a lil piece of my heart

so for the most part i like to keep my posts lighthearted, silly, random, everyday type stuff...not to deep or thought provoking. no real reason it's just my style.

but lately

I been having these little moments..in other words the sappy sentimental dianne keeps coming out. we all know her...but she just doesnt normally come out in the the blog.

but i feel it's only fair to let my readers in on these little moments.

but i just want to say that
change is good and it is what i needed. i'm not saying everyone needs to move across the country but some do.
the Lord continues to make it very clear to me that this is where I am supposed to be.
it can be a hard thing to grasp. but very comforting.
i miss many things from the past and i hate not being part of many things in the present.
but certain situations or a brief moment in time give me peace in knowing that the Lord brought me to California for multiple reasons.
i have been so blessed by trusting Him in daring to take this adventure.
however i'm not all that positive i fully realized exactly what I was doing in taking this step, but that's probably a good thing.

this month I have lived here for 6 months...crazy i know!

ok thats enough. but i want people to know that outstide the gum selling, trips to the city, and odd obbessions, that life is good and more importantly God is good!

also, clear your calendars. I will be coming to the sweet south from May 5 - May 14! i hope to get to spend some quality time with everyone this visit!

no way are we old

so somedays I feel like a grown-up...

you know..i own furniture..i have a job...i sometimes clean on Saturdays.. strange events like that make me feel all grown up...which some days I like and other days its like..OH MY GOSH I'm getting old

UNTIL.....the random spontaneous adventures re-enter my life.. then I can proudly look say "I still got it"...and maybe even better...being a grown up doesn't exaclty mean that all that fun random stuff disappears...thank GOD!

the point...it freakin snowed in California this weak...i'm not gonna lie..i was pissed...i'm thinking where is beautiful sunny California I'm dying to pride myself in..but oh no we got snow..

so chris, teneele (my austrailian friend who's never seen snow and had made it her life long dream to find snow) and I hoped in the car at 11 PM on thursday after a fantastic epidsode of the OC. and drove north until we hit a surprising beautiful winterwonderland in CALIFORNIA.

Turned out to be a pretty amazing late night adventure in the freezing cold snow!!!

and praise the Lord Teneele has now made a snow ball.

Guilt Free Dessert

yes everyone knows that YOGURT is life's guilt free dessert. quite possibly why i am such a huge fan and of course the delicious yummy taste (maybe i should go into the yogurt business over the gum business?!?!) I am constantly keeping my eyes open for TCBY replacements.

Let's just say I have succeeded.

I have always had the dream of becoming a regular somewhere...where you walk in and everyone knows your name...how your dog is and where you do your dry cleaning... that sense of love as you enter the doors. what a beautiful feeling.

Well i have found quite possible the most adorable, friendly and coolest yogurt shop in Santa Rosa where I will definitely be a regular face.

It is a mom and pop shop with so many flavors that you are overwhelmed. I knew it was love at first sight when they offered a “toffee nut" flavored yogurt (for those who don’t know a toffee nut latte is my drink at starbucks!) I was overjoyed right..but it got even better as i began to befriend the owners... turns out they are dedicating a wall in the store to a "Hall of Fame", so naturally i have made it my mission to make the hall of fame....

what do you do to make it on the "Hall of Fame?"

Buy one of their super cool t-shirts and take pictures in other states wearing the t-shirt...and then you get to post your picture on the wall of YOGURT FARMS!!! How much fun is that?!?!

the first lucky state was Illinois!!

Making Faces

Another new obession...Make-up!! It really is amazing the difference make-up can do to a girl. I have been trying to convince someone..anyone to take makeup classes with me so i can know which colors look best for my skin...how to have smokey eyes...when does colored eyeshadow work and when does it not. etc.. etc..

However make-up classes seem to actually be for those who want to do it professionally...not exaclty what I had in mind..so instead...Chris introduced me to the book "Making Faces" by Kevyn Aucoin. I am a huge fan...maybe this will include me in Rachels bookclub... It has a step by step approach to achieve any look you choose. So now it takes me EVEN LONGER to get ready..but it's so much fun!

this is me imitating the face in the book....the look was titled "Model"
the crazy part is i look surprising like the picture, but i feel real silly.

martha & cecil

ok..so much has happened since I last blogged...so let's recap

#1 Marhta and Cecil made it to Cali. What a joy it was to have the folks come out and visit!! Lets justs say that my aprartment was vacuumed, cloroxed, and tightied more in one week than it has EVER been. parents are amazing. they got to tour wine country, the beautiful coast, San Francisco, and most importantly had lots of quality time with their daughter!! Gosh I love my parents. And they finally got to meet Chris! We all had so much fun!

