Another One Bites The Dust

It's that time again, folks. Another year-in-review, with a few changes but mostly more of the same. Hey--at least I got more than one blog post in this year, right? (very small yay)

What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?

I was a guest host on two different podcasts (Radio Ronin twice, and So B.I.G. one time). It was really fun, and I hope to do it again soon. I'll be hanging out with the ladies of Life On The Rocks, Please in a few weeks. They are awesome, and it will be a blast.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Yes, I did make some. Did I keep them? Well . . .

To finish the unfinished projects before I start more (uh . . .)
To spend less money on makeup (uh . . .)
To be unapologetically myself (uh . . . I still find myself apologizing for myself frequently)
To ask for what I want (I've been a little better about this, but there's lots of room for improvement)

I think I'll keep these very generic goals, and add a few more, though I'm not writing them here.

Did anyone close to you give birth?

My brother Dave & his wife Lexy had baby #6 (Eve Ximena-Renee) in March, and I was privileged to be there for my niece's birth. What a lovely experience.

My sister Sarah gave birth to a sweet baby boy (Miles John), but he was born too soon (19 weeks). It has been devastating for her and Chad, and we are all still so sad from losing him. I kinda feel robbed of getting to know my nephew, though I know he's close. Chad & Sarah are doing IVF again, so we are hoping for another miracle next year.

Did anyone close to you die?

See above.
Also, Tollene's dog Ginger died. (We got a new dog, Finn, or as Benji calls him, "Hi-Finn.")
And a very nice guy from my ward, Brad Andreason passed away not too long after Miles and Ginger. He was in his early 50's and had lots of heart problems, but seeing so many people grieving is rough. I cried a lot in August and September. (Who am I kidding? I cry all the freaking time.)

What countries did you visit?

I should really just change this question to states, but within the next 5 years I will be able to write different countries! So until that point, I'll answer: Wyoming, Idaho, California, Washington State, and two I hadn't visited before: Minnesota & Iowa. They are lovely places!

What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

Confidence and organization

What date from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory?

August 30 (Baby Miles's birthday)

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Surviving December. It was brutal.

What was your biggest failure?

Attempting to teach Microbiology. Ha! That was a joke!

Did you suffer illness or injury?

I spent a few days in the hospital with sepsis. Not fun. I got better, though I still have some lingering effects therefrom. My friend Erica Dawn had a terrible infection and was in the hospital for two months. Mine was a breeze compared to hers.

What was the best thing you bought?

Tickets to see two of my favourite bands in Seattle. Best. Mother's Day. Ever.

Whose behavior merited celebration?

Benji has been doing great. He was SO GOOD at Disneyland! I was very impressed with the way he handled the crowds and the rides!

Where did most of your money go?

Bills. Car. Food. Concerts. Gifts. Airline Tickets. Disneyland. Bath & Body Works. Ulta. Amazon. (Not necessarily in that order)

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

My trip to Seattle. The food was great, the company was great, the music was beyond great. 

What song will always remind you of 2017?

The big songs of the year (that I've heard once or twice and kinda liked) were "Despacito (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee w/The Biebs) and "Sign of the Times" (Harry Styles). I listened to that Taylor Swift song a couple of times and it was terrible. I liked Chainsmokers (w/Coldplay) "Something Just Like This" in spite of myself. I also listened to a lot of Tom Petty (R.I.P.), but my personal favorite is "Lights of Home" by U2, which is better than all of those other songs combined.  

My album of the year is "Songs of Experience" by U2 (I know this surprises nobody). I usually have more albums, but since I've started listening to a lot more podcasts, I haven't had as much time for music. That's why three of my top ten are from U2, and two are from my community choir (Salt Lake Singers). I should probably branch out a bit more, but I was kinda sparse in my concert partaking this year.

My top 10 SONGS of 2017 (or, the songs that have meant the most to me this year)

10. "All Praise to Thee" by Elaine Hagenberg

9. "The Work of Christmas" by Howard Thurman/Dan Forrest

8. "Top of the World" by Greek Fire

7. "The Sky is a Neighborhood" by Foo Fighters

6. "Solid Gold" by Tom Chaplin & JONES

5. "Take Me As You Found Me" by Anberlin

4. "Landlady" by U2

3. "You're the Best Thing About Me" by U2

2. "You Don't Know How It Feels" by Tom Petty

1. "Lights of Home" by U2

And the concert list for this year (short but great): 

Young the Giant (2.4.17 at the Complex)
U2 with Mumford & Sons (5.14.17 at CenturyLink Field)
Depeche Mode (8.23.17 at USANA)
Offspring/Sublime with Rome (9.30.17 at USANA)

I had tickets to see Foo Fighters, but ended up selling them. I'm such an idiot.

