* Waiting *
I swear institute here is just too good for its own good.
I'm waiting. la la la.
Okay, so I can't remember what I spoke about last.
HELL YEAH.... my adventure.
Okay, so I was going to track down the missionary that baptised me.
All I had was his Mother's address and the plastic version of Toni... so I set off driving west (which is symbolic of the gospel oddly enough... there is always a westward direction of traveling for progression).
I was driving around for a bit, trying to find random streets and stuff. So I pulled up to where I thought I should be and I was peering through windows and checking out house numbers and names... then I spoke to a random mexican whose garden was filled with fag ends and a trampoline... So I had decided it was either not Beverly Harding's house or that she had taken up smoking. It did indeed belong to a mexican... and when I told him where I was looking for I looked at my scrawled sheet of paper and realised that I was in fact on entirely the wrong street. I was on 600 south rather than 800 south. Crazy fool. so I didn't tell the mexican, I just told him I would keep trying and looking and he said to me 'be careful.... it's cold tonight'
But the way he said it it sounded like he was warning me about chapping on people's doors at night... crazy. I then realised that I was a bit of a fool for doing that in a completely strange area, while driving a nice car, and just being silly in general. I should have brought some muscle with me haha.
Anyway... I found Beverly's house and knocked on the door and she was there... and she brought me in without knowing why I was there... and her home was just so filled with love. I explained my general presence and I wasn't sure if she knew who I was... but then she did. She did. She phoned Scott who now lives in Logan and I spoke to him on the phone for about 10 minutes. I should be meeting him later this week. How crazy though. He sounds exactly the same.
Beverly and I chatted for about an hour and half just about my life, and why I was in utah and all the many things I have gotten up to. She made me realise the blessings in my life and just how much the hand of the Lord has effected my life.
She then made a comment like 'So, Scott did a good thing baptising you and your mum then.' And I swear I almost cried.
I can assure you that I would not have ever gotten in to art school, I would not have ended up with the flatmates I had, I would not have gotten my job, I would not have gotten back in to masters, I would not have seen the countries I have seen, or been anywhere or done anything I have done if it was not for Scott. He was the point in my life that had a fork. I chose one path and everything subsequently followed.
I am so happy.
I then met the Brettanator and hung about for a bit... pretty much trying to find somewhere to eat porque it was about 10:30 at night... and this is not New York.
Oh wait... one of the best things Beverly said to me was... 'Wow, you are blessed, that's a nice car I was expecting it to be a banger.' and I just laughed. I am one of those jammy people that i usually hate. HATE.
I hate myself... it's true :)
Everything fell in to place.
Yesterday I was trying to work out if I should stay here over Christmas or not. I went to the temple briefly and I didn't even have time to think I was so rushed to get back out to institute. The temple is always amazing though. I love that place. It's just so calm and happy.
While I was in there I was sitting next to a girl who had the surname King, and then i was baptised for a girl from Kentucky. Which made me realise I had to call Ricking... So i didn't... I instead left the temple, ran back to my car... looked like a snow man by the time i got there because it was snowing that sticky kind of snow, then tried to drive up a snowy hill... i was skidding and the car.. oh the wonderful car... stuck in a cheeky wee yellow light to tell me that i was skidding... thanks car. I hadn't noticed... really. hmmm.
Then I hoofed it home, did my make up got changed and went to institute 30 mintues late. I tell you though... those classes are phenomonal... I love them so much. I am blown away every time. I've bought the book to accompany the class and it's wonderful. So wonderful. I think i am going to postponne my flight to just go to another institute class. They are incredible.
Anyway... I then bumped in to Pedro and Sam and ended up going to another institute class with them. Poulson was with them but he was being aloof and chasing some other girl. Crazy.
Anyway... Sam, Pedro and I hit up the village inn and ate random food... i ate so much.
Then I went to Brettacular's house to watch random movies until lateness set in. Oh the lateness.
Then I drove home faster than I should have on a road that might not have been 100% safe because it was so snowy, icey and frosty... oh well... death will become me.
But now I am just sitting waiting.... to see how the day will unfold. It's 2pm already. What's with that. I've been up for 2 hours already. Hmmmm
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 1:05 PM
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* Oh the Windows *
I tried to wash my windows.
I now smell like vinegar and the windows look stupid... and no where near clean...
I'm going to go on an adventure... does anyone want to come with me?
