Rain! And the Super Bowl!

We had five straight days of rain a few weeks ago.  But the pool in the courtyard of our apartment never overflowed.  I was watching.  And I  really wanted it to.  The pool went back to the normal level.

It rained yesterday.  And it poured from 8 p.m. until about 6 a.m.  I went outside around 3 a.m. to listen and watch the rain because it was just so crazy.  I love rain.

We got so much rain last night - this is the closest the pool has been to overflowing:

The 5x5 tile that says 8 is almost completely submerged.  The regular water level is two inches below the start of the numbered tile.  Yay rain!  Boo, no overflowing!

You might notice that I am wearing a Reggie Bush Saints jersey.  I am extremely conflicted.  I've heart'd  Reggie Bush since his USC freshman year.  And Drew Brees since he was a Boilermaker.  And we have family in New Orleans.  And the Saints have never won a Super Bowl and you know how I love underdogs.  And if the Saints win the victory parade will be crazier than any Mardi Gras parade, and that's saying something.

But.

The first quarterback I ever loved was Steve Sarkisian from BYU when I was in fifth grade.  The second quarterback I ever loved was Peyton Manning at Tennessee when I was in sixth grade.  And I've been a Peyton fan ever since.  I have a long history with Peyton (well - not a personal history - just a fan history in case you were confused.).  Plus, the Colts have Aaron Francisco and Austin Collie from BYU.  I cheered for those guys in person in Provo-land.

I have no idea who I want to win.  Either way I'm going to be happy and sad.  But it should be an excellent game to watch.  But I don't know if I can stand to watch.  I can't wait!

Emergency!

Today we had to make two emergency trips to the store.

The first one was for cheese and cereal.

The second one was for Dr. Pepper and donuts.

Don't judge.


Mom, the cat is not on the roof.

We are trying to figure out this private health insurance stuff.  This is how it makes me feel: 

(source)

It's a mess, but I'll take it over Obama-Care.

An intervention

A while back, I received a rather interesting letter from the United States of California. Apparently, they had gotten wind that I had been pulled over in Utah for speeding (5 mph over - well, at least that's what I was cited for... *shifty eyes*). On top of that, way back when when I was in Baltimore installing security systems I had also been pulled over for making an improper left turn. In my defense, the roads in Baltimore are screwy. No, seriously. You should go check them out. No, really - go ahead. I'll wait...

Huh? What do you mean you're located on the other side of the continental United States? Psh. Whatever. Okay, for those who don't want to take an awesome ROAD TRIP!!!! (and by awesome I mean you have to spend an entire day driving through Nebraska - that brings many words to mind, but trust me: awesome isn't one of them), here is a link to the Google machine that will show you what I mean. You see that intersection? The one where Charing Cross Rd hits the Baltimore Pike? It was nowhere near there.

Ha! Okay, actually it was right there. To make a long story short, I had just gotten through with an... interesting... install and was trying to get back on the main road to go grab some lunch (or at least I think that's what I was doing; in all honesty, I can't even remember what I wore yesterday, let alone what I was doing trying to get to the Baltimore Pike). But there I was on Old Frederick Road. I drove past the intersection of, um, Old... Frederick... Road?? (Seriously, Baltimore? You ran out of names so the best idea you could come up with was to name it the same and hope that nobody noticed?) and continued my journey on the smaller-yet-similarly-named... Old Frederick Road. I made it through the 40 feet of road identity theft and stopped at Charing Cross Road. See how it's a one-way street? Yeah, neither did I. If you look at the intersection in Street View, you'll notice that Baltimore conveniently left the "No left turn or going straight here" sign off the stop sign on the right - the one further up - the one you actually stop at. They also conveniently placed a member of the local law enforcement agency a quarter of a mile down in a parking lot, just watching for people like me to not see said sign.

I wish I could say that I led the MD state police in the longest interstate chase in twenty years. Actually, I wish I could even say the police was in his car when he pulled me over. Yes, you read correctly: he was on foot. As I came driving down Baltimore Pike (looking for lunch or quite possibly searching for two streets with different names), the officer took a leisurely stroll out into my lane and motioned for me to enter the parking lot of the small, quaint church where he was enjoying his day full of pulling people over for going straight.

The officer was none too amused with my report of roadentity theft. Or at least I imagine that he wouldn't have been. Five minutes later, I was back on my way (to where, we may never know) with a nice fat ticket under my belt.

