Tales of Woe

I'm not one to post of my medical concerns, but this one has gone long enough. Oh, and this has nothing to do with shoes, or traveling...just thought you should know.

Here is the story I related to my boss, keep into account I had no intention of using correct grammar:

...And, so story time, yesterday as I laid in repose whilst trying to complete my homework, I began to feel all tingly in my face, although at the time I thought it was my hand, so I removed my hand and then realized it was indeed my face that was "falling asleep." I touched my mouth and it felt puffy so I got up, went to the mirror, and lo and behold my face was swelling up, okay just my mouth, well to be accurate, HALF OF MY MOUTH (the left side), and so I called my Mom and told her I was dying and she told me to go get Benadryl.

So, I went to the pharmacy with my roommate who feared I would go into anaphylactic shock any second. When I got to the pharmacy my roommate recommended Zyrtec instead. We stood there for a minute, and we decided to go ask the pharmacist. So here's the funny part. My roommate asks the pharmacist if he recommended Benadryl or Zyrtec for an allergic reaction, to which he replies, what kind of reaction? I then turn my face, point to my mouth, and exclaim, THIS TYPE. "Oh my" was his response. OH MY INDEED. He recommended Zyrtec, less drowsiness involved, although considering I haven't been able to sleep for the past two nights, the side effect would have been welcome.

only the beginning, sigh

Anyway, I took the recommended dose and thought to myself, I hope this goes down before my class/group meetings. Did it!?!?!?!? OF COURSE NOT! I woke up and it was the same or worse than it had been the night before. So I did what only a person with sense would do and I went to the kitchen, opened the freezer, and grabbed whatever I could find that wasn't frozen poultry, and iced...for an hour. (I know, you were expecting something nonsensical, alas I was not using any form of sarcasm in my statement, odd 'tis true.) It wasn't going down so I caved and went to go see a doctor.

FUNNIER PART. Fast forward to me sitting in the doctor's office, he walks in, I relate to him my woes, starting with the hives I've been getting since the summer (on and off of course) and then I get to my mouth. I relate to him the fact that my lips were massively swollen, and he says WAIT FOR IT, "I was wondering about that, wasn't sure if that was swelling or your actual lips." WHAT THE WHAT!!!!! I laughed politely, secretly wanting to shank him, and told him it had gotten much better after icing it. He then proceeded to tell me it wasn't bad if I intended to kiss anyone. WHICH I DON'T. So that comment was as ridiculous as the first.

And that is about it. Now I am home, I went to one group meeting with only slightly larger than usual lips, and am still feeling tingly, but not as bad as it was yesterday.

THE END

Heart Full of Thanksgiving

I considered myself a frequent flyer far before I traveled half-way around the world. For the past 3 years (or maybe it's closer to 4) I have been going home for nearly every holiday. Well actually, in the span of 4 school years, I have only been home for Easter once...but that's besides the point. I go home every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My Mom has always been willing to sacrifice her time to provide us children with the most decorated, mot delicious, most delightful holiday experiences. We've celebrated everything, from the traditional Christmas to St. Patrick's Day, which being as we aren't a drinking family or in elementary school anymore...well there really is no reason to be celebrating. And when I say celebrating, I mean, trimmings and all. Here are but a few examples:

Valentine's Day

Christmas Eve

St. Patrick's Day

Corned Beef and Cabbage (style-a-la-mom)? YES PLEASE!

Easter

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to express a heart full of thanks to my mom, who is the most talented and creative mom EVER, granted I may be expressing just a tad bit of bias, but seriously? Did you see the food? Did you see the decorations?!? No doubt, we've been spoiled.

Now, to the shoe part. As I said before, I've become a frequent flyer through my long and extensive travels from Utah to California, and considering I almost ALWAYS forget my ipod or crosswords, it literally ends up being the longest hour and a half flight EVER. This Thanksgiving I got to see my little nephew and decided it would only be right if I brought him some BYU footwear to sport. He pretty much loves his shoes, I can tell. Good thing too, need to start him out young. Whether he loves sports, BYU, or has good fashion sense...well, I'd be satisfied. If only the BYU Bookstore had a catalog...that I'm aware of...

My favorite nephew =)

G'day Mate

The moment you have all been waiting for, of this I am sure. It's not as if I talk about the awesomeness of the South Pacific everyday...actually, I really don't.

Cairns, Australia

You know when you're sitting in sacrament meeting and it just so happens you forgot it's testimony Sunday, until of course you are jolted into reality as your roommate goes up to the podium and you think to yourself, "what! she never told me she was giving a talk!" and subsequently you hear your stomach growl, but a different growl, this growl is more than the typical I-woke-up-late-and-have-15-minutes-to-shower-and-get-ready type of growl, this growl, along with its persistence to resonate LOUDLY throughout the whole room, is a reminder of the many hours of hunger you have ahead of you, thus making it all the more painful. Not to say that fasting is bad, or that I disagree with the practice, but I would be lying if the reality of feeling hunger pains, and knowing that I will continue to feel hunger pains, brought any sort of satisfaction.

Alice Springs, Australia

Anyway, as I was saying, when it's fast and testimony meeting and you sit there listening, or hearing, people speak, there is always one person who reminisces endlessly about their mission and you pray that maybe that person will one day find themselves in a situation that will allow them to relate a story that is slightly more tolerable than hearing about their companions and the spirit for the nth time. But again, I do not believe missions are bad or not worth talking about. My point is this: I know EXACTLY what is going through the minds of those mission-loving testimony bearers. All you want to do is relate an experience that consumed your life and that was indeed life-altering. And so to all those return missionaries I rolled my eyes at pre-South Pacific trip, accept my sincerest apologies. I would recommend, however, to come to an understanding of the significance it had in your life vs. the significance it holds to those who have not served missions or anything like them. Keep your audience in mind, is all I'm saying. And so, with that being said, I TRY to at least leave the South Pacific in my thoughts and only let such thoughts spill when appropriate.

Fiji

Tonight, however, my friend asked me to help him give a presentation on our experiences on our study abroad. Did I mention it was a study abroad? Well it was. And we went to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. All amazing, all my favorite in their own respect. Now that the presentation is done and over with, the desire to be back on the study abroad is...beyond explanation. I loved it. It simply, changed my life. Cliché I know, but saying that it hasn't changed my life would be a straight-up lie. I really hope that one of the last memories to fade as I grow old and senile, are those of the time I spent on this study abroad.

More to come. Promise.

GINORMOUS Australian Spider

Alice Springs, Australia

New Zealand

Fiji

Fiji - Brad and The Guides

Kadavu, Fiji

Sportos aka Duck Boots

At Disneyland, wearing my Sporto's proud.

I LOVE DUCK BOOTS!!!!!!!!! I could just end there, but I guess I should add some background story to this bold, yet very true, statement. In short, I am from California, California has snow, snow requires appropriate footwear, and so as a young child we had a pair of duck boots that was passed down from kid to kid as we all went through the ceremonial, "6th Grade Science Camp."

Since I've kind of, sort of grown (including my feet) I had to get a new pair, but wasn't necessarily a huge fan of the hand-me-down duck boots UNTIL, well, I went through a Gilmore Girl phase in high school. Longer story short, Rory wore duck boots in most of the high school episodes and so OBVIOUSLY I had to get some for myself, and I did.

And now I LOVE THEM! So practical, and so cool, even though people (specifically Michael) make fun of me for wearing them, I still think they are the awesomest. One day Sporto's will be popular, if they aren't already,  and people (aka Michael) will have to eat their (his) words.