What's a trip to wine coutry without drinking some wine....people live by reds....but no shame in loving the white...right mom!
This is my mom eating the largested plate of nachos she has ever ordered. I wish you could have seen her face as the waitor placed the mound of chips and cheese in front of her! I think she may have calucutated the number of calories in each bite, we were very proud to watch her indulge into the yummy feast!San Francisco is never a let down. Eating dungeness crabs on the Warf was definitely a highlight of the week. not mention the sourdough bread bowl filled with clam chowder...can you tell we like to eat!

I know I pride myself in being a fantastic tourist...but Teneele..my new friend from Austraila is going to give me some competitoin. She came with us to the city! It was a blast. Do the silver men look familiar to anyone?!??!

current discoveries

i think its time for a list

#1 ok so..how come no one has introduced me to Dashboard Confessional.. They are awesome!!! I know they have been around forever but oh my gosh...i cannot get enough of Screaming Infidelities, The Brilliant Dance, and many more. Who has been holding out on me.

"The Places You Have Come..." is a great album

#2 Does anyone care what their sign is?? Because people LOVE their sign here. One day we asked a girl to tell us a little bit about herself...the first thing she was.. "I'm a cancer" It took me a second to realize that she didn't actually have cancer but that her sign was cancer. I thought a little odd until I read mine. I used to snicker and do still think it is pretty funny. but read yours..mine strangely describes me....hmm...interesting.

#3 I'm like 99% positive I saw my first famous rock band as I was leaving a convenient store in Healdsburg, CA on Monday, November January 27
..i think someone as famous of Green Day. But since my pop culture knowledge sucks...i cannot place the faces to save my life. However if you see a star sighting in the next PEOPLE magazine of a rock band in northern California...I was like 5 feet from them.. description...4 guys rockstar clothes and spikey hair..one with a flavor saver and a round face. one really skinny with black spikey hair and cool jeans.....

#4 Roshambo: the actual title for the game Rock, Paper, Scissor....who knew?? However it's also the name of a really cool winery out here and we joined. I'm part of a wine club!

#5 I just purchased the highlight of my life! Season One of the OC! A Seth Cohen Marathon here I come! I'm afraid I may be attached to my couch for a while.

#6 i think every girl could secretly wish they were a Charlie's Angel...i know i do!

dinnertime.com

ok so you've probably ask yourself quite frequently, "What exactly does Dianne eat for dinner out there in California?" I know you've racked your brain wondering what my diet consists. And since you are so concerned I have decided to provide you with a list of meals I will be cooking and consuming over the next month in my home.

Red Snapper Vera Cruz
Thai Peanut Chicken with Coconut Sauce
Chicken Cacciatore
Savory Garlic Steak
Moroccan Chicken
Citrus Glazed Pork

ok.. so really the thought probably has never crossed your mind. In fact, there is a good chance you could care less what I eat and it’s cool because I can't say I think about what you eat either (unless its El Ray, Chick-fl-a or a cinnamon crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese from Panera)

But the point is: dinnertime.com

Quite possibly the coolest solution to have a delicious, fresh home cooked meal every night without having come up with it and cook it. And it's so much fun. You get to go to this place where they have separate stations set up to prepare each meal with all the ingredients right in front of you. You make the yummy meal, then put it in Ziploc or aluminum, then freeze it until you want to eat it. The other night Chris and I made all these meals in 1 hour and it only cost $130 for 12 meals. It’s a great deal and the food is really tasty!

My advice to you is to check out the website then open a franchise where you live, because this is a great idea. Cheaper than eating out, no hunting through the cabinet to find something to throw together, no hassle to cook, and fun to make with someone (and you get to wear an apron!!)

and the February menu looks really good!

Back to Reality

Back to life...back to reality...

the past 3 weeks have been nothing but excessive fun however back to the routine of everyday life. sometimes i would swear that I hate routines but at this moment I'm actually quite satisfied to back into my normal life.

To recap the past 3 weeks is definitly worth it.

