June 30, 2008-2014

June 30 is my mom's birthday, and a few years ago I made a post about the times when I saw her on her birthday, but I didn't include other years. This post will include all other memories I have of June 30--not just because of her birthday but as part of Fourth of July week.

2014. In the morning I was in my apartment doing work at my desk. I had a Facebook tab open, and I was shocked when my news feed showed that my old roommate Cameron had commented on a Buzzfeed article using the most unnecessarily profane language. I decided that during my lunch break, I would run my rent check over to Aspen Ridge Management, so I did so, and while running I was disturbed that the Cameron I knew apparently was not the real Cameron. Running the check and then taking a shower took me a bit longer than I had expected. Our apartment was getting painted, so I also had to pack up a lot of my stuff, which I would be taking home that night. I loaded up my car, and then that evening I headed up to a ward activity at a park in American Fork. I was wearing light blue shorts and a Fourth of July shirt. I wasn't sure if I was in the right place, but I saw my roommate Jordan playing tennis in a bright green/yellow shirt, so I knew that's where we were. I had lots of watermelon and a cheeseburger made with spicy cheese. Brother Clasby (who was about my age) complimented my shorts and said he had green ones. I was looking along the fence to see if there were any goatheads for me to pick, and I declined playing many of the sports. I remember talking to someone about what I did for work. At some point, they were saying that they thought San Francisco had originally been founded by Mormons. I thought they were confusing it with Las Vegas, but I didn't say anything because I didn't know. (It turns out they were somewhat, but not completely, right.) Then I left, and I walked by a Michaela Miller, but I didn't say hi. I drove home.

2013. We loaded up our cars to leave the cabins where we'd been staying in Kings Canyon National Park. Preston and Franklin wanted to ride with me and my parents. Nathaniel (who then was still called "Baby") initially wanted to go with us but then changed his mind and went with his parents. Preston was in the middle row with me and Franklin was in the back. Before we left the park, we drove to a place with a short hike. My dad and brother and I went further, going to a massive tree stump where early California folks held dances. I took my mom's camera but took blurry pictures. At some point that day, the boys wanted chips, and Franklin got really mad when I said he couldn't have Doritos because they would make him throw up. At one point, Preston and I were amused at Franklin's sleeping position.

My parents didn't believe in keeping the Sabbath holy on vacation, so we stopped at a fast-food place for lunch. It was discovered that Franklin had peed his pants; his mom asked him if he was asleep, and he admitted that he had been awake--he was apparently too shy to tell us. Ya-ping took the carseat out to dry in the sun. At another point we stopped at a gas station and my mom let the boys get candy. Preston wanted candy corn; my mom was skeptical that he would like it, but he really wanted it. He had fun sticking one candy corn into another. The boys used their travel DVD player to watch Batman cartoons and The Incredibles, which they were watching when we arrived at their house. Ya-ping made my mom a fancy pink cake for her birthday, but since it wasn't patriotic I couldn't eat it. I was sitting at their table doing something when a girl was dropped off by her grandma; she made some comments about her grandma being a little nitpicky, but she was essentially being raised by her grandma. David asked her how old she was and she said 15; she looked older than that. I pulled out my flashdrive and used it to post an essay for my blog that week. It took a long time on my dad's little pink laptop (the girl was using David's desktop computer). The boys wanted to watch a movie, and David recommended Spirited Away, which the teenage girl liked. The boys had an obsession with nipples, and one character was a vegetable-esque being, and Franklin said, "Nipples!" My mom said, "I think they're supposed to be roots on that guy," but she didn't realize that the character did have nipples in addition to the root structures. When the movie was over, David told them it was time to go to bed, and Franklin started crying, "But I didn't like that movie!" as though he was entitled to watch another movie because he didn't like that one.

2012. In the morning I went and took a Book of Mormon test; then I went to the electronic piano classroom and played some hymns, I think the patriotic hymns. When I was coming home, I found a goathead plant growing in the sidewalk near my house, so I plucked it up. I went in my apartment and showed it to my roommate Cameron. Then I took a small plate and a knife and began cutting its green seeds. I dusted our laundry room and found a hotel "key"--the card you use to get in the room. I considered returning it, but I realized I had no idea where it came from, as it could be from anywhere in the country. I started fasting, and my friend Kat knocked on the door. She had a cupcake with blue frosting and an American flag-wrapped Tootsie Roll on it. She said, "I saw this and I thought of you." I thanked her but told her I was fasting, but I would save it, so I put it on top of the fridge. She was leaving that night, so that was the last time I saw her until that December.

2011. I know I would have gone to my history class in the morning, but I don't specifically remember it.

2010. I think I had gone into the library to study for my Dinosaurs! class when I logged onto Facebook and shared this story, which I still find quite funny. (Most of my Facebook posts from 2010 make me cringe, but I like this one.)
"I thought my milk expired on July 10. Then I discovered it was actually June 27. What confused me was that there was a name on the milk (who knows why), and the name was JULIO, which looks very much like JUL 10."

2009. I think we got in late because we were teaching Nick Montez; hence I didn't write in my journal.

2008. I think I was on exchanges with Elder Major in East Wenatchee, and I think when a member picked us up to go to his house for dinner, Elder Major asked him whether ribbon or string floss was better, since the member was a dentist. They sent us home with some sort of Reese's dessert. Then I think we were tracting 11th Street. Elder Major wanted to talk to someone who was in his yard, but I knew that Elder Bramall (my companion) had already tracted that side and therefore likely talked to him already. The guy wasn't too happy to talk to us. We knocked on one door and this lady very happily said, "Would you join us for dinner?" We had already eaten, so she invited us to have chocolate cake, and Elder Major accepted. When people are that friendly, they are either (1) members or (2) trying to set you up for a bash. I looked around their house nervously trying to get clues. I saw a "House Rules" with Bible verses, which I have seen in Mormon houses, but that was all I saw. It turned out they were evangelicals wanting to bash, telling us what we believe about pregnancy and eternity and things. (Just because a past leader said some uncomfortable thing in the past doesn't mean that it's our doctrine or what we believe.) We left without any chocolate cake. I think when someone slammed the door on us, Elder Major laughed, but I wasn't as charitable. This is my rather melodramatic journal entry for the day:
"I hate exchanges. And I hate people who are wolves in sheep's clothing who want to bash. And I hate people who slam the door on you. And I hate biking in hot weather. And I hate losing my pant clip. And I hate realizing Elder Bramall is like Elder Chun because that means he hates me. Therefore, I wasn't too fond of today."