Feliz Año Nuevo!

Happy New Year! I get to celebrate it six whole hours ahead of all of you...suckers! I get to enjoy 2006 for six whole hours longer than the average American. WHO CARES! haha

I also get to eat 12 grapes, one every ding up until the clock strikes midnight. I hope I don´t choke...that would suck.

Prospero año.

SF

Spanish turf

Well, I´m back on Spanish soil. Traveling takes so dang long. It´s at least 24 hours to get here. I took the bus to Chicago then flew to Paris. The flight was absolutely packed, besides the seat next to me that was 100 percent EMPTY: yee ha! I was just waiting for a big, hairy, fat smelly guy to sit next to me, but it never happened. Thank you LORD! They played OK movies and it was only a 7 hr flt with the tail winds, so that rocked the house out. So, when I bought my tkts. I was not aware that I had to change airports in Paris, so I was pretty much nervous about this the whole way there. I mean, let´s face it, the French aren´t really known for their friendliness to helping foreigners. AKA complete JERK OFFS.

But, it all worked out fine, I had to get my suitcase then find the bus to the other airport. It was about a 35 minute ride. It´s so random when people just start talking to you in a language you can´t understand. I felt helpless and then I said Bonjour? Then of course they went away. Works every time. Got to Spain and Antonio wasn´t even there! Neato! He was late, but I was extremely early. The two times I had to get my suitcase it was the first one. That has never happened in the history of my traveling, and I´ve been a few places. Yipee.

side note:Moving your seat back in an airplane is just like ripping of a band aid on a hairy arm, you just do it. (my advice to you future travelers).

It was good to be home and enjoy the holidays with fam and friends. I saw lots of peeps and enjoyed my time, however I am completely enjoying the 70 degree weather here...yipee!!!!!!! Bye bye snow, hello thongs...you know, for the feet.

Bye Indiana. I´ll always love you.
SF

take two

2 funny Christmas happenings..


1)Our church gives us boxes of donuts to donate to those who have to work on Christmas eve. Where do my parents decide to go? Police Station. They already had a box. Surprised? My eye.

2)At my aunts house playing with her grandkids. My aunt is like fifty and has lots of grandkids. Anyways, my cousin has a baby on her lap that's screaming and she goes, " I'm so glad I just got my tubes tied." Now that's the Christmas spirit.


I'm off to Spain today with a pit stop in Paris. Great, Paris.
XO
Sara

Home sweet huge home

I just saw the most beautiful house I've ever seen in the history of seeing houses! It's a friend of my moms and she lives ALONE in a five bedroom house with an elevator and two cats. It's all hardwood floor, grand piano, and a gorgeous view of the river.

As we were leaving I thought to myself, "I will never have anything like this." And then I thought, "That's good, cuz that must be a bizatch to clean."

Word to yo mama
SF

Table Talk

All of this eating is making me feel like a really big big fattie. Lunch and Dinners eating out...it's just TOO much!!!!!!!

It's amazing how the service really effects my moods. Tonight I went to dinner with my mom and some of her school friends (and randomly one of her school friends granddaughter who is seven). I sat across from the granddaughter and she kept KICKING my shins. I said ouch loudly several times and she goes " sorry" and then she would kick me and go "sorry again" We were drawing on the table with Crayola crayons so I drew a lady with bloody legs hoping she would get the hint. (no, not really, but I WANTED to).

So anyways, before we left we called the restaurant and said we had seven. The guy said oh ya, come right over there are plenty of tables! We get there and there are NO tables and we had to wait like thirty minutes. What the heck? Why tell us there are tables if there are no tables? Then we had to wait forever to get our drinks, food, and check. Also, our drinks were always empty and when we were done with our food she didn't clear it off. Worst waitress ever. All of us wanted to say something but we didnt. WHY?!!!

Also, last week my aunt went to this restaurant with friends. They ordered two appetizers and only one came after a zillion hours. Then, the check. Hmm. So, after like twenty min the waitress finally comes over and goes, " Can I get you guys anything else?" My aunt goes, " Ya, maybe our food, IDIOT!" Ok, she didn't say the idiot part, but COME ON! What waitress doesn't know that her table didn't get their food. Obviously a pretty bad one.

Thank God I'm not a waitress anymore.
SF

Big Ton Truck

The phrase, "I feel like I've been run over by a ton truck" has a whole new meaning in my life. Let me explain..

