Field Trip

I went to The National Gallery Of Art in Washington DC in January. I can't remember if I have ever been here or not. When I was a teenager sometimes my friends and I would just drive down to Washington DC and go in random museums.

Heather, Lony and April went with me. I thought that we would take the metro but Heather said that we could drive down there. We found a parking space very easy within a very short walk of the museum. The museum was AWESOME! It was so neat to walk around and see paintings by Monet, Renoir, Picasso all those famous names that you just hear about. Heather,myself and the kids had fun posing by the statues and paintings like the statues or paintings. Lony and I got a picture by a repilica of the Lincoln Memorial. Heather asked if I could sit on Abraham Lincoln's lap... The security guard said no. :) Afterward we walked around the sculpture garden and took pictures the kids stopped at a stand and bought I love DC shirts, the lady running the stand threw in a free McCain for president 2008 shirt...................I guess they need to get rid of them.. April had one like it all ready at home that looked the same except it said Obama on it. Later her and Lony put the shirts on and wrestled (Obama won)

We are so blessed to live in a country where you can see beautiful works of art like this FOR FREE!!!!!!:)

Trip Day 4-6

I had a nice time the rest of the time I was in NE. They even asked me to stay there! .... but I felt like I should really come here to VA so here I am. I went to church when I was there. The ward was so nice and loving. I got to know some great people I look forward to seeing everyone when I go back to get my stuff in May. The people I stayed with had a lake and a creek and Spike had a lot of fun running around in the snow.

On Tuesday I flew into VA. I flew out of the Omaha NE airport which is a very small airport.When I got to where I catch my flight, there was only one newstand and one place to eat. I rode on a very small plane with only TEN people and a crew of three on it. They told us when we got on that we could sit whereever we wanted. I thought wow, I bet that it cost them more to fly this plane than it did for all of our tickets. I arrived in Cincinatti and had to RUN to make my next flight I felt like I was a contestant on The Amazing Race and the whole time I just kept hoping that Spike was able to get transferred to the right plane. I was running and praying and was told to slow down BUT I got on my flight! phew... this plane was even SMALLER there were only two rows of one seat each, there were more people on it but the plane was smaller and the crew was just the pilot and the stewardess. When I got off the plane we were outside. I did not even know that there were flights like this in the US on that little of planes and where you get off outside. When I was getting off the plane there were people waiting for me, They were like who has a dog??? I was like me I do! I thought oh my gosh I have been praying and praying please tell me he is OK??? They said that Spike had gotten loose in the baggage area during the flight... (I am sure that he peed in there and probably pooped too... ) So the people opened up the baggage area and SURPRISE! there is LITTLE BOY SPIKE!!!! like oh my!!! they were scared of him and he did not have his leash on so he was everywhere they said that I could not go over and help them for security reasons but then changed there mind. I went over and got Spike under "control" and rode with some guy in a van and went under the airport in the staff area and then came up to get my baggage. A really nice couple from Strasburg helped me take my luggage out and Heather met me out there and took me over to her house. What an eventful trip!

Trip Day 3

so I woke up in NEBRASKA... at this wonderful families house... and I opened up their bathroom door and GUESS WHAT Spike had been good all night he had not torn anything up or even gone potty!!!! Like um I'm sorry who's dog is this ??? I got a blessing that said I would know which direction to go and which way to turn... which are always good things to know... Some WONDERFUL LDS people in Nebraska picked me up and we drove a half hour to wear my car had been towed.It looked like a cannon ball had hit my windshield,some of my windows were busted in we started loading all my stuff into this other guys SUV. It was SO COLD like so cold I could BARELY MOVE... like we were all trying to walk but we were going in slow motion because it was SO COLD...! everyone was able to admire my AWESOME PACKING skills... all the stuff I was able to fit in my car.. and we drove it over to the bishop and sister Henderson's house they were nice enough to let me store my stuff in their extra shed. ............it is still there... I hope to go back and get it soon I MISS MY STUFF!!!!!! the tow yard let me exchange my totaled car for the tow bill THANK GOODNESS... and I got to take a LONG NAP at The Henderson's house... and that felt nice... :)

