There once were two girls from Loch Lomond,
Who couldn't find rhymes for Loch Lomond,
They used all their might,
And stayed up all night,
But still had no rhyme for Loch Lomond.
Earlier tonight I had gotten off work and was waiting for the bus. As I sat, listening to classical music, a watched a car slowly drive pass and look at the rest of us waiting for the bus in the rain rather smugly. After it passed, I stared out into the parking lot and realized how depressing the mixture of my music and the rain seemed.
Hit play!
Listen to the song above and picture yourself sitting on a bench, barely shielded from the rain, and thinking about your life. Yeah, it's as depressing as it, literally, sounds. On that note, I'm on day three of a six day stretch of work. All eight hours days. The next day off I get is Christmas. I may never have been more excited about Christmas.
Today I took my last final as undergraduate. It was rather anticlimactic, to say the least. I've never been quite so proud of myself, though. Today is six and a half years past the first day I began college. I began looking a bit like this:
Taken in our dorm around Halloween.
And as of last weekend it was a bit more like this:
Definitely going to miss spending time with Harley three days a week.
At the end of the semester that should have been our last, I found out that I had lost my financial aid. I spent an entire, virtually useless year at CR earning back my financial aid. Once I got my aid back, and returned to HSU, I learned that despite all of my mistakes I only had three semesters left til I could graduate. With a job to eat up all of my free time, I didn't have enough time to screw around anymore. It took a semester to get back into the habit of not ditching classes but, once I did, I haven't missed a day of class in the entire past year.
Now that I have officially finished college, at approximately Humboldt's average rate, Bry and I are in a bit of a pickle as of what to do and where to go next. Well, actually we know where to go next: China. Where else?! But how do we get there???
Step one: apply to grad school. Step two: ??????????????????? So, we're open to opinions and guidance... to say the least.
Bry and I struggled with this *&(&*^&^%$#####%^* video for HOURS before it finally relented and bent to our will. I realize that virtually none of our friends will understand it, but we're going to work to add English subtitles. Feel free to have a gander at our hard work.
Don't google "changing room" in search of a funny picture to start a blog off with because all you'll get is porn. However, if you want porn, here's your helpful tip for the day.
Well, last week Bry, Lia and I all traveled to Eureka, shortly followed by Sarah and Evie, in order to help me try on dresses. My all time favorite was this beauty:
Those fake jewels were pretty heavy.
It was known as the Titanic Dress. I didn't end up buying any but I did end up taking a giant blow to the ego that day. As it turns out, I've got a dress type. Every dress I buy myself has the same shape.
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C
Exhibit D
Tight on top and flows on the bottom. A-line, to be stuck up like ALIA KENLOCK STAR FIX. I had to. Anyway, the point is that I never really understood my awkward proportions. I wear a size four in dresses if I buy my usual style of dress. When I went dress shopping in Old Town I went out of my comfort zone and tried whatever they had in "my size". I informed the sales lady that I wear a size four, we gathered as many as we could find and then I went to the dressing room to wow my crowd.
Flash forward a matter of minutes and I was beginning to face several harsh realities at once. As it turns out, I am a four on top and an eight or ten around the hips. With several dresses I was literally incapable of getting the dresses down over my hips. Who are these dresses designed for??? How do they expect someone to be shaped like this? To be fair, I'm shaped like this:
My Chinese professor took this of us at the Moon Festival earlier this month.
Take a look at that picture. I did a bit of a double take. That's not an angle I see myself from... ever. Small chest, pencil thin arms, thin waist and an HUGE ass. Look at it! I double in size right there. No wonder the damn dresses wouldn't fit. I am doomed to wear one kind of dress for the rest of my life.
If you haven't watched this Donald Glover stand up, you need to. The rest of this won't make sense unless you are familiar with when it's time to bury your dreams.
All done? Hilarious, right? Well, in any case, shortly after watching this several weeks ago I began noticing the odd sort of things that get me excited. Since the majority of my summer has been spent working, the first things I noticed were at work.
Our old vacuum looked a bit like this...
