Thailand and Back

I haven't blogged in forever, mostly because I am too ADHD to get things together. 

Maybe now that the internet is faster, I will post some stories and pictures for the last couple of months in Thailand.

I am officially "home" or a version of home. I'm back in Utah, and I wished I loved it, but I'm not quite there yet. 

Thailand was the best summer and semester of my life. 

I was in no way prepared to return to the states, and I still can't process it.

I think Leo DiCaprio and I should team up, because I totally incepted myself.

I convinced my inner thoughts that I was not going home. Even though I made goodbye presents for my kids, had going away parties, and packed everything I owned, I still didn't believe it. 

I didn't cry until I stood in the Bangkok airport with all of my bags. 

Leaving China was hard, but it was cold and I was ready to go home and see my family and start school and work. Leaving Thailand seemed pointless, most of my friends left during the summer, my family is in another state, and I am not starting school just yet. I left my kids in China, but I left my babies, home, friends, family, AND heart in Thailand. 

See why this transition is hard?

I straight up cried on the plane at the end of The Lucky One because leaving Asia was becoming so real and sad for me. (Just to be clear, I wasn't crying over the movie, it was a coincidence).

I still can barely talk about the kids without tearing up, and  I miss everyone so much.

I've been trying not to look at pictures, but I can't help it. 

Here are some golden pics from the last few days of Thailand:

From our mustache bash and last supper.

Me and McKally being sketchy

 The wonderful Ake and Tang

 Dad and Mum

 The girls and the guys

 The girls. What is up. 

 The famdam

 This is too classic

 The plane ride out of Tokyo. clouds floating on the ocean?! 

What the what?

I've been watching So You Think You Can Dance, eating Mexican food and cupcakes, and hanging with McKally to make everything a little better.

I guess I'm glad I'm back and ready to start the Fall. 

Here is to the future and the fun times ahead :)

Chiang-ity Chiang Mai

I haven't posted in forever, and it's not because I don't have anything to write about.

Quite the opposite. 

It just requires time and effort and I like putting my time and effort into living in Thailand and having a blast.

Nonetheless, here is an overview of our trip to Chiang Mai last week. 

Friday Night:

We left to catch the 10:20 train to Chiang Mai. 

One girl had a fever and my kidneys hurt. It seemed like a bad start.

The train was delayed until 11, and then eventually showed up after midnight.

What can ya do?

We had sitting seats but I drugged up on drowsy dramamine, got my neck pillow, and threw a train blanket over my body and slept through the night. 

Saturday Morning:

We had set up a tour guide to pick us up at 8:15 and take us to the elephants.

Our plan was to get to the hostel, change, and go on the tour. 

Instead, we showed up the the hostel at 9 ish and they were waiting for us.

I had time to put in my contacts and that was it. 

So when you see the pictures and think, "Why did she think it was okay to wear stretchy pants, no make-up, and an athletic top in place of a bra?"..Just know that things didn't go according to plan and I was just rolling with it. 

#sorryilookedlikehell

It took about an hour to get to the elephant camp, out in the jungle, and our tour guide told us about the history of Chiang Mai and other stuff like that. 

We arrived at the camp, and watched the elephant show. 

They painted, they played soccer, they danced, they lifted things, they were elephants, and we loved them. 

After the show, we took pictures with the elephants.

I took only a few because: 1. They tried lifting me up and it stressed me out. 2. I didn't want gross elephant noses on my face. 3. I wasn't looking super awesome. 

So here it is. 

Then we went on a ride through the jungle

Saturday Afternoon:

We ate lunch at a local spot and then headed over to the Tiger Kingdom. 

We got to pet and lay down and cuddle with them.

Saturday Evening: 

We decided to walk the streets of the "Old City" in search of the Saturday or Night Markets.

Luckily for us, we found some treasures along the way. 

We found this little place to eat, and we ate...a lot. And while watching Get Smart. 

Then we found an actual thrift store, but it gets better. It was a 70's thrift store named, "The 70's Store."

Groovy right? I bought a muumuu slash Pocahontas style dress that I plan to belt. 

I would've bought so many things but alas, I am freakin Godzilla when it comes to fitting in Asian clothing. 

My lovely girls waited patiently while Erin and I ran around the place like kids in a candy shop. 