My dad is very involved with the mission here in town and a few days ago we had a dinner for the people at his office and he thought it would be nice to invite one of the guys from the mission. So, I met Jonathan. He's 54. In August he was RUN OVER by a semi that weighed...oh two tons or something like that. How is this man living and breathing? Apparently he was driving this little scooter and stopped for gas at the gas station. The semi was backing up and the breaks didn't work, and he didn't see Jon...SMASH...ran over, crushed, almost dead, just like that. So much for gas and go.

I was sitting across from him at dinner and just staring at him thinking...this man was RUN OVER by a semi. It was carrying cement blocks to make a bridge.

And I thought I had had some pretty bad days. How is this man even alive?

He actually looks pretty good, he has to walk with a cane now and his arm shakes from nerve damage, but he was RUN OVER by a semi!

He's probably going to win five million with everything and it was then that I reminded him I was a missionary...

peace,
sf

QTip

Why are they called Q tips...what does the "Q" stand for?

Antonio's 96 year old grandma died last night. The one I was always writing about. It's sad. It's a curse...everytime we or I come to the States someone died in his family. Yikes. Who will be next?!

I've been eating way too much lately and it's gotta stop. Hey, I'm just trying to catch up on all of the good Thanksgiving food I missed.

Yesterday I went to Starbucks with my best friend ever and we were sitting at a corner table. Not once, but TWICE guys came over and started talking to us. Ok guys, leave us alone!!!! I haven't talked to my friend in six months and I kept getting interrupted. Talk about annoying!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just think it's hilarious because in Spain no one talks to anyone, and here it's like the whole world is friendly friendly friendly. I suppose it would have been nice if I had seen my friend earlier than six months ago. We had ALOT of catching up to do!

Q tip survivor,
SF

PENN lets go PENN

I am so proud of myself for waking up early and working out. I am NOT a morning person and I have been going to a workout step class that starts at eight thirty AM! The 70 year olds are kicking my bootie. I know, it's amazing. I'm sore too. Then I always go to Starbucks afterwards. I can't get enough of the Peppermint Mocha. I love it. They don't have that in Spain. Boo hiss.

Today I ate with an old pal (Hi katie!) We went to highschool together and hadn't seen each other since 2002 which is way too long........no excuses!! I was still wearing diapers and playing with barbie the last time I saw her.

It seems like we always have so much to say and so little time to say it all. This is the quote of the day which was amazing and she said, "I'm the kind of Christian that it just doesn't phase me to see a nipple or two." (speaking about the movies) You just can't top that one folks. Simply hilarious.

Then, like big giant huge losers we went back to our highschool to visit our favorite teacher. I know..D.O.R.K.S. but, it was awesome. Just to see the look on her face when we walked through the door made it totally worth it. I felt SOO unbelievably old though. Katie goes, "Is it just me or are we really tall?" It's true, we are giants. Oh well. I suppose I'll try to grow old gracefully.

Wrinkled and 25,
SF

It's all right cuz I'm saved by the bell

Someone I know recently said, " It goes out one ear and in the other." Just think about that one.

Saturday morning I woke up and turned on the TV. Saved by the bell was on. I couldn't have been happier. Lisa Turtle just screams fashion and you know Screech probably grew up to be a supermodel.

I was eating a bowl of cereal nonchalantly on the couch and the cat randomly jumped up and stuck her head in the bowl. Suddenly I wasn't hungry anymore.

I'm not used to this static business. My hair is sticking straight up and I always get shocked when I touch things. I had forgotten about static. There is no static in Spain. Or at least, it hasn't found me yet.

I recently visited T.J. Maxx. This man with a big belly has been working there for at least fifteen years. All of you who live in the area..I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. Anyways, I went up to the counter and he said, "Welcome to T.J. Maxx" and he was dead serious.

Trying to avoid static,
SF

Quote from the day I was born (Dec 9th)

My mom had her tummy cut open and my dad didn't want to go in. So, doctor comes out and says to my dad, "The good news is it's a girl the bad news is... she's black."

It's my Birthday!

Do do do do do do They say it's my birthday......do do do do do do I'm gonna have a good time...do do do do do do I'm so glad it's my birthday, do do do do do do Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!!!!!!!! Speaking of the Beatles...it's sad that John Lennon died on the day before I was born. I never got to meet my REAL father....bwah!

