Update

Well today was one of the more interesting days I have ever had. I got to experience something I hope to never have to experience again. But before I get into that, let me give you a little background update first. After going yet another day without a phone call from my friend, I decided to try and be proactive. I called the hotline and finally got a hold of a real person. After much searching she finally found my friend. Apparently his name was spelled wrong and that is why no one could ever find him. Turns out, I am allowed to visit him. So I got all the info I needed and was able to go to jail today and see him. Granted, he was on a teleprompter and I was talking to him on a phone, but atleast I got the relief of being able to see that he is ok. I feel so bad for him because he is so scared, but at the same time realize that he made a mistake and must suffer the consequences. I promised that I would do my best to support him and gave him my phone number to call me if he needed to talk. It was the most interesting experience I have had in quite some time. Anyway, he has court tomorrow, so I plan to go just because I'm cool like that. There is a chance that any charges may be dropped, so he will just be shipped back to Peru. That is my hope. I would hate for him to have to stay in jail and then go to Peru after an extended period of time. But anyway, I just wanted you all to know that I am doing much better. I feel such a feeling of relief and it feels good. Thank you so much for your well wishes. I will let you know if anything else exciting happens...

(by the way, the picture is from New Years 2007...when I was about 95lbs heavier)

Sadness

I know I promised more updates and exciting info in my last post, but pretty much since that time my world has been turned upside down. I feel so sad and numb right now, that I can’t find it in myself to do much of anything. It’s hard to go to work everyday. It’s hard to keep a smile on my face. I just want to burst into tears at any moment and it is taking everything I have to keep it inside of me. So, here is the story, and I apologize if it makes you uncomfortable…

About 5 years ago I met a boy in Arizona named Pepe. He quickly became my best friend and eventually a boy I fell in love with. We have been good friends ever since then and still remain close. Our relationship has been on again/off again. He never was a very good boyfriend, but I have always cared about him. He is a boy with a lot of potential to be amazing, but he just can’t seem to get himself away from bad influences. I guess I should mention that he is from Peru, so he has Latino tendencies. And like most Latinos in the United States, he is not exactly legal. He has had his share of run-ins with the law, but has never had anything really serious happen to him. Well if any of you know the Nazi Joe Arpaio (Sheriff) in Arizona, you know that his whole goal in life is to get rid of the illegals in our state. Without giving too much information away, my best friend got in trouble with the law and is now in jail. I got a call from the jail on Thursday night informing me of his status. He has a court date on Thursday and will probably be deported. The thing that sucks the most is that he has not been able to get in touch with me. He cannot call a cell phone and can only call a land line. He does not have my home number memorized. I have been in contact with his cell mate’s sister who has asked me for my home number and everyday I wait by the phone for that call. As of today, I still have not talked to him. I tried to go to the jail yesterday to visit him, but apparently illegals are “nobodies” and do not get the privilege of receiving visitation and do not even get documented as a person who is being held at the jail. My heart aches right now. I miss my boy! I need to talk to him. I need to know if he is ok. I need to know when his court is because that will be the only opportunity I get to see him ever again. I need to say goodbye to him. I need closure.

The truth is this is the best thing that could have ever happened to me and him. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts (the one with the 20 years ago, etc on it), I had a goal to get rid of him this year. I know he is not the “one” for me. I know I would not be happy with him. I guess Heavenly Father just knew that I would never be able to let him go, so He took him from me. I am not bitter. I know it needed to happen. I know my life will move forward without him, and I will probably be happier in the long run. It’s just so hard right now…

Ok, that’s enough of my rantings. Besides, I am starting to cry and I don’t really want anyone to see me doing that at work. I will post more later if anything changes or if I hear from him. Please just pray for both of us. Thanks!

Where am I?

To all my fellow blog stalkers out there I apologize for the absense. I am sure none of you noticed that it has been nearly one week since my last post, but I have this anxiety about posting often, even if it's nonsense. So here I am.

