Reunion With Adam And Bekah

Within the last year, the lives I had in Iowa crashed together and merged. First, my good friends Adam and Rebekah moved from Des Moines to the Cedar Valley when they accepted the call to lead a church in Hudson, which is a town on the outskirts of Waterloo. The associate pastor from the church I attended in Waterloo moved to the Des Moines area and became a senior pastor. I saw Pastor Mike at his Des Moines chruch on Sunday, and Wednesday I saw Adam and Bekah in Hudson.

Perhaps first I should give a little background on Adam and Bekah. I didn’t make immediate friends with these people. Bekah was at Faith first. My sophomore year of college Bekah and I were in the same dorm, and we couldn’t stand each other. Bekah was a quiet, unassuming person who thought I stood for too much. I was a loud, outspoken personality who thought she stood for nothing. As a result, we avoided one another like the plague. Adam came second semester. He hit the campus like a whirlwind, and started off by challenging every person there and enciting endless debates on any topic he could get his hands on. He could provoke the the most gentle person to anger. I was infuriated to by his methods, but grudgingly intruiged. Slowly, I began to trust him. I was puzzled when he and Bekah began to form a friendship. How could that be? Here was Bekah, who admittedly hated doctrine, and Adam, who willingly made every point of minuate a battleground. In Bekah, he saw a raw material I dismissed, a young woman unimpressed by intellectualism who was a servant underneath it all. Adam eventually recruited Bekah to start helping with his youth group. That semester, he would alternate between recruiting me to come over to the small church he was at on the East Side of Des Moines. and encouraging me to stay at the church I was attending at the time.

During the summer, I visited Norwoodville, and came face to face with one of the most frank pastors I have ever met. To this day, I see Russ Harris like a spiritual father, even though I have not been part of his flock for two years. Bekah and I were unwillingly thrust together in ministry, but over time we became friends. I became softer around the edges; Bekah developed convictions that changed her outlook on God, teaching, and ministry. A romance grew between Adam and Bekah over the next year, and they were married on Adam’s 22nd birthday in 2006. Eventully, they worked in a church in Michigan for a year where their daughter was born. I moved to Utah. They came back to Des Moines, and January 1, 2008, they began their ministry in Hudson, and in August their son was born in Waterloo. When I walked into their church Wednesday night for a Christmas Eve Service, I had not seen Adam and Rebekah for two and a half years. I was invited to their home afterwards, and looked forward to catching up.

First I noticed their daughter, Abigail. She is a year and half old, and wow, what a livewire!! Bekah told me later she felt like she was raising me. (Poor woman…) their son James, who is four months old, was quiet and observant, the laid-back one. I wondered how much these two would reflect their parents personalities in the future, cause now, even at their ages, I can see how Abigail is an undisciplined Adam and James is like Bekah. Adam held the service, highlighting not just the birth of Christ but prophecy regarding the entire life of Christ. When it was over, I followed them to their house. When they walked in the door, the kid gloves came off. There had been this formal wall when they were in church, but as soon as they were home, they were the two people I had grown to become good friends with in Des Moines. Bekah jumped into a pair of jeans, and soon they were teasing me about needing to find a man. They asked me to come and work with them in Hudson, commenting they could use a personality like mine. I have spent the better part of my time in Utah squelching my big mouth and outspoken personality. People here are so easily offended. For some reason, Adam and Bekah saw my natural energy as an asset. Maybe thats because they know how I can be when it is controlled. At the thought of moving back to the Waterloo jolted me, the thought of working when them again made me smile. Eventually, Adam and I lapsed into our old ways, discussing finance and doctrine, and Bekah just sitting quietly. I think by now she was used to that. When Adam was off tending to Abigail, we talked about her kids. Bekah is twenty three, a mother of two, working full-time as a nurse, and a pastor’s wife serving a demanding congregation. Their short marriage has gone through hard knocks, and Adam and Bekah bonded together in the process.