As a student, I work mostly at night. For some reason this also crossed over into my summer giving me no life, but I digress. Closing procedure involves vacuuming for me most nights and when a new vacuum appeared in the office after a year and a half of me using the same, old vacuum I was thrilled. It vacuumed better. The cord wasn't a hassle. I was in heaven. It wasn't until I was on the way home after work that I realized how silly it was to be that excited over a vacuum. But it didn't stop there.
It was a little smaller than this.
Nothing has been more convenient to me than having a microwave at work. I've recently taken to having microwavable frozen dinners on my lunches. The inside of our old microwave was... Well, falling apart. The paint on the inside was chipping away. How does that even happen?! I don't know. But it was. One day I came in to work and a shining, brand new silver microwave had replaced it. I'd never been so excited at work! It was even better than the vacuum! This joy has not been short lived. Weeks later I'm still ecstatic when I get to use that new thing. I acknowledge that this is silly, but then I went shopping...
Normally, I get pretty excited about shopping for food. I mean, come on, food! Generally speaking, though, it's over junk food or fruit or something totally... normal? But the last time I went food shopping we were out of cereal. The deal with cereal is this: if it isn't on sale, it's not worth it. Seriously. They charge up to $5 for one solitary box of cereal if it's not on sale. With this in mind, Lia and I entered the cereal isle at Safeway in the hopes of finding something we can all agree on. *Cue the moment when the lights dim and a solitary spotlight falls on a box of cereal*
Actually, I suppose a more accurate version of my reaction would look like that.
My gaze had fallen upon- wait for it- a box of Raisin Bran for- WAIT FOR IT-
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
That only cost $2!
Made me this happy.
No, wait, I lied.
I felt like this.
Did you get that?
I FELT LIKE THIS!!!!!
I'm glad that picture exists on the internet. In any case, more to follow later, I suppose.
I had work all day yesterday and I have class tomorrow so I had every intention of doing homework today and getting a few errands done. Productive Sunday!
...Productive Sunday failed. Click the link below for a better example of what today became.
Bry and I have some pictures that we had printed out so we could send them to our Grandpa in a thank you card. The trouble is that we lost the pictures and the card after cleaning the living room a week ago. The plan for today was for Bry, David and I to ride our bikes to CVS to print out the same pictures again and buy a new card so we could finally send him our thank you note.
First problem: Actually manage to get dressed and out of the house. It was a hard decision, but I finally managed to pick which Granny sweater I wanted to wear. Once Bry and I were ready we just had to force David off of his iPad. He decided that he was too tired and wasn't going to go with us anymore. Fine.
Second problem: No, really, get the hell out of the house. Just as Bry and I are about to leave, David asks once again what we were going for. We remind him for the umpteenth time that we were going to print out those pictures for Grandpa that we had lost. He proceeds to stand up and find them and the missing card with all of half a second's effort. Determined to still get out of the house and get some exercise, Bry and I decided to go out anyway so we could mail our rent check, get some quarters and maybe buy some cookies or something from CVS.
Third problem: SERIOUSLY, get the hell out of the house! Bry and I walk to the front door and I open it. Bry decides we should grab sunglasses because it's bright out. In the same moment that she makes that decision, however, I noticed that it had started raining. And that is how we ended up having a lazy Sunday.
The endeavor that began long ago in Fall of 2006 has been completed this Spring of 2012. Mostly. There have been several hiccups along the path to graduation. Let's review, shall we?
The last words Dad said to us as he kissed us each on the cheek before leaving us at the bottom of the JGC to begin our Freshman year at HSU were "Have fun."
And OH did we.
Father pictured with NOT our baby. Note: neither of us has kids yet.
When I was 14 I was sure I'd be married at 18, having my first kids at 20. Seemed reasonable. What else WAS there for a small-town girl? Um, a whole lot more!
At 18 we began our first semester at Humboldt State University and joined the Marching Lumberjacks.
Sept 2006: Ft. Bragg Paul Bunyan's Day Parade
With the band as our new family we made some pretty cool friends.
Brooke and I bonding.
Brooke is similar to a horse in the following ways-
-They both like classical music.
-Can sleep standing up.
-I have had my hair chewed on by both a horse and a Brooke.
