RAIN!!! and the Office

My goodness, this is probably the longest rainstorm in Arizona history. Seriously, there is going to be some major flooding in some parts here.

You see, Arizona dirt isn't dirt...it's sand. Sand does not absorb water very well at all. That is why we have these natural things called washes or arroyo's depending on where you are. They are very short lived streams and rivers of water that can get to be very deep, very wide and very dangerous. And cause things we call flash floods. Really smart people here in Arizona think "I have four-wheel drive, I can make it over that". Man the fire department gets more action from idiots who get stuck in the water than at most other times. I love it, these big, lifted, decked out trucks get knocked over by the water. Water is a very powerful thing, yo!

It rained this morning before I got up and then has gone steady since about noon I think and it is still going strong. It kinda really stinks, cause they have been working on paving the major road by my house for a really long time now. It's going to take a little longer I think...

Below is a link to see the total amount of rainfall we have gotten in the last 24 hours. Consider this: our average YEARLY rainfall is 8.5 inches of rain.

Current rainfall count in last 24 hours

This is a lot of rain for this area. :)

And of course guess who wore a white shirt to work and did not bring her umbrella...yeah, not the brightest one in the bushel, huh? I figure, it's not going to rain. It never rains here. Ha!

Went to an "Office" party tonight. All we did is eat heart stopping food and watch episodes of the Office. It was fantabulous! I am gaining more and more appreciation for this show. And I have decided that Stanley is my favorite character on the show. :) It was fun, except most of the guys there were with a girl. PDA was kinda rampant. But that's okay, I focused on the good stuff: The Office. :)

Trials and Photoshoots

I love the fact that Heavenly Father knows me and He knows exactly what I need.

I had a major trial today. I could have gotten incredibly angry, frustrated, irrational as a result of it.

You know what I did instead?

• Took a breath and called my best friend. She listened, we talked.
  
• Texted my sister, and she poured out her love and her advice to me.
  
• Had a great day at work, very productive. Way over productive actually.
• Discovered I am getting paid tomorrow (NOT next week, yay!)
  
• Went to institute, and the lesson was tailor-made for me in my situation. Go figure!
• I HAVE SOMETHING TO DO THIS WEEKEND!!! YAY! With friends who will stay with me and who I can trust.
  

Am I ever grateful for the people that Heavenly Father puts in my life, because that is how He blesses me. :)

Okay, so I got pictures done by an AMAZING photographer names Mike Schiffler, and seriously, he does wonders with a camera. Anyways, here are three of my favorites.

I think this first one is my favorite one of all. I just, yeah. I think it shows ME the best at least. Any of you look in the mirror, see one person, and then look at photographs of yourself and think you don't look like the person in the picture? I know, I am weird, but I really see someone different in the mirror than what I see in pictures. Well, this first one I think actually looks like the person in the mirror.

I like this one a LOT.

This one...I don't know, I just think I am glowing in this picture. Perhaps it is because I am white. :) (And no, the whiteness of my skin in this picture isn't any trick of the camera. That is the actual color of my skin. I have tried a tanning salon, and all I got out of that was burn after burn. I gave up on tanned skin at that point. So I will always glow in pictures. :) )

That's all. I have TONS more, but I really like these. Should I use one of these for my profile picture?? :) If you want to see the rest of them, come on over!

Airports

Albuquerque Sunport Updated their internet service! I am so happy. Last time I was flying out of this airport, I tried several times on this very computer to connect to their wireless service and failed. It really is a good way to pass the time while waiting for your flight.
Southwest Airlines has this new thing where you still have boarding groups, but you are assigned a number in the boarding group. It is kinda like the old way of doing things, when they had those plastic vouchers that they passed out to everyone (who knows how many colds were passed around because of those plastic passes). Anyways, I kinda like it, cause now you don't have to sit on the floor for an hour waiting for the plane to start boarding.
Actually, this is the first time in a long time that I am boarding like a normal person. The last year and a half I preboarded because of my lovely knee. I had to get the front row to accommodate the fact that I couldn't bend my knee completely and the fact that I needed to stretch it out.
At the Phoenix Airport, they have these internet benches where you can put your laptop on it and plug it in. It is a nice concept, but they all need to come with chairs to sit on. And they need to make the benches big enough to accommodate as many laptops as there are plugs. Keep trying! :)
I like flying. I have had very few experiences where I didn't like flying. Once it was because of the weather. Flying into Dallas is never fun I have decided, and at all costs I am going to avoid ever flying into that airport again. Once in high school (first time I was flying without my parents) my flight couldn't land because of the weather, and then our plane was running out of fuel, so we had to land in Lubbock (another airport I would rather avoid) forced us to stay on the plane while they refueled and waited for the okay to fly again, and of course by the time we landed in Dallas I had missed any sort of connector to Washington DC. I had to stay in a hotel, get 2 hours sleep, make the majorly early morning flight to DC, and then play an audition that day. I got LAST chair in the cello section. LAST!
Otherwise I heartily enjoy it. In fact, I often know one or two people on my flight now. On my flight from Phoenix to Albuquerque, I ran into my high school senior year student body president. We had a really fun time catching up on all the people that we used to know. I knew more than he did. I reprimanded him for not doing a five year reunion (he had NO idea that he was supposed to at least have a small gathering) and informed him that the ten year reunion was not an option. :) I can't wait to inform a bunch of my friends that I saw him. He is living in Phoenix now. We swapped numbers, so we will be in touch. I betcha I am going to be roped into helping plan the ten year reunion. :) I wouldn't mind actually. It would be really good to see what has happened to everyone. A lot of people are married, have kids. A lot have their degrees. I for one look a TON different. I used to weigh a ton more than I do now, and really, I didn't look very good. I didn't do my hair, makeup, anything until I hit college actually.
Well, happy flying! I will be in Phoenix in about...2 hours and 7 minutes...hopefully. :)

