Friday, June 28, 2013

4 Pics 1 Week: strangers, si, and snowcones



-After going to one of the best Mexican restaurants I can ever remember eating at thanks to a Tracie-friend who is too good to me, I got a call to go mini golfing. With a kid I had briefly met once before. And all of his friends. I was told to start heading to a certain destination point to be picked up. As I ran down the street a car full of men honked at me, pulled over and I heard, "Rachel?! Quick, get in the car!" I jumped in, introduced myself, and proceeded to have one of the funniest mini golfing experiences to date. But...maybe I should go back and learn more about stranger danger. Whatever. That kid and I are best friends now so it's all good. #blacklightsmakeeveryonecool

-My friend is getting married tomorrow. I'm a bridesmaid. We joke about how we met freshman year because I was for sure crazy that night and she was going on a date with an RM and that was the coolest thing 18 year old me had ever heard of. And then we were roommies and sang to Anastasia together. And now she's getting married. 

-It's blasted hot everywhere. So I met up with some old friends and we decided to get snow cones. The things were huge. Ah, summer. I'd love you so much more if you didn't melt my skin on the way home from work. But, I guess that's what the pool is for, no?

-Duck Dynasty. Uncle Si. Go google this youtube video and laugh. I think Caroline and I have found our new favorite person and tv show i'm sorry say yes to the dress! i'll always love you. but you don't have an uncle si. I have a new goal in life: become a redneck.

peace and chicken-go-wraps

rrw





Wednesday, June 26, 2013

excessive never looked so good


You know what I haven't posted about in awhile?

Glacier. And it's about time I do. Because I still have about 300 photos from that trip. Plus I still have Colorado pictures. Man...am I little excessive? My family would answer "Yes." I would answer "Stop talking and say cheese. Right now. The lighting is perfect." except for i don't really say that nonsense about lighting because i'm not official enough to.

Anyway, take a look at Two Medicine area. Because, like, dang. The lighting was perfect there. jklolhags





Aster Falls 
2.8 miles roundtrip
-bunny sightings a likely occurrence
-attempting to catch said bunny will result in only good things and won't be humiliating at all. give it a shot.


what's up Captain Kirk?
looking a little angelic.
#appropriate


#beibershortsforever
#andohwowrememberwhenihadbangs?


i spy with my little eye....Caroline.
yeah. couldn't think of something clever to put there. 
any suggestions?



coolest cairn i've ever seen.
and i've seen my fair share of cairns.
nbd.


Running Eagle Falls
wheelchair accessible.
which i think is about the coolest thing. because even though people might not be able to hike all over montana, they can still see such pretty things!
yeah! life's cool!



While I won't be in this ^^^ part of Montana next week, I'm still really looking forward to being in Big Sky Country. I mean...LOOK.

ok ok. i show this one all the time. but it's probably my favorite picture i've ever taken.


peace and german chocolate
shootdang i forgot how good that stuff is

rrw




Tuesday, June 25, 2013

oh hey tuesday


There's a lot I could potentially complain about today, and to be honest my fingers and brain are itching to just unload. But, from experience, I know that that really only creates more problems and makes me feel even worse. My attitude about it today is that you solve the problems that you can and then when it all becomes like a Sudoku puzzle (which I'm not very good at) you set it all down and think, "Hey, at least I'm not stuck in a cage of lions with raw Zebra meat strapped to my body, while having to do Sudoku."

I mean, that would just be really bad.

So today I'll give you a song that I'm kind of liking recently, an old picture of me being Taylor Swift and singing about my sadness and age 20 points if that made any sense to you, and call it quits. I was going to do this whole list of good things about today but that just seems like overkill right now.




Oh Tuesdays, why can't we just get along already? At least there's music.

peace and watermelon
ohmygosh that's some good fruit

rrw





Friday, June 21, 2013

4 Pics 1 Week: summa summa summa



-So...maybe the feather thing came and went like, 2 years ago. But who cares if the fad has faded? Imma gonna wear this feather every summer until I'm 86 and have no more hair to put it in. H8ers can h8. i'm into using the super slick MSN messenger lingo lately. I guess I can't let go of the golden years.

-If you can't read the words in that second picture I don't blame you. It says "horcruxes got soul." I saw this on the back of a PT Cruiser and immediately whipped my phone out, pulled up as close as I possible could to the vehicle, and took this photo because it made me laugh right in the middle of traffic and construction on University. Well done bumper sticker. Well done.

-Even with so many of my friends coming home from 2 year adventures, there are still a few around the globe. And I love hearing from them. A lot. now dont' you all start sending me too much fan mail now that you know my address. but i mean, if you must.

-Went to the rodeo with this cute girl and other fun people. She looks great in a child's size cowboy hat, no? It was freezing, which was probably spring saying one last goodbye. Well, we heard ya springy spring. See you in a year.

peace and SUMMER

rrw



This is another linkup with The Crowley Party. I figured I've already been doing this awhile, might as well be apart of a group. You know, strength in numbers and all that jazz. like when all the girls leave to go to the bathroom together. ummmm. ok.