#hipsterheaven

After geeking out over the clothes, we found a massage place that offered $6 massages for an hour.

I've seen some good deals, but this by far was the best. The place was so nice and clean and my massages was heavenly. Plus, we got to wear cool PJs while getting worked on. 

They also gave us some herbal tea and I ended up drinking like 3 glasses. What can ya do. 

We hopped in a tuk-tuk and checked out the night markets.

One does not simply go shopping with me, one gets a lesson in bartering and taking names. 

I am a B word when it comes to getting things I want and for the price that is right. I was working it out for everyone and finishing up my souvenir shopping. 

But bartering comes at a price...one older lady slapped my butt, but I got what I wanted. 

Plus, I got more pants for four bucks each and three pairs of Ray Bans for three dollars. 

I'm good, real good. 

After that we headed home and went to bed. 

Sunday Morning:

We forgot to bring church clothes to attend the branch, and all I had was short shorts.

(my newly purchased dress was polyester and it's 1000 degrees outside. not gonna happen)

We slept in, ate breakfast, and checked out. 

We went to the Sunday market and bought some more knick knacks. 

I made friends with the locals and helped some University students with a project and posed for pictures with them. My goal of becoming an Asian Icon is not far off. I will get there. 

We ate some mango sticky rice and stocked up on snacks. 

While eating my magnum bar outside 7/11 I made friends with a tuk-tuk driver. He offered to let me drive but I figured we were better off with him driving us home. As all 6 girls piled into the vehicle, he threw back some drinks and off we went. 

There are a lot of one way streets and he kept missing the turn so we circled the area a couple of times. He talked to me the whole time and even handed me his license to prove he was legit. 

After going around the city one too many times, we were running out of time, and I couldn't humor him any longer. I knew where we were and I had him stop so we could walk the rest of the way. 

When he asked for 20 baht each, I told him we would give him 10. He didn't like that, but I held up his license and reminded him that he needed it, AND he didn't take us where we wanted to go. 

It's funny how blackmail works. 

We ended going to the bus station, only to find that they were all sold out of tickets.

We then cruised over to the train station and got sleeper tickets just in time to board. 

Erin and I shared a cabin and we had bunks across from each other. 

We felt like we were on Harry Potter eating our dinner on a train, heading back to Hogwarts. 

We chatted to pass the time on our (almost) 10 hour train ride. We didn't want to sleep so we could actually get some rest during the night. 

My favorite conversation:

Erin: (looking at a piece of meat) "What is this? It looks like a turd!"

Me: (sheepishly) "Oh, I ate that."

Erin: * judgmental look*

Me: "It was pretty good."

I'm still not sure what it was, but that's what I get for eating everything, and fast. 

Sunday Night:

We can't read or understand Thai so figuring out when to get off a train is always fun, especially at night. 

Luckily, I found the one awake man on our train and tried to ask him where we were and told him where we need to get off.

He told me, "Phichit? Same same."

Excellent, he knew not to get off at the same spot without the 6 American girls. Totes saved the day. 

Finally we got home around 2 am, and I didn't crash until after 4:30.

Getting up at 7 for class was really fun...pause...not. 

Good times and such a fun trip. Totally worth every penny. 

P.S. it takes over 5 mins, on average, to load a single picture. And the internet went on on me three times while trying to write. 

ADHD + shoddy internet = 1 post a month

Get over it. 

To Bangkok and Back

Before I forget and suck even more at keeping up with my blog, here are some highlights from my weekend in Bangkok:

DAY ONE

Saturday 3:30 am

A luxury ( I like to call it luxury so it sounds more posh) van picked us up and took us to Bangkok. 

This isn't my first rodeo, so I know to self medicate to prevent having the worst night of my life.

I slept like a baby. My group did not. 

The van took us to the Floating Markets. Here are some pics:

Basically, you pay $3 to have a boat take you down these canals while merchants grab your boat and try to get you to buy things. It's like bumper cars with little boats, ya gotta keep your hands and feet inside. Exciting, right? I chose to shop/barter after we were on land so I spend my time eating mango sticky rice. 

After we got off the boat, I bartered for most of my souvenirs, got a mini massage from a crazy old lady, and avoided a man holding a giant snake. Good times. 