The reason for my absence is this: my bro and his wife/family are here from Utah. So I have been spending every minute outside of work with them. Oh, I have also been doing some swimming and trying to get down my synchronized swim routine...

And also, work has been slightly insane believe it or not. Usually I blog all day at work cause I am bored, but not now. We just had a trade show in Chicago, so my day is jam packed with order processing, etc. I am a busy busy girl.

But, to really tell the truth, I am just lazy. I have so many things to say but I just can't get myself to do anything about it. So alas, this is my post to ease my anxiety. Nothing too special, but I promise more excitement next week. Until then:

Let's make a memory

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Unimportant

Yippee! I got tagged by a real person! Here are the details: List 6 unimportant things about yourself, and then tag 6 more people to do the same. Technically you are supposed to link this back to the person who tagged you, but I have no idea how to do that (sorry Kevin). Here goes:

1. Ever since high school I have been prone to getting belly button infections. Soreness, redness, smelly goo stuff, etc. I am not sure why I am blessed with this, but it happens (or atleast used to happen) quite frequently. Strangely enough, since I have lost a few lbs, the infections have not reared their ugly head. {P.S. I can’t wait until the day I can actually see my belly button!}

2. Oftentimes when I am alone in a swimming pool I like to pretend that I am a professional dancer, an Olympic figure skater, or part of the synchronized swim team just to entertain myself. Scary…

3. For some reason I find myself attracted to men that are far from perfect. And not just far from perfect, these men have major issues. They usually have no hope for a bright future and I just can’t pull myself away from them. Maybe it’s because I am so far from perfect and I like the idea of working through issues with someone? Nope, that’s not it. It’s probably because no normal men find me attractive…

4. When I was around 14ish there was a house full of polygamist men that lived in my ‘hood. My friends and I just loved hanging out with these boys (in their 20’s I would guess) because they were boys and they liked us. I am sure they just wanted us to join their happy family and become one of the sister wives…but we knew better. That is until we decided to go somewhere with them. One day we all piled into the back of their pick up truck and drove to the middle of no where to do clay pigeon shooting. Hmmm…

middle of no where + guns = not so brilliant

5. The one and only time I have ever been pulled over in my driving career (just happened to accidentally run a red light in front of a cop) was a disaster. The cop thought I was drunk or high on something so he made me do the whole drunken test. Keep in mind that at this time I was a little challenged in the weight area, which makes balancing more difficult, and not to mention it was freezing (sometimes it is cold in AZ) and I was shaking due to the fact that I was freaked out about what was going on. So, I had some issues with the balance stuff. But the best part is when the cop was getting ready to leave after giving me the breathalyzer and realizing that I was not drunk or high and he said, “Well, there is no sign of alcohol impairment, but you are definitely impaired.” Nope, I'm just fat, but thanks! JERK!

6. And finally, I inherited my mother’s morbid fascination with death. Every morning (when not blog stalking) I have to read the obituaries to see if someone I know died or to figure out why people under the age of 50 died. It’s very interesting indeed and I would highly recommend it. However, it is a little creepy…

So there you have it. Did you learn something about me? I am a very strange person. Ok, so I tag: Amy, Marianne, Tia, Amanda, Wendy, and Jessi.

{enjoy}

Guess what?

I am now a proud member of LA Fitness! That's right...I joined a gym. And I am super excited about it. I have been to the gym four times this week and hope to get in the habit of going 3-5 times per week. This week I took Hip Hop, Body Works, and Water Aerobics (twice). There is just something that is fun about group aerobics. I have such a hard time getting motivated to do the treadmill or weights. I like the instruction of a class. So wish me luck on my new endeavor.

Oh, and if you can't tell already, I am back on the Dr. Fountis program again. I started on Tuesday and have lost 9lbs already this week! GO ALAYNA!!! I think it's all about the attitude. I am done making excuses, and only focusing on the short term goals. I don't know why I always let my brain win the weight loss battle, but this time I am politely telling my brain to SHUT UP! And it's working...

