From a battered shoe box

It sits there on the bookshelf in my apartment.  It's really unremarkable looking- just a shoe box, blue with dots, for some size 9 and a half tennis shoes.  Not my size.  The box looks somewhat battered, with bulging edges, and tears in the lid.  In fact, the lid barely stays on anymore.  People who come to the apartment probably don't even notice the box, or think twice about it.  If they do, it's probably only to wonder why we keep a battered shoe box on a shelf.

It's actually filled with treasures, memories of days gone by.  I pull the box down from the shelf, holding gently on to the battered lid to keep it in place.  I set the box down on my lap, and pull the lid away.  The first thing I see is a Mickey Mouse hat from Disneyland.  Then there's just a bunch of papers.  Anyone who opened the box would probably think the inside is as unremarkable as the outside.  It's not.

For those who are unaware, Zack and I went to high school together, and that's where we met. We don't remember the first time we met, although we both have the same first distinct memory of each other-- a band rehearsal in 10th grade during which I shared with him the horrible score I got on a physics test (yuck, I hate physics).  I was probably just 14 years old when we first met (yeah, I was young for my grade level).  In the months and years that followed, we became friends, good friends, best friends, and then more than just friends, although it is really unclear to all parties involved when each of those transitions actually took place.  Consequently, we have had some great memories together, some dating back several years.

Zack bought me the Mickey Mouse hat when we were in Disneyland on band tour one year. That unremarkable stack of papers in my box is not so unremarkable to me.  There are newspaper clippings from when Zack wrote for and edited the school newspaper in high school. There are some of my favorite letters that he has written to me.  There's some wrapping paper from a gift he gave me, and an envelope that he decorated before mailing it.  There are some photographs from a school dance we went to, and a ribbon from a rose he sent me.  Just papers to anyone else, these sweet things bring tears to my eyes when I pull them out.  

Hidden under the Mickey Mouse hat and the stack of papers, there are a series of random objects that have significance to me.  A bracelet from a Crimson Nights (event and the U of U) that Zack and I went to, souvenirs that he brought back for me from a Washington DC trip he took, and the necklace that I wore to junior prom when we went together.  It would take me forever to list everything in my box, so I'll just highlight a few of the fun ones here.  I just snapped a couple pictures so here's a little tour of my "stalker box".

This is from the same Disneyland trip as the hat.  We ate this blue cotton candy while we watched the fireworks.  Zack joked that we should keep the paper thingy that the cotton candy came on as a souvenir.  We laughed, but I actually kept it.  We probably would have never even remembered that moment without this cone of paper.

Sometimes fast food restaurants have those things you can peel off of the drink or fries container, and you might win something... know what I'm talking about?  Well, we went out to eat once during high school and the place we went had some of those.  We won some "Exciting Cruise Offer[s]", which were basically useless since we weren't going on a cruise any time soon. Once again, we joked that we should hold onto them so that we could use them when we did go on a cruise someday, we would have them.  

When I was in band in high school, people used to write messages all over my band folder. When I graduated high school, I threw the folder away, but I cut out this tiny piece written in Zack's oh-so-small writing. "Zack loves ShaNae"

These are the corsages Zack got me for school dances.  We went to Prom both junior and senior years.  The one on the left is from junior year.  They are dried out and fragile now, but still so pretty.

This is from a round of mini golf Zack and I played with my sister and her friend several years ago now. Zack kept score, so I kept the card.  Also, I won (insert smug face here). 

 

Another thing that many people don't know about me is that I used to collect "lucky bagel bag holder closer thingys" (lbbhcts).  And by used to, I mean that I just barely threw my collection (my very extensive collection) out right before I moved out here because it seemed like such a silly thing to pack with such limited space.  It was the flute section's mascot in high school.  I taped them to people's yearbooks at the end of the year.  I was serious about these things. Anyway, so when I took my first AP test, my sweet husband (not my husband then) bought a bag of skittles (my favorite candy) and taped 3 lbbhcts on it.  One said "good", another said "luck" and here's a picture of the third.  Totally cute, eh?