Soooooo.... with two points on my record (I really don't understand how the whole drivers license system works here - is that a little? is that a lot?), California decided that it was time to take action. They didn't want to stand by idly while I willfully endangered my life and the lives of those around me. Especially little babies, the elderly, and those who drive 110mph down the 5 in their BMWs. So they staged an intervention.

Now, this intervention was not your typical intervention. There was no family or friends gathered 'round. There was no pleading through tears to change my ways. Cali decided to up the ante and went straight for the PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVELY GUILTING ME WITH A LETTER WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS INTO CHANGING MY WAYS approach.

I think it's pretty effective (note: the names have been changed to protect the identities of the innocent. I changed some road names, too - just for sport):

DEAR CALIFORNIA DRIVER:

DRIVERS WITH CRASHES AND TRAFFIC CONVICTIONS ON THEIR RECORDS ARE AT A GREATER RISK OF CAUSING FUTURE CRASHES. YOUR RECENT RECORD OF BAD DRIVING (SEE BELOW) PLACES YOU AT INCREASED RISK OF CAUSING CRASHES, INJURY AND DEATH. WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO SUFFER THOSE CONSEQUENCES AND WANT TO HELP YOU AVOID THEM.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE YOU AREA GOOD DRIVER, AND YET YOUR DRIVING RECORD IS MUCH WORSE THAN THE AVERAGE CALIFORNIA DRIVER. WHILE YOU MAY BE A GOOD AND SAFE DRIVER MOST OF THE TIME, YOUR RECORD REFLECTS AT LEAST MOMENTARY LAPSES IN DRIVING JUDGMENT. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A MOMENT OF CARELESSNESS CAN BECOME A TRAGEDY. GOOD, CARING PEOPLE WHO MAKE CARELESS DECISIONS WHILE DRIVING CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH.

IN OUR EFFORT TO URGE YOU TO DRIVE SAFER, WE ARE OFFERING YOU A CHOICE. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO PREVENT FURTHER ACTION FROM DMV BY AVOIDING ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CONVICTIONS AND BY NOT CAUSING ANY CRASHES. HOWEVER, IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE YOUR UNSAFE DRIVING, THE PENALTIES WILL INCREASE AND EVENTUALLY LEAD TO PROBATION, SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF YOUR DRIVING PRIVILEGE.

WE BELIVE YOU ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING A CHANGE TO BECOME A SAFER DRIVER, BUT IT IS UP TO YOU TO DO SO. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE, YOUR DRIVING WILL CONTINUE TO PRESENT A RISK TO YOURSELF AND OTHER ROAD USERS. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE AND BECOME A SAFER, MORE RESPONSIBLE DRIVER, YOU CAN. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL DECIDE TO CHANGE, BUT THE CHOICE IS YOURS.

So there you have it. Apparently California is worried that I am listening to too much rock and roll and am going to become a hoodlum and turn to a life of crime.

Remember kids: you have a choice (SEE BELOW)! =)

T

On Saturday T:
1.  Cleaned the bathroom
2.  Did the dishes
3.  Did the laundry
4.  Fixed the printer
5.  Listened to me practice my lesson
6.  Listened when I freaked out about having to give the lesson the next day

He's wonderful.  Just thought you should know.

The DMVizzle

Really, I cannot stop myself from adding izzle on the end of almost everything.  It's a disease.  But a very fun one to have.  And don't worry, I don't use izzle in public.  Only in my head (and thus the blog).  And with T.  And my mom.

Anyway, I went to the DMV to get a California license so I could get a library card.  I thought about getting a CA license in October so I could vote, but as it turns out there was not a single election for the district we were living in at that time.  So I am just getting one now.  I kept my maiden name so I got to skip the extra steps for a name change.  There's nothing wrong with T's last name, I am just very attached to my last name.

I went on a Wednesday, because who would take Wednesday off to go to the DMV?  Apparently, a lot of people.  I left the house at nine a.m. and the internet said the wait was four minutes.  Half an hour later I arrived at the DMV saw the line half way around the building.  I couldn't find a parking spot and had to park on the street a block up.

