I looked at Dave's blog because he gave the link but I'm not
sure if I was allowed too [sic]. It was too big of a temptation. Before I did
it I asked the elder next to me and he said it was OK but I don't know if
that's true or not (he's not in our district and I don't think he's even in our
zone; they're just visiting down here in Spokane from Colville for the day). So
if you don't send me the links I won't
be tempted.
But whether I was allowed to or not, I highly enjoyed it.
Preston looks so cute as a big brother. I loved all of the pictures but the
ones where he was holding Franklin were my favorite.
This was not a very good week for us. We taught ONE lesson
to an investigator and a few less-actives. I think we had more member visits
this week than anything else combined. Our most promising investigator
cancelled because their pipes were clogged. We called and talked to her that
day but she hasn't returned our calls since then and they didn't come to
church. Hopefully we can contact them sometime.
It wasn't very good this week as far as people talking to
other people and giving us referrals goes because the schools were cancelled
all week. Silly Washington, don't they know that they wouldn't have to shut
everything down if they'd just PLOW THE SILLY ROADS!?! Instead of like Utah
where when the snow starts the trucks are out, they have large vehicles--the
kind used in construction, like Caterpillars--out randomly plowing a few days
after the snow has stopped.[1]
I prepared a package and hopefully I can send it off today or
this week. I'm sending a little bit of stuff I've acquired and don't want to
have to carry around, as well as my splint.[2] Hopefully I won't need it
anymore. I'm also sending my memory cards with an explanation of the pics. Some
of them I specially want copies of for other missionaries. As far as everything
else goes I don't know if I want copies or not.
I had to take over our area twice this week for exchanges.
One was with Elder W. who was in the area before I was. He knew the area and some of the people but he's not
the hardest worker and Elder C. had a
really hard time with him. The next day one of the zone leaders came and it was
OK. On our way home on Saturday night I got caught driving in the snow on the
side of the road and Elder C. had to assist me to get out. Sad when a
California person has to give driving lessons--but in my defense Utah roads are
so much better than Washington roads it really is a new experience. There is a
crack in the rim of our tire now, and I feel sick if it was because of my
little adventure into the hard snow, especially since it's a brand new car.
Well, I feel like I'm a broken record from previous weeks,
but hopefully this upcoming week I'll have more to write about and we will be
more successful. Hopefully. Because I'm getting sick of this lack of busyness.
Being busy wasn't fun for me before my
mission but as a missionary being busy is so much better than not being busy.
Hasta (probablemente) la próxima semana,
Elder Melville
[1]
I had always believed what people told me about Utah being a terrible state,
but this was one thing that made me realize that’s not necessarily true. I had
two record-breaking winters on my mission, and both of them shocked me with how
poorly they deal with snow in Washington and northern Idaho.
This is a letter I wrote the week I learned of the birth of my nephew Franklin.
Dear Family,
This will be interesting because I already wrote you a
letter but you will be reading this before you read the letter. It usually does
work better the other way around because
I know what you'll read first but we had some extra time this morning so I
decided to go ahead and write with the pen before on the keyboard.
So I have another nephew! Wow...I wish I could see little
Arnold...I mean Wilbur...I mean Franklin![1] January 24--I'll have to
store that date in my memory. It will be a little harder than with Allie and
Preston because I remember the days they
were born and instantly ingrained the date into my head. Let's see...what was I doing on the 24th? I think that was the
day I had to go stay with Elder S. while Elder C. took Elder J. out working in
their area. Elder Spahr had to have foot surgery from an injury before his
mission and then he hurt it again so he had to get something else done to it
and he was/is sore. This Thursday he has another doctor's appointment and will
learn if he will have to be sent home for further surgery. Also on the 24th we
taught an investigator who is going through the Book of Mormon and has
questions about his reading. Our ward mission leader came out with us and answered his
questions--very detailed, very slowly, very lengthy, and Elder C. was
falling asleep. But I think the investigator understood the explanations, even
if they were a little more detailed than he needed.[2]
Elder L. Tom Perry was going to come out this week to speak
to ward mission leaders, although that might change with everything going on
with President Hinckley.[3] It is transfer week, which
usually happens on Tuesday but because of an apostle in the area it was
switched to Wednesday. But regardless of the day of the week, my first transfer
is pretty much over. It was exactly two months ago today I entered the MTC. I
still feel very green but I'm sure I'm better than when I started. Our district
stayed the same, which is good because I really like everyone else, even though
one companionship is kind of distant from the rest of us. It might change with
Elder S. and his ankle but that's not really part of the transfer process.