I should really add my top Podcasts of the year, since that's become a thing:
10. The Park Hoppers
9. Rolling Stone Music Now
8. S-Town
7. Gregg's Guide to New Music/Ticked (tied)
6. Radio Ronin
5. This American Life
4. Baconsale
3. Life on the Rocks, Please
2. Awesome with Alison
1. Heavyweight

Compared to this time last year, are you:

   Happier or sadder? Not sure at the moment. It depends on the day and how much sleep I've had.

   Thinner or fatter? Don't ask.

   Richer or poorer?  We just got back from Disneyland. I'm feeling very poor at the moment.

What do you wish you’d done more of?  

Exercising.  Spending time with my boy.

What do you wish you’d done less of?  

Staying up too late, saying yes when I really want to say no.

How will you be spending Christmas? 

Honestly, I'm not sure

Did you fall in love in 2017?

Not so much

Who were your best friends?

Peggy, Heather. My sisters.

What thing did you do that was meaningful to others?

I spent LOTS of time taking and editing pictures this year (and several of these sessions were free of charge); I hope they are meaningful to others, or what the hell am I doing?
I also worked really hard on the Christmas Program for my ward/choir (I'm the ward choir director), and coordinating and practicing with all of the groups, getting them to participate, writing, copying, etc., etc. It was rough, but I think it turned out well, and I hope it was a nice and meaningful meeting for everyone involved.

What were your favorite TV programs?

The Mindy Project, Madam Secretary, Designated Survivor, This Is Us, Mr. Robot, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Not really. There are people who I really looked up to in the past, for whom the shine has dulled a bit. 

What was the best book you read in 2017?

I did not read a lot this year. The best book I read was "Origin" by Dan Brown, with "Artemis" by Andy Weir coming in a very close second. They were both excellent. I keep thinking I'm going to read more once I get caught up, but I'm never caught up anymore.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

How good the Offspring still sound! They were rocking! Subime--not so much.

What did you want and get?

Disneyland for Christmas. Yay! (And never again!!)

What did you want but did NOT get?

A Kindle. Good lord--this has been on my list for like 5 years now.

What was your favorite film of this year?

I actually liked Star Wars Episode VIII, though it's getting a lot of flack. I LOVED Baby Driver (which I got to see in a critic's screening with Kenny D) and Wonder Woman, but Dunkirk was AMAZING. Best film of the year, hands down. 

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

No idea. I turned 38. Gads, I'm getting old.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

More sleep. And a lot more sex.

What kept you sane?

Friends. Good people at work and church and in my life.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I'm currently crushing on Adam Driver, a.k.a., Kylo Ren, a.k.a., Darth Tall Jew. I don't know what it is, but I'm hooked.

What political issue stirred you the most?

I've been following Seth Abramson, an Attorney and Criminal Law/journalism professor on Twitter. He has been following and analyzing the "Trump-Russia Thing" for months now. He uses a lot of different reputable sources, and he explains things in such a clear, fascinating way. It's SO MUCH to take in that it hurts my brain sometimes, but I feel like I'm watching Watergate unfold before my eyes. Can I just say--Bob Mueller is THE MAN.  

Who did you miss?

I don't get to see Peggy often enough, but she tries to make time for me. I miss DeLayna, who is currently living in Germany. And, of course, Joyce, Susan, Brittany, Todd, and the others who decided I wasn't worth their time.

Who was the best new person you met this year?

Make it two: Lara & Erin. The LOTRP ladies are so awesome. I adore them.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017.

Invest in people who invest in you. (Thank you, Alison!)

