Also:

I'm really glad Grandpa B came home. Home alone is disconcerting when it's not actually your home.
And I hate Bones. It made me bawl, and Hulu doesn't have the next episode.

So I read previous blog posts and such.

I also hate nostalgia. On the bright side....
Life is progression? And learning? And I'll love this someday? (I'm trying real hard people.)






Ok. I'm gonna attempt going to bed now.

I'm Lazy. Here's this...

I love Barnes and Nobel. End of story. :D

Sooo much mad potential!

I would like to own this outfit. In case you wondered.
Also this is from the St. G trip with 'seester' Marty when we discovered the baptistery of the Temple closes on Mondays.

So we found a prince instead.

Except it was actually a frog. Oh well.

There's the CUTEST park in St. George by the city library that I'm in love with. It's got a 'stream' and 'waterfalls' that are super cutesy and there are always bathing suit- clad children playing there. So so cute!

This is one of many reasons I'm excited for November: Legit FHE, complete with treats!

Grandma and Grandpa Heap visited me at Bryce Monday(?) and then we went to Pines. This is probably from a trip to Pines with Kaylea though. But you get the idea...

I love going to Walmart with these two. :D

Sister Date, first stop: The Wizz.

I told you all I look phenomenal with a mustache.

So does B. Even if it's a tad askew.

Stop two: Pet Palace! 

Where they house all sorts of fragrant creatures including really large, really disgusting fish that look like they'd eat my toes if I went wading where they lived.

Stop three: Maggie Moo's! (With the creepy cow footage.)

It was a very successful bonding experience. ;) Obviously.

And now I'm sitting here in Tropic, alone. Ish. I think Grandpa just came home. But I was texting PVT (whom I just named and then caught myself and fixed back to the boring PVT-ness) (And I'm not sure why because 93% of you already know who he is haha.) and for about five seconds I thought he was asking me to hang out. But alas. He never texted back after my last reply. 

I'm pathetic.

...ly twitterpated.

Time to go read!

He was the Damsel... He needed a Hero.

I asked PTV on a date.
The Mayans and his desire to finish their presentation and other such scholarly checklist items instituted a rain check.
Which is nice, because those tend to come back and happen eventually anyway, but I only like rain without the checks in these matters usually.

I texted him to ask a book question last night, which is when I discovered that he had a softball game.
"Wanna come watch? It's at Bicentennial."
Ooh... I sort of already de-cuteified for the day.
"I'm in sweats and holey t-shirt madness... but I'll have to change and come over!"
"Or just come like that. :)"

I maybe changed into my new jeans and a non holey shirt and then changed back into sweats and then back into jeans...

"We're only going to be playing for another half an hour at most..."

Ok. Pants I'm wearing, we're hitting the road. (Who needs jeans anyway?)
So I drove to the baseball fields by the Canyon Park.

"So... Veteran park isn't Bicentennial. No matter how much it wishes it was."
I think he texted something equally clever at that point, and I gunned it toward the next baseball fields I knew of. On Lay Hill. By the prison. Erm. Middle School.

... Those aren't even lit up. Obviously not Bicentennial either. (Call mom. She informs me they're by where Aunt SheraLyn and Uncle Lloyd live. Which doesn't help me much, because I can't think of any fields in that vicinity.)
This is the part where I burst into giggles at my plight. I've got limited time, and so far I've guessed every park it couldn't be. Well. That's progress, yeah?
"I give up! Where is Bicentennial?"
"Haha, it's South about a mile from the Hospital."
Speed, except not really because Bro. K paranoid me after his 'one minute' lesson on police car cameras and the like, and pull into the parking lot and walk shyly over to the South field benches. Because PTV said they were on the south field.
Every last one of the players is chubby, and all the spectators are wives with small children.
... I'm thinking I have the wrong field.

"By Southern did you mean Northern?" At this point I had spotted him, and he was standing by the dugouts looking kind of attractive and such. :p He turned and went to get his phone off the bench, yup. That's him.
Texting me while they're in the game still.

After the game, he came and gave me a hug, and informed me he can't find his keys anywhere and the spare is possibly locked in his car.
"So you're telling me you're a damsel in distress? And you need a hero?"
-Pause-
He sings, "I can be your hero baby..."
"No, no, no. More like: I NEED A HERO!" (I might have done an embarrassing little dance while singing that first line. Cue blushing.)

Long story short, while we were walking over to his car he told me I'm really attractive. I'm still in sweats. And old shoes. Ha!
Also, just call me a boy scout, because I had a flashlight of preparedness.

"Do you think the Mayans could spare you long enough for a smoothie, and finding a wire hanger?"
Who can resist that?
So off we went in my cute car to get avocados for smoothies and he started calling teammates.

We made shakes and talked about items on our bucket list that were serious. Like serious dream stuff.
"I don't want to hear you want to see the bulls of Spain unless it's like, 'I want to see the bulls of Spain! I want to pet them!'"
"I don't think I have any serious dreams on my bucket list. It's 97% nonsense..."
So he tells me some of his while I attempt to think of serious aspiration type dreams.

Talk talk talk, drink some smoothie, laugh, talk some more... woohoo! Found a way around the rain check almost. :p Hooray for lost keys.

P.S. I just revisited my obsession for this song. This blog was brought to you by:
Classical Music!


P.P.S I think maybe PTV is going to turn into Potential Twitterpation Victim instead of a Pretend one.... Curse Twitterpation!

Remember the thought barf?

I've got a lot more of that swirling around in my head today.