I went back to their house on Saturday night. Adam and Bekah made the same suggestion, that I move to Waterloo. Adam began listing reigonal banks I could work for. I could be used in their small church. A personality like mine confronts truth and exposes it. I understood that they were tired already, but not ready to give up. Even after two kids, they had the same spirit as they had in Norwoodville. Servants, working for change in people’s hearts and lives. Still the same mischevious personalities, taking enjoyment in teasing me mercilessly (it used to be height, but now its my old maidhood), but sitll trusting me enough to speak candidly with me about their struggles. I could trust them as well, and did the same. People who saw my faults confronted me about them, but encouraged me in the right ways, knowing my outgoing nature could be more than just a liability, but an asset.

It’s friends like that I miss the most.

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Catching Up With Friends

On my trip back to Iowa, I visited a lot of friends. I am pretty sure I saw most of them when I was half asleep.

I started off the visit with Jenni R, one of my bestest best friends. I already told you about her. She is the awesome friend who drove from Carroll, Iowa to Omaha to pick me up in a freaking ice storm. Her response when I asked her how the roads were? “Oh, they really weren’t that bad!!” But then, this IS the friend who drove two hours to see me in February after a major ice storm. The weather was so cold immediately following the storm, the major highways did not have ice melt down. Yes, it was SO COLD the ice melt WOULD NOT MELT THE ICE. But she CAME! That? Is a true friend. Anyway, I spent Friday all day with her, then Jenny S and Curtis came and retrieved me somewhere near Guthrie or some other podunk town in the middle of nowhere west of Ames on Highway 30. I stayed at her place for two days, and told you about her baby hormones. Yeah!! I also told you about Jesse and Lara, and maybe about seeing Bob and Pastor Mike? Well, if I haven’t, I will find a way to fit it in. Then I went back to Waterloo on Monday, and met up with Andrew B, where I told you about his new girlfriend. Ok, maybe I didn’t tell you about her, but he certainly told me about her and I told you all it was darling. Sorry to embarass you, Andrew! But then, agreeing to have coffee with me also means that you are agreeing to become a blog victim, yes?

Anyway, there are plenty of other friend encounters I have yet to tell you about. Adam and Rebekah are a story of their own. I am thinking I will have to break up the descriptions a bit. On this one, I will tell you about meeting up with Jessica on Monday, since I left off with Andrew. Andrew and I shared our coffee time at Cup of Joe until around 10:15, when I had my cousin Jon (hereon referred to as Cuz, since he is named after my uncle) call and ask for a ride. SInce we were going to the same place, I didn’t find that an issue. I hauled it back to Waterloo, got Cuz and Lone Star, and decided to see if Jessica was working. I drove a mile or so over to Kimball Ave and hit the McDonald’s drive thru. When I pulled up, I asked to see Jess. When she came to the window, she about flipped out. Guess that happens when you don’t warn her you were coming, even if she knew you were in town! I offered to hang out with Jess, though I was beyond exhausted. I knew I would be doing some major packing with time to see friends, and Jessica and I have been friends for eleven years now. There was no way I was going to be staying a mile away and not see her. That would be unaccpetable. I told her to call me when she got off work, and we could figure out something to do.

I headed back to Cuz’s house, and got on webcam with my friend Eric in SLC for a bit, and weeped about my grandmother. You can read the weepy post here. Jess eventually called, and I headed over to her house. By this time, it was snowing buckets, and the simple drive was like a big slip-and-slide. Have I mentioned I miss driving in Iowa winters? I pulled around back into the alley and walked up the front sidewalk. She was me through the window, jumped up, ran out the back door, and we took off. By this time it was probably midnight. Back at Cuz’s house, we debated on what to do. Jess suggested a movie, but for some reason we got confused by Cuz’s DVD player and that idea was scrapped. (I know, pathetic, isn’t it?) We spent the better part of an hour chatting it up about old friends, her family, and what we were up to, even though we know what is going in the others life, because she reads my blog and I talk to her online. I showed off my computer (she was curious since she read my blog post raving about it) and hopped on to play a little bit. I settled in on the couch…. and began to doze.

Have I mentioned I was tired? Oh, and I am also lame.