Oh, today as we were coming into the library we saw nuns
driving in a car. I don't know if I've ever seen nuns in real life before. We
brought the sisters with us and Sister (or Queen) M.[4] said she's always wanted
to get a picture taken with fellow sisters. Hopefully, then, one day they'll
meet some nuns and she can get her wish. Just a random tidbit that doesn't have
to do with anything...
The fact that I'm using so many ellipses kind of indicates
the less serious nature of my letter. It's been a slow couple of weeks, but
hopefully things will look up with fewer illnesses and warmer weather. Not only
did I have to eldersit Elder S. this week, I had to stay at the apartment of
Elder Cl. and Elder W. because Elder Cl. was sick. That wasn't as fun because
Elder Cl. slept the whole time. On my last exchange with him I gave him my belt
that fits me (since he forgot his) and wore the one that is a little too big
for me and WAY too big for him. Then I forgot to get it back from him--even
though we were at their apartment for a
while! I did add an extra hole to my big
belt, but still...
Before you die from choking on ellipses and before my
library time expires, I will close this letter with my love, best wishes for
the new baby, and looking forward to writing--and being written by--you again.
Elder Richard Mark Melville
[1]
My niece, Allie, apparently began calling baby Franklin by the name of Wilbur.
She also had a pet pig named Wilbur, but I would call it Arnold after the pig
on Green Acres.
[2]
This is my journal entry for January 24, 2008: “This morning we had to go over
to Elder J.’s and Elder S.’s house because Elder S. had ankle surgery and
couldn’t leave, so I stayed with him while Elder C. taught with Elder J. We had
dinner with the Gibby’s and they brought their less-active daughter and her non-member
boyfriend. That was kind of an awkward situation. We taught Shane and Brother
Palmer talked and talked. We barely even said anything. So that was
interesting. Oh, well. Then Elder C. told me I can’t do anything related to
vampirism or lycanthropy anymore.”
[3]
Gordon B. Hinckley died the day before I wrote this letter.
I have been pulling these letters from my mom's email account before I post them here. This letter was buried because of my mom forwarding it at a later date, so this letter actually came before the previous post.
What kind of letter was that..."love Rick"?! I understand "Pops,"
"Vatti" or simply "Dad," but what's with this
"Rick" thing?![1]
And I suppose I don't have a problem with you forwarding my
emails.
Anyway...
Now that the holidays are over hopefully I will be able to
email on a more consistent basis. At
first I thought we couldn't email because we were doing too much on
those P-days but now I realize that on New Year's Day the library wouldn't have
been open and Christmas Eve it probably would have closed earlier.
We had an interesting week. On Friday we came home for lunch and were up cooking and talking with
Sister W., the member with whom we live.[2] We three were the only
ones home at the time (maybe H., the ex-con son, was down in his room--I'm not
sure). The phone rang so Sister W. went into the other room to answer it. Elder
C. went downstairs, leaving me up in the
kitchen. Soon Sister W. comes out of the
room calling, "Missionaries!" She found me and told me she had a feeling something terrible had happened
and she wanted me with her (one of her sons was on the phone and he'd told her
he didn't want her to be alone). She grabbed my hand and brought me onto the
couch. She squeezed my hand as she
cried, hearing the news, and when Brother W. came home (while she was on the
phone) she met him and they went into their
room. It is because of this phone call that on Saturday they left us
with an empty house. The three Ws are down in Salt Lake now because their
youngest son was electrocuted in a construction accident. The incredibly sad
irony is that he was working at the Capitol on
Utah's birthday.[3] So if you see or have seen
an obituary for a J. W., that is who it is. That evening some people from the
ward came to give them blessings. We came home from appointments too late so we
barely missed giving Sister W. a blessing but we were able to help with Brother
W. and H.[4]
Yesterday was also a bit of a downer. One of our members is
responsible for two of the people we're working with. Sister Cunningham started
having her friend Debbie take the lessons before I came. I believe I told you about her in my
last letter, how she and her boyfriend's kids are on date for baptism, but she
must get married before she can be baptized. A few weeks ago we discussed
marriage with her but Elder C. did not tell her that she had to get married to
be baptized(separation is not our first preference because she is so close to
Walt's kids). We called Sister Cunningham the other day to make sure she knew.
