The plea: “I need Thee every hour. Stay Thou nearby. Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh. I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; Every hour I need Thee! Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee!” (Hawkes and Lowry).
Thank You Ms. Szemenski
His Story…
“Hold the elevator!” I called to Ms. Szemenski. She scrunched her nose at me as the doors closed. “That woman is evil,” I said out loud to what I thought was the empty lobby.
“You think so?” I heard a familiar voice behind me say.
I turned around quickly, embarrassed anyone heard me. “Oh, I’m glad it’s you,” I said to Riley, my gorgeous next door neighbor. “I thought you were Szemenski’s daughter, then I’d really be in for it.” It was a supposed to be a witty joke, and Riley was kind enough to smile politely, “Not that I could mistake you for her,” I thought of how closely Szemenski’s daughter resembled a sumo wrestler, “or anything.”
“Glad to hear it, Kurt,” Riley continued to smile her polite, yet dazzling smile as she pushed the ‘up’ button for the elevator.
I decided the best thing to do would be to change topics. “So, you’re playing a gig tonight?” As soon as I said the word ‘gig’ both of us flinched, there’s some vernacular I really shouldn’t try to use.
She nodded and her blue eyes seemed to pierce my very soul. The elevator dinged to announce it’s presence to us. I thought I had to be dreaming and yelled, “Five more minutes!” My arm spastically went flying behind me searching for my alarm clock.
Riley laughed nervously. “I think you just need to step in,” she said trying to get to the elevator behind me without getting too close to me or my waving arm.
I forced a laugh that probably made her more nervous and followed her in.
The doors closed and we were the only two in the elevator. Thank you Mrs. Szemenski, I thought, now is the time to be cool and witty.
The elevator car was very quiet.
“So,” she said apparently forgetting about the spastic arm just seconds earlier, “you just getting off work?”
I tugged at my tie to loosen it. “Yeah,”play it cool, “You?”
She nodded, “Yeah, just in time to change and head to the bar to set up for tonight.” Her fingers were playing with the top button of her pizza uniform.
“Oh,” I said searching for something witty but my mind went completely blank like a computer screen during a power outage. “So, you work for We Za Pizza, now? How do you like that?”
Riley looked at me. “It’s a job. Better hours than the department store, so that’s nice.” She hit the button to her floor again as if to make it hurry faster.
I looked at the doors. “That’s good,” I had no idea what I was saying. If only I could think of something amusing to say. Nothing came to me. “So, I was thinking, maybe some friends and I might come tonight. To listen to your band play, of course.”
I followed as her eyes looked down at my feet and slowly made their way up to my face. “I don’t think we play your kind of music,” she said slowly.
“No, see, I know this is how I look now, but it’s just for work. I clean up nicely, well, not that I wouldn’t be clean if I were to dress…” Danger Will Robinson, will somebody please shut me up! “That is to say, I mean, I look different now, but that’s just the work side of me. I have many different sides to me. I am a very complicated… fellow.”
Why don’t I just use my tie as a noose and put everyone out of their misery?
I held my breath waiting for her reaction to my blundering. If she never answered, I was prepared to die from asphyxiation. After my rambling, I would be doing a service for everyone.
To my relief, she smiled again, and I was able to release my intake of air. Unfortunately, I blew it right in her face.
She blinked her eyes. “We play at ten tonight.” Again, she sized me up. “Is that too late for you?”
“No!” Does she think I’m some kind of kid? “Today’s Friday, so I can sleep in tomorrow.” I stared straight ahead after I said it. Did I really have to share that much info with her?
She laughed. “Well, it will be nice to have a fan in the audience.” The elevator stopped at our floor and the door opened. “I’ll see you tonight.” We stepped out of the elevator and walked to our apartments.
Only after I closed my door did I realize, Who am I going to get to come with me tonight? I have no friends here, yet. No matter. One way or another I was going to hear Riley’s band. Thank you Ms. Szemenski.
*********
Her Story…
“Hold the elevator!” Kurt hollered as the door was closing. Whoever was inside, let it close and I figured there was only one tenant in the building who would do such a thing: Ms. Szemenski.
“That woman is evil,” Kurt said.
“You think so?” I answered sarcastically.
Kurt jumped and turned around. “Oh, I’m glad it’s you,” he said and I couldn’t help but smile. He was tall, even taller than me, with brown wavy hair, but clean cut, and the most brilliant green eyes. ““I thought you were Szemenski’s daughter, then I’d really be in for it.” He spoke rapidly, “Not that I could mistake you for her, or anything.” Too bad I’m not his type. I looked down at my bare midriff where my ring was poking out of my belly button. Definitely not his type.
“Glad to hear it, Kurt,” I can be just as polite as he is, and I forced a smile. I pushed the ‘up’ button for the elevator.