Quote that sums up your year:

Allison had so many tasty nuggets, and I learned a lot from working with my friend Daniel Blomberg on his brain consulting stuff, but I worked a lot on my handwriting/lettering this year, and I wrote this so many times it has stuck. The words are so beautiful, and the music makes me cry. This is what it's all about.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,

To make music from the heart.
--Howard Thurman/Dan Forrest

So there it is. I'm glad I was able to get this done today (another thing off my to-do list!). I want to know how your year went. Please comment or message me or whatever. If you're reading this, I can pretty much guarantee I have thought about you recently, so let me know how you are. 

LOVE YA.

Where You Invest Your Love, You Invest Your Life

I feel like I need to catch up on my crazy life.  Since it's quiet at work right now, we'll see how far I can get.

1.  Benji's school.  

Last February, when we found out that Benji did not receive a scholarship to attend the Carmen B. Pingree Center for Children with Autism next year, we put in his name for a lottery for Spectrum Academy, a charter school. for autistic children.  We didn't hear anything back from them, so we spent months in meetings and evaluations and phone calls trying to get Benji placed within the Granite School District.  We decided on Whittier School, which is a nice, big elementary school with quite a lot of resources.  His teacher is really cute, his entire class would be made up of autistic children, they are piloting a new program this year, his classroom is directly across the hall from the school nurses (yes, plural!  And actual RNs, not just an LPN), and they would bus him to and from school.  We were all set to start school on Wednesday, August 28th.

The Thursday before (August 22nd), Allen and I each received an e-mail:

Congratulations! Your child was selected to attend Spectrum Academy for the 2013-2014 school year.

Student Name & Grade: Benjamin Cox, AM Kindergarten

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.

We have attached some paperwork that we need you to go through and complete. We will also need a copy of your child's immunization record, birth certificate and IEP (if applicable) by Friday, August 21st in order to secure your child's spot for our upcoming school year. Please let us know by phone or email as soon as possible if you would like this spot.

If you would like, you can call and schedule a tour. Please call and schedule it at 801-936-0318 option 1. Your child is invited to attend if you like.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Wendy Hansard

Office Manager - Elementary

Spectrum Academy

Truthfully, I didn't know what to do.  I felt really good about sending him to Whittier--it seems like a really great school.  Plus it would be super convenient for me, and I don't need more stress in my life.  I called them on Friday to see if we could go check it out, but everyone in the building was out for medical training.  So we went on Monday, 8/26.  It is a nice, small school, and the Kindergartens have 6 kids in them.  SIX.  And once you are in, you don't need to apply for the lottery again.  They said, "He's ours until you take him out."  That's something--to not have to worry about where he will fit in next year, or even after that, because they go all the way through high school.  

Allen was really pushing for us to accept the placement (especially since there were 70 other kids on the waiting list who would have taken his spot if we said no), and although I didn't really feel like it would be better than Whittier, I agreed.  

Benji on his first day of Kindergarten @ Spectrum Academy 

So last Tuesday was his first day of school.  It has been good thus far; it's just the drive.  There is no bussing.  There are carpools, but his class is at a weird time, and I just haven't had time to deal with it yet.  So he needs to be there at 11:45am (having eaten lunch already--the school doesn't even have it's own lunchroom!), and he is picked up at 2:45 (I think . . . Allen takes him home).  It's 18 miles away, about 25-30 minutes of drive time.  It is only 6 miles from Allen's work, so he hangs out there to take him home (unless he's doing is game thing, "hacking portals" and such).  It's growing on me; I think it will be a good place for him eventually.  It takes some getting used to, and the cost of gas is fairly significant.  I feel like we need a commuter car, but money is a bit of a problem right now too.  Ugh.

Anyway--moving on.

2.  Concerts.

On Friday, August 23rd, I went with my concert-buddy Allison to see fun. at Saltair.  Tegan & Sara opened (they are okay; I'm just not that into them).  

Me and Allison @ Saltair

It really was a great concert.  I'm not a huge fan of fun., but they put on a great show.  The energy was awesome, and they sound FANTASTIC live! I think that's the acid-test of a band's talent.  If they can sound as good or better than they do on the album, then they are worth investing time and money into.  We were kind-of stuck in the middle, and people kept pushing past us and walking around us, etc.  Two people, who were totally pushing their way to the front looked back sheepishly and said, "We're being a**holes."  To which I replied: "Pretty much."  Oh well.  It was still lovely.  The weather was PERFECT (at the end of August, it could have been a lot worse), the sunset was incredible, and it was just a delightful night.  