First, I'm kinda way excited to tell you about hanging out with my Pretend Twitterpation Victim! (I'm getting tired of calling him that but I feel I can't just reveal the identity because then you'd all know. And that'd be embarrassing because I've been pretending to be twitterpated with the assumption I would never get a date with said victim... oh well. Moving on.)
Friday night, when I was (ironically) discussing a 'hypothetical situation' with one of my guy friends which involved Francine and Fritz and what all the confusing stuff was supposed to make Francine think, when I got a text from none other than Mr. PTV.  Remember the cool anonymous note date? With the ninja deliveries and singing in the car? Well he texted to fill me in that he found out one of the recipients of my random note had a birthday that very day! PTV: "Man, Heavenly Father's the MAN!" and then we discussed how cool being inspired is, and how it's kind of cool how you don't even realize that you're acting as Heavenly Father's hands sometimes. :) The gospel is great, and the Holy Ghost is sort of an amazing gift!
Amidst all this texting from Mr. PTV I was still feeling flustered and resentful of the whole dating game and totally not knowing where in the world I stand, or why he asks me out again, or how to not get my hopes up... (I'm a wee bit pathetic. I know. Remind me.) So I threw out the "It's waaaayyyy past my bedtime, so I'll talk to you tomorrow?" line. Which is a classic, because then I don't seem like a little puppy dog drooling over him, AND it has the question mark, so he gets to decide if we talk tomorrow which is more information to go into my Fritz and Francine hypothetical stories.
He said, yeah I totally should talk to him tomorrow and if I was going to drive through Panguitch (once again, blowing cover, one small detail at a time.) then I should definitely stop and see him at work because he would love seeing my smiling, or frowning, face. :p
So I maybe fabricated a more than half empty tank of gas, and a dire need to go to Panguitch to fill it up. ;) I also may have mentioned that, and that I was staying in Hatch last night, and how late was he working?
Long story short, I said maybe I'd have to stop by and say hi when I went to buy gas.
"That sounds like a great plan! Don't change it!" So... I didn't. :p
We visited about nonsensical things while he finished closing at work, and then went over to his house to get a sweater for me to borrow, had a paper air plane contest, in which I failed miserably. Despite my style and form.
"Is it ok if I show you my favorite place in the world?" (Is that even a question?)
"Of course!"
Asks to borrow sister's car. Secretly fills it up with gas, and drives toward Red Canyon.
Forgot blankets, so we froze to death and stargazed at the top of Red Canyon. Bryce night skies are insanely beautiful! In case you wondered. Also in case you wondered it's really difficult to hold still when you reeeeaaaally have to go to the bathroom.
We talked about everything from his mission, to The Alchemsit (which I'll have to blog about later), to things we've learned in life, and views, strengths and weaknesses, missions on earth, and thoughts on the gospel.
Um. How cool is that? We mostly just both rambled about lots of things... but it was awesomely fun. And I think there should be a sequel.
He gave me a cute hug, and told me to text him when I got to my Grandma's cabin safely.
Can I keep him? :p
(Also, he had that look again, which is going to drive me insane. And he said I'm very endearing actually. :p)

Next thought barf...
Recent work stories/quotes. (Because blog posts from me wouldn't be complete without stories that don't mean anything to you but are grandly funny to me. ;p)
Large Italian man, trying desperately to find a discount to help his gargantuan purchase not break him completely: "You are the best! These are my in laws, or else I would say something else to you. You see? Thank you. Never change! You are very kind!" (He got ten percent off as an educator's discount. :p It still wiped out $200.00 from his fancy little wallet.)

A man came through my line at least four times and I had made the comment we'd be old friends by the time the day was over.
Toward the end of my shift, I spotted him grinning and walking toward my register.
"Old friends?" I smiled at him,
"Old friends."
I scanned his items, handed him the bags and he turned to leave, throwing back over his shoulder, "We're leaving now..."
"Well, it was good to be friends!"
He paused, turning back around, "Good to be friends."

"Ooh... and how much for the eyelashes?"
"I think it's Revlon..." I said, after a moment to understand what she meant.
"No, it's genetics!"
blah, blah, blah, handing her a free poster and her bags...
"All that with a smile and those eyelashes! Thank you!"
Some people just make me giggle.

(This one was kind of my favorite. It was a unique experience.)
Before I could even say, "Hi, how are you?" The woman arm in arm with her husband piped up with:
"Thank you for your attentiveness to all your customers! You must see thousands every day!"

"Oh! And what is special about you?"
"... Well, I have four little sisters, I think that's pretty special." She laughs,
"Yeah, that is! And where are you from?"
(Insert answer to her question and small talk about growing up in small towns here.)
The middle aged lady gathered her things up, her husband still silently smiling beside her. "Well thank you. I'm so glad our paths crossed."
And with that, they were on their way!

(Marissa, this one's for you.)
I glanced up a few minutes after the woman and her husband left, and noticed a little girl leaning forward but managing to not fall on her face. Oh! That's a... leash? Holding her up? What in the world??
I promise, the first thing that came to my mind was: "My mother thinkth they're nethethary!"
And I giggled for ten minutes.


Next thought barf. Excerpts from The Alchemist, which I am still digesting, so I feel inadequate to discuss it intellectually. But I do recommend it. It's definitely a 'self aware' type of a book, and makes you think a little. I also find it slightly ridiculous. (I swear that's how most things are. I can't decide if I really love them, or if I think they're obnoxious.)

"...For her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises."

"I'm like everyone else- I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does."

"He realized: If I can learn to understand this language without words, I can learn to understand the world."

"Once again he saw that, in that strange land, he was applying the same lessons he had learned with his sheep.  "All things are one," the old man had said."

"I'd like to build a display case for the crystal," the boy said to the merchant. "We could place it outside, and attract those people who pass at the bottom of the hill."
"I've never had one before," the merchant answered. "People will pass by and bump into it, and pieces will be broken."
"Well, when I took my sheep through the fields some of them might have died if we had come upon a snake. But that's the way life is with sheep and with shepherds."