I returned to the sweet south for the shortest visit of my life, but it was bittersweet. Praise the Lord for hugs, laughs, good chats and reminising! Christmas came and went but it was great to see everyone for brief moments.

Week 2 of fun!

Hanna came to visit!! Maybe my favorite week in Cali so far! It was a blast even in the big flood! Wine tasting, shopping, eating 2 rounds of In & Out in one sitting, and just doing nothing!

Not to mention New Years! So I used to look at New Years as the the let down holiday. There is all this hype built up and then the ball drops you eat pork chops, black eyed peas and turnip greens and its a new year..wahoo. However never before have I spent New Years with thousands of people in downtown San Francisco. Bascially we partied like rockstars at the Hyatt Hotel. Not only did we arrive strutting down the red carpet but we danced to En Vogue and the best 80's cover band ever,Tainted Love, until we couldn't party any longer. Needless to say I reccommend going all out for the new year!

Week 3 of fun was spent in West Palm Beach Florida, Chris's home town. Definitly a town worth going to! We got to ride around in a mustang convertible in sunny Florida..how I miss the hot sun! I got to see Chris's world in Florida. It was so fun meeting his family, friends and fulfilling a lifelong dream of going back to Disney world. I wanted to wear the Mickey ears all day but was advised against the great idea!


Most importantly I have a new phone number, so program my new digits into your cell
707 758 8448

sugar high

What would Christmas be with out decoarating sugar cookies?!?! Ok so maybe it would still be fantastic, but I couldnt help myself and praise jesus i found a whole crew of people to participate in the festive activity! However I did miss delivering the cookies to each of you which is pretty much the best part! But nonetheless the party was success and I think this event shall become an annual one.

But guess what everyone..... I'm coming home in 10 days!!!!!!!!!!

and I am so excited I dont know what to do with myself. So don't be surprised if i tackle you when I see you.

Also, life is freakin fantastic because Hanna is coming to visit for a whole week. I get to fulfill the dream of going to Disney World!! Chris got us tickets! Magic Kingdom here I come!! And Rachel's addiction to Wendy's cokes got her a super cheap plane ticket to come visit too!!!

Oh the joy

The joy of:

finding the perfect tree and decorating it
singing Christmas songs
the birth of our Lord
the warmth of family and friends
drinking eggnog
drinking wassil
making christmas cookies
admiring beautiful christmas lights
laughing at tacky lights
soaking up magical moments
listening to carolers
wishing you were a caroler
baking too many desserts
eating to many desserts
wrapping presents
giving gifts...getting gifts
shopping..the chaos, the fun, the stress
funny christmas sweaters
watching the santa radar
'the christmas story' marathon
comparing terrible gifts

And I love it all! I just love christmas. May the season go by slowly this year!

Check out the tree in FULL detail on my photo site.
And if anyone has a copy of my "best christmas mix ever" cd I would be forever grateful to be mailed a copy. I miss that thing!

Happy Holidays to All!

Needless to say I successfully survived my first holiday away from home. Turkey Day in Cali is shocking similar to Turkey Day on the east coast. As the name shouts I did eat turkey, however not in a deep fryer, but nonetheless yummy turkey, sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top(a personal fav), green beans, stuffing, however none of martha's cornbread dressing (which i did miss, I imagine cornbread isn't exactly a california staple bread), pumpkin pie, etc. Although people dont seem to really get into casseroles out here.. its a shame.

There was no kiddie table. Actually I sat next to a sweet girl who could have quite possibly been the exact replica of Rachel in her middle school days. It was very strange. a tall and thin quite but sweet ninth grader mildly in a hippie stage with short and curly brown hair that she probably learn how to style in about 4 years. I had a good spot at the table and right across from the grandpa who by the end of the night was serenading the table alone on the piano...basically perfect.

And the praise the Lord for an excuse to bake. So far 2 loafs of pumpkin bread. one was close to perfect. the second was well lets just say.. it could pass as one really large pumpkin flavored crouton. one cranberry cake, shrimp dip, and crab cakes (both Chris's and my first attempt and I must brag the crab cakes were the hit of the party)

And now life only gets better...why b/c now there is no reason to suppress my abundant Christmas spirit that I keep bottled up inside all year long. Now no one can say its to early to listen to Christmas music or plan a Christmas cookie baking party which is on the 10th if anyone wants to pencil it in. So I want to go ahead and say HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!