Trip Day 2 MORE

So before I left Utah I got my car all checked out and payed tons of money to get it fixed, they said that I needed two more tires but since they did not do tires I went to the redneck tire place that I wont name because I don't want my name associated with them if you google them... So the redneck tire place said that I only needed ONE new tire so guess which tire blew...so there I am in COLD Nebraska spinning around in circles on the highway, then for a second I was on the shoulder, then before I could even think I was rolling... yes ROLLING I was just praying that me and Spike would be OK. we ended up upside down.. Spike did not make a peep but I heard him breathing so I knew that he was OK. I was hanging upside down in my seatbelt. I thought oh my gosh that was really tiring and I AM TIRED.... I should just take a nap someone should be along to help me at some point... then I thought NO!!!! that is how people DIE! on TV!!! so in my mind I am WAY OFF THE ROAD like down a cliff or something because I am in shock and well I watch to much TV like I thought oh my gosh will I be able to SURVIVE here until someone FINDS me... in reality six different truckers had called 911. I could not figure out how to get my seatbelt off, probably because I was yanking it, so I thought OK just be calm you can do this... you KNOW how to get a seatbelt off. So I clicked it off and turned my self right side up and sat on the roof of my car, I thought I have to get out of this car and go to the street and wave someone down I rolled my car window down and a bunch of snow came in... ( I was in a snowbank) so that option was not good...I then looked everywhere to see if I could find my cell phone ( I could not) to call Kathy for some reason I felt like I should call Kathy and tell HER to call 911 and THEN I would be OK. and it was getting kind of cold..BUT THEN just as I started despair I saw lights and the paramedics and police got there. I heard them banging and I beeped the horn and was like HELP! HELP! I heard them start to dig me out and and they broke one of my windows and were like are you OK? I said yes and they asked my questions like what my name was and how old I was. This one police officer was really funny he got to me first and he put his hand on me, I heard that they do that so then you feel safe like someone is there. At first it kind of freaked me out becaue his hand was on my low back, but when he took it away I felt like WHERE ARE YOU??? He asked if I was cold, and I said that I was he said let me give you a sweater, I thought, no I don't want YOU to be cold but he handed me one of my own sweaters that had been in my car I said oh no wonder you did not mind giving me a sweater this is mine :) He said I know I have been stalking you:) He had a good since of humor :) They got Spikes side out first, I was like PLEASE DONT HURT MY DOG! I thought I hope they know there is a live dog in this car! Spike ran out and they had to tackle him ... because well he is Spike... I just crawled out throught the glass and snow. I said Hi sorry about my dog he is really wild and I need my cell phone to call my friend Kathy. They put me in an ambulance, where I almost got car sick, but we were fine. I got to the police station where they were SO NICE!!!!!! SO SO SO SO SO NICE! I called Kathy and she got in touch with the LDS people there in NE and they send this really awesome couple and there kids to come and get me, they lived about a half hour away and it was below zero and probably after 10pm. I am so grateful for them! They brought me and Spike back to there house. I was so worried about Spike, but we put him in their bathroom and he did not poop or pee in it all night or even tear anything up. I am so grateful for all my friends that helped me that night and really care about me. I am grateful for my new friends in Nebraska and how they took in Spike and I and really cared for us :)

Trip Day 2

I woke up in Colorado and took time getting ready I had a long drive in front of me. It was about 20 hours to OH. Where David lived and I had no where to stop or stay before that. I wanted to be as relaxed as possible. I thought if I get tired I can pull off in a parking lot somewhere. but because it was SO COLD I would have to keep my car running.. So I start driving I think that instead of Centreville,OH I accidently put in Cleveland,OH so the GPS starts taking me there. I went through Brighton,CO and stopped at this gas station that also had massages, and drug tests and sold condemns and accessories in the bathroom. I got my picture taken with a mannequin named Gus there.... and I thought that Brighton was an upscale ski resort town...

I drove and drove I was in the middle of NOWHERE COLORADO... I could not even see any mountains... I had no idea that there were even places IN Colorado where you could not see any mountains....

my phone started acting up and I thought that was going to be my biggest trial of the day. I was still receiving calls and texts and emails but I could not SEE any of them.... I got to a town called Jarlesburg,CO and they had a huge rest stop with a little trail and all the picnic tables had teepees over them but I could not take any pictures because of my phone. I was sad...

I got to Nebraska ( my first time in Nebraska) and then drove and drove and drove and drove.... I thought when I get to a town that looks like they might have a mall then I will stop there because there should be a Verizon store at the mall and I can get my phone looked at.

I stopped at a town called North Platte, Nebraska... they had a TINY mall that looked very old and very run down. When you walked in they had a give away for a tractor... I thought... WOW...there was no Verizon store in this mall... they did have a store that sold airbrushed t-shirts though... who where's those anymore anyway??? The people at the mall gave me directions to a Verizon wireless store in the town so I drove over to that. ... it was closed as in there was nothing in there.

a guy pulled up and said that he needed to get something on his phone fixed to, he called his friends in North Platte and they gave him directions to another Verizon wireless store he said I could follow him over there...that was nice of him :)

I walked in the store and this lady came up to me and hugged me and asked if I need help. she reeked of alcohal. She said that she worked there. I said yes that I could not see anything on my phone and that I needed it to work because I was driving cross country. She got me all set up with a new phone because I was still in my one year warrenty. While she was doing that she asked if I was O.K. I said that I was stressed out. She said I could tell her all my problems if I wanted and that she would listen and help me with them... I said that the only problem I had and the only thing that I was stressed about was my phone not working and she could for sure help me with that.

So she told me all HER problems, and well everything about her life... like she is a recovering alcohalic and has not drank in awhile.... like um ... maybe what since her last break...?? and she told me all about every job she has had and her kids and her grandkids and her house and her last trip to Omaha and all the fun stuff that they did while they were there... and I was like mmmhmmm wow that is cool mmmhmm oh wow really like I JUST NEED MY PHONE RIGHT NOW OK!!!! :)

So after I learned all that I could about that lady and got my phone. I went over to this place called Fort Cody Trading Post which looked like a total TOURIST TRAP...http://www.fortcody.com/ so I HAD to stop but because that lady TOOK SO LONG TALKING TO ME.... I got there and they were closing in like 5 minutes.... and they were annoyed when I even walked in they were like WE ARE CLOSING!!!! I did get a picture with native american mannequin and they were hesitant to take that they were like why do you want a picture with Injun Joe? you have Indians in UT? like um.... OK... I did get a magnet... which is now on my fridge and I would have got tons of others pictures and things but I think they were not happy that I was there... at all.. they told me that I could come back though and visit during normal buisness hours... I asked them what Buffalo Bill had to do with NE and they said that when he went out on his shows his wife lived in North Platte.... I thought OK so basically nothing...

so I left there and drove and drove and drove and drove....

and I called my friend Erin in VA and asked if I could stay at her mom and dad's in Omaha... she called them and they said yes... my GPS said only 2 hours to Omaha, so I called Kathy to tell her the good news, I found somewhere to stay!!!!!wooo-hoo!!! and I will be there in just two more hours at 10pm I will be in Omaha and I will be in a bed and it will be wonderful...

so I hung up with Kathy... and then my tire blew..........