Thoughts on a Saturday at 5:00am

WHY is Shelli awake at this unreasonable hour?
I am sick. Of course, because this is a terrible time for that. I spent the last 5 hours trying to sleep, succeeding here and there, until I was too miserable to even try anymore. So I'm up, working on my websites and counting down the hours before my exhausted and over-worked husband wakes up and can just hold me. Eldon is like soothing balm to distressed Shelli-heart, I think. I don't know what I would do without him. Yes I do. I'd cry a lot more.
Cinder Block Walls, Oh My...
Nothing reminds me of dorm living so immediately and overwhelmingly as cinder block walls. We began moving our belongings into our new apartment last night and I almost cried. Cinder block. Everywhere. I have been thinking all night how I can cover those walls with something less offensive to the eye. Do you think that fake wallpaper that you just peel off could work? Maybe if I bought cheap fabric I could line the end with backward duct tape and then somehow attach that to the wall and hang vertical fabric strips. Or maybe they would let us paint. (Yeah right.) Or maybe I could ignore it. Or maybe I could move away. :) I don't know what we're going to do, but I"m going to take before shots of this place and then go to work making it look like a non-prison-cell-ish residence. We still have gift cards to Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, and Target, and I'm sure between the three of those establishments we can create something presentable. I hope so ... a year is a long time.
Funny Eldon Story
I heard a story the other day that had me laughing so hard I felt like a sinner. When Eldon was in high school his family was helping paint a house after a family reunion. Eldon was on the ground, his cousin was on a ladder with paint. Eldon wasn't enthused about his assignment to begin with, but then something happened and the ladder tipped, spilling paint all over him, from head to toe. (First I spelled toe "tow" and had to delete it. I'm tired.) His cousin who was telling us the story while we were at Craig and Savannah's place said he thought for sure he was about to hear Eldon's first expletive. But actually what Eldon chose to exclaim was, "Aw...Brotherly kindness!!" If you know my husband, that probably sounds so endearingly accurate that you just die laughing. I almost did. Eldon thinks it's a euphemism when I tell him something he does is endearing, but it isn't. I mean it! I just think he is the most adorable, good-hearted man on this planet. And although I have adopted the phrase "brotherly kindness" in a somewhat mocking way, I mean it as a compliment. :)
SCRABBLE QUEEN - See header for visual.
I am an English major. Eldon is a Neuroscience major. I talk to people. Eldon wants to make them medicine someday. I love Scrabble. Eldon loses at Scrabble. I tend to win by at least a 100 point margin every time. Not that he isn't good at it, but just because I'm WAY better. If there were Scrabble Olympics, I'm pretty sure Camilla and I would be team USA. Eldon will tell you that he beat me once, but it was only due to an interruption that made us quit the game before it ended AND Eldon had had one more turn than I had ... and we hadn't been playing very long. Don't let him fool you! :) Plus I think I remember drawing a lot of strange consonants like W, K and V, during those first couple rounds, but I can't be certain. All I know is that it wasn't a true victory. I was at Barnes and Noble the other day and I saw a deluxe Scrabble board that has grooves for the letters and that spins around for the players' convenience. What an inspired manufacturer. Someday it will be mine. :)
My Websites!
I know I've mentioned my job before, which Bryce thinks I do to show off but really it's more like I'm reminding myself that this is what I'm using my English degree to do for some reason. I don't think it sounds as impressive as I think he thinks I think it does. :) I'm in the process of designing and building two sites, an affiliate site and a dropshipping site. In an effort to further motivate myself I will give you the URLs and you can peek every now and then if you want. If they look too much like scrapbook pages I apologize. It's a habit.
www.preemiemine.com
www.biblesisters.com (not linked to the domain yet, but soon will be)
Bryce and Haley
For those of you who don't know, my little brother is getting married this summer! I know, it's amazing that he's old enough to do that. Haley is a darling girl who I just adore. By far my favorite of all his girlfriends, which is saying something because I've liked them all. She is a tiny, adorable, talented school teacher who thinks she's the luckiest girl on the planet. I'm glad she knows. :) They came over last night to drop off the things I'd asked Bryce to bring me from home (mostly books, but also pictures and my yarn to finish the afghan I'm crocheting). It was so good to see him! He flew out from California this weekend to surprise Haley which I just think is the cutest thing. They are so happy.
In fact, we spent the Saturday before Memorial Day with her and her family four-wheeling in Eureka, Utah. Have you ever been there? It's like stepping into the early 1900s. Everything is rusty storefronts to abandoned stores, dusty roads, broken windows and no human life. :) It's quite a place. Excellent for four-wheeling, though. We had so much fun. I only went to meet Haley's family and get to know her better, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. She has a great family. Actually, the Scrabble picture was taken at their little cottage up there. :) I won. Here are some more pictures:



Camilla's Survey
Normally I erase these kinds of things from my inbox when I get them, but because this one came from her I will oblige:
1. Did you date someone from your school? No. Wait ... no.

2. What kind of car did you drive? A Mazda Protege affectionately named "Suzie".

3. It's Friday night...where are you? With people I care about.

4. Were you a party animal? That question made me laugh.

5. Were you considered a flirt? You know, Camilla told me once that I flirted with everyone, including girls. :) I just thought I was being friendly. It irritated me when guys read too much into that.

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I was in choir.

7. Were you a nerd? Absolutely.

8. Were you on any varsity teams? No, though I lettered in Choir. :)

9. Did you get suspended/expelled? For the love...

10. Can you sing the fight song? What fight song?

11. Who were your favorite teachers? Mrs. Guthrie, Mr. Kahl, and Mrs. Bordett.
12. Where did you sit during lunch? On the left side of the quad, I guess.

13.What was your school's full name? Concord High School

14. School mascot? The Minutemen ... I know, it's so embarrassing.

15. Did you go to Homecoming and who with? Yes, once with Kiel and once with Mike.

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you? No. Even then I was ready to move on.

17.What do you remember most about graduation? Singing solo on that sound system!

18. Where did you go senior skip day? Was there just one?

19 Were you in any clubs? Other than homework, choir, work, and volunteering, I didn't make time for very much else. I wanted alone time more than extra extracurricular activities.

20. Have you gained some weight since then? Nope. :) That's a lie.

21. Who was your prom date? Nathan Plumey, my first hero, came back from university to take me. I turned 16 after he graduated, so we could never go together before that.

22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? I don't think it will be enough of a priority at that season of my life. Maybe I'll go if I'm already in Concord for some reason.

This, my dear Reader, is the end of my nonsensical blog update. Thank you for keeping my little sick self company for a while.