"The shop is exactly the size I always wanted it to be. I don't want to change anything, because I don't know how to deal with change. I'm used to the way I am."
  The boy didn't know what to say. The old man continued, "You have been a real blessing to me. Today, I understand something I didn't see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don't want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I'm going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don't want to do so."

"We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand."

"The camel driver, though, seemed not to be very concerned with the threat of war.
  "I'm alive," he said to the boy, as they ate a bunch of dates one night, with no fires and no moon. "When I'm eating, that's all I think about. If I'm on the march, I just concentrate on marching. If I have to fight, it will be just as good a day to die as any other.  Because I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man. You'll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now." "

"Maybe God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees,"

"That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too."

And with that.
I'm going to try really hard to make it feel like Sunday despite being at work. Any suggestions?

Kind of cool :)

After a lesson in sewing, where I learned my side of the double sided apron doesn't totally look like a drunk driver took over the machine, Grandma Barton showed me this e-mail. I found it was kind of touching, so I thought I'd share it. :)

Helen Keller, President Grant & the Gospel

This is an excerpt from A Place of Knowing by Emma Lou Thayne (Emma Lou Thayne wrote Hymn # 129, Where Can I Turn for Peace ...)
Many years into my adulthood, when asked by a Jewish poet friend why I stay in my Mormonism, I explained it with a story, the details recounted by my mother. It is my mother’s story transposed into an allegory about my believing.
When I was a little girl, my father took me to hear Helen Keller in the Tabernacle. I must have been about eight or nine and I’d read about Helen Keller in school, and my mother had told me her story. I remember sitting in the balcony at the back of that huge domed building that was supposed to have the best acoustics in the world. Helen—everybody called her that—walked in from behind a curtain under the choir seats with her teacher, Annie Sullivan. Helen spoke at the pulpit—without a microphone—but we could hear perfectly, her guttural, slow, heavily pronounced speech. She spoke about her life and her beliefs. Her eyes were closed and when it came time for questions from the audience, she put her fingers on her teacher’s lips and then repeated for us what the question had been. She answered questions about being deaf and blind and learning to read and to type and, of course, to talk. Hearing that voice making words was like hearing words for the first time, as if language had only come into being—into my being at least—that moment.
Someone asked her, “Do you feel colors?”
I’ll never forget her answer, the exact sound of it—“Some-times . . . I feel . . . blue.” Her voice went up slightly at the end, which meant she was smiling. The audience did’t know whether to laugh or cry.
After quite a lot of questions, she said, “I would . . .. like to ask . . . a favor of you.” Of course, the audience was all alert. “Is your Mormon prophet here?” she asked.
There was a flurry of getting up from the front row, and President Grant walked up the stairs to the stand. She reached out her hand and he took it. All I could think was, “Oh, I wish I were taking pictures of that.”
“I . . . would like . . . ,” she said, “to hear your organ . . . play .. . your fa-mous song—about your pioneers. I . . . would like . . . to remember hearing it here.”
All the time she was speaking she was holding his hand he had given her to shake. I liked them together, very much.
I remember thinking, “I am only a little girl (probably others know) but how in the world will she hear the organ?” But she turned toward President Grant and he motioned to Alexander Schreiner, the Tabernacle organist who was sitting near the loft. At the same time, President Grant led her up a few steps to the back of the enormous organ—with its five manuals and eight thousand pipes. We were all spellbound. He placed her hand on the grained oak of the console, and she stood all alone facing us in her long, black velvet dress with her right arm extended, leaning slightly forward and touching the organ, with her head bowed.
Brother Schreiner played “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” each verse a different arrangement, the organ pealing and throbbing—the bass pedals like foghorns—as only he could make happen.
Helen Keller stood there—hearing through her hand and sobbing. Probably a lot more than just me—probably lots of us in the audience were mouthing the words to ourselves—
“Gird up your loins; fresh courage take. / Our God will never us forsake; / And soon we’ll have this tale to tell— / All is well! / All is well!”
I could see my great-grandparents, converts from England, Wales, France, and Denmark, in that circle of their covered wagons, singing over their fires in the cold nights crossing the plains. Three of them had babies die; my great-grandmother was buried in Wyoming.
“And should we die before our journey’s through, / Happy day! / All is well! / We then are free from toil and sorrow, too; / With the just we shall dwell! / But
if our lives are spared again / To see the Saints their rest obtain, / Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell— / All is well! / All is well!”
So then—that tabernacle, that singing, my ancestors welling in me, my father beside me, that magnificent woman, all combined with the organ and the man who played it and the man who had led her to it—whatever passed between the organ and her passed on to me.
I believed. I believed it all—the seeing without seeing, the hearing without hearing, the going by feel toward something holy, something that could make her cry, something that could move me, alter me, something as unexplainable as a vision or a mystic connection, something entering the pulse of a little girl, something that no matter what would never go away.
What it had to do with Joseph Smith or his vision or his gospel I never would really understand—all I know to this day is that I believe.

Hey Baby, I'm a Rockstar!

Tonight at work I was minding my own business, cutting a million and five international stamps into strips of 5, when a cute little Chinese woman came up saying something about a picture.
I asked, "Do you want me to take a picture of you?" She shook her head no.
"You want a picture of the sign?" Pointing at the 'eifert' sign, again she shook her head no.
"I want peecture of you!"
... "Um, ok?" So I smile. And she snaps one. Then motions for me to come out around the desk and she had her friend take a picture of me.


That's when the dam broke.

I promise, every last man, woman and child then decided to pose with me for a picture. Awkward?
Luckily it wasn't very busy right then. :p
China now has at least 7 copies of a blushing Shannon.

Catching up, rambling, and a really long post of thoughts.