I'm going to try and find the missionary that baptised me... mega awesome. Woop. But first I need to peel my ass out of bed. I am so gross.. it's almost 4:30 and i'm still in bed... but to be fair... I was sick... but now i feel better... but then what's my excuse for every other day of the week.... weirdo... yes i am :):):)
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 3:20 PM
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* I'm not well *
The events of this week and the loss of the Utes.The Utes didn't win... sad day. Sad sad.
I was leaving the apartment when Annie called and that set me back about 45 minutes and by the time I got downtown and found somewhere to watcheth the game there were only 38 seconds left. I walked right in on BYU scoring an 11 Yard touchdown. Then there were 38 seconds remaining.
Note the numbers 11 yard. 3 +8. Tell me it's a lie, I dare you.
Okay so let's elaborate more on the events of this week.
Monday was Park City (Did we already cover that... i think we did).
Okay Tuesday, I went to meet Tyler and his amigos at lunch time. That lasted about five minutes then I boosted over the gateway bought some awesome stuff from urbanoutfitters and then went to Murray to Fashion place mall to get converse for Slugger. I then drove back to the Salt Lake (which was scary because this was all in partial rush hour and Salt Lake drivers are not kind, they are so mean. I had to cut in front of so many people, but they just drive so close to other drivers... there's no room... and driving the car i'm driving I don't want to hit a thing... that's almost like Aerosmith... and I don't want to hit a thiiiing, even when I dream of you...)
Okay, so on my way back I went to go to institute, which blew my mind yet again, and then I went with Clayton to the end of Jazz concert... it was so good. I then came home and fell asleep until 1am. That was crazy.
Wednesday was 'meet Adam for Lunch day' a couple of hours of an adventure that exercises my quota for the week (it seems) ha.
So, I couldn't be bothered going home so I just started driving and I went up in to the moutains looking for snow. I found some on the road, it was about 3 milimeters deep and it was scary to drive on. The temperture was 12 farenheit at the lowest.
I ended up in a random little town with a little post office. It was hard to decide when to turn around, I just wanted to keep going forever. But Petrol would not permit.
When I got back to salt lake I pulled up at the institute parking lot because I, yet again, didn't want to go home, so I sat in the car listening to music and reading we the living. I wanted to get it finished. When I was 6 pages from the end and well aware that Ayn Rand was about to end the book tragically (I could feel the build up and the tone she was using) Rob D called me and asked me to go to Sawadee (a Thai restaurant) for Tyler's birthday. There were a tonne of folk there, it was pretty sweet. The food was so good, I am dying to go back again.
We then headed back to Rob and Tyler's and we watched Flight of the Conchords and just hung out for a while. I, as always, ended up there super late because I have the inability to leave houses.
I was sitting down in tyler's room with him and paul listening to awesome blues music and just chatting. I was playing on a skateboard for a bit and realised my dream of wanting to be Marty McFly. That's why I wear converse and turn my jeans up at the end. I'm sure of it.
I finally left when Paul did and I went to Smith's to get toilet roll... oddly enough, they were open.
Thursday was thanksgiving and I was meeting Mike and his family at his parent's house. I caught up on my texting to the UK while waiting for them to come. Then we got there and it was brilliant.
Luckily we didn't do the whole 'what are you thankful for' thing, because I am so scared of sharing stuff like that... too British haha.
Anyway... the food was so good, and I could have kept eating forever, but I stopped, and ate some pie instead.
We then just sat around talking and I was chatting with some of Martsy's family members... her family were wonderful.
We then went to Mike parent's house and I boosted on home to get my laundry and pyjamas and to check in with Otto. He was demanding pumpkin pie from me... he told me to make some for Sunday, but I am way too sick just now to do that.
Otto was still entertaining guests and speaking German and stuff. It was cute. I then went back to Dave and Maggies and watched random movies with the kids... harley, mason, megan, brooklyn and two boys cameron and brandon. The oldest grandchild is a girl called Sadie (mersadie) and she and I went to the mall at midnight. I have never seen anything like it. Here's to buy nothing day.
Black Friday was disgusting. I was there for the experience. It was horrible. We stood in a queue for ages as people were produced and marketed up an escalator beside us. It was a strange site. We stood outside a store in a queue that was out of control, and these people were just going up and up and up. the noise the escalator made sounded like the people were on a production line. The production line of consumerist death.
Sadie just didn't want to go home. I was far too tired. We got home about 3am.
As we were going in to the mall actually there were about 3 random dudes who went running in to the mall shouting 'we gotta get the sales.' They were mocking society, and so was I. I went there and bought nothing.