For my Utah girls, remember our Humanities class with Miss Lees? Well the one thing I learned in that class (that has nothing to do with Humanities) is the way to win the battle with your mind. So with her help, I have formulated the following sentence which I write or say aloud 10 times a day:

I will be successful on Dr. Fountis until CE in a healthy and positive way.

Remember that? Well, surprisingly it is working too! By the way, CE (aka Creative Escape) is a huge scrapbooking event put on by Bazzill Basics Paper (my work) and Heidi Swapp and it is the first week in September. So, I have approximately 1 1/2 months of dieting to look forward to and then I will take a little bitty break. It's not so hard to stick to a diet when you only have to do it for a short amount of time. Am I right?

Ok, that's enough from me. Just kidding...I have one more thing to say: Be sure to check out my little weight loss chart freshly added to my side bar. This way you can all see when I succeed or fail, so it should keep me on track...

{happy dieting}

My life, in a nutshell

Another copied post from Katy's blog:

20 years ago I was:
1. The ripe old age of 7 and feeling invincible
2. Playing Barbies and dolls all day
3. Just learning how to read and write

10 years ago I was:
1. A senior at Brighton High School
2. Getting over my Wrangler phase
3. Gaining the weight I lost the previous year

5 years ago I was:
1. Moving to AZ, not sure what I would be doing next
2. Getting my first boyfriend (it happens later for others)
3. Gaining enormous amounts of weight

3 years ago I was:
1. Wanting to get rid of my first boyfriend
2. Still living with my parents
3. Still adding some extra pounds

1 year ago I was:
1. Starting Dr. Fountis
2. Still trying to get rid of my first boyfriend
3. Wondering how grown ups afford to live

This year so far I have:
1. Lost 80+lbs
2. Vomited for the first time in 20 years
3. Not gotten rid of my first boyfriend

Yesterday I:
1. Went to the gym and took a hip hop class
2. Was perfect on my diet
3. Went to WalMart to buy some essentials

Today I will:
1. Play Bunco with some friends
2. Be bored at work (therefore posting on my blog)
3. Be perfect on my diet

Tomorrow I will:
1. Go to water aerobics
2. Be perfect on my diet
3. Enjoy some time at home (finally)

In the next year I will:
1. Get rid of my first boyfriend
2. Reach my weight loss goals
3. Organize my house

Tag for 1?

Have you ever wanted to be tagged, but no one will tag you? Is it possible to tag yourself? I truly believe it is. As I sit at my desk right now I just keep touching my arm and giggling while saying, "You're it!"

I ran across this lovely post on Katy's blog and thought I would copy it. Here goes:

1. My rockstar name (first pet and current car): Trigger Camry
2. My gangsta name (favorite candy bar and favorite cookie): Heath Peanut Butter
3. My "brotha" name (first initial of first name and first three letters of last name: A'Hol (gotta love that one!)
4. My detective name (favorite color and favorite animal): Pink Koala
5. My soap opera name (first name and city where you were born): Alayna Salt Lake
6. My Star Wars name (first three letters of your last name and first two letters of your first name then the word "of" then a medication you are on): Holal of Spirinolactone
7. My superhero name (2nd favorite color and favorite drink with "the" in front): The Red Crystal Light
8. My Nascar name (first names of your grandfathers): Richard "Dick" Clyde
9. My stripper name (name of your favorite perfume and your favorite candy): Tommy Girl Taffy
10. My witness-protection name (mother's and father's middle names): Jolene Hunter

There you have it. So if you want to call me A'Hol (I know you all do) feel free. Everyone does already...

