing has had greater bearing on the person I am today and the happiness I enjoy, than my Mother. 

A year and half ago I gained a mother in law! And luckily, I got a good one. Denise is so kind and thoughtful. When Dan was at basic she would drive all the way to Provo, just to take me to lunch at Cafe Rio. When Dan and I moved out, she was on the scene helping pack and clean and carry. She is so talented! Denise is the world's best seamstress. She sewed ALL of my bridesmaid dresses, and interestingly still talked to me afterward. She is thoughtful. I mentioned I was having trouble finding SAF yeast and she sent some out the very next day. She's so easy going and I always feel welcomed and relaxed at her house.

Through marriage I also got to have Dan's wonderful Nana as part of my family. Ann lived for most of her life in LA, so she's instantly cool in my book. Dan has all kinds of cute memories of visiting her in California. She taught him how to boogey board in the ocean when he was little- what a cool Grandma! And she's super sweet, sending us a card and a gift for every holiday!

I'm lucky to have my own two Grandmas as well. Grandma Peggy, my love of carbs grew exponentially when she taught me how to make homemade bread! I have many a fond memory of sitting on her bar stools and having a slice of her bread, toasted in a toaster oven, and slathered in butter. Nothing is more delicious. I think of grace and refinement when I think of her - she always has her hair done, make up on, and well dressed. I also think of walks to the cemetery :)

G'ma Hales - Oh what a fun Grandma. The yearly summer cabin trip holds many special memories of time spent with G'ma.   She has such a sense of humor, breaking out all her dance moves at the annual "deck dance".  She's a good sport, allowing 10 year olds to do her make up and paint her nails. Her health has not been good for many years, but she never complains, and never stops serving others. She continues to cook up amazing food and is constantly showing her love for our family

With all these amazing Mothers in my life, I just don't think I should ever have kids. Too much to live up to.

Lo's Thoughts (on whale trials)

Another deeply reflective post?  On my weeks off, I have too much time to think... I found myself reflecting pretty deeply on my life while on the treadmill. As far as trials go in life, I know I've had it pretty easy (Dan says I'm cursing myself by saying this out loud.) But it's true, though I've had things I've struggled with, I've never gotten leprosy or been swallowed by a giant sea mammal ("Whales aren't fish!" My little Sunbeams are so smart). To me, this experience in Monterey has thus far been my Whale in life. I've never had something I wanted so bad and had no control over that I prayed multiple times a day, fasted for, spent every Sacrament meeting pooring my heart out about - trying to procure intervention from someone who does have control over it. 

•  First it was wanting Dan to succeed in the Persian class. We prayed so hard for him to be kept in that class, to be able to keep going and graduate after so much work. But, the answer was no.
• Then we hoped for a spot in a restarting Persian class, that Dan might be able to not throw away all his Farsi skills and keep in a language he wanted to learn and would be beneficial later. After a few weeks of hoping, again the answer was no.
• French it was. We were happy to be starting in any language, just as long as it was soon. Then we found out he doesn't have a spot till September. But there is a chance he could get a wait list spot in the May class, that way I could still make it to my much needed fall semester at BYU! So again, we poured ourselves into prayer that this would work out. Today at 1:00, we found out that it didn't. There was no spot in the May class for him. 

 Again, it hasn't worked out as I wanted.  But its not about what I want, its about what Heavenly Father wants for me. I'm trying to gather what I am supposed to learn, and I think one of those things is trusting that Heavenly Father knows what is best for me, and he's getting me there, even if I can't see where its going. And Patience. I think he's trying to teach me lots of patience.

And while this is already churchy wordy overload, an anecdote: One of my favorite little sunbeams turned to me, "Sister Mealy, can I tell you a secret?" Yes of course I said, bracing myself for something intense. "Flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp." That is an awesome secret Cambria, thank you so much for sharing it with me.

A Pizza Stone! And other (not so) exciting things.

I know I recently vowed to "never sew again" following the Alice in Wonderland dress debacle. But its a known fact that I'm full of empty threats. I've threatened to kill myself 4.5 million times, yet there is not a hesitation mark to be found on my wrists...  Back to the sewing. I've got to hold some babies lately. My favorite kind of babies too: darling tiny baby girls with cute names. Which DOES NOT make me want to have one. But instead lead me to want to SEW for them... Check it out:

I know on the difficulty scale bibs are pretty low. But I'm working my way up. You know, starting with easy projects instead of lined dresses with gathered sleeves and fitted bodices...  Dan was inspired by my craftiness and began work on his own sewing project: a ghillie suit. His seams are still straighter than mine.

Also, we got a new car!