Eventually, Jessica peeked up from my computer, and giggled when she saw me in my half-concious state. By this time, it was around 2 am and Jess said I could take her home so I could sleep. You know that you have a real friend when you start to get sleepy, you weren’t particularly entertaining, but that friend was still delighted to see you and had a good time anyway.

Did I mention I was lame?

Tuesday night, I sojourned with Jesse to Winterset to my friend Melinda’s wedding reception. We’ll use the term “reception” loosely, since it was (A) In the middle of the week (B) A week after the wedding at the courthouse and (C) At Mel and her new husband’s home, and was completely informal. Jenni was supposed to come but she bailed on us because she scheduled the sitter for the wrong day. Oops. We were scheduled to have more bad weather (Surprise!! Did I mention I love driving in Iowa winters?) so I decided to try and make it back to Waterloo that night instead of staying overnight with Jennifer S. Once Jesse and I got to Winterset, I socialized with some old co-workers I had from Wells Fargo Financial. Evidently, the operations department for collections needs help. Maybe? I was beyond happy to see the blushing bride, and Jesse seems to have enjoyed having an extra opportunity to pick on me. Yeah. I liked that too (or not….) Anyway, we stayed two hours, then went back to Des Moines. I made it to Waterloo around midnight, just before the snow storm hit. I decided Tuesday night was the perfect night to see Michelle, since my mother held me hostage days her family was holding her hostage at night. I pulled into her mother’s apartment building  around twelve thirty, and saw Michelle and her mother for the first time since Cassie’s funeral. Awkward? Not at all. There is no chance of awkwardness with these two. When you are in their circle of friends, you become family. For life. Chelle and I sat up until three in the morning, catching up. I talk to her on the phone constantly, but its nothing like seeing you friend face to face. We hashed about boys, friends, work, just life, like we always do and always have. My friendship with my future fellow cat lady is as natural as it ever was. When three am rolled around and I was threatening to turn into a pumpkin, I still hated to leave. Then I went driving home in the snow. (Did I mention I love driving in the Iowa snow? Or ice?)

I am so blessed to have such amazing friends. Not just a couple of close ones here or there that somewhat tolerate me, but a good number of people who grasp who I am and like me despite the fact I am lame, babble, vain, random, silly, serious, intense, crazy and mouthy. These are the kind of friends that allow me to be those things I just described and not only forgive me for them and pardon them, but love me for them. And soon, I am going to post about two more awesome friends like that: Adam and Bekah.

Also, today I have a password-protected post. Please comment or e-mail me at emilyb1208@hotmail.com if you want to read it. But I will make you promise not to show a specific person. If you think you can handle that, you are more than free to read.

Sarah

Monday morning, I drove to straight from Des Moines to my mother’s doorstep. This was to be the first time in ten months that we had seen each other. We hugged, and mom shed a few tears. This was the first time we had seen each other in ten months, and even back in February I had not spent that much time with Mom due to weather, so the last time we had spent a large amount of time together had been the previous December when Mom came to visit at Christmas. The situation with Sarah was similar, where we had a little contact on my last visit home, but didn’t have much time to see one another. I asked Mom if Sarah wanted to see me today. She did. Mom dialed Sarah’s home phone to warn her that we were coming, and off we went.

Sarah came flying out the door of her house once we arrived. She was in a panic. She asked my mother to borrow $2.50 to pay for her library fines. Sarah said she was afraid to ask her boyfriend who I will call E to give her the money. E told Sarah that if she let her library books become overdue, she was no longer allowed to check out books anymore.
What?  How could someone stop Sarah from checking out library books? Also, why didn’t Sarah have her own money to cover it? Such a small amount was often easily found when lifting couch cusions, in the cup holder of a car, in pockets of clothing, or change jars. I knew Sarah’s boyfriend was controlling, but how bad was he? None of this was making sense.

I convinced Mom to let Sarah borrow the money, since after all, it was such a small amount. We headed to library, where Sarah paid her fine and checked out new books. While in the car, my mother said her piece, telling Sarah to end her relationship with E. Mom made it sound more like a command than a plea. I eventually stopped Mom mid-reaming, and asked for silence. I then asked Sarah to tell her story.