OH yeah I forgot to mention one of my snow globes key features ...it plays Christmas carols on a motion sensor. cool i know!

opinions..please

ok so i spend a good bit of my time in rinky dink little towns all over northern california right?!?! so naturally i encounter some...well some strange things, some interesting things, some cute quaint little towns, and some towns that should be remaned the twilight zone, some nice people, some not so nice people, wierd people, creative people, people with teeth, people without teeth, you get the point. the options are endless.

each day something new cracks me up. today it was this location:

Then again i guess who's to say this particular fine dining restaurant could not have fantastic raw fish, grade A beef and a cheesestake that Philly would approve of... who am i to judge....but the name is Koala's...thats just wierd.

One more I'm sorry....but this is amazing. He balances rocks...who does that?!?!

This town is Saulsalito.. It's adorable. You can barely tell, but thats the San Fran skyline in the background. it has great shopping and the cutest little restaurants and ferry rides!!! when everyone comes to visit we will definitely make a trip. and i mean hello people there balance rocks on top of other.

Food for thought

a for-warning.

this post is simply a multitude of my random thoughts that i needed to share with someone. One of these topics alone is not worthy of a phone call or even the entire list all together. and considering the fact that Chris is still in Iowa he is not an option either.

therefore i post!

• My very first tree has its very first bloom. I am on my way to becoming a domestic goddess. However it is sorta hard to brag when the leaf accompanying the flower has a huge brown dead looking spot taking over.

• My dvd collection double doubled today. I now own the big whapping total of 4 dvd's : Just Married, The edge of Reason: Bridget Jones (Unfortunately, , I thought I purchased Bridget Jones Diary...very depressing), Notting Hill, and A River Runs Through It...hmmm somewhat of an embarrassing list. When i am sick of my clothes, I now turn to the mall instead of someone elses closet...this cannot become the norm...anyone want to do a clothes swap through the mail?!??!

• I have discovered the TCBY of the west coast..The Golden Spoon. I would venture to say the pumpkin pie with graham cracker crumbs may tie with the white chocolate mousse and oreo combo.

• I think my feet smell equivalent of ryan's these days...what have i done to deserve that type of punishment?!?!?!

• I do not understand how hair is still attached to my head..why?? because i have seen the mass quantities that I have pulled out of my drain, sweeped off the floor and today separated from the spinning thing in my vacuum cleaner...it's gross i know.

• I saw a 70 yr-old-man man nonchalantly walking through the Napa wal mart wearing with a large blue fuzzy Viking hat. He and his wife seemed to simply be doing thier weekly shopping. I think i starred at them...oops.

• Also my job, i was left alone in the receiving room with a huge box and a set of directions. Let's just say you should have a new level of respect when walking past a checkstand at any local store because someone like me may have put it together. i recall laughing out loud as i attempted assemble the parts. also i do not advise slamming your cart or self into them b/c the sterdiness is debateable.

Phew...it feels so good to get those thoughts out of my head and into some else's.

Thanks everyone!

yay or nay

this is my current fascination!

you must admit...a giant blown-up globe of a huge smiley snowman waving hello is a permanent snow storm is FASCINATING. But not only am i fascinated by the size of this snow globe but by the variety of people who purchase this $199 piece of Christmas decor. There is a huge part my Christmas lovin spirit that would like to sacrifice to money to simply to see if there was a way to fit inside this enormous snow globe to live in a permanent snow ball. And considering the fact that I do not own a kitchen table, the dining room would be the perfect location to begin spreading a little Christmas cheer.

And if you are thinking...that thing is TACKY.. well some may think so but i do recall a large number of these huge snow globes parked on lawns in rather refined neighborhoods last Christmas. And as I began chatting with the Wal-Mart store manager apparently there was such a high demand for them this year that 14 people were on a waiting list to receive them before the season arrived. So as of now I do not know if they belong in a trailer park or beside a driveway with a parked BMW .

Some what of a mystery that I find fascinating.

But this is one thing I do know. Somehow someone was aware of my obsession with snow globe and now a miniature version of this fascinating art work wound up as the current decor on my newly assembled dresser. Did I mention Chris was cool?!?!