We then had our driver take us across town and through horrible traffic to the Golden Palace. 

Here are some pics from the Palace: 

 Walkways  and windows around the Emerald Buddha Temple

 Another cool temple

 Beautiful white stupa

After the palace we wandered the streets before heading over to MBK shopping center.

Apparently, they were having some sort of Asian cartoon or comic convention/photo shoot. It was bizarre seeing everyone dressed up and posing outside the mall.

The mall was a little too expensive for our taste but I did indulge in Dairy Queen. 

#blizzardlove

We decided to head to our hostel after that and look for places to eat. It was a chill night and we were asleep in no time.

DAY TWO:

11 am. Most everyone slept in and I played on my laptop until they woke up.

We walked up and down the streets looking for a place to eat and ran into a nice Thai lady that helped us figure out where to go for the day. We took a tuk-tuk (a motorcycle thing on three wheels) to the canal and hopped in a boat. The boat took us around Bangkok via canals and we saw the sites. 

I took dramamine just in case I was going to be on a boat and that sucker rocked me to sleep. 

I was later woken up by a hard rain but it was a nice nap while it lasted. 

The boat let us off so we could go to Wat Pho.

The Thai lady told us that the Wat Pho temple was to Bangkok, as the Statue of Liberty was to the U.S.

So I guess it's kind of a big deal.

Here I am in front of the Giant Reclining Buddha.

It's about 50 feet tall

 And 160 feet long. 

 Here is a golden Buddha shrine in another temple within the Wat Pho. 

Fun fact: The Wat Pho is the birthplace of the Thai Massage. 

After the temple, we climbed into another tuk-tuk and went to China Town.

Not much excitement in China town but I did get a boba drink, and a 90 minute massage (I almost cried during part of it). 

After China Town, we took another tuk-tuk to Coyote for some Mexican food.

Who has two thumbs and no problem spending 400 baht on Mexican food? 

This girl!

Look at us all smashed in there. We also managed to strap down four bags to the back of it.

We are definitely something to see. 

DAY THREE:

We slept in past 9, ate breakfast, got ready, and hung out in the hostel, played pool, ate lunch, and waited until our "bus" was leaving.

And by bus, I mean a van that way too many people squished in. For five hours.

I slept for most of the ride because, again, I accidentally took the drowsy dramamine. Oh well. 

We got in about 9 pm and Tang picked us up and took us to the school.

I wasn't feeling well, but I figured it was the bus ride.

Turns out, Erin and I both got sick, and I have spent the day in bed trying not to puke. 

I guess fun and games comes at a price. 

Until next time, Thailand is awesome!!  

Week One of Thailand

I'd like to say this is the post y'all have been waiting for, but that would probably be a lie. Nevertheless, I've had a sweet week in Thailand going from Salt Lake, Portland, Tokyo, Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi Islands, Phuket, Bangkok, and finally Phichit. It's been busy, eventful, sometimes tense, but more than anything-a blast.
Here is a overview of our week, I will try to keep it brief but I am also keeping this for personal records :)

We were lucky that all our flights were back to back so there wasn't so much boring down time, but we did spend a night in the Bangkok airport. Good times.

Our first day in Phuket was a good intro to Thailand. We found a little shack for lunch and I burned my face off with the spiciest curry I've ever come across. Spicy but delish. We walked the streets and went to the Wat Chalong temples, which are the biggest in Phuket. And they were freakin sweet. 

Our hostel was further away from the tourist-y areas but it was nice to just walk around and explore. We tried a couple food stands, including one where I ate the ribs and foot of a chicken. We also spent half a day at the Phuket Zoo where I was forced to face phobias straight on. Here is a scary picture:

Nothing like a croc pit to make you want to pee your pants. Plus, I saw two men put their heads in crocodile mouths. Shoot me in the face, I was so stressed. 

We also visited a beautiful beach and I forgot to put sunscreen on my face.

 So if you see any of my pictures from facebook and wonder why I look so horrible, there is your answer. My face was literally oozing and swollen almost the entire vacation. #FML

In case you didn't see the terrible awful...

I ended up buying and wearing a huge floppy hat and covering my face with sunglasses most of our vacation. I also fell asleep on the ferry to the Phi Phi Islands and my reverse raccoon eyes intensified. The worst! I looked like I had leprosy. 