(Apparently not only the post is rambly and long. I'm losing my writing skill of making things short and interesting. Not that I ever possessed that skill. ;) )

First of all, cute story from last week. I helped a man and his mother find CD's and fix the head phones on the sample listening thingy, and voila! We're best buds now. The man seemed like he wasn't entirely there, which sort of just made him more endearing. (Which is terrible to say. Marissa, that's why I love you most. You're mental. ;p

 Except just kidding, that's awful, I apologize. But I really do have a soft spot for those with mental disabilities. I swear there's a different spirit about them.)

He came through my line first to pay for his purchase and visited with me about Michael Martin Murphey, (because I told him my dad has some of his songs, and I really like the CD he was buying.)
The second time he came through my line was with his mom, and I had a huge line up behind them, but I didn't even mind because if he wanted to visit- well by darn- we were going to visit. (Also, I was stalling dealing with less friendly customers.)
Later they came back in to get another copy of the HooDoo newspaper/map, and chatted for a moment again. He smiled at me for a minute and then said in a quiet voice, "I'm sorry if this is too bold, but you are a very nice young lady." How cute is that? This is why I love working with people. I see plenty of crabby ones who are always in a hurry, but that just makes me appreciate the ones who are kind and down to earth and patient even more. I learn so much from people in just the few minutes I talk to them.
His mom also came back to get a memory card, and when I told her I loved her ring she told me the story behind it. Her husband, who has since passed away, bought it for her and she always treasured it. When her daughter was 12, she asked if she could borrow the ruby ring, and the woman let her for one day. Somehow the ring was lost and so years later on the woman's 70th birthday, her daughter found a replica of the ruby ring to give for her birthday present. It's always so fun to hear the stories behind pieces of jewelry. :) As the woman's son gathered her things to leave, she leaned over the counter and grabbed my hand and thanked me and thanked me. Old ladies are so sweet! (Usually.) :)

Also, the shoppaholic in me couldn't resist sharing these quotes from a woman and her husband who came through my register last week:
"My pleasure of life is enhanced by a good bargain!"
"God doesn't want His children to pay retail taxes."
:p They were full of it.

(I've noticed that I notice jewelry most often when I'm looking for things to compliment on people. So have other people ha. A man behind his friend and wife in line commented on how I compliment everyone. I explained that I like trying to make people smile, and that it makes me feel happier too. He decided it was a pretty good idea, and that I'm not too bad of a young lady. :p)
Today a smaller woman hunched over her purse showed me her ring that was her mother's and father's wedding bands combined with their initials etched into them. (That's one sweet heirloom!) I loved her response after I told her that I thought her hat was cute.
"Cute... I like you, thank you." :p She also gave me her contact information and told me to look her up if I was ever in Switzerland. And that she'd teach me how to ski if I came in the winter. That's one awesome grandma! :)

Next item of business ;) my date that I wasn't even planning on! (But first, a really long, and probably semi unnecessary prologue.)
I had Sunday and Monday off this week, which was fantastic, because working Sundays is really hard. I'm not a fan of it.

Saturday I got to go and spend some quality time with Grams and Gramps in Hatch, and visit about everything. Every time I visit, Grandma makes a point to sit down and listen to everything going on in my life, all my worries and struggles and accomplishments... we still haven't solved world hunger yet, but we're working on all that. ;) I'm so happy I have such a great family! It's been amazing to be with both sets of grandparents so much the past four months. I always feel loved, and special, and very full of great food. ;)
Talking with Grammie Marilyn about my future, and about hopes and dreams makes them seem closer and more achievable. But then again, being around that special woman makes heaven feel a little closer no matter what you're talking about. (Thanks Gram for being such a great example and friend! Love you!)      
Sunday morning I went to Relief Society in Hatch, where the lesson was on chastity. It's interesting to me, now that I'm old enough to appreciate it, to be in Relief Society with a group of older women. I used to just feel really out of place, but now I love being there and listening to their retrospective advice. They've been through everything I'm going through already. They've already dealt with dating to find a handsome Mr. Right, and they've already raised their families. Do you know what that means? They've got serious treasure in the form of grandmotherly advice! I love it!
I had a good chat with gramps
There was a fireside which was awesome :) from Elder Dane O. Leavitt, and his wife. (One of the Quorum of the 70.)
(Ok. Now we're getting to the unexpected date.)
After the fireside, I noticed a text from a Mr. (Oh yeah I'm not using names) PTV. Asking if I was in Cedar.
I waited an appropriate amount of time before responding, so as to sound like I'm not totally lame with no life and desperate. ;) So long story short, we set up a date for Monday night at 8. Monday rolls around, and I finished watching 17 Miracles (which you totally need to see) and blinking tons so I wouldn't bawl and mess up my makeup I just spent plenty of time perfecting for the date. PTV picked me up and we got horchata from Costa Vida, and then grabbed colored pencils and pens, paper and envelopes from his house and went to mine. We spread out the supplies on the floor, fought off my tough 'guard dog' and went to work writing a bunch of notes. Most of them were anonymous, and a handful of them were just random notes to leave on random cars and doorsteps. Delivered "Ninja Style" wearing dark colors and rolling across lawns like Agent 007. (This was sort of an ironic date, because Tyler and I had talked about doing this once either right before, or right after we broke up. Needless to say we never carried out the idea, so I was super excited to finally do it!) One of them from PTV expressed thanks for having the best kept house on the street, and it was probably one of my favorites to drop off because we drove around looking for the cutest house to put it on. Once we found one and were standing in front of it, my date put his arm around me, "Breathe it in..." (said rather dramatically, while gazing at the house with the pillars, cute porch, mowed lawn, and Narnia lamp.) :) He's so obnoxious, I love it.
On the way back to my house we may or may not have ran through sprinklers. Because I love it. :p And sang songs.
Also, we had serious conversations that delved into 'get to know you' stuff instead of purely nonsensical banter. Although nonsensical banter is really entertaining, this was probably my favorite date of the 3 we've been on because it was more get to know you! Goodness. Can we all cross our fingers there's a fourth date? I think the P in PTV is wavering a little. ;)