Sarah had been living with and dating E for a year. His daughter graduated high school with me and had a son that was nearly a year old. Sarah, E, his daughter, her son, and E’s mother all lived in the same home. Sarah had a separate room from E in the basement. She took up residence there a year ago, a solid year after the fight that eventually split our family for a year.

Sarah was a willing confessor. Sarah doesn’t have a normal nine to five, instead earning a meager income by delivering newspapers. E took possession of Sarah’s money, sticking it in a safe and giving it to Sarah at his discretion. Sarah also receives government aid to buy groceries, and E takes control of that as well. If Sarah where left to her devices, she would blow all her money on magazines, puzzles, games, and music, then blow all her food stamps on junk food. I agree my sister needs accountability to her purchases, but no man or woman has a right to control someone else’s resouces. Sarah, Mom, and I went to lunch, then we dropped Sarah off at home to deliver her newspapers. I eventually picked up my cousin Jon and paid Grandma a visit. We promised Grandma we would bring Sarah over the next day. I was numb, sick, and at a loss from the information my sister had already given me, but there was more, worse than I had even imagined.

The next day, I picked up Mom and headed out to retrieve my sister to go visit Grandma. We tried calling Sarah but she hung up on Mom. E had wanted to take Sarah to drop off a Christmas gift, and E told Sarah she couldn’t go. They fought, and E left. Sarah ran out the door, crying. I told her to get into the car, and reminded her she was an adult and could go anywhere she wanted. I asked her if she had anywhere to go if she ever left E. The only other place Sarah could think of going was returning to Mom’s house. I couldn’t think of anything worse for either one of them, except for the situation Sarah was currently in.
When we arrived at Grandma’s, a large black truck was parked in the driveway. Puzzled st who may be Grandma’s other visitor, we knocked. We heard two sets of barking as we walked in the door. Sarah gasped. “Rocky!” She looked as if she was about ready to flee. A chunky and yapping chihuahua ran to the door, nipping at Sarah’s heels. I was still confused until a large blond man waddled around the corner of the house. It was Curt, a friend of my Aunt Kathleen, who had taken Sarah in when she first left Mom’s house. When Sarah moved out of Curt’s, he piled all her stuff on the side of the road at E’s house.

Apparently, Curt had been helping Sarah with a budget and keeping her accountable to grocery purchases. He had Sarah biking and she had lost a good deal of weight. Moving in with E, she gained most of it back. After Sarah met E, she told Curt he was “controlling” and that she wanted to be with a “real man”, (Sarah and Curt were never romantically involved) so Curt complied and packed up her things. They lived a mile apart, but Sarah had barely spoken to Curt since. Today though, Curt was not only willing to talk, but delighted to see her. Sarah, on the other hand, attempted to avoid him by sitting in Grandma’s dining room rather than the livng room.

I chose to sit with Curt in the living room. I realized it was likely three or four years since I had seen him last, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Curt proceeded to tell me about the time Sarah spent with him, teaching her to pay the utility bill, budget, save, and cook.  He then told me of his observations of the beginning of Sarah’s relationship with E. Curt used to be a biker, and he knew E from his biker days. The revelations grew more disturbing as he talked. Eventually, Curt’s conversation with me drew Sarah into the room. It was time for Sis to face facts.

Sarah’s testimony came gushing forth as Curt encouraged her to tell her story. Not only is he controlling her only assets and time, we found out shocking news: E had been in prison for nine years prior to seeing Sarah. In fact, he had just been released when they met. Different facets of their relationship were slowly revealed to us. The revelations made me sick. I didn’t want to take her home. I knew things with E were bad; but my concerns didn’t amount to how bad things really were. Sarah has convinced herself that he is her only chance, and that she can do no better.

This man tells my sister she is incapable of functioning normally. He calls her stupid, an imbicile, with no common sense. I have to admit, Sarah does have common sense but no self discipline. I can understand some of his frustrations with Sarah; anyone who has tried to help her has had them. But taking away her money and resources does nothing to teach her to be an adult. It cripples her. He isn’t concerned for her; he wants control.  In her vulnerability, my sister has handed herself to him on a silver platter.