After the couple of days, we took a ferry to the Phi Phi Islands and stayed in s jungle bungalow on the completely opposite side of the island. And of course the bungalows were on the side of a mountain so we had to hike up there and carry our crap. But it was a cheap place and we had a lovely view of a nasty retention basin. 

We soon discovered that majority of the people that go to the Phi Phi Islands are there to party with people from all over the world and getting super wasted for next to nothing. We were there to play on the beach, get foot massages, and see the sites. 

We hiked up to the view point to check out the island and it sure was beautiful. I got attacked by a trillion and one mosquitoes but other than that, it was so pretty! Take a look:

A brief overview of our activities:

-Massages while the girls went scuba diving

-Shopping

-Eating

-Beach time

-More Massages

-Kayaking

I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to let myself and the rest of the girls take two person kayaks out into the ocean without life vests, but I did. I thought we might die a couple of times. But alas, McKall and I kicked butt and beat everyone to monkey beach and back. Since we were in a tiny kayak, the most unfortunate of events occurred, and no one wanted to risk ruining their cameras so it is not documented. 

Let me highlight...

When people tell you to go to monkey beach, they make it sound beautiful and happy...which it is. But no one said anything like, "Don't get near the freakin monkeys." That would've been helpful information.

We kayaked to the beach and enjoyed the most wonderful sand ever. I then, foolishly, made monkey calls to attract them. The call I made was to claim territory. Big Mistake. The monkeys started to come out of the jungle and try to steal out bags in the kayak. Erin ran after the monkeys (hoping to scare them away from stealing her clothes) and I ran to get them away from the money bag. Then, the most terrifying things happened. Instead of being scared of us, they turned and attempted to eat us. The alpha ran at Erin. She attempted flight but the sand was too deep and she landed in the ocean. The monkey was not satisfied and still went after her. She had to resort to fighting and kicked the monkey off of her. 

As I watched this play out, I "ran" as fast as I could as back-up. The alpha then turned at me and charged, flashing his huge fangs, while hissing and growling. I will never forget trying to run backwards (not to lose sight of him) and watching those fangs get near me. Luckily, I'm a spaz and flipped into the ocean and immediately was engulfed by waves. Clumsiness finally pays off. 

Needless to say, I stayed far from monkeys and in the comfort of the ocean holding a stick. That series of events is definitely the funniest thing I have ever seen. Again, no documentation. 

We made it back to the beach and got another massage, I got a grand total of 3 foot and 1 back/neck/shoulder massages. I leave all my money and my future house to those women with the hands of magic. 

The next day we headed back to Phuket and stayed at the coolest hostel ever. Check out the Bodega, it's the best! We went around Phuket, hung out at the beach, got henna tattoos, bartered like crazy (I have a gift) and explored the city. We may or may not have even took a dip at night with no clothes. If there is an ILP rule against that, then we definitely did not do any of those things and I kept my clothes on the whole time :)

After two days, and a fun night of hanging out with the Thai owners of the hostel, we headed to the airport, flew back to Bangkok, and took a van to Phichit. Arriving at 5:30 am. The vacation was wonderful but it sure feels nice to be at our new home and not spending a lot of money. 

If you get a chance, go to Phuket, it's beautiful. But you may encounter

Counting lady-boys, seeing pole dancers/strippers, spotting prostitutes, and avoiding drunk people is kind of what it's all about.

Stay tuned for more posts from Thailand! 

Virginia is for Lovers

Last week I had an opportunity to go to Southern Virginia University for work. I ended up spending a grand total of 24 hours in Virginia but I loved it! I'd never been out East before or seen so many freakin trees.

I had to take a flight out at 7am on Wednesday so I had to leave my house at 4:30. And then I flew back Friday morning at 1:30 am. Good times, good times.

Here are some pictures

Here's a view of what most of my drive looked like

 Southern Virginia University. This is the main hall. It's a beautiful but very small campus.

 These were my favorite trees, I love the little blossoms. 

 I just parked outside this house #creeperstatus. It was so cute, it had a green roof and the whole house was purple. It's for sale y'all...in case you wanna live in Buena Vista, VA. 