A panorama shot of the crowd and sunset

Here are a couple of other shots.  The iPhone does pretty well!  Not spectacular, but MUCH better than my old one.

A couple of quotes: 

"Salt Lake City?!"  "Just you f****n' wait."  And: "Does anyone here have a cell phone?"  They took some guys phone up on stage with them and took some pictures with it.  Pretty cool.

And the setlist:

Some Nights (Intro)

One Foot

Walking the Dog

All Alone

Why Am I The One

At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)

All The Pretty Girls

It Gets Better

Barlights

Carry On
The Gambler

You Can't Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones cover)

We Are Young

Take Your Time

  

  Encore:

Some Nights

Stars

Good times.  That really was an excellent concert.

I also got to go to the O.C. Tanner Gift of Music concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Utah Symphony and James Taylor.  I put my name in for the lottery for that one too, and actually got tickets!  So I met my cute mom at the Conference Center last Saturday.  It was delightful!  And the programs were stunning--the typography, the printing, etc.  Gorgeous.  I took two.

It was also the same weekend as the first annual Salt Lake Comic Con, which was apparently very successful.  I took Trax downtown for the concert, and saw plenty of people dressed up, totally unashamed.  I have decided that Comic Con is like Halloween for adults, where you can dress up as whatever and whomever you want, and the treats are getting to meet stars and take cool pictures.  I'm down with that!  I'm a little sad I didn't make it more of a priority to go, because all of the pictures I have seen are awesome.  I'm sure it will be bigger and better next year, so I'll plan to get my geek on then.  

3.  Friends.

Speaking of Comic Con, my friends Diana and DeLayna went and met some cool people.  They are so funny; I love those girls.  DeLayna will be going to Japan shortly on a work assignment.  I'm so jealous!  How cool would that be?!  Speaking of . . . I need to finish watching season one of Newsroom!  Gah!  No time!

On the Saturday after the concert, my dear friend Jack Jason had a layover in SLC.  Peggy and I met up with him to have breakfast at Lamb's Grill downtown.  It was so lovely to catch up!  I was hoping to meet up with them in New York next month, but alas--I have no money, honey.  Especially after fighting with T-Mobile over an account I was assured was closed.  Grr.

JJD, Me and Peggy! 

We had a bit of a "Gaufre War," (get it?) in which we were to decide who makes the better waffle (see JJD's descriptions and lovely pictures here).  I was a little disappointed in the boys @ Saturday's Waffle, since they now have teenagers running it, so I was in agreement: the Belge wins.  Bruges Waffles is amazing (always get the gaufres liegoises!).  As we were walking down the street back to get his suitcase from his hotel, I totally biffed it.  CHEWING. ASPHALT.  My knees and my ego are still bruised and sore from that rather humiliating experience (um, I'm pretty sure my skirt flipped up over my waist, and there were plenty of people around to witness it!), but it was still worthwhile, and I'll just blame it on my cute-but-dangerous wedges.  These are two of my most favourite people in the world!  I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant seeing them!

4.  Family.

My last post may give you a hint as to the drama in the family.  It's kind-of quiet at the moment, but I think we are all walking on eggshells for a little while; at least until Mom & Dad leave.  Did I mention that they received their mission call?  They are going to Peru, and the leave ON THURSDAY.  Yikes!  It's coming waaaay too fast!  I'm excited for them, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to be in the opposite hemisphere!

Mom & Dad came down to SLC last week for their missionary training at the Church Office Building.  I was working while they were here (and they were some of the busiest days I have seen all year--no chance of leaving early!), and Mom had a wee health scare.  She had been short-of-breath, dizzy, nauseated, etc.  She got an appointment to see a cardiologist (not hers, but they still got her in the next day--a minor miracle).  Turns out that she was in atrial fibrillation, or her heart wasn't beating correctly.  She has had problems with the electrical conduction and scar tissue from her ASD repair in 1984 (which, back then, meant open-heart surgery).  When I had my PFO repair in 2004 (a very small version of an ASD), they were able to do it using a small catheter threaded up through the femoral artery.  Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with anything like Mom has, but she is a trouper. 