No but it's my birthday today. I have always been 100 percent completely obsessed with birthdays. Not sure why, because I usually get jipped. You know the " This is your B day AND Christmas present." I'm never having a child in December. Your child could be born on December 1st and they'd still get jipped out of X mas gifts. At any rate, I am the big 25 today. TWENTY FIVE years old. Where I am in my life isn't where I pictured myself with twenty five years. I thought I would be married with a kid. Now THAT is hilarious. Things change my dear, things change. I do have several animals though, does that count?

Man, Birthdays are so fun because it's MY day to feel special. I've always had good birthdays too, no dramatic stories of how my parents forgot or anything like that. I already had four cards in my e box at 8 am! Birthdays bring back a lot of memories about USA skate parties, pizza hut party, oh and McDonalds when I was four. I got a carebear and I thought it was AWESOME. One year I was even in Alaska for my birthday. Now THAT was cold.

25 a fourth of my life gone, completed, history. Where did it go? And if it's true what they say that time only gets faster, I'll be turning fifty before I know it. It' scary thinking about getting old, but I'm going to do it gracefully (hello botox).

It's gonna be a good day, because I'm one more day closer to heaven.

Now an old and haggard 25 year old,
Sara

English anyone?

It's so weird hearing English again. I find myself getting distracted everywhere I go because I can actually UNDERSTAND everyone's conversations. It's totally freaking me out. Going from hearing Spanish radio, TV, movies, LIFE and now English...it's taking some getting used to.

Today at the store I bought a few things and set it on the counter, the lady actually asked me if I could move the stuff closer to her. Wow. I'm still baffled by that. Was she THAT lazy?

Also, my mom and I got pretzels at the mall and we got this special where we got pretzels and two different types of drinks. I said Mr. Pibb and she said Coke. And he was like, " What other kind of drink do you want" so my mom said " coke" (again) and yet ANOTHER time he asks...I was like Coca Cola. It was hilarious.

I saw the " Caution Deaf child" sign tonight. This sign has always intrigued me. It's not like the kid doesn't feel bad enough because it's deaf, but now they put a sign out on his or her street to let everyone know. Poor kid. It's Ok to be deaf lil' guy. We still love you.

Trying to survive the cold,
Sara

back in the USS...of A

My sincere apologies for neglecting. I've been preparing for my trip across the ocean, and here I sit, in Elkhart, Indiana. I'll be home for three weeks for those of you who want to call me. And wish me a happy B day on Fri Dec 9th. Wink wink.

At any rate, let me just remind you all of how much I hate flying with my entire being. I mean, really, utterly despise it!

I woke up at 4 am. My flight left at seven and I didn't have to be there until six or so, but I dunno, my body clock woke me up and my stomach was all hurting. I wasn't really nervous because I've flown a zillion times, I think just stressed is a good word. Just because I hate flying.

So, I got up and started to get ready etc. A few days ago I had gotten this msg. on my phone that my flight had been changed to leave at seven thirty, so I got to the airport at like six forty am. Well, the flt. was still scheduled for seven. So, of course the guy was P.O.d to the MAXIMUM and he was like, " You should have been here earlier, you REALLY should have been here earlier." Great, good start to the 24 hours of traveling hell. So, it was fine, but I felt like a jerk because I didn't even really get to say goodbye to A because we were in such a hurry and stressed out. UGH. So, the flight to Madrid was like 30 minutes. Besides the two screaming babies that I had on each side of me, it was fine.

Then, I get to Madrid and had to wait three hours at the airport. Since I was late in Seville they didn't have time to check my luggage all the way through so I had to check it in again. I had no idea where to go and I was so hot. By this time I already felt gross and needed to change because I was so sweaty. I had to walk eighty miles to another terminal with a suitcase, another small rolly one, a back pack and a huge winter jacket. SWEATY. But, it was fine, until I wanted to buy bottled water and all of the machines were broken. THIRSTY. I hate flying!

They played the worst three movies in the history of the world on this flight. I had never HEARD of any of them. Horrible. As I entered the plane there was some " loud discussion" going on between a flight attendant and a customer. So, of course it was the guy that sat directly behind me. He was super jewish with his little beanie hat on and he was talking to the flight attendant about how his food had to be kosher and he had called ahead blah blah blah. I wanted to kill this man by the end of the flight. (note:I have nothing against the Jewish religion, this man just happened to be jewsih)

And.. He was fat. I mean, not to be MEAN but he WAS! He weighed like 350 lbs. And the whole flight he was kicking the back of my chair and EVERY time he stood up or his wife (which was a lot) he was grab my head rest and pull it all the way back. After sitting in a small space that smells bad for nine hours and the air is dry and the last place I want to be is there do you know HOW annoying that was? I was seriously on the verge of a breakdown. Then he had the never to ask me to put my seat back up. Heck no, I'm not going to sit for nine hours in super erect position just because you are fat. Sorry sweetie, lose some weight. Oops. I suppose I'm bitter.