We met Brooke in English 100 class during the first week of of school. Rach and I were already sitting near her, and I remember being unable to take my eyes off her. I was mesmerized by possibly the very earrings pictured above. Creepy staring aside, we eventually were forced into a group discussion by our professor and naturally strayed off topic. It was then we discovered we were all joining the Marching Lumberjacks. Yay. Instant best friend.
Left to right: Bry, Brooke, and a Hippy.
Since then, we've all grown into better and wiser people. People who can actually style their hair like ladies. People who can apply make-up that does not look like it was painted on by Picasso. And generally three women who worked hard(ish) for their degrees. We find ourselves in 2012 looking the part of real adults whether or not we feel that we deserve the title yet.
Left to right: Seventeen magazine cover girl, Brooke, and Bry.
On the first day of band practice I heard "Can I share your stand?" as I was placing my stuff on the metal music stand in front of me. I looked over to my right, then down when my initial glance showed no one. I was startled to see the very same girl who I kept bumping into in the shared bathrooms of the dorms. She was small, with long black hair and Gothic clothes to match. With startlingly pale skin the whole look screamed "BOO!" Afraid she would put a curse on me, I agreed to share the stand. Instant best friend.
Left to right: Child of the Corn, Child of the Corn's twin, Fwoot-Buddy Caitlin.
Caitlin moved back to SoCal to finish her degree after being at HSU for two years, while Rach and I were abroad in China for a semester. The first semester was not so horrible because we were away from all of America, not just her, but the years that followed have been cold and hallowing. FYI, we miss you! We see one another about twice a year, usually at a Band Gig, sometimes at a wedding.
Left to right: Bry filing her music, and Caitlin laughing at my professional wedding hair-do.
Really, a hair stylist did THAT.
Left to right: Caitlin, and some sort of Duck-thing.
Great friends leave and still manage to stay in touch, some friends stay and fall out of touch, and then there's Sarah. Our first day in the dorms, literally THE first day, we were blaring our best CD- RENT- with the door open and singing loudly in the hopes of attracting... gay men...? I don't know what we were really going for, but what we got was a Sarah. I would say she kicked the door down and demanded to meet the owners of the fabulous musical collection, because that IS something she would do, but since the door was already ajar she really just meandered in. Instant best friend.
Bry and Sarah. We thought this looked like the Batmobile.
I would have found a more flattering photo but this is the earliest one with her face in it. Shows our priorities. She's stuck by our side for six rocky years. We were separated by a brief stint in China, but Skyped regularly- where she informed us that "Skyping" someone sounded naughty. When we returned to the US she moved in to our apartment (stage 5 clinger). But then she had a daughter!
Left to right: Bry, Sarah&Evie, and the the Husband-who-should-not-be-allowed-to-dress-himself.
I honestly tried to find a more recent photo of more of us with Evie, but someone always has to hold the camera... I have so many flattering photos of us together, but as this following one is the most recent it shall represent our relationship now.
Left to right: Sarah, and something from Outer-space.
Lucky for us we had a class together this semester or we never would have seen one another. Between homework and her daughter and my husband and our cats... we would make plans that each of us knew we'd be both too tired and busy to keep. Truth is adult friendships are hard. It is so easy to miss out on important events in your pal's life. But, this far out of High School, it is easy to get tangled in our own webs of self-importance. My own mom couldn't make it to our graduation from HSU because she is preparing to move. Years ago I would have been angry, but after having to miss out on so many important things in other people's lives has shown me the importance of simply being. Being a good daughter. Being a good friend. Being a good wife. Living, and forgiving. These lessons are what help keep long distance relationships and friendships strong- which is how we've been able to stay friends with a certain lady for the past- lemme count- nearly 13 years?
Left to right: A blorgon, Kat, and Bry.
Yes, we're in a refrigerator box.
We met Kat in 6th grade through my then best friend who was her neighbor. The conversation went like this-
Friend: Hey, I have a new neighbor.
Bry: Cool.
Friend: Yeah, like right across the street.
Bry: Cool.
Friend: They just got a puppy!
Bry: You should introduce us.
Instant best friend.
Left to right: Bry, Kat, and a mannequin.
We shared her as our date to prom. Seriously.