Anyway, they scheduled her for a TEE and Cardioversion the following morning.  Since Dad was still in meetings all day, we arranged for Allen to come home from work early so he could take Benji to school.  I was able to meet Mom @ IMC (my place of work, conveniently), where everything went swimmingly.  They did the shock to her heart, and they said it looks great now.  She will have a nuclear stress test this Wednesday, but they said she should be okay to fly out on Thursday as planned.  What a blessing!  I thought they would delay her a couple of weeks, but we are pressing forward.  I am so grateful we were able to get this taken care of so quickly and efficiently.  And I'm glad I was able to be at the hospital with her.  

I will be taking Benji up to Logan tomorrow for their 'setting apart,' which is a priesthood blessing given to a member of the church when he or she undertakes a new calling.  I am excited and nervous; these will be difficult holidays without them here.  They will be great, I'm sure.  It will be such an amazing experience for them.  There is nothing like living in another country to help you appreciate the life you have built for yourself.

****

And that's about it for now.  I can't believe I have written this entirely at work--after last week, it's hard to imagine things being as quiet as they have been for the past hour or so!  Please let me know what's going on with you.  Love to all!

Thank You For Being A Friend

Sorry for the absence of late; party planning kinda took over my life for the past month or so.  Then there's the party-recovery period, which is finally coming to an end.  I got really stressed out about all of it {and, admittedly, the past few insanely cold winter months may not have been the best time to stop taking my antidepressants}, but life is slowly getting back to normal.  Fortunately, I have been spending a fair amount of time with Peggy, which is very good for the soul.  If we hadn't been mission companions {living together, spending 24/7 together doing missionary work}, I don't know that we would have been friends.  God moves in mysterious ways, and I'm so glad He put us together.  I have needed Peggy in my life.  Actually, everyone needs a Peggy--just trust me on this.

The Stevenson Family, during our marginally successful photo shoot in September 2012.

Anyway, in honor of her 35th birthday today, I'd like to write 35 reasons why I love Peggy.  Each has a story, but you get what you get {and don't throw a fit}.

1.  She sacrificed her mitten for me.

2.  She makes me laugh harder than anybody else on earth.

3.  She is an enigma {for example: it's okay to have a Nascar welcome mat, but it's tacky to bring in a Maverick cup to the 7-Eleven for a refill}.

4.  She lives life by her own rules.

5.  She makes great faces, like the one she made when the boys at Saturday's Waffle put powdered sugar on her gaufre.  And the even better face she made when she dropped said waffle on the ground while trying to shake off the powdered sugar.

Peggy in her Basque-dancing costume

6.  She has the palate of a 6-year-old.  Sophisticated foods are lost on her, and she doesn't like her foods to touch.  Forget about mixed vegetables.

7.  She has such an outgoing personality that everyone thinks they are her best friend.  I can't claim the sole distinction, and I'll admit that sometimes I get a little jealous of the others.  But--she cannot be contained!

8.  Peggy has grand ideas and she loves to create.  She's always throwing some party or planning some get-together or organizing some meeting.  Next up is another Pinterest party!

9.  She has a lot of things on her plate: being a stay-at-home mom to three kids, being PTA president at the elementary school, teaching the young women in church, dealing with crazy family issues {like a brother who is on the run from the U.S. Marshals}, etc.  Despite all of that and more, she would drop everything to help someone in need.  She has done that for me more than once.

10.  She had the nerve to give birth to her first child on MY birthday.  Now she'll never forget it.

11.  I'm not sure if she was too happy about my visiting her in the hospital, but I insisted on meeting all three of her children on the day they were born.

12.  She named her eldest {my birthday buddy} Jack after our mission friend Jack Jason Davis, whom I also love and adore. "Do you see that Mulberry bush?  Start running."

13.  She spelled Elisabeth correctly {the European way!}.

14.  She copied me by naming her youngest Benjamin.  Okay, that was really Scott's doing, but they still copied me. Plus, I got to meet that little friend before she did, with his being in the NICU for a few hours.

15.  She quotes Coolio and BNL in her lessons and talks.

16.  She is Basque, and very proud of it.  She is passing on traditions and the culture to her children, like dancing.

17.  Peggy is pretty much like a sister to me: she has been included in several of our many {world-famous} long e-mail planning chains.