My seat partner was a man from Masadonia (or however you spell that) I was having a hard time understanding his english, but he kept talking and talking and talking, and some more talking. This was also extremely annoying. Those are pretty much the only highlights of the trip. Other than the fact that I stood before the plane stopped and I almost flew to the front. Amazing.

So, In chicago I got my luggage which is a plus. Usually it's lost for a few days. This made me so nervous because all of my Christmas presents are in it! I got in at two thirty and I wasn't going to get home until ten pm! THE BUS!
But, all is well. I ate at Hacienda, my favorite restaurant in the world, showered, and slept in glorious bliss. It's sixty five degrees in Seville...5 here.

Peace
Sara

53 minutes of fame.

We got a new canary today and his name is Diego. He probably won´t be going out on the balcony anytime soon. Frans empty cage was just sitting there and I couldn´t bear the pain so of course I had to get Diego TODAY. He rocks.


About a zillion things just happened in the course of my 53 minute walk with the dog. If I am ever bored now I know I just have to grab her and go. It all started with the scarf.

I thought it would be hilarious if I put a scarf on the dog, so I did. I was laughing the first five minutes of my walk because it was just so hilarious seeing the dog with a scarf, and watching all of the people look at her, and then look at me like we were freaks. So, I took the scarf off of her and wore it myself. I wouldn´t want her to be labled as a freak.

We were walking downtown so I was window shopping and all of the sudden she just started crazily barking at the manicans. Which again to me is H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S. So, I was just laughing my fat layers off and once again everyone is staring...oddly ..at me. I think right then and there I was condemned as crazy. I didn´t care though, I just kept laughing.

And THEN there was this man on the corner playing his accordian and so of course as we walk by the dog just started barking her tonsil dangly nobs off. And of course I thought it was once again H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S. BUT the old guy gave me ¨the look¨ you know like your teacher did when you were in the third grade and you used someone elses crayon without asking. And it made me feel stupid. But, I was like o.k. NO sense of humor. Do these people not have a sense of humor...at all? I mean, jeez, laugh a little bit.

THEN there was this clown lady making animal looking objects with balloons and one popped...and the dog started barking, again. This time I started to get annoyed. But it was weird cuz clown lady laughed, but I was annoyed. UGH. The cycle of life is so dang confusing.
(All the while the dog is stopping and pooping every two seconds). I only took ONE plastic bag because dogs usually only poop once...not mine, it was like five. So, of course every time I wanted to curl under a hole and die when she pooped in the middle of the St. and I knew everyone was whispering about me saying I was a horrible dog owner and that I should go to dog owner hell.

Tonight there is a huge soccer game and I had a scarf on the color of the other team (the one that I put on the dog) so I was totally being harrassed because there was this HUGE rally in the middle of the St. of the OTHER team. UGH! Also, this old lady stopped me and was like, ¨You look like you´re from around here.¨ I just laughed, said ¨no¨ and kept walking. I suppose I could have seen what she wanted, but I just wanted to get the heck out of there, plus I get scared to speak sometimes. At least I look Spanish?

So, I´m just trying to get home ASAP because; I dunno, I was just tired of the dog because she has this habit of PULLING me along and I HATE it. It´s like jeez, who is being walked here, ME or the dog? So, I´m walking and of course at the white stripes at the cross walk (if there is no manican green or red guy thingy) the cars have to stop. Usually I just don´t even pay attention and I walk because I have the right of way. So, I´m walking across the cross walk and I kid you not this guys bumper TOUCHED me...I officially almost got ran over. OOH was I heated! So, I give him the death stare and he gives me the ¨uhh get out of my way¨ look! What the heck? I am a PEDESTRIAN! I don´t care if you have to weight for 5 BILLION people to cross the street pal, I will repeat...I am a PEDESTRIAN.

So, by this time I want to hit speed button and be at home, but NO some other couple had to stop me and start asking me about the dog, while in the meantime she´s acting all cute and innocent, but getting hyper at the same time. So, after they walked away I had to wait like five more min. for her to calm down because she thinks it´s funny when she puts the leash into her mouth and starts whipping it around like an old rag doll.

Remind me never to take the dog for a walk again!
SF