Shameless plug

So don't you hate it when you wake up in the morning and you look into the mirror and you freak out because you realize "oh my gosh I have become someone I swore I never would!" For me it began the day I purchased my first pair of Capri pants, then the day I dressed in themed colors for the holidays, and then the first day I drank a beer in public...what was my life coming to?!?!?! And now I am a blog slacker. I hate the slackers and now look at me....a slacker.

So this post is simply a ploy to convince my readers to come visit me in California. "Use me for my location"...that can be my byline..I'm totally cool with it. There are multiple obvious reasons to come from whatever state you may be in, but there are a couple of additional other reasons that you may be overlooking. In which case I feel the need to inform and basically make you want to spend every spare minute searching Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, Cheaptickets, etc. to puchase a ticket to come visit me!

Top 10 reasons to visit Dianne in California

#1 People watching at the airport is immediately entertaining.

#2 It's time to bust out N'SYNC's Chrirstmas CD. So we would jam to "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays" in the mini van.....kinda like Nelly in the Cruiser.

#3 It is still "tank tops 4 life" weather so no sweaters or warming you extremities by the heater.

#4 Two words: Trader Joe's...bascially the coolest grocery store/market ever....it puts the Harris Teeter to shame.

#5 The self-esteem booster. Apparantly, our southern accent is just simply adorable. I don't get it but whatever.

#6 Best thrift store shopping on the planet.

#7 The Jelly Belly Factory is less than 30 miles away. We can eat the reject Jelly Floops till our tummies hurt!

#8 Find out if Chris really does exist...I swear I do have friends, but you gotta come out here to make sure they really aren't imaginary.

#9 Meet a real hippie, we thought Billie was close but no way.

#10 You get to secretly snicker inside everytime some says "no worries" or "right on" in everyday conversation.

introduction

Ok Ok. So this post is well way over-due, but I had to wait and make sure it was safe before I advertised this piece of information to the entire blogosphere. Yes this is silly, but considering the fact that my blog is the closest thing I have for representing my life, there are certain things my friends on the east coast must be aware of. And I believe the person I spend 90% of my time with outside of gas station owners and Wal-Mart managers is definitely a blog worthy topic!

So meet Chris Denny.

You may recognize him from my birthday post who was then introduced at the coolest guy ever (which still proves to be true!). But you know it was in that inbetween phase where you're not exactly sure how to define the relationship. But I can now confidently introduce everyone to Chris as my boyfriend. So naturally I want everyone to meet him!

Somehow we both ended up in California together. In a nutshell, he came from Florida and now works at the church I found on the internet doing a combination of graphic design and youth ministry. We have basically hung out ever day since we really met. Adventures vary from taking shots of wheat grass juice (2 1/2 lbs. of fresh green vegetables) to jammin to 80's cover bands to taking directionless trips to the coast.

In the future we hope that Chris will update his blog (he is a link on mine) so we can tap into his life!

I just got a brilliant idea. An explanation for the picture first . This is Chris trying to perfect the frown face. He has potential but a long ways to go! So let's have a competition throughout our blogging circle for the best frown. I am very proud of the arch in my frown. I will frequently be checking everyone’s blog for their frown face. So post one, if you don't then I'll just assume that I get to take home the cake!!!

definition of cool

First the flip-phone

Now an IPOD!

Next a plasma TV for real. (sorry JD that was a joke)

But we're talking baby steps here!

So the point of this post! I, like the rest of the Apple lovin world, own an IPOD! And i must say I really dig the cingular commercial of the girl listening to i-tunes on her phone. You know, shes gracefully waking down the street, but on the inside she is JAMMIN to her tunes! I think it's a fantastic commercial.

Anyways, happy birthday to dianne. This is my present thanks to a combination of people. I am super excited, although I still haven't actually gotten any songs on it just yet. My first attempt to use it, it FROZE! Typical, I know! But I'm just hoping to compete with Hanna for the title of the "technical genius."

Now here's the fun part! I got engrave something on the back. Naturally had I known about this in advance to ordering, I would have put deep thought into this engravement. But in the heat of the moment, I had to just choose a quote, a lyric, a verse, just something to sum up my i-tune identity.

What did I choose? Who can guess simply from this picture and by knowing my random thoughts??? You'll get a prize if you get it right!

a common phrase

There's no place like home... I guess Dorothy actually knew what she was talking about. And I never even really cared for the movie to be honest.

But guess what... and probably to no one's surprise I miss home. And which spot do I exactly pinpoint as home, I'm not exactly positive.