So there's a little tour through my box of treasures.  Next time you see an unremarkable shoe box sitting on my shelf, you'll know that it's actually a goofy and touching tour through the development of the relationship that I now get to enjoy for an eternity.  I love my husband, and I am so glad that he saw something in that awkward teenager who never wore matching socks and collected pieces of plastic off of bagel bags.  

My other fam

Last time, I wrote about my family, and how awesome they are, and how I think they're great. Today I just want to mention my new family, Zack's family.  Although they are very unlike my family in many ways, they too are just great.

Zack's dad, Dave, is hilarious.  His quirks make me laugh.  When he gets into things, he really gets into them, which makes him a great worker, and a great father.  I know Zack really admires his dad and would be proud to be like him.

Zack's mom, Beth, is probably the sweetest person to ever walk the planet.  I always ask Zack if his mom ever yelled at him growing up.  I just can't imagine her doing so.  Beth and Dave both have been so great about accepting me into the family and going out of their way to make me feel welcome.

Amy, is a quiet sort of person when you don't know her, but she really has a fun personality. She is interested in so many different kinds of things, and she has so much knowledge packed into that skull of hers.  Her sense of humor is great and, if I'm not mistaken, she is the one who starting referring to things using letters instead of full words, which really caught on.

Something that I really like about Megan is that she is into a lot of different things than I am. It helps me realize that I get stuck in my little bubble sometimes, and it can be really great to learn about new things.  Megan is always eating in pictures (ha ha).  Seriously though, I was so excited to have more sisters (not that the one I already have isn't awesome), and A and M are the best I could ask for.

Sam just makes me mad.  He's like 5 years younger than me, but he's definitely smarter than me in every possible way.  He's an extremely talented musician, and devotes time every single day to practicing his musical instrument.  He's one of those people that you just look at and see perfection.  This guy is really going places in life.  

Hope I didn't embarrass any of them.  I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to mention that these guys are wonderful, and I couldn't have married into a better family.

My Fam

Apparently I am subconsciously longing to watch TV.  According to my husband, I was talking in my sleep last night and I asked him if he found the TV guide.  Wow, that's embarrassing.  I wonder what I was dreaming about.   

I should also retract what I said about my clinical instructor a couple of posts ago.  I went to clinical today and she was sweet as can be.  Maybe she was having a bad day last time, or just didn't want us to think clinical was all fun and games or something.  In any case, I acknowledge that I judged her prematurely, and I hope I've learned my lesson about doing that. Probably not though. I'm sure I'll learn it the hard way many more times.

Well, it's not a special occasion or anything but I am missing my family today so I just wanted to write a little about them.  

My dad is the smartest person I know.  He can just open a book and read something and then he knows it.  He can figure out do-it-yourself projects, complex math problems, and has pretty much built his entire career on this ability that he has.  Although I do not have that skill, I appreciate that my dad has always encouraged me to think through problems and try and figure out how to do things.  He has also instilled in me a sense of curiosity.  A few years back, he got on this kick where he wanted us to learn how things work.  Each week in family night, we would present a lesson on that.  I taught one of the 4 stroke internal combustion engine.  We also had one on the TV, and some others.  We all thought dad was just being dorky, but it was actually really cool, and that will always be a fond memory to me.

My mom is the opposite of me.  She is so outgoing and social and friendly to everyone.  She is good about putting on a good face, even when times aren't so good, or when she doesn't feel well.  I often think of that when I am upset or sick.  I just can't pull it off the way she does.  One of the things I am most grateful for is that my mom taught me how to clean.  I love it when things are clean and orderly.  I know that I can't always maintain perfection, but when I have time, I really take pleasure in making a dirty thing look clean again.  

BJ and I are not at all alike.  He is goofy, crazy, and outgoing.  I hated being a grade behind him in school because he sort of had this reputation-- not a bad one, just one that was very different than my personality.  I don't stand out in a crowd, and I am very content with that.  I have always enjoyed being grouped with him as one of the "big kids".  One of my favorite memories of us is when we were younger.  We were nearly the same height and build, if you can believe that, so one day we put on Halloween masks and switched clothes.  We ran all around the house while the "kids" chased us, thinking that each of us was the other.  