She said she thought she understood but she'd call to make sure. Well,
yesterday we found out that the news of that came as quite a blow. She didn't
come to church because she was so upset. We stopped by her apartment briefly
yesterday, and she said we were still on for our meeting on Thursday, but she
was crying and clearly not overly happy with the news. I can't decide if it's
good or bad she's so distraught--it makes it a delicate and awkward situation,
but it shows her desire to be baptized.
Sister Cunningham also referred us to her less-active
brother, complete with earring and sleeveless shirts. He has complete faith in
God and knows the truth but he was struggling with some deeper doctrine.
Through meeting with him we were able to answer his questions, or at least lead
him to answer his own. He is trying to quit smoking and wanted to come to
church at the new year. Some of his biggest problems reside with the fact that his wife is a philanderer
and had her first of two (known) affairs three days after baptism. He is ready
to be a father (they have two or three kids) but she can't abandon the party
life. We gave him the bishop's number and he agreed to meet with him for
marriage counseling.[5] Yesterday was the day for
him to meet with the bishop. We called Sister Cunningham to ask how it went.
All I know is that he was not happy with it. I think we're still on to meet
with him this week, but I hope everything's not lost with him.
You know that street I told you about on Christmas where
three people told us to come back? Well, we haven't had much luck. I'll write
you perhaps in more detail in my letter today but I have to end my letter for
now.[6]
Love,
Elder Melville.
[1]
My dad had sent me an email that he signed with his real name, which I found
ridiculous. We usually called him “Pops” because my niece did. “Vatti” started
when my brother took junior high German.
[2]
“With whom we live”...ugh. I erroneously believed you couldn’t end a sentence
with a preposition.
[4]
The ward members used oil in the blessings, but I didn’t think it was the time
to point out that wasn’t necessary.
[5]
I’m 90 percent certain the bishop was a professional counselor, but I can’t find
his practice online.
[6]
We tracted a street where only three people answered, but they all said we
could come back. But I don’t think any of them were serious. (Actually, one
might have been, but we didn’t get far with him.)
This is the third
installment of me reprinting my mission emails. There was a hiatus for a few
weeks because I couldn’t email at Christmas and New Year’s, but I did still
write home in the meantime.
Hello family!
I don't feel like writing anything coherent today so I'll
just throw some stuff around. I'll start off with the missionary work and let
the letter digress from there. Our investigators who were on date are no longer
meeting with us. The nefarious boyfriend told them they couldn't visit with us
anymore because he says it's none of our business if they're married or not.
Sometimes I wonder if the Great Apostasy's really ended.[1]
On the other hand, we picked up four new investigators. We
were meeting with a lady who knows the Church is true but years later hasn't
been baptized because she won't give up smoking. Her son's 15-year-old
girlfriend was there so we gave her a BoM and taught her about it and we're
teaching her tomorrow. Then the lady's son's friend's mom and her mom and
daughter came over and we taught them later. The girlfriend has been reading
the BoM. The friend's mom, Michelle, wanted to meet with us kind of to bash but
she said she feels less inclined to after meeting with us. We hope she
continues to improve her opinion of us.
Now for the stuff I don't know how to organize...
I thought it was funny the other day when I was on
exchanges. I saw a shop that was called Old Testament Bicycles, complete with a
Christian fish on the front sign. Shortly thereafter was a billboard for Living
Water Lawncare, including a quote from Proverbs. I'm not in Utah anymore, where
we don't usually associate the Savior with green lawns...[2]
Yesterday was a musical day. We sang with the sister
missionaries, Sister S. and Sister M., in their ward. We sang "Sweet Hour
of Prayer" a cappella, SATB. All the ward members liked it, and it was
good for the sisters because they have been having trouble with the members in
that ward. Then Elder C. and I sang in the ward choir for ward conference. I
was the only one singing bass, because I don't really know what the only other
bass was singing. I don't think we sounded very good...