 I'm a tree weirdo and I loved these. They were so cool! 

 The cutest church in Lexington. I stopped by the town for an hour and walked up and down the old main streets. It was so my style and had some awesome bookstores and chocolate shops. The shops had cute little old ladies I made friends with and walked away with a book and a bag full of goodies. 

 There were so many trees and farm lands. I swear every house I saw looked like it was in the middle of nowhere and the perfect target for a horror movie or serial killer attack. 

Southern Virginia was by far my favorite school, and has the nicest people ever. I loved every second of my limited time and totally could see myself living out there and sportin' a southern accent. 

Also, I decided that Atlanta was the place for me. I decided to announce it at work.

Me: "I decided I moving to Atlanta. I'm going to marry a rich black man and become a reality show housewife. That place was made for me."

Coworker: "Did you even leave the airport."

Me: "No. Shut up. I'm still going to live there."

I'm lucky for a job that lets me go to fun places. Until we meet again, Virginia. 

Your friends have known you for way too long and they’ve got too much on you.

I haven't blogged for a while. So as a copout I came across one of these lame questionnaires and decided to do that instead. Just in case my group of Malaysians and Russian blog readers wanna get to know me :) I promise to come up with something better soon. Seriously. 

Here's a little about me: 

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship?

I'd say food and I are getting pretty serious....plus all the people at the Sweet Tooth Fairy are basically my bffs. So yes.

02) What was your dream growing up?

Definitely lots of sketch stuff. Overall helping people and living in foreign places. I'd say I'm doing alright. *High five eight year old me*

03) What talent do you wish you had?

Dance. Actually, I dance, I just want to do it well. 

04) If I bought you a drink what would it be?

Diet Dr. Pepper. Sometimes I think people avoid me unless they know I've had mine for the day. It's even better insurance if you catch me with one in my hand. 

05) Favorite vegetable?

I honestly love vegetables. And I don't mean love like all those filthy liars that say they "love" running or exercise. Because errbody else knows that's a load of bull. Back to veggies...I love potatoes and broccoli, not together. 

06) What was the last book you read?

I read an illegal pdf download of Bossypants...does that count? It should. It was hilarious, btothedubs. 

07) What zodiac sign are you?

Scorpio, I think. I'm not sure what that means. But my Chinese symbol is a rabbit, and they're basically the best of all the Chinese animals. Just saying. 

08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.

My ears. 

09) Worst Habit?

I talk a lot. It's always an out of body experience trying to make myself stop talking and the words just keep spewing out. Sorry Universe.

10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?

Of course! I always am tempted to stop for ladies with babies or anyone when it's snowing but stranger danger has taught me to trust no one. Sad life. 

11) What is your favorite sport?

To watch: Basketball (not WNBA, gag). To play: Softball, really anything.

12) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude?

Mostly Optimistic but every once in a while I hate everything and everyone. Usually Dr. Pepper is the cure for Pessimism, though. 

13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?

First, establish pee corners. Second, wig out for a bit. Three, sing myself out of a melt down. Buckle up, it's going to be a rough ride. 

14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?

I choose not to dwell on those things. I have broken 12 bones, and had 4 surgeries, though. #lovemesomevicodin

15) Tell me one weird fact about you.

Just one? Hmm..I've had like seven concussions. That's bad, right? I was under the impression I only had five but I was reminded of two more last time I went home. Must be the memory loss...

16) Do you have any pets?

Nope. The Animal Planet website suggested that I don't become a pet owner. I'm currently seeking a pet cactus of some kind. 

17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?

"Wonderful to see you (whoever this illusive character is). Let me put some pants on."

18) What would someone's first impression of you be?

Weird hair and she laughs really loud. 

19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?

Disturbing. Why would a grown person dress and act like that? Eesh

20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?

Not many people would turn down being thinner. 

21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?

Crime partner. I love a good shenanigan. 

22) What color eyes do you have?

A weird brownish/ orange. Actually, I think the Biebs and I have similar eyes. 

23) Ever been arrested?

Nope.

24) Bottle or can soda?

Either. Just get in my belly. 

25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?

Travel. Places to go and people to see. 

27) What's your favorite place to hang out?