On friday I went with Dave and Maggie to get mexican food and I did my laundry. I then headed home and phoned Clayton. While on the phone to Clayton I wasn't paying attention to my exists and missed my slip lane so I just kept driving and then I ended up in Ogden.
I ended up in North Ogden and then drove South back through Ogden. It was pretty sweet. I took some random pictures and found the temple. I then found THE MALL. It wasn't theeee Ogden Mall but it was the mall that caused Ogden Mall to shut down. The Tiffany sign will be gone forever. Only immortalised by her video. I am sad. SO SAD.
But how amazing that I just found the mall. In Ogden. I am a genius.
Anyway... I drove home got ready and went on my first random triple date... it was pretty cool. I love the whole random dating system here. But a triple date... so good. We watched John Schmidt play some awesome pianoness and then the Gateway christmas lights went on and then we ate pizza... MUSHROOM PIZZA... like i had been craving... and then we went to temple square to see the christmas lights. They were so so so so pretty. SO PRETTY. We then went up to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to see the lights from above but they had turned them off... the temple was still pretty cool from there though. I then came home and I went to bed. I did indeed. In preparation for the game.
I was up super early but I was being so sluggish.. then Adam told me that my last football watching resort had a gender requirement and I hadn't grown enough balls to be allowed to attend. Man I was pissed. I'm not a girlie girl... i'm not a pest... I wasn't trying to be sneaky or fake I just wanted to watch football... alas.
By the time I scoped somewhere and let some time pass because I didn't want to be on my own for the whole game, I went to leave, but Annie called...
and that pretty much brings us back to the beginning of the email. So sad.
After the game I bought the teachings of the prophet joseph smith, bumped in to Pauline Campbell and then went to the giant U. It was brilliant. The sun was just setting and I was just driving around all the roads until I found it. The gated community was open as well, so it made it awesomer. and I was so close. I took some mega pictures then I fell asleep in the car. I just felt so groggy.
I came home and fell asleep for 90ish minutes while dreaming about crazy things.
I was in someone's house and we were playing some kind of quiz game and my sister was getting good points. Then we went to drive home and there was something funny going on and we met some people in the car park who told Lola she was lucky getting those points. So we asked her how she knew and she said... everyone knows... it's his house. Waterstone's. The trick is this is a dream.
At that point I started thinking, in my dream, that if I opened my eyes I would wake up in a bed back in Glasgow. I believed that Utah was a dream too. This could be for all I know.
It was scary. When I woke up here I was satisfied enough that it had been a dream. I thought it was all real. I was freaked out.
And that brings us right up until now now now. When I picked up the laptop and started typing.
I feel so sick. I tiger balmed my face up and it stung like h-e-double hockey sticks. Now that I am awake again I just feel like crap. I've only got two beecham's flu plus left. What does one do in such a situation. AHH.
I might go buy bread... or i might not.
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 9:14 PM
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* Thanks... Giving *
I need to stop finding 11s. I was outside Adam's house the other day and noticed that his house numbers added up to 11.
I get calls at 11 minutes past the hour.
I was driving in the mountains and watching the temperature change from hot to cold... turns out, that when i converted one of the temperatures it was it's 11.111
I see road signs marking the 11th mile. I see it on registration plates, on buses, on the back of shirts, on the back of cars. I saw it on a shirt at the of montreal gig... remember i saw it at caribou too.
It's just insane.
i tell you though. I don't know if I want to come home yet. I am having far too much fun... although right now my head hurts.
I had an awesome thanksgiving filled with food and kids... the kids were the most delicious part.
But you know what... My name is stereo mike... and we've got three tickets to the bran van concert. What is todd's favourite cheese? Give us a ring ding ding it's a beautiful day.
Anyway... Thanksgiving was stellar... institute was too the other night.. I kid you not.
The Utes play BYU or 'the team down south' tomorrow, so I need to scope out somewhere to watch the game... i think my attempts will be futile.
Now that I have caught up with my Heroes watching I must hit the hay.
I will update soon.... I hope :):):)
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 1:54 AM
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* Connect the Dots *
Okay... So...
This looks like an ordinary pile of money.. yeah?
Okay... we're going to do some Paul Daniels on this wad of cash....
Is that... Stephen Porch's name? Why I believe it is... whatever will happen next...
Hell Yeah I'm going to see Of Montreal... now.