18.  Peggy hates setting goals, but girlfriend gets a lot of stuff done.  For example:

19.  She decided to run the Ragnar race last year, because she wanted to put a sticker on her minivan.  And she did.

20.  She thinks like a jaded cop.

21.  She is always on my side.

22.  She makes her own soap {and her car smells SO GOOD!}.

23.  She will only eat crêpes with strawberry filling; she won't touch Nutella.

24.  She doesn't pretend to be anything she is not, so if she's going to swear at home, she might as well swear in church.

25.  She is waiting for the ban on coffee to be rescinded from the Word of Wisdom.

26.  She is a convert to the LDS church.  She was pretty much anti-Mormon before she started talking to the missionaries, but she knows what she knows, and she's one of the most faithful people I have ever met.

27.  She has a group of friends/followers whom she lovingly calls "Internet Crazies."  She would be a great cult leader {if she were into that kind of thing}.

28. She can franglais with the best of them: mostly English, a few Frenchie quips and phrases, and a hearty disdain for anyone who mispronounces the word crêpe.

29. She is named "Peggysue" and she grew up on a farm in Idaho. Seriously.

30. She has been quite faithful about keeping her eyebrows groomed ever since she let me pluck them for the first time.

31. She humors me by using some of my unprofessional pictures in her home, birth announcements, etc.

32. We harbor a deep love for Pat Benetar (who may or may not have an apartment in Brussels).

33. I introduced her to my favorite radio station, and she still listens to it.

34. She was "saved" when she ate my chocolate cake.

35. It's cheesy, but it is true: Peggy makes the world a brighter place.

Peggy and Jack @ the Living Traditions Festival in May 2012

There's much more, but I'll stop there.  Peggy is one of my most favorite people in the world, and I'm so blessed to call her my friend.

Merci, ma très chère amie. Je t'aime comme un loup, 

comme un fou, comme l'homme que je ne suis pas.

I Need a Little Fabulous

So . . . I just got LASIK.  In my right eye.  It is pretty fantastic, except that my vision is all screwed up, and I'm not supposed to wear a contact (singular!), and I thought that getting a clear plastic lens in my glasses would do the trick.  Uh, no.  I'm going to have to get new lenses in order to see over the next few weeks, after which I may dispose of said glasses.  No happy medium.  That's a little annoying.

I had it done on Friday afternoon, and that day pretty much sucked.  I also knew that I was on-call on Saturday, and the ferns down at Hoopes told me I wasn't supposed to drive or work until after my follow-up appointment on Saturday morning.  I tried to sleep that night, but ended up waking up every few hours to pee (and put in eye drops . . . the number of drops is unbelievable!!).  And then, at 6:30am, I get a call from my friend Gary: I had to go into work.  So, being very low on options at that point, I a) put a contact lens in my eye and b) drove myself to work.  I have been trying so hard to be a good patient!  I totally blew it on Saturday morning, though.  While driving, my head started pounding.  All of this messing with my vision has been giving me some killer headaches, which is getting really old.  I got into work, walked up to the desk, and Marilyn said, "Welcome.  You'll be doing a pelvis fracture in room 19 with Dr. Hillyard."  Well, that's not the worst thing in the world, but I just knew I wasn't going to be able to make it.  I told her I wasn't feeling well, so she called in a nurse to take my place.  I did try to get it all set up for her, which was just lovely as well.  Mind you, many regular cases need 1 or 2 sets of instruments; Ortho cases tend to take 5-9 sets.  Pelivs fractures with Hillyard?  I opened at least 15 sets, and I'm not sure I even had everything I needed.  Seriously.  Dr. Hillyard is very nice and patient, but also extremely meticulous (i.e., slow).  The case had been scheduled for 6 hours, and I think that was a pretty optimistic estimate.  Anyway, Susan came in to relieve me around 8:45am, so I left quickly and drove myself to my follow-up appointment.  Luckily, no one questioned me about arriving alone.  They did tell me to buy some more drops (because, apparently, I didn't have enough already), so I went to Target in search of some thicker artificial tears.  Who knew there was such a variety!?

I had taken some ibuprofen, so my headache was a bit better by then.  Even so, I spent a good 20 minutes in Target comparing brands and trying to find an acceptable substitute for what he told me to get (since they didn't have the exact one).  I also looked around the Christmas clearance aisles and found some fantastic stockings at half-price.  Yay!  I may actually get stockings up next year!