But now I'm going to go read The Alchemist, inside. With a lamp. (I had grand schemes of sitting out on the front porch but I went blog crazy and typed for a million years instead. Wasting away perfect daylight. Thanks ADD. :p)

Now on to my really long post of thoughts.
I've been thinking a lot about our relationship with Heavenly Father and Christ, and their relationship with each other and the whole circle of relationships.
A week(ish?) or two ago, I was actually discussing this with my pretend twitterpation victim, and so last week he called me after work and told me he'd thought of our conversation again in his institute class and had remembered a bunch of scriptures that went along with my questions that he felt like he should share. (Which I thought was kind of cool that he'd be so open with his testimony and feelings on scriptures.)
One was in 3 Nephi 27:13-27 , which talks about how Christ was sent into the world to do the will of the Father, and repeats the words "my Father sent me..." and states that Christ does all his work according to the power of Heavenly Father.
My PTV (I'm shortening it because I'm lazy. :p But in case you're not following my ADD though process that stands for pretend twitterpation victim.) referred me to "Anointed One" in the Bible Dictionary. It said "Jesus is spoken of as the Christ and the Messiah, which means he is the one anointed of the Father to be his personal representative in all things pertaining to the salvation of mankind. ..."
Next was in John 17, specifically verse 21 through 23. 
Ok. So the summary of what I'm sounding really preachy about is, Jesus only does what he does because he has seen Heavenly Father do it. Heavenly Father and Christ are both perfect, which is why they can help us and perfect us through coming to Christ and through the atonement. Jesus was sent to be our representative of Heavenly Father, but that doesn't mean he replaces God. It's like my PTV said, with athletes and their agents. The agent represents the athlete, but that doesn't make the agent the athlete. Without the athlete there is no representative, and no audience for him to represent the athlete to. Make sense? (It did to me, and mostly this is just thought barf so that it'll be more solidified for me. I know, I'm selfish. :p)
I still obviously don't understand it all, but I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who made everything in life possible and enabled Christ to be my Savior. Without him, it is impossible to reach our full potential and be with Heavenly Father again. How amazing is it that we have an older brother that was willing to come and lay a pathway for us through his example and sacrifice? And how awesome is it to have friends who think of scriptures for you in institute and call you just to give you a list of them so you can thought barf it onto your blog to bombard everyone else with? ;) But truly. I am so grateful for how everything works, even though I still don't understand it all. :)

Warning. Smiles happen here.

I totally was tempted to climb onto the counters at work and reenact. ;)

Shh! Did you hear that?

The old man is snoring again. :)

Mm... doesn't it just make you want to curl up in a blanket by the window and watch it pour?

The past couple of days have been stormy to a fault! (A good fault.) The visitor's center has flooded with people, who are slightly more on the prod with the weather slowing down their plans. It's ok, though, because I love the brooding, yet cozy feeling of rain and grey skies. The clouds seriously make me so happy! 

Also, I discovered I have podcasts of the LDS General Conference's from 2009 and 2010 on my iPod, which makes morning study a little easier! 

It made me miss the days in Ephraim when I'd stall my studies at the library and look up things on lds.org for relief society lessons. (Or... maybe just for the sake of stalling. ;) )

So I maybe am going to thought barf via Mormon Messages right now. :)

(Ang, I figured you'll appreciate this one since it's from your city!)

I know I totally sound like a broken record, but I have SO many of these moments working at the visitor's center. It's been so amazing to feel a change in my views of people in general, and to feel just a teeny tiny bit of what Heavenly Father must feel. (Like... teeeeeeny teeny tiny. I'm sure I barely even have a glimmer, and that's insane to me! On good days, I feel like I love everyone. :) But Heavenly Father has a much deeper love, and understanding of each of us. I truly know and believe that.)

Once upon a time this summer, in my journal, I wrote something down. And it was ridiculously dramatic, but for a second there I didn't know that I believed in love. Watching my family, and other couples around me, though, has re-installed a belief. I believe... in a thing called love. (I sincerely hope every one of you is now singing that song. In the same octave. ;) )

So, now that you've got my thought barf... I'm not entirely sure where I was going with any of this, but I do have a story. From work. (You're all surprised, I know.)
An older couple, and their daughter came into the bookstore yesterday, when I was alone and closing. They asked a bunch of questions- which usually peeves me because that's what interps are out here for. It's called "information desk" for a reason. I ended up going over to the poster bins, and helping them figure out posters, and explained where different shots were taken. The daughter had down syndrome, and she kept fixing her clip in her hair and tugging on her bangs. I stopped explaining posters for a moment and visited with her about her cute pants and cute hair. She grinned and told me thank you and I swear she stepped a little closer after that while I answered more questions. In the conversation, the mother had asked my name. (I'm feeling some serious regret for not turning the question around, in case you wondered.) They said they only had the next day (today) to see the park, but they would probably come back to pick up the poster on their way home.
Today I almost forgot about the cute family, because today was lethal. That isn't even a hyperbole. I'm on a serious treatment to recover now: ice cream, and grandma's cookies.
We're short staffed, and so it's an awkward 3 shift schedule where it's hard to get anything done, because you're always covering for someone. I love the sweet little ladies that work there to death, but they seem to always leave the desk without mentioning where they're headed and then stock their section. Which means I sort of have to stay at the register. Which means I ran out of sweaters something fierce, and most of my t-shirts. Which means after I packed in seven thousand Impact boxes, Paula got after me for my pitiful section. So I made warehouse runs. Twice. Because a woman wanted a medium zip up and they were still in a box in a warehouse 2 miles away. Do you think she was there after I ran (literally) to the truck and then to the warehouse and flung boxes like a mad woman to get her the sweater? No. Of course not...
Needless to say, my grumpiness was getting the best of me, when I saw three familiar smiling faces. (No, Erin, it wasn't even dead ancestors this time. ;p)
They plopped a poster down, the daughter grinned at me, and tugged at her clip in her hair. I asked about their day in the park, and they told me their adventure of Queen's Garden, and how climbing back out of the canyon is and other such excitement. When I finished, she told me it was good to meet me, smiled, and trundled off after her husband, the daughter in hot pink pants following after shooting one more grin toward me when I finally caught her eye in the middle of my next transaction.
It wasn't like it was anything huge, or like they told me something that changed my life vastly, but there was just a sweet spirit about them. And they did change my life. It's like the song "For Good" from Wicked. (Cherene, my Aunt, you'll appreciate that one I think. :) )