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 4:24 AM
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* Eight-Legged Death *
So, last night I was washing my hands and a large spider jumped at me. I finished washing my hands before i began my search and rescue spider mission. Sadly the wee guy tried too hard and drowned before I could help him. He was on the plug hole and so I opened and close the plug hole with the lever thingie to see if he was still alive but I decapitated him instead. I then spent the next five minutes trying to wash him out of the plug hole. Sick.
I just went in to my bedroom to get my moleskine notebook and on the wall right above my pillow was another spider. This is the fourth spider. One was released, one disappeared, one was decapitated and now one is on my television.
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 1:09 AM
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* The Pianist and the Pea *
Today, after a bedtime of around 6am, I awoke at 2pm and proceeded the day by checking my emails. It was one of those lazy days, when you start to do something and you have every intention of doing other things but it always ends up never going to plan and, in my case anyway, I always loose time. Time just disappears. I lost it.
So at around 5ish, I decided to make some Kale and Carrot soup, I love the Kale, but the carrot and the kale I had never tried. It's quite good, but I got a little pepper happy. During the soup making process I realised that I was meant to be at institute at 6pm. I really couldn't be bothered and decided soup was more important. After spending some time buying an itrip, for my Third Generation iPod, on ebay and then checking my funds, I realised that I had managed to max my credit card. Yes. My Goldfish credit card has been maxed. I don't know how, but it is low on funds. It is a sad day indeed. They lowered my limit a couple of months ago and I thought nothing of it. I sincerly need paid from Mike. Diabolical. I don't think I will be getting paid sad day.
So, I decided that I should go where I should be. I went to institute for the last 45 minutes. It was a nice class, more like a dietry lesson than anything else. It wasn't too gospel orientated but I wish the other classes could have been attended by me because I think I would love them all. It's a nice change from the other classes I've been taking.
On the way out of the class I bumped in to Clayton Alvey, remember my second Utah friend. We went and had some dinner and Noodles and Co. in my favourite parking retail lot with starbucks and wild oats in it. We then went to the U. Which was lit up tonight. It was so beautiful. We actually hiked up to it. There should be a path and hand rail because it's so dangerous. It was so pretty from up there though. So pretty. Because the U was lit as well it appeared a lot prettier than the last time I was up there.
We then went back to the institute building, where my car was, and Clayton played some Rachmaninov pieces for me on the piano. I swear I was blown away. I have never witnessed anything so spectacular before, and in such private and close proximity. It was beautiful. There was some etudes by Chopin in there too. Brilliant.
I then returned home to eat some of the soup that I had left stewing on the 'stove'. It was alright, not the best, I blame the Utah water.
Clayton is such a lovely lovely. He's just such a nice guy with such a good charisma and attitude about him. He is not conceited or arrogant in the slightest and he actually gets my humour, to a certain extent, and loves my random words like 'wee' and 'cheeky' haha.
He is the pianist... and I am indeed the pea (like Vik-pea... as Rufio calls me.)
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 12:53 AM
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* Obvious Titles *
So, I forgot to mention that yesterday (the 1st) while in the lion house, Toni was eating a pie which we had no idea what it was. All we knew was that it was perhaps a coconut cream pie with coconut and cream or maybe a coconut banana cream pie with coconut banana and cream. See what I'm saying.
So, on this day, the day of Friday we started the day by going to breakfast a la iHop with Maggie. So good. SO GOOD I tell you. SO GOOD. There was even a man in his pyjamas there. I love americans. No one even gave him a second glance but me.
We then drove up to the 'this it the place' monument, and Toni bought us sheriff badges and we were the new sheriffs in town it was amazing.
After that, we hit up a couple of book shops and then we ended up in the International Peace Gardens in somewhere called Glendale. For a second I thought we would be visiting Andrew.
The whole time we were looking for Scotland... but we couldn't find it... gutted. They had a Wales and they had an England with none other than Maggie Thatcher's head in wrought Iron. What the freak? Ha.
Toni was going to stick her skirt to a pole and write scotland next to it, but then we decided against it.
When we got back to the car clever me had left the window open and there was a wasp in the car. I got in and shut the child locked door behind me. Saw the wasp... shrieked, tried to get back out, found the door to be locked so I dived on the floor covering my head. Maggie and Toni had no idea what I was up to. It was rather amusing to watch I suppose.
We finally got the wasp out without killing it because I was totally objecting to its death and then we carried on. So good.