“So,” he spoke again politely, “you’re playing a gig tonight?” I flinched because it was embarrassing he knew we were always playing at the same old bar.
The elevator dinged and he jumped. He yelled, “Five more minutes,” and he reached his arm back like he was looking for an alarm clock. It was as if he was acting goofy on purpose to cheer me up. It was working. “I think you just need to step in,” I said as I laughed nervously and stepped into the car. How could he possibly of known I had a rotten day and needed to laugh?
The doors closed and we were alone. I could have asked him several questions like how he liked being here since he moved in a month ago. Any number of things, but I figured he was used to more sophisticated conversation. “So, you just getting off work?”
“Yeah, you?” he asked. I felt like our conversation was like the old Atari game pong. And just as exciting.
I nodded, and could feel my cheeks turn red as I looked at my uniform. As embarrassing as it was for him to know my band was playing at the same old bar, me working at the pizza place was worse. “Yeah, just in time to change and head to the bar to set up for tonight,”
“Oh,” he said coolly. “So, you work for We Za Pizza now?” I closed my eyes as I realized the last time I talked to him, I still had my old job. I could just imagine him keeping some giant checklist with all the girls he meets and right now my name just received a huge checkmark beside the word FLAKE. “How do you like that?”
I had to be honest. I looked into his eyes, hoping he’d see the real me, and answered, “It’s a job.” That’s where the honesty ended. “ Better hours than the department store, so that’s nice.” Truth was, I got fired for being late too many times. It’s hard to get up in the mornings after playing at the bar all night.
I hit the button to my floor again to make the elevator go faster. I really didn’t want him to think I was a complete idiot before we got out of the elevator.
“That’s good,” he said nicely. “So, I was thinking, maybe some friends and I might come tonight.” I looked at him. “To listen to your band play, of course.”
He wants to come and listen to my band play? I looked at him from toe to head and realized, he was too uptown for the dive we play at. “I don’t think we play your kind of music.”
“No, see, I know this is how I look now,” he spoke rapidly, “but it’s just for work. I clean up nicely, well, not that I wouldn’t be clean if I were to dress…” He rambled on. I was used to guys who weren’t nervous around me at all, they just took what they wanted and said what they wanted without really respecting my feelings or thoughts. Kurt was different. Kurt was a nice guy and was a little nervous around me. I felt flattered and I hadn’t felt that way in a long time.
“I am a very complicated,” he continued, “fellow.”
I couldn’t help but smile and I could feel his hot breath on my face. “We play at ten tonight.” I looked at him again, worried that he might have to get up early in the morning for work. “Is that too late for you?”
“No!” He exclaimed. “Today’s Friday, I can sleep in tomorrow.”
I couldn’t help myself and laughed. “Well, it will be nice to have a fan in the audience,” and I meant it more than he realized. Normally, we just get a bunch of drunks who could not care less for our music and were there for the socializing.
The elevator opened to our floor. “I’ll see you at ten, then.” We stepped out and walked down the hall. I couldn’t help but smile. Thank you Mrs. Szemenski.
Birthday Road Trip 2011 – Photo Recap
No Gas and the Jerky is Made of Gold in Muddy Gap
We stopped for a restroom break at Muddy Gap, Wyoming on our way to Casper Wednesday. We decided it was best to patronize the store also and bought the cheapest thing we could find – an $8 bag of jerky we referred to as “Our gold.”Luckily, we didn’t need any gas. For two unfortunate bikers, this was their second town without gas. They were asking everyone who stopped for tubing so that they could transfer gas from one motorcycle to the other and make it to Casper. Unfortunately, we couldn’t help them.
Beware Rebel Rousers!
50 years ago, dad and a few cohorts went to Lost Springs on a Saturday night. After a brawl with a few locals, they were escorted out by the sheriff. Today, the town boasts a population of 4. But it still has a bar. We took a chance by having dad enter this town. I figured his picture is hanging in the post office under the most wanted.
South Dakota or bust!
We entered South Dakota on Thursday. The sad part of this picture is the bullet holes all over the sign. Someone told me there would be a drastic difference in scenery as soon as I crossed the border. As you can see behind me, South Dakota looks nothing like the plains of Wyoming leading up to it. I am being a smarty pants of course. If it wasn’t for the sign, I wouldn’t have known I crossed.
Security System
This was our security system at our motel room. That’s paper-towel in the hole above the handle – I suppose mainly to keep bugs out.There was no dead bolt either. So we just put some furniture in front of the door while we slept. The name of the place was “Rushmore Inn and Suites.” It was a motel but the people were friendly.
Bear Country USA
On our way to Mt Rushmore we stopped at Bear Country, USA.
I recommend this place to anyone visiting the area.I saw a lot more animals here (and closer) than I did at Yellowstone.