Montgomery was home for the longest but it seems like forever ago that I actually lived there. But on Sunday morning when I was sitting on my porch a hummingbird flew into my balcony and I think stared at me for at least 4 seconds. That's when it felt just like yesterday that I was sitting on my porch in Montgomery and my dad was recounting every time a hummingbird landed on one of our feeders. I got sentimental over a hummingbird!

Then at church we were singing "my glorious" and it took me back to my days in Auburn at Encounter. As I closed my eyes I could see the room slam-pack filled with people praising the LORD. It was a great vision that I miss being part of!

When I miss everyone so much, naturally I turn to the cell phone to hear a voice, voices that bring comfort. And they did just that. The beauty of the entire day was knowing that everyone I spoke to that felt just like me. We all miss each other, but we are all where God has us right now.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am supposed to be at this exact spot in California. And I rejoice in the fact that the Lord has made that so evident to me. But I wanted to let everyone know that I miss you and you are irreplaceable. I am very happy here, but I do miss you.

I know I normally share the random and bizarre Cali moments in my blog. But today I wanted to give a different insight.

Turning 23

My goal was simply to have low expectations for my birthday this year. Yes. This is the very first year, I haven't been physically with my family and friends. And knowing the big extravaganza we have always placed on each others birthdays, I didn't know exactly how this one was going to go over.

But someway somehow, yall made me feel just as special as you have on every other birthday. My face was filled with big smiles each time someone sang a beautiful birthday melody on my answering machine. The variations of the song NEVER get old. And to hear a little beep from my cell phone every time someone sent me a Happy Birthday text message was very exciting. And I even cherish the public humiliation of HORRIBLE pictures of me posted on your blogs, because behind every bad picture is a FANTASTIC memory. So you're off the hook this time, but if other pics start showing up I will be forced to retaliate...remember that.

So what did I do on my birthday besides listen to messages and read blogs. Well, praise the Lord for Chris Denny. This year I celebrated my birthday with the coolest guy ever in Napa Valley. It began with wine tasting at Domain Chandon then followed by the fanciest dinner ever. A place called the Martini House that had outside seating and Christmas lights (my fav)! Our meal was 5 different plates of the chef's specialties. I ate goose liver on my birthday! And liked it! Everyone should try it! It has a cooler and fancier name but I can't remember it. The whole dining experince was incredible.

Needless to say, thanks to all my family and friends, old and new, I had a fantastic 23rd birthday! I am so blessed to have each of you in my life and I miss you like crazy!

THANKS EVERYONE AND MUCH LOVE!!!

Oh yeah! I still think these are our prime years. 23 is still super young!

Things they don't teach you in college

The saying goes, " You learn something new everyday..well as for me I think I learn at least 10 new things everyday.

Therefore I shall share my new insights into the world with my fellow friends.

#1 Wal-Marts are not very cool out West and super Wal-Marts are basically nonexistent...they have no idea what they are missing.

#2 There is a print screen button on they keyboard that is very handy. (shift + F11)

#3 I am not a big fan of the spice dill.

#4 There are many other ethnic restaurants outside of mexican and chinese. I see more Indian, Thai, Mediterranean, Japanese, Greek, Mexican, and Chinese food than a simple American Grill.

#5 DINKS: acronym for Double Income No Kids. Permanent couples that have no intentions of getting married just live together to split housing costs and bills and don't ever want kids...strange.

#6 Inspirational quote for october:

7 Everything reminds me of something or someone from back home, whether it's a song, a really cool vintage clothing store, loading the dishwasher, or a great chicken salad recipe.

#8 People take EVERYTHING literally written in "Dianne's Details." I forget my humor may not accurately be expressed through my posts. In which case, no way is that really my tv. The picture of Jack Nicholson is a look a like. And the crowd surfing didn't exactly happen. My apologies, in the future I will italicize my exaggerations.

#9 In essence, getting lost can actually be a good thing. Sometimes I find a beautiful drive, a sheep farm or have one more opportunity to study my map and hope to blessed with a sense of direction!

#10 Giving Bubble Tape and Hubba Bubba to 8-yr old snaggled tooth, ratty hair girls in a station wagon at a podunk gas station is the peak of my job. They must have screamed "THANK YOU FOR THE GUM!!!" out the window 25 times. It was adorable.