Tuesday evening was filled with fights for Sarah. My sister franctically called my mother, wanting out of E’s house. She was ready to move. But there wasn’t any place for her to go. Tuesday night, I headed back to Des Moines then to Winterset with my friend Jesse for a wedding reception. Jesse patiently listened as I poured my heart out over my fears for my sister. He agreed that I could only assist Sarah by helping her find resources to get her out of this man’s home and pray. What else can you do for a person that has had so many people try to help her, but runs away when it’s not the way she wants it to be? When she refuses to try for herself? Nothing.

Wednesday,  E had been yelling when I was on my way to retrieve Sarah. He was sick and tired of me seeing my sister. I felt my blood boil. Nobody was allowed to talk to my sister like that. As I stood on the doorstep, I forced myself to calm down and smile so I didn’t go ape on him. E;s mother answered the door, and she was kind, as she always had been. Sarah stormed out of the house and we took off for Grandma’s again.   I went to a Christmas Eve service in Hudson at the church where my friends Adam and Rebekah are serving as pastor and wife.  Thursday was Christmas Day, and I picked Sarah up from her house.  She walked out, smug. She had begun to make up with E.  She had hit the mother lode in gifts. I asked her point-blank if they were partially apology gifts.

Yes. Of course. Anything an abuser can do to keep control, even if its am mp3 player and puzzles.

I encouraged Sarah to leave. She told me she would “gradually look into leaving.” I asked Sarah why she let people assume she was mentally challenged when she is not. She said that was how people saw her. I advised her it was because that was what she wanted them to see. I spoke with conviction. I begged her to do not only what was right for herself, but as someone that was a professing Christian, I encouraged her to do what God wanted to do. Sarah was at a loss. Afraid to stay, but afraid to go.

What type of fear usually wins?

Fear of not being secure.

I don’t think she is leaving anytime soon.

It’s my last day in Waterloo, and I am not ready to leave. The weather today falls in step with my mood. Looking out my cousin’s window, the sky is a gloomy gray. After a day that h0vered around forty degrees, we endured thick fog and drizzle, converting the snow packed roads to ice. I don’t miss driving conditions like this, but I miss Iowa. It would be a lie for me to admit otherwise.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my trip. It has been good to reconnect with my family, even though they drive me nuts. I was able to spend time with Grandma, who may not have much time left. I was around my mother and sister, and was not suprised to find certain things have not changed from out past; yet they seem as if they will. I have accepted that. I also am walking away more concerned about my sister than I was; I will write about that in the coming weeks.

It was a blessing to discover that even though I have been away for almost two years now, my friendships have not changed. I am privileged and blessed to be emotionally and spiritually connected to some of the best people on earth. I was able to have quick meetings with certian friends as well as spend the entire evening with others. This trip has really pushed me to burn the candle at both ends, but it was worth it. I have been able to see so many of the people I wanted to see, but I still missed a few. In the process, I have seen Adam and Bekah, Andrew, Dee, Melissa, Chad, Jessica, Melinda, Michelle and Stacy, Jenni and Jenny, and my cousin Jon. I have been able to meet Bob and Jesse, and made an unexpected new friend in Jesse’s sister Lara. Tomorrow I will see Kristin as we travel back to Omaha together. People are very important to me, and I realized how valuable these friendships have been to me over the years in Utah. There were more I wanted to see, but since I was attempting to cram in as much time with my family as possible, and I did need to sleep, I didn’t get a chance. Everyone has welcomed me back with open arms. They say I haven’t changed much, yet I still feel like an alien to myself.

In Utah, I feel as if I am part of this large jigsaw puzzle. Each peice around me seems to fit nicely into the larger picture, but there seems to be something wrong with my peice. The color is a little off in some areas. It seems to be cut wrong, or perhaps its warped and has been damaged. For two years, I have been trying to fit my peice into the jigsaw, but no matter which way you turn it or pound it into the puzzle, the peice refuses to fit. It nearly fills in the spaces and gaps in some areas, but never enough to complete the picture.