Home and work. I love my job and coworkers but I appreciate my alone time at home. Also, bookstores. 

28) Do you believe in ghosts?

I'm not afraid, I just think we should all be on high alert. Yep, I'm superstitious. 

29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?

Watch movies, almost to a fault. 

30) Do you swear a lot?

Only when driving, scared/surprised, and telling stories or jokes with the famdam. So I guess that's not a lot. I mostly abbreviate. 

31) Biggest pet peeve?

Mean or fake people. Also, people wearing sunglasses indoors. Do this, and expect to get a comment from me. 

32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?

Quirky

33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?

Honestly, no. But obviously it makes for good movies. 

34) Favorite and least favorite food?

Oh, homegirl loves her food. Favorites include, but not limited to: thai, tacos, pupusas, and ice cream. Least favorite: Cheese and posionous gluten. 

35) Favorite musical artist or band:

Michael Jackson. No contest. No one even comes close to my MJ. 

Road Trippin'

Last weekend some friends and I decided to visit AZ. A buddy of ours recently moved to Mesa and that's where I am from so two birds, one stone. I love me some Arizona, especially when it was in the 70s...what is up warm weather!

We left Thursday night and stayed in Vegas. Of course there was some gambling, nothing like being in a smoke filled room and losing money. Side note: When my chiropractor asked if I did any gambling I replied, "It's not gambling if you fully intend to lose all your money." He cracked up and said we thought a lot alike. We're awesome. Any way...we headed out to Mesa in the morn to surprise my famdam.

Knocking on the door I was trying not to giggle because I get weird when I'm excited. My fam was excited to see me. Michael had a campout, Marcus was at work, and I convinced Shern to go get Mesa Frozen Yogurt with me before she left for a party. 

And I played Pac Man, of course.

That night I chilled and watched some New Girl with my Mah.

Saturday, my BFF/Aunt, Alyssa and I spent the day together. Gluten free cupcakes at Sprinkles.

 Y'all know you aren't supposed to eat the little "G" on top? Because I sure didn't! I chomped that plastic G like it was my beeotch. Alyssa thought I broke my tooth cuz of the mad shattering sounds I made while destroying it. And I swallowed all of it. I'm sure this will be one of the many contributing factors of why my future offspring have too many fingers or webbed feet. Oh well. We also went to my fave Mexican place, Rosa's and did work on their chips. Please Utah, for the love, get some good Mexican joints up in herrrre! Lyssa, Marcus, and I had some fun times at Wal-Mart later stocking up on stuff I never need. And finished the night off by watching newly purchased 500 Days of Summer. Joseph Gordon-Levitt: if you are reading this, let's get married. That is all. 

Sunday night some of my good friends and family came over. I got to see Tyler and Lisa days before little Emma came into the world (today), Damn you child and your untimely entrance! We snacked, chatted, and then the real fun came when we busted out Rock Band. Of course I had to sing Amy Winehouse's Rehab, while acting (but sounding nothing) like her. And Shern donned her Gaga gear to sing Poker Face. 

It ended up like this

We played, we sang (off key), and danced our faces off. 

Thank you to all my friends and family that came by, you da best! ESPECIALLY MY AUNT JOELE WHO DROVE OUT FROM WAY-THE-FREAK-QUEEN-CREEK. And thanks for participating in the freak show that is my family. 

Shern and I decided the best way to wrap up our night would be to make a video. A video that we have talked about making for a long time. 

I was a little reluctant to put this online because I was afraid people wouldn't know that we were joking.

My Mah reassured me that anyone that knew us, would know this was just to be funny.

I hope you enjoy :)

There is so much awkwardness going on that I love it so much.

Mah was mad she wasn't a part of it but next time she can be. 

P.S. That awkward moment when your boss tells you he watched the video. Hahaha oh the joys of the internet. 

Here are some other pictures from my family that night...

 Sturgeon Dad

 Miss New Booty

She works out! 

Monday we set out after breakfast from Joe's Farm Grill. The car had a couple of hiccups (of course it did, I was riding in it) but we made it back to Provo that night.

It was great to see you family, I will come and visit after I get back this summer. But that won't probably be until Christmas time! 

P.S. I got a cold while visiting so I am under the influence of several cold medications. Sorry for the ADD post and nonsense.