Michelle my Belle (insert my lovely "French").  Michelle really is a belle, the beauty of the family (no offense to the others).  She's the only one who didn't get "the nose."  She's a lot more than cute though- she's intelligent, funny, and really just a good person.  We shared a room from basically when she came along until I was something like 17 years old.  Good times.  We were the biggest dorks.  I remember we used to get a kick out of the dumbest things.  We would hang my glow in the dark retainer from the ceiling fan at night, turn the lights off, and watch it spin around the room.  On Christmas Eve, we would stay awake and make up these crazy rhymes, 1 for each minute, until we finally fell asleep.  I could pop out quirky stories like that up the wazoo.  Good times.

Matthew was the most adorable baby of all time.  He had this HUGE head and tiny little body. I have this favorite picture of him at around 2 years old in those adorable "furry-burries" (or footsie pajamas, or whatever you like to call them).  I don't have a copy here, only in Utah, so I can't post it.  Just trust me, it's cute.  I can't believe that he's grown into a 16 year old high schooler who is taller than me, and into girls.  (That makes me the shortest one in my family). Crazy.  Matthew is the sports player of the family.  It's cool that he sort of blazed his own path and got into that.  Matthew and I went through this time where we had a startle war.  We would sneak up on each other and jump out and and scare the heck out of the other.  I think that's why I have a terrible fear of blow drying my hair.  I'm pretty sure he never actually got me while I was doing that, but I worried about it since there's no way to hear anyone sneaking up when the blow dryer is on.  It's pretty funny. 

You guys are the best.

Saturday frolicking

We had a blast going out on Saturday and just enjoying the weather and window shopping at dozens of stores downtown.  Here I am in a little mini-mall with the Philly Phanatic made out of cans of food- cute eh?  (Yeah Michelle, that is your present in my hand... you didn't believe my threats, did you).  We walked through tons of stores with blaring music, so packed full of people that it was difficult to walk, and loved every minute of it (maybe Zack was just humoring me but he was a good sport).  Later on, we went to a very different part of town full of run down houses and ghetto dollar stores.  I told Zack that I wanted to go out shopping, not go out and get mugged.  He told me that no one would mug me on that street because the people who hang out there have no money, so if I were there, people would assume I'm no exception (and, indeed, I am no exception).  I still didn't like that part of town but the stores were hilarious (knock off i-pods anyone?).  Good times.

Also, not to be a beggar or anything, but if anyone is looking to get rid of some furniture, we are in the market.  We have been living in a furnished apartment, and our new one is unfurnished.  If not, that's alright too.  Lots of people around here will be moving out in the next month or so and we'll just put craigs list to good use.  

Michelle's birthday is 3 weeks away.  What do you want girl?  Better give me an idea or else I'll get you-know-what (hint: MUSHP).

Hooray for the weekend and the 80 degree weather!  Zack and I are going out on the town tonight and I am determined to do so guilt-free.  I have very nearly achieved my goal of being 1 week ahead of the game in school- meaning that each Monday, I will be working on the homework for the next Monday, and so forth with each day of the week.  Wow, it has been an uphill battle to get to that place since that means trying to complete all of week 1's work while also trying to prepare for week 2.  I didn't achieve that completely and it has taken me until the end of the 3rd week to even get this close but I am almost there.  So I should be able to enjoy a night out without spending the whole time thinking about the work I should be doing (although there is plenty).

School is fabulous.  I have a group of very on target, very supportive professors.  There's just 1 lady who is so nice and is probably a fabulous nurse but isn't the best teacher.  I can forgive her for that though since I don't think I would make a good teacher either.  My clinical instructor is not like the others though.  At clinical, other people are worried about giving their first shower ever, or perfecting vital signs.  I am preoccupied with trying to avoid her condescending remarks and relentless stare.  I can understand her being tough, wanting us to get our hands dirty and all that, but I do not understand how being a jerk about things helps, especially in an already high stress situation.  Nevertheless, I enjoy myself there even.  It's one thing to sit in class and talk about theory and how to be good nurses and so forth.  It's a whole different thing to be out there with the patient, and that's what it's really all about.