In Des Moines or Waterloo, I feel as if I snap into place just fine.

Now what?

I am going to try in earnest to move. I know I could probably be re-hired at Wells Fargo, but since they are merging with Wachovia, there is a hiring freeze.  I will search for other positions in the meantime, but Wells really seems to be my best bet for an employer.

In the meantime, I am heading to Des Moines tonight. I plan to hit the bowling alley with Jesse. Anyone in thats in the area, feel free to contact me on my cell phone. If you love me, you have that number. (FYI: Its on my Facebook.)  Anyone from Utah reading this: I love you, and will see you soon.  To Everyone else: Stay tuned as I describe interations with my family. As always, its’ dramatic, but never short of entertainment!

Seeing Grandma

It appears, as usual, my posts have a two day lag time, but I have been crazy busy. My recent bedtimes have been closer to 2 or 3 am CT than to 11 pm MT.  I am trying to fit in as many visits from friends as I can, and I am having a blast.  I have been able to see my friend Andrew Bayer, and we chatted about his new girlfriend for an hour. Pearl, if you ever read this, this man is absolutely smitten with you and it is adorable. Hang on to him!! I then saw Jessica, and last night I went to a wedding reception with Jesse for my friend Melinda, then came to Waterloo to see Michelle. Soon I will be heading out to see Stacy. I will be telling my stories less in chronological order, and more in “Family” and “Friends” encounter form. I’ll start with seeing my grandmother for the first time in a year and a half.

One thing I need to explain about my grandma is that she is proud and senile. She has horrible short term memory, is losing her middle term, and was definately diagnosed with dementia as of last  year, even though we knew of it much sooner. Grandma has always been proud, and as a result is in denial of her declining memory. When we used to try to help her see the issue and confront it, she would become angry, lash out,  and accuse us of trying to take her property, freedom, or life.  Over time, Grandma’s driver’s license expired, and my aunt bougt her car and took it so Grandma can’t leave. There have been incidences of grandma sleeping in the Wal-Mart parking because she forgot where she was. She used to go to an adult daycare, but she became paranoid that people were trying to break into her house when she was gone. Now she mainly stays home.

I went to Grandma’s on Monday with my cousin Jon. We knocked on the door I wasn’t sure what to expect. She hadn’t seen me in a year and a half, and with her memory as bad it was, I wasn’t sure if she would remember me.

She did.

Her face lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.  “Emily, is that you?” She held me and began to cry. I almost cried to. She remembered me.

I sat with Grandma for a while, and we talked and laughed the whole time. She asked me about six times where I lived and if I was coming home. Once she asked me if my mother was dead. I decided to turn it into a joke, and laughed at the comment. Grandma played along. Everytime Grandma discovered she was repeating herself, I would laugh and lightly tease her. She relaxed. The defensive woman was gone, and out was the charming, sanguine, and vibrant person my grandmother is. She puts on a decent show, but you can see the holes in the facade. Sometimes she will forget who you are in the middle of a conversation. At least she didn’t forget me.

I know my time with my grandma is measured. In a week and a half, she will be eighty-four.  Her memory is continually declining, as is her health. As she becomes more confused and scared, I will find ways to make her laugh. The laughter restores her dignity and joy.

The laughter whitewashes the pain of my memories of this time. Bittersweet is much easier to bear than pure pain.

Shopping With the Preggo

Is it just me, or are women more picky when they are pregnant?

I didn’t make it to Waterloo Saturday night: bad weather.
Sunday morning, I went to Willow Creek, and saw my former associate pastor from Waterloo, and ran into my friend Bob, among other people I went to college with. It was slightly weird to be surrounded with a miniature Faith reunion.

I was planning to go straight to Waterloo after church, but I began to experience migrane symptoms shortly after church. I decided to lie down for a short nap, and ended up sleeping until six and waking up feeling as if someone was repeatedly knocking me upside the head with a two by four board. In that condition, I was going nowhere, so I called my mom and let her know that I was in DSM one more day, and I continued to writhe in fetal position on the couch, drifting in and out of consciousness. Around 7 pm, Jen asked me if I wanted to take a shopping trip and get some dinner. Dinner was attractive to me, so I went.