Speaking of sisters, I really like our female counterparts.
I feel more comfortable with them than with other elders. On New Year's Day we
spent a few hours at their house, eating crêpes, playing games and practicing
our song. They went on exchanges the other day with another district, and
Sister M.'s temporary companion, [another] Sister S., it seems is one of those
people everyone knows for being weird. It was quite funny (to me at least). We
had to open the stake center doors for them,[3] and while they waited for
us Sister S. (from South Carolina) decided to jump backwards into the snow. She
had Sister M. take a video on her camera (I guess cameras with video are
permissible because everyone has them),[4] and then decided to show
me. However, she had not previously viewed it and she was insanely embarrassed
when her skirt flew up almost halfway up her thighs. Nothing was visible but I
thought she was going to take up sackcloth and ashes, not for mourning or
repentance but for embarrassment. Later we learned that other elders gave them
blessings—[this second] Sister S. because she hurt her back jumping in the
snow, and Sister M. because she was annoyed with Sister S.![5]
I had an amusing dream in which Sister M., Elder C. and I,
and unknown elders were at a meeting (I couldn't figure out where [the first] Sister
S. had gone) and Elder C. suggested that instead of calling them Sister we
should call them Mother. Another elder said that instead of Mother we should call them Queen. Sister M. said,
"Queen--I like that." Everyone was pretty much joking in the dream,
but it still makes a funny story, and Elder C. and I have occasionally thrown
out a "Queen M." at her (you just don't keep a funny dream like that
to yourself!).
Well, my email time is almost up, so I will close this
cluttered letter. I know I was going to write more but I don't remember what.
Whatever it was will be my subject material for my paper letter.
Love,
Elder Melville
[1]
With a decade of hindsight, I can see the boyfriend’s point, even if I
disagree. We were teaching the lady and her boyfriend’s two kids, if I remember
right.
[2]
I was mistaken if I thought this was unique to Christianity, since we have many
nonreligious businesses with Mormon names in Utah. There was a restaurant
called the Steak Center, and Provo has a place called Called to Surf.
[3]
I think the first Sister S. had taken the church keys with her when she left
the area for the exchange.
[4]
I had worried if I would be able to have my digital camera, since it could take
video, which was forbidden in the instructions that came with my mission call.
I recently looked at that again, and I have realized that it is impossible to
follow every rule given to
missionaries, because some of them contradict.
[5]
This Sister S. requested blessings all the time, and the mission president eventually
had to say, “You don’t use cancer treatment to cure a cold.”
This is the second
installment of republishing my mission emails. I have abbreviated names for
privacy’s sake.
Yes, you are allowed to email me, although we are only
allowed to spend thirty minutes logged in (it counts it down), which includes
reading and typing.[1]
Um...where to start on this letter? Thank you for the
package. I honestly don't know what to do with all that candy. My appetite for
sweet things has gone down severely since coming in. I have lost eight pounds between
coming in and the last time I weighed myself, which was Monday. My pants are
way too big and I'm on my last hole on my new belt, and it's a little loose.
Fortunately, my old belt still has plenty of room for me to lose.[2]
As for the extension cord, thanks for that, but we actually
resolved the problem.[3] Another elder in our room
directed us to another outlet by the mirror, which accomodates (that word
doesn't look right--man, I wish they sold dictionaries here)[4] the plug. Upon receiving
the cord, I asked my companion if he would like to move it where we thought it
would go in the first place. He said we could just leave it where it was,
although I think the first place would be more convenient except that's where
we put all of our boxes. My companion is the king of packages.
So, we are enjoying our music, although my companion usually
turns it on and listens to his music. I haven't even listened to the one from J.
yet.[5] By the way, everyone who
comes in is very impressed by my speakers.