This clinical rotation is just a general one.  Starting next term, we hone in on different areas of nursing practice.  I think I've already written about this a little.  I am very excited about that because I have no idea what kind of nursing I want to do.  I'm sure I won't end up in labor and delivery though.  I hope I don't offend anyone when I say hello cliche Mormon girl nurse.  Not for me.  I'm sure helping to deliver babies is awesome and whatever, but that's not the only thing out there.  And unless that clinical rotation turns out to be some sort of weird heaven on earth type thing, I think there's no chance I'm going that direction ultimately.  I just want to say that there is something just as rewarding, or even more so, about helping a person have a high quality of life at some point besides birth, and that being part of the process of helping someone die with dignity after a full life can be a touching experience.  Those are the kinds of things that move me.  

I really don't have much exciting to say.  My schedule seriously consists of getting up, going to school, coming home, and then studying until I go to bed.  I could recap that every time I write on here but then all 2 people that read my blog (wow, the readership is increasing) would quit doing so out of sheer boredom.

It's settled

For those who have been following/are interested in the latest on our apartment hunt, we went to see some more apartments, some of which were actually really nice.  We looked at this newly renovated one that was very pretty.  Nevertheless, we settled on the one I mentioned previously that we really liked.  We will be moving on June 1 (or thereabouts- I think the 1st might be a Sunday).  We are moving 3 blocks west and probably about 6 blocks south.  For my family, I will post the new address on the family website when it gets closer, or just talk to you about it on the phone.  It's still a month and a half away so no need to worry about it now.  

The weather cooled off a bit today.  It was still pretty but just a little cool (yeah yeah all you people in Utah, I know your weather was just fantastic today).  I decided to take advantage of the little cool off since it's supposed to warm right back up in coming days, so I whipped up a pot of "poo stew".  Mmmm, what a yummy dinner- plus easy enough that even I can make it.  It's just beef and vegetable soup.  Poo is actually not one of the ingredients.  (Ha ha Matthew... remember Ross- "dress for less").  Good times.

I love it when the weather starts to warm up.  I have just been thinking about really fun things that I've done when the weather was warm.

-Backpacking- I haven't gotten out to do it in several years actually, but I love it.  I particularly love those Southern Utah hikes, with the gorgeous red rocks.  I have a not so fond memory of that time in the Uintahs when it poured rain and we didn't bring a tent so we just huddled up under a tarp.  Brrrr, it got cold that night.  So maybe that time doesn't count as a warm weather activity anyway.  I really do miss those gorgeous Utah mountains.

-Beach Bumming- Somehow, it was really fun to go to the Great Salt Lake and swim with my cousins when I was a kid.  I went again a couple of years ago and found that it wasn't really that fun because of all the salt, but the beach was still really pretty.  I've also bummed on the Pacific Coast a couple times.  Also, we used to go to Bear Lake every single summer- lots of beach time there.

-Sunbathing- Nope, not the kind where I'm trying to get a tan.  I think that's just a huge load of stupidity (sorry all you gals who are into that).  Skin cancer is very real.  I prize my pale skin, and I like the kind of sunbathing where you load up on sunblock and just enjoy the warmth of those rays for a few minutes.  

-Not wearing a coat.  Yes, this deserves celebration.  I love that day where I get to hang my coat in the closet and not get it out again for several months.

-Vacationing- My parents always made vacations really awesome.  It didn't matter if it was a huge vacation to DC or Boston or something closer to home.  We've enjoyed Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Disneyland, Moab, and others.  I would like to follow that tradition in my own family when we start having kids.  Even if we can only do a little getaway, just spending that time as a family is awesome.

Life just seems better when it's warm.