At this point, it was noon, and I was scheduled to meet my mission friends Peggy and Jack Jason for lunch at 1pm.  Because I had rolled out of bed at 6:30 to go to work, I looked pretty darn frumpy.  I was wearing scrub pants and my Train concert t-shirt, snow boots, a parka, a pathetic messy bun and zero makeup (per surgery instructions).  Here's the thing--if I were only meeting Peggy, I wouldn't care (girlfriend has seen me at my absolute worst).  But Jason (or JJD) is probably the most FABULOUS person I know.  I haven't seen him in years, probably since before I got married.  He is a lawyer in Washington D.C., we are Facebook friends and I recently discovered his incredible blog ("I live vicariously through you, remember?"), so I was thrilled when he messaged me and Peggy, asking us if we wanted to get together while he was here over Christmas.  Um, yes!!  {That may or may not have been another reason for me to be *sick* and leave work early on Saturday.  I plead the 5th.}

I didn't have time to go all the way home and change, so I stopped in at Ulta and purchased some combs and makeup.  I was not going to be totally embarrassed!  I dressed up the messy bun a bit with a braid, and put on some face makeup and blush (no eye makeup--I have been good about that!).  With that, I drove to Sugarhouse and we had a delightful lunch @ Finn's Cafe.  We had a server take an iPhone picture, which really did none of us any favors.  I was going to suggest a different spot for lighting purposes, but decided to go with it.  So this is what we got:

I'm holding a Diet Coke given to us "to go" (do you think that was a subtle hint?!); I'm not giving Peggy the bird on purpose.  Also, JJD has very nice hair, but this picture makes him look almost bald!  I tried to edit the picture, which looks marginally better and slightly BoBo thanks to the filters.

Jason is amazing.  He's sophisticated and hilarious and fashionable and, well, FABULOUS.  I adore him.  I adore Peggy too, but I can see her pretty much anytime.  Seeing Jason is such a rare treat--he's always working crazy 120-hour weeks, going to plays, taking crazy trips all around the world, and reading Les Misérables in the original french.  I want to be like him when I grow up.

At some point during our conversation, I requested an explanation of Jason and Peggy's method of judging people.  They had a code I didn't understand, but since they are up front about it and honest about where they fall within the scheme, it's okay.  Jason drew me a diagram on the back of the receipt.  It looked something like this (with fonts added for emphasis):

Let me explain.  No--there is too much.  Let me sum up: the people you know can basically be classified into one of these four categories.  I cringe as I write this, but the humor and the element of truth make it worthwhile.

F-people: like to use the F-bomb a lot.  If there were a t.v. show that describes an F-person, it would be "My Name is Earl" (with Maury Povich coming in a close second).  Mullets, NASCAR, trailers, etc.  FYI--Peggy likes to let her inner F-chick shine.

Peace people: Hippies.  Birkenstocks.  The entire state of Oregon.  NPR.  All about recycling.  I assert that anyone who graduates from the University of Utah have to be "Peace People" to a certain extent.  I'm not a serious Peace girl, but I was a Biology major: there was no escaping them.  I'm sure you get the idea.

D&D (or Dungeons and Dragons):  The nerds.  Big Bang Theory.  Computer, techie people who love Sci-Fi and are fairly anti-social.  Peggy says I'm totally D&D (even though I didn't know what D&D stood for--she had to explain it to me).  Just because I'm a Star Wars nerd . . . whatever.

And last but not least, BoBo (or Bohemian Bourgeoisie): The posh.  Frasier.  Drive a Lexus or a Saab.  Wouldn't be caught dead at Walmart, etc.

The whole conversation was a pleasure.  I laughed.  A LOT.  But I have been considering the diagram.  These categories are pretty basic, and I think there has to be some overlap.  I like to think of myself as kind-of a centrist (politically, socially, etc.).  I may be mostly D&D, but I'm cool with F-people.  I definitely prefer Target to Walmart, but that doesn't make me entirely BoBo.  I'm not the most avid Peace girl, but I recycle and I do think about the environment.

So this is where my New Year's resolution intersects with my friends' theories:

I will be a different kind of F chick, where F is for FABULOUS.  More to come (and Happy New Year!).