Movie Review: Enchanted

Girls, go and see it. The first 10 minutes, as my sister said as we were walking out of the theater, is comprised of an hour long Disney Princess movie in cartoon...which then moves into real life actors. It is totally cute and funny. Evidently my Uncle Kent actually liked the movie, so guys, you may want to check this movie out as well. Young and old will enjoy this movie.

Plus, McDreamy is in it. What else could you ask for??? :)

Warning: like all good Disney Princess movies, you will have a bunch of new songs in your head, but they are totally cute.

Thankful

I am thankful for:

• A loving Heavenly Father who knows everything
• A loving Savior who suffered everything
• The Holy Ghost who guides and directs me, comforts and encourages me
• My Mom and Dad
• My sister, Emily
• My Aunts, Uncles, cousins (whether first or second or third cousins 5 times removed) who are all a part of my life
  
• My friends!!!!
• My education
• Food
• Chocolate
• The chance I have to serve others
• Blessings of all shapes and sizes
• Being home
• My trials
• My talents
• My strengths
• Living oracles
• MUSIC!!!
• Trees, flowers, animals, the things that make this world so beautiful
• Antibiotics
• Ellipticals
• Day after Thanksgiving sales
• okay, you get the idea. I am just plain grateful. Good night, ya'll!
  

directing you............

Here!

IF by chance you don't see what should catch your eye (meaning something new shows up on the website)...just scroll down a bit. You will see it.

Intimidating and traveling

Today at work I discovered that I am intimidating. Why? Because:

(Drum roll please).....................................................

I nearly have a master's degree in Music Theory.

Yes, this is why I am intimidating.

Yes, I, Elizabeth, am intimidating.

I would have expected because I am seriously a giant when it comes to females (I am all of 6' baby).

The guy at work who said I was intimidating is a member of my Church, is even taller than me (he's married, so no! Becky) and is an electric guitarist. When he found out I was a classical musician, and that I nearly have a Master's degree in Music, I guess he about died right there. You see, I agreed to perform at the company Christmas party as part of a group. (Reva, where can I get a good electric hookup for my cello??) We are NOT doing classical music, it's all country and, well, Barry Manilow, Queen, kinda random songs actually. Not Christmas songs. It's really a New Year's party and they just don't know it. :) It's to celebrate all the wonderful things the company has done. Anyways, I am intimidated by the repertoire, cause I really haven't done much of anything outside of classical and sacred music when it comes to my cello. And there won't be any written music. I am rather dependent on the "written word" so to speak, so this may get interesting...

Update on sickness: I feel better, although I got progressively worse at work. Not bad enough to go home. I don't think I have a fever anymore. Ears are plugged up, and I am just praying that that will change by tomorrow night.

You see, I am going home for Thanksgiving for the first time in 4 years. Last year I was with Amber

for Thanksgiving, and the year before that I was with ex-boyfriend Mark

for Thanksgiving (I originally was going to post this AWFUL picture of him, but I decided to be kind...most of the pictures I have of him somehow were misplaced in the recycle bin...but I found three more, I suppose I will keep them) and the year before that with Lindsey (unable to locate digital picture of her, will add picture ASAP)

Unfortunately, I am stuck in Arizona for Christmas. I would rather have it the other way around. But, rules are rules, and although I am the first in line to have the Eve of Christmas off, they won't let another person go. The only way I could get the day off is if someone on my team that already has the day off changes their mind...fat chance of that happening.

I am not really stuck though. I have lots of family here, so it won't be horrible. AND my family will be coming over for New Year's just a few days later. Too bad they can't spend Christmas here. That would be awesome.

Anyways, I will have 5 (really, 4 1/2) glorious days away from work and with the fam. Who hoo.