We had a rough start, what with her parents forbidding us to ever come over again after we got into a fight with her sisters. Not like a fight fight, just an argument. But really, with five girls all in one room... Anyway, we sort of went everywhere together and pretty much lived in her parents house each summer so needless to say it was devastating when we moved away in the middle of High School. We made do, and still visited occasionally. Then Rach and I got accepted to college, and moved four hours away instead of 30 minutes away and we did not know how we'd endure! We visited when we went home for holidays, and she managed to visit when she could.
Left to right: Bry, Kat, Tinkerbell, and Caitlin.
Halloween 2006 at HSU.
In the span of six years the group of us has been through several births, weddings, and deaths. Let's montage this!
Hit play!!!!!!!!! And then scroll...
Kat has the first baby of the bunch!
Iris Angela Cantrell was born on December 15th, 2007
Rach and I begin our stay in China on September 1st, 2008
Approximately four days after arriving in China we met this kid.
"Aaron," or Hou Jie, gave us the best three months of our life! Instant best friend.
While we were in China, our dog Buddy got very sick in America and had to be put down
RIP Buddy! Family member and best friend since 2000.
After two months of practically dating, David Wellman asked Bry out
shortly before we took this photo on April 9th, 2009.
Like mama like son. We adopted Figaro in May of 2009 as a 4 week old kitten.
He's like three or four months old here. Still tiny.
On Mother's Day of 2009, Grandma Fix was found dead in her sleep.
It was a day of great sadness throughout the whole family, however
I have no photos of her available to me at this moment, so instead I will post this.
This as the day David met my family. We are all sober...
Kat and Chase marry on August 22, 2009-
Incidentally David's 26th birthday as well and Rachel and Steven's first date.
Rach and Steven began dating on December 8th, 2009.
Thanks to Bry.
You're welcome.
Jennifer marries Daniel on May 10th, 2010.
So many of the people I love in ONE photo. <3
I made it to about here before the music ran out. So, hit play on this one before scrolling down.
Late May of 2010 the three of us were asked to be in a commercial for Blue Lake Casino.
It never aired, but I wanted to post this to explain why our hair was bleached.
The 2010 West Coast Fix Family Reunion!
Back Row Left to Right: Uncle Jack, Cousin Jacqueline's husband Steve, David, Mom, Dad, Aunt Rose Mary
Front Row Left to Right: Cousins Jacqueline and Roxanne, Rachel, Grandpa Fix, Bryana, Alia
For the record, Alia said she would make a silly face too. She lied.
David and I drive to Hanford just to get this little lady, Frankenstein, in late June of 2010.
David proposed on June 21st, 2010.
Born via C-section, we are finally allowed to visit two days after her September 30th, 2010 birth.
Meet Evelyn Oliver Hylton.
David and Bry get married on April 8/9th of 2011 during the
Marching Lumberjacks spring concert.
Left to right: Caitlin, Kat, Iris is bending over, Raggedy Anne doll, Bry, David, and Brooke is officiating.
June of 2011 David graduates with a BA in Math Education, pictured with his mom Barbara.
Side note,that morning I cut off my hair shorter than it had been for the past 8 years. Big deal.
Bry and David on their July 2011 Honeymoon
Disneyworld to Universal Studios to a cruise to Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica.
Since nothing terribly interesting happened for a few months, here is Iris' 4th birthday party.
Left to right back: Steven, David, Chase
Left to right front: Alia, Bry, Iris, Calvin inside Kat, and the Grinch.
Just an awesome photo of my Mom during Christmas 2011.
Kat's newest edition arrived on February 13th, 2012
Calvin Michael Cantrell
Jennifer's first! Logan Eugene Mills.
Grandma Thelma Heinrich passed away on April 17th of this year. We were unable to make the funeral because she lived in Pittsburgh, PA.
This basically catches us up to now, which is May 26 of 2012 because this has taken me a few days to write, but the point of it all is- and really, there is a point- thank you. Thanks to each and every one of you who has been a part of this wild ride. Some have been featured more than others but it was THIS:
Which smooshed all together into six years, brings us to this:
HSU Graduation 2012!
So there you have it. You are all wonderful people! I look forward to spending parts of my life with each and every one of you! So long and thanks for all the fish.
Oh, and David got his teaching credential... blah blah blah, whatever.