Check it out at www.bearcountryusa.com.
You’ll love the babyland section!
350 feet down
There are a lot of caves to visit. We chose “Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern.” It wasn’t bad although there is a steep drop requiring you to go down 187 steps that are almost a ladder. And to get back to the surface, you have to climb the 187 steps. Our cave would have been more enjoyable if a fussy two-year old hadn’t been crying the whole tour. But definitely check out a cave!
Mt Rushmore - it's not as big as I thought it would be
When I was preparing for this trip, someone told me, “It’s not as big as I thought it would be.”That bugged me because it kind of ruined the big reveal. But, now I have to agree.
I thought I better work on some monument poses. You know, in case anybody wants to make a 60 foot sculpture of me.
- My Monument Pose
Traditional pose.
Monument Pose 2
“A little more me” pose.
Monument Pose 3
Probably the pose I’d choose.
Crazy Horse Monument
My advice about the Crazy Horse monument: save your money. The rock in the background will someday look like the white statue in front. But after 60 years, the only thing completed is the face. Wait until it is completely finished, then go see it.
Sturgis
Sturgis, South Dakota during the rally.
More Sturgis
This is a very big deal. People were renting out their yards for visitors to pitch tents.
- And one more Sturgis
Bikes, bikinis and tats were everywhere! We were very noticeable wearing our conservative bright colors.
- Devil’s Tower
Devil’s Tower, Wyoming. South Dakota needed to make a national monument by hand. Here in Wyoming, God took care of that. Just sayin’.
According to legend, the monument was carved by a bear trying to get 7 Native American girls who jumped on it for safety. They became part of the night sky (also known as the Pleiades)
- Big Horn Nachos
If you ever find yourself in Buffalo, Wyoming and you need a place to eat, go to Dash Inn Restaurant.
This dish is called “Big Horn Nachos” and the locals laughed at me when I took it to the table. It can feed a family of four!
- Progress on the Nachos
It took some time.
It took teamwork but we did not let the nachos beat us.
- Rest stop – homeward bound
At a rest stop before Casper.
We are homeward bound!
Birthday Road Trip Leg 5 aka Home
Sunday, August 7. Final day of driving or homeward bound. Everyone is ready to be home. Everyone that is except for me. The trip home always leaves me a bit melancholy. I’m still trying to figure out how to make a living while crisscrossing the nation. Due to my short experience working at FedEx I know I could never be a truck driver (no pole would be safe). So what could I do to feed my nomadic spirit?
Birthday Road Trip Leg 4
Saturday, August 6. We were all exhausted and slept in a little bit this morning. But a new adventure awaited us so we loaded the car and said goodbye to Rapid City. If the mall had been on the way, we might have stopped there so that Bubba could say farewell to Abraham and his buddy. She’s still upset (and blaming me) for being lured in on the Seacretspa salt. But, we didn’t pass by the mall so that bon voyage will be left to the imagination (perhaps we should censor it first).
Birthday Road Trip Leg 3 aka my birthday
Friday, August 5. This was the day we have been waiting for. It was Mt. Rushmore day. The day started early because even though there was no set schedule, we knew it was going to be a busy. We left our motel room by 9:30 with intentions of not returning for over 12 hours.
Our first stop had been highly recommended by a few friends. Bear Country did not disappoint! Although we were almost deterred because of the $55 car-load admission price we decided to give it a go anyway. Everyone is glad we did. Bear Country is a wildlife reserve with plenty of photo ops. It did freak me out a tad to see so many bears – all surrounding me. I was very brave and didn’t panic. Although I did make sure all the windows were up. Not to betray my home-state, but I saw a lot more animals (close-up even) than I did last year at Yellowstone. We left feeling pretty proud of our choice to patronize Bear Country.
Birthday Road Trip Leg 2
Thursday, August 4. We had a bit of an interesting night. Around 2:00am someone out in the parking lot started screaming. I was in the bed near the window and I looked out. The window was dirty but from what I could tell, two guys (not to be judgmental but I’m going to call them hoodlums) were walking in the parking lot laughing. One was bare chested with his shirt tucked into his pants. NJ asked if the car was okay.
“Yeah,” I replied. “I think so.” There were other various noises throughout the night that woke me up briefly but I was too tired to investigate.
Birthday Road Trip Leg 1
Wednesday, August 3. I decided I had better work in the morning since I only worked a week and a half since Girls’ Camp. At 12:30, I left and picked up my dad, younger sister NJ, and niece Bubba. By 1:30 we were on our way to start our adventure. Since we were getting a late start, our first goal was to get to Casper which is just a little less than halfway to Mt Rushmore. And because Casper was just a pit-stop and not our destination, I decided to skimp on the boarding expense.