We wish, this is just our new rental. After a recent trip to Costco resulted in a 45 minute hunt to find a parking spot large enough to accommodate the sheer manliness of the DODGE RAM, I knew we needed a change. Enterprise presented us with two options 1) Take a PT Cruiser, which Dan and I make a regular habit of mercilessly mocking or 2) Pay $6/day and upgrade to a black Cadallic CTS (a dream car of mine in my dream color). The frugal money saving option was clear. But I'd rather be shot than seen in a Cruiser. We handed the man our credit card and drove away in the CTS. We shall greatly miss our brief stint with a luxury vehicle, especially the way the seat warmer toasted my cold buns while driving Dan to school at 5 am....

The only other news worthy thing to report: We got a Pizza Stone. (I know, its been a boring two weeks when you're writing about a pizza stone.) We have an unhealthy (in many ways) obsession with Pizza. I've spent weeks researching and waiting for the arrival of my pizza stone. Its maiden voyage today as a fast breaker was a disaster. Transferring my creations from a Pizza peel on to a Pizza stone ended in a mess and tears (I was very very hungry.) In the end, it tasted okay, but was ugly.

• Dan continues to put in long days doing menial jobs at the Presidio while waiting for his reserved spot in SEPTEMBER to start French
• I continue to put in long days making the world more superficial and less wrinkled while trying to figure out what I want to REALLY do with my life...
• Though were ready to "get moving on," we feel fortunate to both have jobs to put long days into. And we have each other. And Pizza.

Continued Melodrama

My 12th grade English teacher (shout out to Bart!) once had us write a short essay on the quotation
 "It hurts to find out that what you wanted doesn't match what you dreamed it would be." 

So true. I have a chronic problem of finding something I like, obsessing over it to the point of losing sleep, researching reviews for months, finally ordering and then... Being totally disappointed.

Exhibit A:

Kiersten w/ her camera. Its easy to become very jealous of her and her beauty. 

Fancy camera. It began with envy for Kat and her cool Canon. And grew into an obsession that was sated only when I purchased my own and gianormous lens that were "totally necessary" in order to record my Middle Eastern exploits.  I love taking pictures with it, I do. But a much smaller, much cheaper, Canon would have been just as suitable for the kind of photography I do. 

Exhibit B:

the mixer that didn't change my life

Kitchen Aid Mixer. I wanted one so bad. Spent months comparing models. Ordered one as my Christmas gift, completely confident in the knowledge it would fill my life with joy and bring my culinary prowess to new heights. It hasn't. 

Yes, my legs really are that white. 

Latest case in point: Shabby Apple dresses. I've been looking at them for approximately a year, and getting as far as putting them in a shopping cart - then backing out, for about 3 months. So I finally pulled the trigger under the pretense of an Easter Dress. I narrowed it down to two, ordered them both, and then planned on deciding which to keep when they got here. 

Really wasn't kidding about the translucent legs
They came in time for Easter and I was elated! Except, they are totally shoddily made. Not as bad as "Lauren made her own Halloween costume", but still pretty bad. Dresses of that price point should at least be lined and have smooth zippers! Another obsessive purchase disappointment.

My getting a picture of the dresses turned into an episode of America's Next top model, with Dan serving as both Nigel Barker and Miss J

So... The point of all that is, this blog post is to serve as a reminder to myself that OBSESSIVE PURCHASE DO NOT EQUAL HAPPINESS (on to the theory that impulsive purchases do). 

In other news...
My beloved and faithful Civic took a beating on Sunday when Dan got rear ended as part of a big rain storm induced crash. 

Poor Civic is in the shop getting fixed up. The logistics of two people sharing one car is tricky, but no car is impossible. So we have a rental car in the form of this monstrosity:

 I feel incredibly dangerous and self conscious driving it. I feel like I'm always about to hit people and in their heads they're thinking "Stupid Red neck in that bright blue dodge!" But it came in handy for the Boy Scout camp out that Dan is currently on.
Maybe it is the loneliness of being home alone all weekend (having already watched the new Glee three times), but I really really want a dog. I even miss this little demon:

On to the New Recipe of the day: I have a have an unwavering love for Chocolate Chip cookies. Their batter is my favorite "food", which I generally eat till I feel extremely ill.
I've been intrigued for a while by a recipe that I've seen on several food blogs for a New York Times Choco Chip Cookie. Its a recipe from this famed baker, and I thought I'd give it a go. I required several things I normally don't have: Bread Flour, Cake Flour, Unsalted Butter, 60% Cacao baking rounds, and enough patience to let it chill undisturbed for 36 hours. It wasn't easy and required a small fortune spent at Whole foods. But I made them. And they were pretty good.

 But not the mind blowing food experience I had hoped. More dashed dreams. Back to my good old Nestle friends.