I wrote to you (I think) that my companion knows countless
people here. I have met three people (I neglected to tell you these things last
week) I have known. D. B. from our stake and formerly ward, and whom I have
known since kindergarten, is one of our zone leaders. E. S., who was in our
ward years ago, came in the same day we did and is off to Orlando. I greeted
him when I first saw him but I don't really think he remembered me. I've also
met someone I met last year at Y Weekend who is going to Budapest. He
remembered our discussion about split infinitives.[6]
I have made several purchases at the MTC branch of the BYU
bookstore--my first day I got a backpack, flip-flops for the shower, a mini
hymnbook, a notebook, and the hymns on CD. The only thing they don't sell are
dictionaries. The other night we had a health orientation thingy and the
speaker introduced us to amazing health products only sold one place in the
entire world--the MTC. One is a special kind of hand sanitizer that kills germs
for four hours, while most brands only do two minutes.[7] The other is a super
filter water bottle. He said that he tested unfiltered tap water and lake water
that went through the bottle filter, and the lake water was less contaminated.
I bought both of those items (with a replacement filter).[8]
My time on the computer is drawing to a close. Like last
week, I'll also write you a real letter while I'm laundering. That may be
complicated today since my comp and I both have haircuts scheduled during our
laundry time. But we'll figure it out.
I'm sorry this isn't a very coherent letter. I'll try to
redeem myself in my paper letter.
Love,
Elder Richard Mark Melville
P.S. This is my last prep day in the MTC!
[1]
This was in response to my mom’s email asking if she was allowed to email me. I
wonder if the MTC still has the thirty-minute limit?
[2]
I remember calculating that if I kept losing weight at the same rate I did in
the MTC, by the time I came home I would literally be lighter than air. I think
I lost so much weight in the MTC because my first week there, I didn’t feel
like eating, and then it was fast Sunday; and then once I noticed I had lost
weight, I realized I could not eat as much and lose more. Apparently I lived a
ridiculously sedentary life before if I could lose ten pounds in three weeks in
the MTC.
[3]
Referring to the fact that I couldn’t plug in my speakers that my mom’s friend
got me when I left.
[4]
I did later find a dictionary for sale at the MTC. I still have it.
[5]
My mom’s friend also got me a cheap MoTab CD, The Spirit of Christmas. I think she got me these gifts because my
mom guilt-tripped her for not coming to my farewell.
[7]
I did like that hand sanitizer; it was more like a lotion, which I appreciated
when my hands were splitting apart in the winter.
[8]
...I was less enthusiastic about the bottles after I used them. You had to suck
really hard to get the water up. And I was in America, so I didn’t need
filtered water anyway.
Note: In honor of ten years of leaving on a mission, I have decided to resurrect this blog by publishing my mission emails. I'm also annotating them with ten years of hindsight. I have abbreviated names--it's one thing to write them in an email, but another to post them on the internet. I'm not sure how this convention will go, but I have to start somewhere. This is my first email, with the subject line "Howdy."
Ma chère famille,
Ici je suis en le MTC, et je suis bien.[1] Today (Wednesday) is our
prep day, the only time I am allowed to email/write letters. We are only
permitted to write on our prep day.[2] The exception was our
first day but we didn't have time. It's just as well because my first day felt
like a funeral, but since then everything has been just fine.
We usually stay as a district during classes, meals,
studying and such, which I like. My companion, Elder Hi. (also going to
Spokane), and I are pretty different (he reminds me a lot of [my cousin] Rayce)[3] but we get along fine. He
is from Pleasant Grove and knows tons of people here--even his sister-in-law
works here. We share our residence with Elders Ha. and M. (from Vernal and Salt
Lake, respectively), who are also going to Spokane. Our district leader, Elder
W., and his companion, Elder G., are next door. They are going to Portland.
Elder W. is all-around amazing as a district leader.
We obviously do not live near the other members of our
district, Sister V. and Sister C. Sister V. is coming to Spokane with us, while
Sister C. is going to Portland. We supposedly leave two days earlier which
means Sister C. will be solo for a few days.
As for me, I am doing fine. It's amazing how the Lord has
already blessed me--little to no homesickness or unkind thoughts. I am excited
to be a missionary.