We stayed at Motel 6. My first impression of our motel was the front desk clerk sporting a black eye. “That’s comforting,” I thought. Our room was tiny and the reason it was so cheap was immediately apparent. There were no brochures to welcome us to Casper or even the hotel. We also didn’t enjoy the luxury of a microwave, tv guide, or even clock. Internet service would cost extra, hence the late post. That was okay because it all added to the adventure, and also because it was only for one night. We unloaded the car and quickly decided a whole evening in that tiny room with four people would not be pleasant. So, we decided to go get something to eat and sight-see Casper.
Vacation All I Ever Wanted
It’s that time of year again – my annual birthday road trip. I have been going to various destinations the first week of August for nine years. My thought is, if I’m not home when my birthday rolls around then it can’t find me. With this logic, I am still a few days away from my 29th birthday. I haven’t found anyone to agree with me, mostly I get laughed at. No matter, I will maintain it until my face is wrinkley and my hair is completely gray (which could be sooner than I’d like to admit).
On my first road trip I went to California so that I could see the ocean before I turned thirty. Then there were smaller trips to Yellowstone National Park, Moab, St George, and Cedar City. Despite my goal to always go somewhere I’ve never been there have been a few repeat trips to the Shakespeare Festival, Tuacahn, Yellowstone, and Thermopolis.
My birthday happens to be the same time as the biking mecca known as Sturgis. Every year I share the road with bikers making or returning from their pilgrimage to South Dakota. A lot have been friendly enough that we strike up a conversation while fueling our vehicles. Thankfully, I haven’t met any of the Del Fuego variety but more the Wild Hog crowd.
This year I decided it was time to head in a different direction. I live eight hours away from one the nation’s treasures and so I’m going to take advantage of it. In a couple of days I will be on my way to Mount Rushmore. I know what you’re thinking. “How could one girl get so lucky as to go to exotic South Dakota?” Don’t be jealous. I plan on taking lots of pictures (compared to my normal amount. Last year I forgot to take my camera when I went to Yellowstone. Who does that?) and I will share. Since I’ll be in the neighborhood, I’m hoping to get a Sturgis shirt so that I can wear it on future road trips. Imagine the conversation that will start as I’m fueling my SUV.
My itinerary will include a pass-by of one of Wyoming’s treasures: Devil’s Tower. So this year, I technically get a two-fer. Two places I’ve never seen on one long road trip. I’m hoping to find buried treasure under Rushmore and aliens on the Tower although out of the two I’m really leaning towards the treasure (C’mon Nic Cage, don’t let me down!). You may be thinking I’m planning my trip based on movies. And all I can say is, “Yeah, so?” That might explain why I need the road trip.
Girls’ Camp 2011
This blog was supposed to be my report on Girls’ Camp. That was the plan when I left almost two weeks ago to spend five days camping with the youth in our ward. I’ve been home eight days and I still don’t know what to say about the week. Not to brag but our camp was blissfully and wonderfully uneventful.
At one time leading up to camp, we were hoping to have up to 13 girls join us. The final count was eight girls and five leaders. Six girls live in the ward and two were what I jokingly referred to as “borrowed.” Our girls ranged from ages 12 to 17. Some have grown up in the gospel and others are converts. With such varying ages and backgrounds it was a bit risky on our part to put them all in the same tent. But that’s what we did and I think it turned out okay. At least, I haven’t heard any complaints.
Due to the excessive wet year we’ve had, the river next to camp was running high and fast. A couple of weeks before camp we were warned it could be muddy, cramped and filled with mosquitoes. The campground dried out quite a bit before we got there and it wasn’t muddy or cramped. However, we didn’t luck out with having the mosquito population suddenly dwindle in numbers. They were out in full force and seemed to mock our attempts at keeping them at bay. We called our assigned camp spot “Nauvoo,” because it was swamp-like, yet, we tried to make it beautiful.
This was only my third outing as a leader and I’m still learning. I haven’t quite learned the balance between spending my time with busy work and bonding. It would have been nice if I would have spent a little more time with the girls. One small regret I have is I tried to fulfill our lone sixth year’s wish list (she doesn’t ask for much and just wanted to do three things at camp) and acknowledge our birthday girl’s special day. It came down to trying to do two things at once and both girls got a little shortchanged. But again, neither complained.
The girls in our ward truly are an amazing bunch of kids. I’m not being superfluous, I truly believe it. I have the privilege of associating with the future leaders of church and community and I am here to reassure you, we are in good hands. The youth today are remarkably strong with a strength I’ve never known. Some of them have known their fair share of heartache, but they don’t give up. So, yes, I love my calling and no, I don’t feel qualified yet. But I guess when I do it will be time to face a new calling. For now, I’m going to enjoy my time I get to spend with some good kids.