I was in the line outside for over an hour.  At least it was a lovely day and the rain had stopped on Monday.  I was at the DMV for just under three hours total.  I was only mildly interested in the book I brought so I did some subtle people watching.  The guy in line behind me rescued a girl in line's scarf from under a car.  I don't know why, but that just struck me as extraordinarily nice.  I mean, of course it was nice, but it just seemed like that was the first nice thing I have ever seen a stranger do for another stranger in  Southern California.  It almost made me tear up. 

It's strange because in Utah I felt like people were mostly willing to be nice to strangers.  In New York City I felt like people most of the time didn't really care about strangers one way or the other.  In Southern California  I feel like people are actively out to get strangers.  Of course these are crazy broad generalizations but that is how it feels to me.

Anyway, all of the worker bees I interacted with at the DMV were polite and not grumpy at all.  So a very different SoCal DMV experience than T's.

The part that made me most nervous is the eye exam (not the written test - please! - I got 100%).  I have always hated eye exams because they make me so nervous.  I know that's ridiculous because it's not like you can study for them.  But I always feel so stupid when I can't read the little letters.  And then when I can't read the next size up either.  I'm not sure what exactly I am scared about.  Maybe that others will know I'm blind?  Or that I have to admit to someone else that I'm blind?  Or having my classmates know that I'm blind?  Or that it's a test that I have absolutely no control over?  Or something else?  I'm not sure.

The first eye exam I remember being nervous about was in third grade.  This was the kind of eye exam where they line the whole class up and the PTA volunteers take kids one at a time to read a chart on the other side of the gym.  I didn't pass.

From elementary through high school I would hate driving in the car with my parents when they would ask me to help them read the street signs.  Now I realize my parents were just trying to find a certain street in an unfamiliar area, but back then I thought it was an eye test and I hated it and often refused to do it. 

I hate going to the eye doctor even now and there's no one else around in that little room except the doctor and me (and my mom).  I hate how you put your eyes up to that big machine and he flips the letters around and you can't tell if you're supposed to be able to read it or not.  Really, every time I get my eyes checked I feel like crying.

I had lasik when I was a senior in college, but over this summer I noticed that my eyes were not as sharp as they used to be.  I think I need a touch up and I wasn't sure if I would be able to read the sign at the DMV.  But I did just fine.  The DMV lady came at me with a paper to cover one of my eyes and I seriously thought she was going to give me a paper cut on my eye.

Oh, the State of California now has my right thumbprint on file.  They have you grab a plastic mold and rest your thumb on top to capture your thumbprint electronically.  I wonder what they would do if you didn't have a right hand (the mold is specific for the right hand)?  Or if you refused to give them a thumbprint?  And why do they need my thumbprint in the first place? 

Also, they took my picture and didn't ask if I wanted to see it or re-do it or anything (they asked both times in Utah).  They printed a small black and white copy that I had to show to take the written test and the picture looks okay even though my hair is a bit wonky.  Then after I finished the written test the DMV took away my California picture and punched a hole in my Utah license.

My temporary license is just three half sheets of paper stapled together.  My picture is nowhere on any of these papers.  Odd.  The temporary Utah ones look just like a real license but in paper and black and white.  This California place is very strange.

I still don't feel like a California resident.  Probably because of the strange temporary license and the fact that it is just a temporary license.  And the fact that I still carry around my Utah license.  I guess I am having a hard time letting go.  But you probably knew that way before now.

Goodness, this post has been all over.  If you have actually managed to read it all... well, you deserve a medal. 

SNOW!!!

No, it didn't snow in SoCal.  Heaven help us if it did.  I would love it, but no one would be able to handle driving in it.

I was missing the snow a lot.  I  love Utah's seasons.  So Cal only has two seasons: hot and warm.  Now that's not really the kind of weather I can wear all my cute sweaters and jackets and coats in.  So back in December I decided to bring the snow to us.  T probably thought I was crazy, but I cut out about 50 paper snowflakes and hung them in the apartment.  Like such:

True confession:  Sophomore year at BYU my apartment (all six of us) made snowflakes.  We ended up throwing out all the snowflakes I made because they looked so bad.  This time I used the internet to figure out how to make a snowflake that didn't look like crap. After the first 10 or so I got the hang of it. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 (Why, yes.  This one does look like snow DNA.  It was completely unintentional.)

I love our snowflakes.  I'm going to leave them up as long as I can get away with it.  What do you think?  The start of March, maybe?...