We pull into Hy-Vee, and Jen first notices the sign for pregnancy parking is missing and someone was in a pregnancy parking spot. The person climbing into the car was decidedly male. We saw the sign had been moved next to the other sign for the other pregnancy parking on the opposite side. Jen became extremely upset that some guy was in her spot and how she needed that parking spot because she was pregnant and how wrong it was to move the sign, how dare they do that to a pregnant woman…
Finally the guy pulled out, we pulled in, and Jen asked me to move the sign. I looked at this big metal sign which was about five inches taller than me, frozen into the ground from a recent ice storm, and yanked once.

She got the idea, no budgie. We went to customer service, where she spent about five minutes asking them to move sign and how we couldn’t do it because she was pregnant, and could you please find a big strong man to do it for us? The customer service cashier reassured us it would be done.

We wandered over to produce where we scrutinized carrots, complained about the price of apples and how they were just on sale, accosted another employee for a coupon for the carrots, and a minute later rifled through the box of bananas a worker was putting out to find a batch ripe enough for her. We continued to amble through the store, discussing the different attributes of the milk brands available, comparison priced on soups, and discussed why Campbell’s is so much more expensive than the generic store brand. We walked through isles and I listened to how frustrating it was not to find anything she normally purchased on sale. All I could think of was my pounding head and my need for food.

As we walked out to the car, Jen apologized for her finickiness. “I am extremely particular about what about what I buy.”

That was true. I had gone grocery shopping with my best friend and former college roommate in the past and heard a soliloquy over different types of produce, but never an hour long one-woman show titled, “What Hy-Vee Needs To Fix.”

I told her I thought it was her nine months pregnant belly and her hormones talking. Isn’t everything a crisis when you feel as if you want to explode and all you want is to be done, and for Pete’s sake, kid why aren’t you out yet?

I’ll stick with my pregnancy theory. And I still love Jen.

Des Moines Fun

I am here in West Des Moines with Jenny S. It has been a year and a half since I saw her last. Let me tell you, I am never going to let myself go this long without seeing my loved ones again. Jen is very pregnant, appearing as if she may drop her son out at any minute. Seriously though, I would love to be around when she births my surrogate nephew, so I hope he is delivered early!

I am looking outside at the falling snow, and am wondering how in the world I am going to drive to Waterloo today. For safety, I may just wait until tomorrow. Let’s hope Mom doesn’t go ape when I deliver that news.

Last night Jen and her husband Curtis picked me up in Jefferson. We went shopping at Hy-Vee (yet another Iowa specialty) then went bowling. I got to meet my crazy texting buddy Jesse for the first time, as well as his sister Lara. I was suprised to know that Lara had been acquainted with Philip, who is pastoring my old church on the east side. Um, he is also my ex-boyfriend. On the wait to fly to Omaha, I met a girl who knew someone I went to college with. Iowa is small, but there is almost 3 million people living within its borders. How is it then, that everywhere I go, that I always seem to find strangers that know someone I know? Maybe the whole six degrees concepts have some truth to them.

Anyway, at bowling last night, I did amazingly well for me. Decent for me is a game of 80 to 85. My last game was 107. I think my impromptu competetion with Jesse fed me the desire to concentrate more. Carpal tunnel wrist and nearly crippling incoordination,  be gone!!! Emily, the amazing gimp with decent aim has taken over!! Don’t discount how much some silly trash talk can transform a game!

How is Jesse? He could easily be described as spastic. He was running around, throwing nice curve balls and, well, yelling. Any of you that know  me, well, I appeared to be a calm, quiet and subdued personality. I know the chance of that happening to me are like a snowball’s chances of surviving in the fiery pit, but I appeared much less energetic compared to him. To help ramp me up, Jen got me three cups of coffee. At one am.

Yes, I was hyperfied a bit.

Was I able to sleep last night?