Life is really weird. And kind of infuriating, and stressful and scary and huge. And a little bit amazing. :)

Days off are:

Phenomenal? ____
Ridiculous?    ____
All of the above? _x_

Did I go to an awesome fireside last night looking like a hobo? Why yes, yes I did.
(Category Phenomenal.)

Do I have two date-ish type social interactions planned consecutively? Indeed I do.
(Category All of the above.)

Sometimes I want to just veg on the couch, and then I remember complaining about not having a life and I think maybe I should just enjoy the dating crap in this phase. (To be read, "... enjoy the silly awesomeness that frustrates me periodically until I finally grow up or get hitched or join a convent.")
The vegging on the couch thing? Sounds infinitely more appealing since the international germs attacked and gave me a cold too. But what have I done with my day off so far?
Maaaybe danced around in the rain for a brief moment with Sister Marty,

then stayed up way too late watching Bones and nearly bawling at the emotion posed in each episode. (Yeah... late nights and hormones are bad combinations apparently because those fictional characters/stories really got to me.) 

This is just for the sake of easily accessing drool worthy pictures. Mmm. (Twins, chill. I'm obsessed, I've accepted it. We're fine. :p)

And now, pretty much I don't want to get up and get ready. I want to snuggle under blankets and read, or maybe (ok, so honestly) drool over some more Agent Booth. (Guys? I think I need help with this addiction. Intervention? Thursday evening? Ice cream after.)

However. I'm hanging out with cute lawn mower boy later today when he gets out of classes. Who knows what we're doing. Who cares? The last one was fun, I figure this ought to be good too.

Tomorrow? Oh yeah, I'm hanging out with my ridiculously cute pretend twitterpation victim. Cooking adventures? You better believe it. :) I read texts from him to Erin and she decided she's in love too. Seriously, who talks like that? And uses the word 'serendipitous'?? Goodness. Now if only I was that witty, maybe it'd be in the bag. :p 

But until then, I'm wasting more time and then getting ready. Woohoo. :p

(Also, I feel like I've got lots of work related stories I was excited to tell you about, but I also feel my ADD flaring up so I'm guessing those will wait for a time when I actually remember what exactly 'they' are.)

A word of advice:

If ever you really feel like you don't want to do something (that is good for you), then you should probably definitely do it. There's usually really good quotes in books/scripture you don't feel like reading at the moment, or something touching in a song or talk you don't want to listen to.
Basically, quit being stubborn and let life be awesome! ;)

So, how was that for a different preface? I figured you were all getting bored of me by now. ('you' is being used in the assumption that anyone reads this thing. Although I know I've got at least one reader I can count on and her name is cute Grammie Marilyn whom I love very much! :D )

I was reading in a book called The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox (which I definitely recommend. A little repetitive, but in gospel literature, repetitive passages are usually the most important concepts that we're too stupid to learn if we only read it once. ;) It's very thought provoking, in that the atonement is more than just repentance. (Duh, I know. But I'm retarded sometimes and I take a minute to catch up.) He talks a lot about redemption too. Anyway. Let's not get me on a soap box or I'll be here all night and I work in the morning.)
"Only Jesus has the power to create a mighty change by educating our desires and turning our hearts away from evil and toward Him. In a game of darts, we may not hit the bull's- eye every time. However, we stand a better chance when we aim at the target and not the opposite wall."

Moral of the story: A lot of times we're stubborn and defiant and all sorts of opposite wall behavior. Can't we just learn already and turn around? It's right there. Happiness and peace galore. Sound fun, doesn't it? :)

Also because I'm lame and dying to talk to people about my funny work stuff- you're stuck with more quote/story time.

"My get up and go just got up and went." - Betty, my favorite southern accented interp volunteer. :) She's teaching me all sorts of new phrases from the south, and is determined to teach my how to swivel my hips. I'm telling you, rangers are odd. :p But lovable. (Who knew?)

A man and his wife came in wearing clothes for riding bicycles, and I was having a not so positive moment so I was looking for things to compliment. Hey! Why not their biker shirts?
The woman thanked me, and then informed me her husbands was the fertility god.
.... Umm..... yeah. Awkward moment in life?

A lady who I complimented on her turquoise ring that looks JUST like my Mesa Verde, Grandma Theora inspired one: "We have great taste! If you ever want to come raid my closet, you're more than welcome!" ... We were about the same size... hmm... :)

I told a French man you're welcome in french. (Occasionally I feel daring and dangerous so I sling my poor french out there. "You speak french?"
"Very little." Smile, tell him the grand total of like... four phrases I remember.
"Je vous aime" (I apologize for slaughtered spelling)
Puzzled look from me...
"I love you!" (Sounds more like, "I yuv you!"
"Oh! ... I'll have to remember that one." Smile like we have an inside joke, but I've got more people in line so feel special and maybe remember you're in a hurry to hit Bryce Point, of which I'm a duchess of. *(More info later.)
"You'll remember me." Grins mischievously, then links arms with his wife and waddles off into the sunset.
Haha, oh elderly men.
Also, I apologize for the ADD quality of that story.