I do realize now that I watched WAY too much TV.[4] Things constantly remind
me of the various things I used to watch. The first few days I always thought
of <i>The Flying Nun</i>[5] because this is like a
convent and the show always showed two sisters walking on the convent grounds
like we do. But pretty much anything I've ever watched in my life has entered
my thoughts at some point.
Oh, a slightly unfortunate event. While the other elders in
my residence brought music, I was the only one to bring a CD player. Each
missionary only has one small, inconvenient outlet, and the speakers do not fit
in the plug, so we are music-less. But we're out of here in not too long.
Well, I need to get ready to do my laundry. I'll write you a
letter while my clothes are being washed.
Love,
Elder Melville
[1]
I loved writing in foreign languages, and I never really got over the fact that
I was called to speak English.
[2]
They told us we couldn’t say “P-day” in the MTC. They really didn’t like
initialisms in the MTC.
[3]
In retrospect, I think my cousin is less of a jerk than my companion, but ten
years later, maybe I only remember the bad things.
[4]
This is true. I was obsessed with 1960s sitcoms.
[5]
(1) Our missionary email did not permit us to put things in italics, so I tried
to use HTML tags. Obviously they didn’t work. (2) Yes, there really was a TV
show about a flying nun.
I have a few extra moments to actually update this thing, so I'm going to return to the tradition of returning to last year's holiday. (Just this time, though. Don't expect more regular posts.)
Monday, March 14. I went to Kneaders for lunch, and I think I had a mint chocolate cupcake. I went to FHE, and Bishop Allen did a presentation with a March Madness theme. Bishop said he wanted to find this meme with a basketball theme but couldn't find one.
Brother Bailey and his children sat in front of me, and his older daughter kept kissing their baby. I leaned up and said, "You look like you're a really good sister," and she said, "I am." On the way home from FHE, I really considered stopping at Village Inn to get a mint pie for Pi Day (since I only eat green pies at that time of year), but I decided against it because it wouldn't be good for my family. I think my niece was annoyed that I didn't. I wrote in my journal: "Today I went to Kneaders for lunch because I threw away the old sandwiches I had packed. It was rainy and snowy today. Home evening was bracketology by Bishop Allen. Brother Bailey's daughter was kissing their baby; I told her, 'You look like a really great big sister,' and she said, 'I am.' I painted more of my wooden shamrock tonight. I considered buying a mint pie, but I didn't feel like it...."
Tuesday, March 15. I used an informally published book called Ship Brooklyn Saints for the research described in my journal: "It was rainy and snowy today. I did some Chauncey West bios (Quartus Sparks and Orrin Smith) when I needed a break. I went to central hub institute for the last time, since we'll probably use a different building next time. Tonight I finished painting my shamrock. Now to let it dry."
Wednesday, March 16. I was able to test out my new trail running shoes on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, and it was also the first time I did a trail run with my Fitbit. I was surprised how fast I was on that trail (since the first part of it is flat, and I only had time for a short run). That night I watched Darby O'Gill and the Little People. I wrote in my journal: "Tonight I ran two miles on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail for the first time since November! I went slower going downhill. It was my first time with my trail running shoes and my Fitbit. Tonight I watched Darby O'Gill."
Thursday, March 17. I wore my green pants, white shirt, orange belt, green glasses, and green socks to work. I stopped at a gas station on Beck Street and went inside the convenience store to see if they had sweetened condensed milk. They didn't, and I considered buying a king-size Lucky Charms bar, but I didn't. During the lunch hour, several employees were playing Irish music in a conference room, so many of us went down to listen. The Darowskis (whom I hadn't really met yet) commented on how much I got into it. Jenny Reeder sat next to Charlotte Terry and brought her laptop to work. Most of the music was instrumental, but Korben McBride sang "Danny Boy," and I didn't get why everyone was so enamored before he sang it (I don't get why it's so popular). After work, I stopped at Neighbor's Market to get sweetened condensed milk. I changed into my green shoes and "Irishish" shirt to go to tutoring. When I showed up at Camille's house, she said her boss had the same (or a similar) shirt. Doug and Ellie also came for tutoring, and on the way to tutoring, Ellie pointed out that the sign on the freeway had a holiday theme: "A designated driver is your lucky charm." I think I helped out a student in the separate computer room, and when I went back in, Camille wasn't riding home with us, and in the car Doug and Ellie were talking about how awkward it was, because apparently Camille was really mad at Doug. Doug said he wondered where I had gone, because he didn't see all my green. I went home and made avocado milkshakes (out of avocado, milk, sweetened condensed milk, and ice) and went downstairs to watch The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold. I wrote in my journal: "Everyone liked my shamrock tie, green pants, and green glasses. During lunch hour, I attended a department Irish music concert. When I came home, I made Hawaiian Haystacks with green rice. Then I went to tutoring and helped Myles with vocab. When I came home (Camille didn't ride with us because she was mad at Doug), I made avocado shakes, using the sweetened condensed milk I got from Neighbor's Market on my way home from work. Then I watched The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold."