Toni and I then went to town looking for a second hand phone for the american sim card that was causing chaos. The shop we found were selling phones dearer than they were new. GAR. We then wandered through the Gateway mall and as we walked down some steps towards and water fountain Toni turned to me and said 'Dare you to run through that' and I said 'Double Dare' and then we both started running and partially shrieking. Somehow neither one of us got wet. Figures.
That night we were going to Elder Sam Kauhane's house to meet his family and have dinner.
We had a chicken Salad and Pumpkin Pie and it turned out that Sam came home the same day I arrived in Utah. I'd been there 30 minutes longer than him.
I had to move my car because it was blocking the drive way, so I pulled in further down the street and while I was reversing the car started beeping. It turned out there were reverse sensors and the car was backing into some overhanging bins. How amazing is that actually.
He was so much nicer than he had been on his mission I think.
While I was in the bathroom his friend Pedro appeared, He was amazing. The fastest talking person I had met to date. He was from Chicago and turned out to be Mexican and I had no idea. I thought he might have been another South American nationality like Puerto Riccan - it turned out that was a major insult... Sorry Pedro. We all went to Pedro's house where there were many people and it was quite scary. We then boosted to the cinema to see the Bee Movie - strange and random but I could live with it. Afterwards Sam proclaimed that we had only had a chicken salad with Chicken and Salad for dinner so we had to eat. So, we then boosted to Dee's Salt Lake rather than the bountiful one we had been in on hallowe'en.
While we were there Sam and Pedro's friend Adam appeared. It turned out that he was the president of a frat chapter. one that sam and pedro were in. Adam kept bringing up some random meeting and everything that had gone wrong... boring. Although it was interesting to see just how serious things like that are taken in the states. Toni disliked his arrogance and general aura... I thought he reminded me of Adam Lang, but it turned out that he was nothing like my Adam here. Nothing like it. But we'll get to that point later. He did have an alright smile though.
There was a guy pitched up in dee's with leather pants looking so scary and he had handcuffs attached to his belt. SERIOUSLY. I was freaked out. But I bet he was totally nice.
After chatting, food, fighting, chatting, toilets etc etc we all departed hence and went home.
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 7:36 PM
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* The Birth of HOT *
Toni and I started this thing... where we say HOT really loud when we see someone that is hot. And we don't care who hears. When in Rome. We have accents, we're Scottish, we don't have etiquette in scotland haha.
We embarked upon our morning routine of make up mirror sharing and talking and what not and then hopped in the beast. Here's a picture of the beast now.
I love that car.
When we went outside there was a UPS man driving past. He was pretty Hot, and because it took Toni and I so long to get the GPS programmed and what not he thought we were stalking him. We kind of were at the same time. In the three minutes he was in our street we had eye contact encounters with him several times. HOT.
We then took off to my flat to email people and to arrange further meetings. We then went to Mike's house where he was going to register the car, or something. So he took the car and we stayed with his kids, but there were mexicans cleaning the house so we weren't allowed to go in until they were done.
Luckily in the back there was a huge trampoline. A HUGE trampoline. Toni, Harley, Mason (Mike's kids) and I played on the trampoline. Well Toni and I played on it until Harley and Mason over came their shyness. I think harley was there with us first then Mason and his Mom appeared back but we were happy enough playing outside. There was a swing set too and we just kept inventing games and we played hide and seek and warewolf hide and seek and swinging as high as we could go and crazy bear trampoline and static hair trampoline.
We then indulged on dominoes pepperoni pizza and then Toni and I boosted to her friends house. Well not before Harley showed me her room and her closet which was the size of another bedroom. Amazing.
We went to Toni's friend Jonathan's house, where we met his flatmate Doug and his other flatmate Hamilton. We chatted mostly to Doug and Jonathan all about swear words and the UK and Doug even made us cookies. he was wonderful. It turned out he had dressed up as Awesom-o for hallowe'en which I just about wet myself over. I had to take pictures it was the most amazing thing ever. Far better than my attempt a few months before.
The song of this day was Eric Clapton's You Look Wonderful Tonight which Toni and I kept singing in a MEEEEW MEEEEW MEEEW MEEEW MEEEEW MEEEW MEEEEW MEEEW MEEEWW MEW MEW MEW MEW MEW MEW MEEEEEW MEEEEEEW voice. And for some reason I have the words starbucks bald guy written in my note book and I have no idea what that means. I am so gutted. I wish I could remember. I should have updated all of this properly weeks ago.
posted by: Vikki Miller @ 5:53 PM
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