Thursday, June 20, 2013

throwback: elementary love version


Let me start this love saga off with the announcement that I was, in fact, the second most popular girl in elementary school. This status was legitimate because I didn't come up with it by myself. (even though it's totally something elementary-school-me would say about herself. i was a very pompous little girl. but now i'm super humble so it's not a problem) One of my friends told me that she had calculated it out and while Paige was the most popular (agreed. she was also my best friend, for what it's worth), I was the close second. I don't think I've ever been that close to the top of the social food chain since, so I bring it up whenever possible. Like...right now. Cool.

Being such a popular girl, boy drama was inevitable. With my crimped hair, huge bangs, buckteeth, and beanpole legs (which made me taller than all the boys) I was a catch. But this throwback isn't about how all the boys liked me because I was the SECOND MOST POPULAR GIRL IN SCHOOL (ok. i'll stop with that. especially since, as i think about it, it's not really something to brag about anyway. #sheesh). This is about the boys that I liked. So let's begin.

His name was Anders. We were in the same first grade class and would play "superbabies" at recess. All the boys would tuck their knees up into their shirts and hop around me, the superbaby mom. The boys would swarm, yelling "mommy! mommy!" while I pretended to be annoyed and not completely giddy at all the attention I was getting from all the coolest boys in first grade. But I really only had eyes for one. Anders.

All the girls did. From first grade to fifth grade, which was when he moved away, he was the boy all the girls wanted to dance with at the Valentine's Day dance, the one everyone wanted to sit next to at lunch, and play soccer with at recess. Your life ended if you weren't on the same Capture the Flag team as Anders during night games.

He was everything my elementary heart was looking for. Smart, athletic, neighborhood boy, pooka shell wearer, and had perfectly gelled hair that all the other boys tried to imitate. I was in love.

Nothing ever came of this love, however. My popularity must have intimidated him because he always chose to "date" the other girls. Whatever man. Your loss. i swear i'm not still bitter about this. maybe.

Then everything changed when Dylan came into the picture. We were in the same fourth/fifth split. I was a fifth, he was a fourth. (i'm telling you, i go for the younger guys). He was beautiful. We played soccer together. And walked home from school together. And would glance at each other and then quickly look away. It was the things songs are made of.

The fourth/fifth split went on a field trip that year to Classic Skating. I don't know what the educational value of this field trip was, but I am certainly glad it happened. The used skates, confetti pattern carpet, Avril Lavigne music, and disco lights and lasers were the perfect setting for the next (and final) step of Dylan and mine's relationship.

I had my favorite jean overalls on over my favorite pink plaid shirt. My bangs looked not so poofy and my braces matched my outfit. I was a bombshell. I remember standing with my friends in a crowd as the DJ announced that the "snowball" skate was about to happen (i still don't understand that name). This snowball dance was boys choice and I knew who I wanted to ask me to skate. I could see him standing over with his friends, could see him looking over at me, watched as his friends pushed him out of the circle, laughing. I stared as he came across the floor to our group. Everyone froze as he asked me to snowball skate with him (no eye contact was made during the making of this snowball couple). I agreed, took his hand, and spent the next 3 minutes of my life skating in circles without speaking a word. The song ended, we dropped each other's hand, actually looked at each other for the first time, said "see ya" and then skated away as fast as we could.

And that was the end.


I wish I could say that my strategy with boys has changed since then, but it really hasn't. The whole "no eye contact, no speaking, and running away" thing continues to reel them in. I can't help it.


peace and snowball skating

rrw


ps. this post is inspired by the linkup with The Life of Bon at www.thelifeofbon.com. Go look her up. She's hilarious. I just can't get the button thing to work for me, which, you know, is typical.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

must be tuesday


I woke up late today because last night I was super smart and stayed up super late talking with my best friend on the phone. After that conversation I decided it would be a good time to put coconut oil in my hair because apparently that's supposed to help with moisture and strength and blah blah blah. Basically it made me look like a grease-pot and my hair feels just the same as it always has. This greased up hair made it so that I HAD to shower, because seriously guys. Draco and Snape would be jealous of the greasiness that was my hair this morning.

So I was double late to work, forgot my phone, sunglasses, and book. Oh, and my makeup. But whatever. I'm over that stuff. When I finally arrived at work I was informed that I was about to be automatically terminated (aka fired) because I'm not signed up for classes in the fall. Oh BYU. I love the hoops you make all your students and employees jump through. You and me, BYU, we should enter the circus together. I'll be the monkey that you yell things like, "Dance circus monkey, DANCE." to. And you better believe I'll dance.

So...let's hope I can work it so that I'm NOT immediately, automatically, abruptly and forcefully terminated from life as a TEDSEC. Although the thought crossed my mind that maybe, must maybe, being terminated wouldn't be such a bad thing. That thought immediately left my mind as I considered my other options for employment. I mean, I've paid my dues to Papa Smurfs and Coldstone. I actually really like coming home from work NOT smelling like pizza sauce and old caramel.