Friday, March 18. After work, I drove to Wild Rose Park for my first-ever Fitbit trial on my favorite (at the time) trail. I did both the Wild Rose and Chukar Loops, 2.5 miles, which was a little less than I had expected. When I got home, our old neighbors, the Reeds, were visiting. They talked about lots of things: they were freaked out by the rattlesnake in our window, but Randy said it was a little less scary because of its "cowboy" hat (my Mom said it was a St. Patrick's Day hat, so that would be coming down). They talked about their son-in-law who would jump on their bed between them. They talked about their spoiled grandchild, and they attributed her behavior to not being spanked. They said she went to Olive Garden with her aunt, Nicole, and expected to get her own serving of something, while Nicole insisted they share it. They talked about how their son bought a house before he got a job and then got a job really far from their house. We talked about how four YSA wards meet in my church building. They talked about the Peterson family in the neighborhood, the wife of which had early-onset Alzheimer's or something. The Reeds talked about how sad it was, that they were at a funeral or something and she stared at the floor the whole time. Our cat, Jenny, started meowing because she wanted outside, so Rosa started meowing, and Jenny came up to her foot to be "petted," and Rosa tried to get her to go away. I wrote in my journal: "Today I went to Nauvoo Cafe for lunch (for carrot cake, of course). When I came home, I drove to the Wild Rose and Chukar Loops and ran them with my new shoes and my Fitbit. And when I got home, Randy and Rosa Reed were visiting. I haven't seen them in a decade."
Saturday, March 19. I ran up to Wild Rose again, and I even went on the lower portion of the trail that had always been closed. It was really muddy, and part of the trail had me going through overgrown branches, right below the North Salt Lake landslide. I wasn't impressed with that portion of the trail, because it was surrounded by houses, muddy, steep, and full of litter. I had to take my shoes off outside when I got home because of all the mud. Then I went with my mom to pick up Allie, and as we were driving down 500 South, my mom was talking about what she could make for Easter dessert, either carrot cake or a cake like my Grandma Judy used to make, with jelly beans and colored coconut on top. I said I preferred carrot cake, because in my treat categories, that's category 1, whereas a decorated cake is only category 3. We went to At Home because I wanted an Easter decoration. I thought about an egg tree, but I got a little fake sugar egg. That night, we went to a musical performance, The Lamb of God, which was interdenominational, and my grandparents joined us. One of the prayers, from a woman preacher of another religion, prayed to God as "Father and Mother," which was interesting. We looked at some of the paintings on display, and we were a bit underwhelmed by the performance. After we went home, I pulled out the box of Easter decorations to put up. While I was decorating, I randomly had the laughable Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons rendition of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" pop in my head, and I told my mom about how it had their signature style: "You better watch out, you better not cry-y bay-ay-by," and my mom laughed at the way I sang. I had to pull it up on my phone to play, even though it was out of season, since it so randomly popped into my head.
I decided that I would only put up what decorations I could get up that night before 9, since Easter was early that year. I wrote in my journal: "This morning I ran up to Wild Rose, and I also ran on the portion of the trail near the landslide, which has always been closed. I went six miles and climbed 1,200 feet. Then this afternoon we went to At Home and Smith's Marketplace. Then Mom and I met G'ma and G'pa at a musical production of The Lamb of God. It was OK."