Ok, let’s factor this in… in the last week, I averaged about six hours of sleep a night, except on Thursday, where I would better define my fitful slumber on the floor of  the airport as intermittent napping over the course of four hours. Then fast forward to Friday/Saturday and I was up past two am. Even with three cups of coffee in my, I slept like a baby.

Lesson: Extreme sleep deprivation will be garunteed to put you out.

Today for lunch I had a small container of Anderson and Erickson’s old fashioned cottage cheese. Today, I want to go find some Fredrich’s. (Hint: get ready for some Favorite Things posts. Yay!)  Soon, I will head out into the snow so that I can activate the temporary phone Curtis and Jen are going to let me use, then ???

Des Moines friends, consider this your invitation to call me and make plans.  I think my tripto Waterloo may have to wit until tomorrow morning.

Untl my next adventure,

 Em

Murphey’s Law Of Vacations

Thankfully, my plane landed in Omaha today without a hitch. Jenni R and her boyfriend Brad were there waiting for me, and we made it back to Carroll safe and sound. As you all know, my cell phone battery was dead. I decided to go ahead and charge it once I got to Jenni’s since we all know I’d go ape without it. I dug into my suitcase and plugged in my charger. Then I sat, waiting…. waiting… for it to work. I began to bend and poke with my cell phone USB port. Sometimes the chagre is fickle. Bend. Poke. Bend. Poke. Nothing. Yes friends, my phone USB port is broken. Yay!

In search of a resolution, Jenni and I hit Spring Wireless first. Since I lost two phones last year, my insurance will not cover a new one. The damage was not going to be covered by a warranty. The cost to purchase a new phone? $250.00 I ten had the idea of buying a similar counterpart so I could charge my battery in another phone and keep the current one.  Spring Valley Wireless didn’t have the oay-as-you-go phone equivalent in stock, so we hit Wal-Mart.  The Pay-As-You-Go counterpart of my phone’s model was $150.00. I finally just asked what other phones would use the same battery as mine. The clerk pointed to another Verizon phone, costing around $60.00. That phone was out of stock.

Oy.

So let’s break this down…

– I am without a debit card

–Without a substantial amount of money in my bank account because of the last debit card

–A working phone, and the financial means to buy a replacement.

Yes, Murphey’s Law of Vacations must exist, because this is my trip.

Know what though? I think it is worth every bit of trouble. I am able to see my both best friends today. I will be on my way to a city I love soon. And? I will be able to meet Jesse, my texting buddy. Tomorrow, I get to see my family. My mother, my sister, my cousin, and more friends I haven’t seen in forever.

 Truly? Even if this hasn’t been perfect, being able to laugh with Jenni, see Des Moines lit up at Christmas,  and the ability to see Jenny pregnant is priceless.

Stranded in Darnver

Yep. The post is Darnver!

I am stuck in Denver.  Of course.  My flight was cancelled, and the airline gave me a voucher to pay for a hotel.

I had the pleasure of spending the night in the Denver Airport, and am waiting for the 6:30 flight to take me to Omaha.

Oh! It gets better. I decided to sit here in the airport and have some dinner while I was trying to get ahold of a friend of mine that lives here in Denver. Once sitting, I went fishing for my debit card. The fishing turned into a frantic search. It was gone. I immediately called and closed it.

So with no cash, no debit card, and no contact from my friend, I stayed here in the airport last night. At least I wasn’t the only one. Since our departure time this morning is 6:3o am, and most of the people taking my flight didn’t get vouchers until 10 pm or later, they stayed as well.I was blessed enough to have gone to the gate where my flight was supposed to leave from and have been helped there, and not in the customer service line that was an hour and a half long wait.

I was not without offers of help. My pastor and his wife saw my status update on Facebook, and they called to offer me their credit card number so I could get a hotel. Unfortunately, my phone died and I left my phone charger in my checked baggage.

Yes friends, Emily is Lemony Snickett. Her trip is currently a series of unfortunate events.

So now here we are, waiting, hoping this flight doesn’t get cancelled. Cause I would really like to go home and see my friends.

Know what though? I think I will make it this time.

Next stop: Oh-my-ha or BUST. As in, me busting someone’s nose/lip/etc.