(* My pretend twitterpation victim texted me a little the first of the week. Mostly I'm too lazy to tell you the conversation again, but there was discussion of baby pumpkin hand grenades being a skewed perception of war, and being born in the wrong time eras because he wants to wear snazzy clothing and side around in mafia cars (I know. Keeper, right?) and I'm stuck in regency dreaming. Which he said he could see, and then went off to describe Shannon, Duchess of Bryce Point- with hair flowing, yet uppity. When I figure out what exactly that means, I'll have to do my hair like that to test the waters. :p Anyway. We also had a seriousish conversation (unfortunately via text) about the gospel and such. He said he'd make it a point to call me next time to talk because texting is over rated. (Again. Keeper, right?) Just thought I'd fill you in.)

Also, I finally went on a date with the Cute Lawn-mower boy that Cherene, My Aunt has been telling me about for years. :p
Kite flying at Park Discovery? Check.
Being pressured into riding a long board (albeit tandem, gripping the back of his blue t-shirt that made his gorgeous blue eyes stand out and feeling retarded...) Check.
SUU Athlete Meet and Greet?(Sounded lame, kinda was... oh well. :p) Check.
Swing Club? (Spontaneity? Hmm... Gold star?) Check!
- (Me stinking at dancing?) Double Check.
Sodas and conversation at Brads? Check!
And for the finale we totally visited Aunt Cherene and Kris! (And Jennifer, but she was really absorbed in a scrabbleish game on her iPad. :) )


Back to work stories and quotes. (No big deal. I don't have ADD... maybe. Parents, maybe we should have me tested. Call Sylvan, just in case.)

So last night I closed by myself, and it gets REALLY painfully slow at times. I'm sure I could have found more productive stocking or something, but I have a confession and that is: I didn't. I had my Conference edition of the Ensign there and I just wanted to read and be un-grumpy. (Are you catching on that it's a major theme of my life? Grumpy... oh fine. I'll read something spiritual. :p Ok, so that's not entirely how it goes, I really do enjoy reading about the gospel and learning more... but I am grumpy far too often. Which is why it's on the "To be fixed" list.) A rather tall man came in, and I smiled and pretended I was happy to be there ringing up his purchases. After I handed him the receipt he glanced at the counter and smiled,
"You are a member too!"
I'll admit. I'm not sure what to say or where to go after the, "Yes I am!" and smile... it's a work in progress.
He went on to tell me how cool it is to go to church here because there are 'like 300 people at church', whereas in the Czech Republic there are more like 50. So we visited for a moment and when he turned to leave he grinned at me, "It is good to meet you."
I have no clue what his name is, or what his story is... and he knows nothing beyond I'm a troll looking employee at a National Park who reads the Ensign. But I felt warm and loved and happy.
Isn't that so cool? The gospel makes random tall guys from the Czech Republic my friend in all of three seconds.

Also, I got a photo document mailer the other day... from my pen pal guy in Montana. Gorgeous pictures, kinda dramatic when he's in them... but hey. Whatever floats his photo-shooting boat right?

Oh! Totally got fat at work last night. Truly.

(Just thought I'd rub that in. Take that skinny people! Yeah, those are Rollo's.)

Terrible Two's Tantrum...

Which I only threw in my mind.
.... Mostly.
I just want you to know that this is probably more information than you wanted to get, but I'm venting on the internet anyway. I'll learn someday.

First of all, there was a bird of a moth stuck between the window and the blinds downstairs in my makeshift bedroom on the couch. Said moth did  not want to be stuck. So it made a huge commotion over it every five minutes all night. Shannon is far too wimpy to smash tiny baby small spiders, so do you think she even thought about touching that moth after she gagged at the size of that goliath? No. Of course not.

Second of all, I love "Un-beautiful" by Lesely Roy, but not when it's obnoxiously playing at wee hours of the morning. (Erin... ahem... ;p)

Third of all, I hate dermatologists. Always have, maybe always will. Unless they cure me of my leper like zit problems. And even then we're not going to be best friends by any means. Maybe just friendly acquaintances on a very professional super very distant level in which I acknowledge my gratitude for their cure and then run away. Also, did you know that acutane is scary business? There's a side affect list from Cedar to Idaho, and I'm now registered with some governmental program where I promise on every level imaginable not to become a mother anytime soon. (No problem, government. That's not gonna happen for like five years. Maybe seven.) Also, I have the magnificent opportunity to take blood tests every stinking month when I go in for check ups at the dermatologist. I also get to tinkle in cups frequently only to hear the captain obvious answer of "your pregnancy tests are negative". Well of course they are. I'm pretty sure that was a total lack of suspense and drama. :p

And now I'm drinking Carnation's breakfast shake mix drinks (that taste suspiciously like Nesquick) and dreading two things: gassing up, and going back to work. (I promise, tomorrow I'll be back on the 'determined to have a good attitude' train, but for today I'm reeeeeaaaaallly excited for November.)

Happy Stinkin Thursday. :p (It is Thursday, right?)

Feelin Hot, hot HOT!

And St. George is feeling pretty warm too. :p

Just kidding, St George is hot, I'm the not. :)

I have a great work story. It's called, "Shannon and Maycee: Born Heroes. "


Sunday, the man with the baseball cap and a Monopoly mustache came into the bookstore. "This shirt has a hole in it, I just wanted to see if I could return it for a new shirt." Maycee pointed the general direction for yellow 'Utah Rocks' shirts and headed to the misfit cart of all Bryce Canyon product to drop of the holey shirt. I hadn't heard this exchange very well, so when the man came back and said something to me, smiling with a blue sweat shirt in his bag, I didn't think anything of it. Maycee came back, and something seemed suspicious, about the man so I asked if he had exchanged a sweater.
"No, he traded a yellow shirt that had a hole in it for a new one."
"Hmm, well he just walked out with a blue sweat shirt."