Basically, it's Tuesday. And the fact that I was just on vacation all last week makes being here that much more difficult. I mean....really? This compared to that?



Whateves though. Whateves. oh hey. it's the fourth couple of the family. ^^^^ #sisterpride #sistershame? #sisters

At least I got a dollar off my Turkey Harvest Croissant sandwich at the MOA Cafe. At least.

And now I can't find the song I really wanted to share today. Cool beans. COOL BEANS.

You know, maybe I need to calm down. This song helps me clam down. So actually really cool beans. I'll post that.


Why Not? by Jónsi on Grooveshark

peace. just peace today.

rrw





Monday, June 17, 2013

downtown denver


I've always thought that I didn't really like big cities. I didn't like being around a ton of people and having a bajillion humans all living on top of each other without a shred of nature in sight. I think this mostly comes from my dislike of a certain west coast state that has way too many electoral college votes and an over-saturation of overly-paid people who put their handprints in cement. oops. did that opinion come off too strong? But since I visited Seattle and Portland about a year and half ago, I realized I needed to reevaluate this aversion to cities I thought that I had.

Denver reaffirmed this.

After flying out of Vegas all by myself, I might add. It was about time I grew up, you know? Especially since I'll be flying to Europe by myself later this year...but...we don't have to think about that yet I was picked up by my loving family and was immediately beat up on and teased about my voice which resembled batman by Caroline. These antics lasted the entire vacation, which is normal. And made for some pretty funny jokes and references. So...I guess it's ok.

We made our way downtown via the directional genius of our smart phones and the family minivan. We circled a park a few times, trying to decide if it was an ok spot to pull out the cooler and have a family picnic. After having to describe what a "joint" was to Caroline, we chose to eat on the other side of the park, where only one drunk/high man went running by yelling about how the trees were in pain and we shouldn't hurt them. amen brother.

Across the street from where we were eating was the art museum. During my architecture class I spent a good amount of time learning of the different design styles and definitely saw a slide or two of this building. Seeing it in person was awesome. And frustrating. No matter where I stood, I could not get the shot I wanted. Fortunately my dad is super supportive and persistent (more than I am on occasion) and walked from one point of the lawn to another, climbed on walls and knelt for 6 minutes, trying to find a good angle and waiting for people to pass so I could awkwardly stand in front of the sign and point to it in case people didn't realize where I actually was.








just look at all of those seemingly chaotic angles and planes. 
the geometrical accomplishment is just so. cool. 
and who doesn't love a larger than life dust pan?


The inside of this place was like that creepy show about the sister who doesn't want to babysit her baby brother so she lets a goblin or something take him and then she has to go rescue him and the baby is crawling on the ceiling and walls and your 7 year old mind is just totally blown because you don't understand it at all. Oh, and David Bowie is in it. labyrinth. it really exists. i'm not crazy.

Anyway, there were points while walking through the museum where I legitimately had vertigo. To refrain from becoming sick I only looked over the balcony once or twice ok, like, i looked a bunch of times for a long period of time. it was just SO COOL. There's no way to explain or show this experience. So I'll just put some pictures up of our antics around the museum.

an attempt at trying to show what the inside of this place was like.


 the only way to describe this room is Boohbah meets Alice in Wonderland.
but i liked this place A LOT more than either of those things.

 and then there were Hieronymus Bosch inspired puppets. 
and anything Bosch inspired is bound to be spectacular.
or just plain weird.
try to imagine the fun we had with that.
just try.
it was almost as much fun as my dad had leaping over this fountain.
well done father. 

and then we found a giant cow.
so obviously Caroline did a few chin ups on it.
 and...so did i.
*cough*



After this the minivan made it's way through the rather narrow roads toward 16th Street, the pedestrian mall in which we got gelato and were offered free pot by a street performer. I tried to convince my mom that her little pony, Captain, would fit right in with the massive Clydesdale horses pulling the huge carriages up and down the street. We concluded that conversation with the realization that Captain can't cross cracks in the pavement. whoa. say that 5 times fast. Ah, but we love that little pony.







mom's face and where's waldo, kirk edition. 


Well there you go. My only complaint about Denver was that we didn't get an omelette, which is apparently what they're really well known for? I don't know. My dad said so. So I believe him.

Case and point: cities are pretty cool.
And so are the Rockies. Hold tight. They're coming up.

peace and deconstructivism design

rrw





Friday, June 14, 2013

getting used to summer


Don't mind me. I've been busy. But here are some pictures. Let's hear a hoorah for phones, because lugging the camera around is sometimes a pain. oh my. what have i just said. i love my camera. and will provide real pictures from it soon. but for now, phone pictures. 

Vegas wedding.
We are the party.
Bellagio. 
I WILL have this in my future home.
Or maybe I could convince my landlord to install it now...
Speaking of weddings, I think I found the perfect accessory for mine in an old antique shop in Leadville CO.
#scaryplace 
#whydidiputthatonmyhead
#iprobablyhaveadiseasenow
Who needs the Alps when you have the Rockies?


More summer adventures are on their way. And that is why I don't take classes during the summer.

peace and traveling

rrw