Maycee may have had smoke coming out of her ears. I won't lie, dishonest people get my goat every time.

 This one, in fact.

Monday morning smiling Mr. Monopoly came into the store with a bag that held a sweat shirt. But it wasn't even the blue stolen one! He had a grey zip up hoodie, and he looked at me smiling, but nervous. I'm super glad Maycee was at the counter when he asked if he could return it because I think I would have done one of two things: ripped him a new one, or aided in a second shop lifting heist. (Probably the second since I stink at confrontation.) Mayce asked him if he had returned a yellow shirt the day before, which he vehemently denied. Of course. 

"Yes, you did sir. And we saw you leave with a blue sweat shirt."

More vehement denial.

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't let you return this without a receipt."

"So you're not even going to take it back??" (Mr. Monopoly meets Mr. Potato head via angry eyes)

"No, I'm sorry. Not without receipts."

Grumbles and walks out. Sir, I'd like you to know we're not total idiots. Do you really think you can pull the wool over our eyes again? We giggle too much, and possibly quote too many movies, which gives the impression of moron-ism but I promise, we're smarter than the average cookie.

Later that day, Maycee and I were talking to one of the interps, and brought up the suspicious Monopoly mustached man so the Ranger called Law Enforcement. Many questions about 'what time was it, roughly, when he came in the first time' 'The first exchange was a yellow shirt and he took a sweatshirt? Then the second time it wasn't blue. Right?' 'Have you seen this merchandise before?' (Leading us to a random stash in the library of the building.)

During my lunch break I had to make an emergency run to Ruby's so I could pay my first born for something I know I could get for half the price at Wal-Mart (frustrating beyond all reason) and when I walked to my car I saw Mr. Monopoly with one of the L.E's walking to the officer's truck. I'll admit, I had the fleeting thought that he could not see me, because then he'd just know it was Maycee and I that turned him in, and he'd come after me with a vengeance of 1,000 ax murderers. (Or something equally dramatic. Basically I was scared he'd see me.) So I pulled out at a not too quick, but quick enough burst of speed and made ZERO eye contact. 

Long story short, he's no longer hosting at a camp ground in the park, and Maycee and I feel like we're in a movie or something. And we should get a raise. :p

In other news, guess where I got to go this morning! (St. George? Yeah good guess, but I told you that so it doesn't count.) 

I swear, it's been a whole year practically since I did baptisms in the St. George temple! It did make me miss Manti a little bit, but it was so good to get back to my temple. :) It was just as beautiful as the last time I got to go! They've changed the baptistry furniture to mirror the time period the temple was built in, and I'm in love with it! It looks more simplified, and royal and old fashioned and beautiful! My friend from Piute went with me, and he hasn't ever seen "Cup Cake Girls" before so I dragged him to the visitor's center so I could get all teary over it yet again. I don't think it'll ever get old to me. :) 

Now I want to have a sister trip sometime (like maybe when they're on spring break or something) and be brave and drive Northward and do baptisms at a bunch of the temples up there! Especially Oquirrh Mountain Temple since we got to walk through the open house. 

Really though, how cool would that be? We might all kill each other in my little Saturn over that many miles, but maybe the temple spirit would help calm the kill each other vibes. :p

And now I'm just chilling on Tara's bed waiting for her to get done with classes and tests so we can party! :)

I am titleless.

I am also tired, and borderline grumpy so I'm therapy blogging. ;) I do have a couple of work stories: 

Story one is called "The French Violinist and the Swiss man."

So basically I just thought it was cool to hear someone else's story and background. She had to wait at the counter while Mr. Handsome went out to their car for the wallet. She's twenty-six, met her husband while flying on a plane, and they've been together since. (How adorable chick flick is that??) They've been waiting to get cheap tickets to fly to Utah for quite some time, and so now they're visiting different parks and attractions. Utah? Well, of course it's the best, but I didn't know the rest of the world knew that! 

After they paid and were on their way she paused, and turned back. "I have to tell you, in Europe, people don't talk like this- just simply. You are so friendly here!" :)

Story two is called "Funny Philosophical Woman"

(And it's more of a quote than a story.)

"Oh! I hit it off with my bum! That means you have to buy it. It's called a butt purchase." She had loud clothing, and obnoxious jewelry, and if anyone's platinum hair came from a bottle, it'd be hers. :) She called me hun, and laughed with me and pretty much made my day after saying thank you five thousand times. 

Story three is called, "Way to go Mormon State" (Aka Utah. :p)

A man walked up to my counter and borrowed a couple of pennies from the penny jar when he paid for his purchase. He told me he only used the pennies because I had so many, "I've never seen such a full penny jar, people must be very generous here!"

And now. I have pictures. (Poor quality pictures that make me miss my dead camera, Hubert- or whatever his name was- even more.)

Dear Pines. You've expanded my thighs almost as much as you've widened my smile. I hate  love you.
Love, Shannon, the pleasantly plump.

Summer Thunder storms are incredible! I love them! (Imagine what I could do with these colors if I had a real camera! :p)

After I bought Boothe, I had to show off to the work ladies. Ruby's has the tiniest cutesiest ice creams! (I'm pretty sure I blogged about it already. But I can't remember if I posted the picture, and it's basically adorable so I am now.)

The day after the cute baby ice creams, Marilyn and I went on a field trip to Bryce City, because she had meetings during our ice cream run. So raise your spoon to round two of unnecessary ice cream calories! We found these scrumptious hats, and had to record the moment of course. :p (I love Marilyn! She's so fun to talk to, and she gets more excited about cute bum pants and purses than I do!)