fun times with the fam

Ok, this is the last Utah post I promise! I just had so much fun while I was there that I wanted to include everything. One of the coolest things I did with my family (besides going bowling and beating my mom...that's a first)was going to Thanksgiving Pointe to wander around the gardens. We have been to the smaller/children's gardens before, but this was my first time at the bigger gardens. And boy was it beautiful! I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent there. Here are just a few pics we took while visiting. One day my backyard will look like this...

snow cones & park fun

While in Utah I had lots of time to spend with my family. I love my family so much, but mostly I just love being with the niece and nephews. On Wednesday my mom and I took Kensie and Lincoln to the get snow cones for a little added excitement. While there I convinced them to let me take lots of pictures of them. Are they great posers or what? We spent some time downing snow cones, enjoying the natural beauty of the area, and even spent a few minutes on the playground.

{what fun}

utah state hey aggies all the way!

One of the greatest highlights of my trip was my short visit to my alma matter: Utah State University. It was a time in my life of great learning intellectually, emotionally, physically and financially. A time that will never be forgotten. And it was also one of the determining factors in deciding if I should go to Utah. I am so glad that my dear sweet mother was willing to go with me (and of course, if it weren't for Staci lending me her car we couldn't have done it either). The drive up was painful due to some road construction, but once I got into the canyon, I admit I got a little teary eyed. I was so happy to be there. Such great memories were made there! The first stop was Firehouse Pizzeria. I have been dying to go there ever since I lived in Logan. It is a fantastic restaurant and I would highly recommend it if you ever happen to be passing through. My mom told our waitress that we came to Utah from Arizona just so we could go to this restaurant to celebrate my birthday. Partly true... I don't think she bought the story, but she gave me a free pizzookie, so I can't complain! It was delicious!!!

Then we headed up to campus to see all of the many changes that have taken place in the last 5 years since my graduation (can you believe I graduated from college 5 years ago??). I have a lot of memories on that campus {tin foil bras, hanging on the quad, Institute, the A...just to name a few} so it was fun to revisit them. We drove through town to see all the new restaurants and stores. We also drove past every apartment I lived in during my four years at school. Can't really remember the exact condo I lived in my first year, but I found the general area. Good times indeed! And, of course, no visit to Logan would be complete without a stop at the Bluebird for an O'Aggie Bar. Yummy!

Oh Logan, how I miss thee...

good times

Just some shots of the good times with my friends while in UT. Here are the highlights:

*game night with Amy, Grant, Linds & Zach. We started playing the Newlywed Game where I was the host (for obvious reasons). Fun! Then we whipped out Curses. Highly recommended for a big group. Lots of laughs and embarrassment!

*a trip to Jamba Juice with my pal Amos, only to be greeted by a man in a banana suit. Couldn't resist pulling out the camera for that one...

*a girls only lunch at a Salt Lake restaurant called Zinn Bistro. The cutest little place ever! It began with a little pint sized cup of tea and then we were blessed with a gigantic basket of pastries. And that was all before lunch came! Good food, good company, and about 15lbs gained!

*my first attempt at Dance Dance Revolution (with only girls present mind you). It was disastrous at first, but I was determined to get an A. And, finally...I did!

*party at Heather's place. Backyard hanging out, pizza, cake and the Wii. Always a crowd favorite...

*the Lehi Round Up rodeo with my second family. For just a brief moment I was taken back to my Wrangler wearing days (yes, it's true). Loved the cowboys, loved the entertainment, loved the company

{love my friends}

luv my utah girls

Here I am back in AZ, and desperately wishing I could escape to UT again. I already miss my friends! I am so incredibly blessed to have 7 of the best friends a girl could ever ask for. Here are just a few shots I took while visiting my girls... Thanks for the good times!!!

frustrated

How the crap do you change your template and still keep all of your page elements? I DON'T GET IT!!! Oh well, I guess it's too late now. Will someone please help me for future reference?

{remember, I really am blonde}

I'M BAAAACK!!!

Did you miss me? I know you totally did...

Guess what bloggers...I'm back! And I'm back with a vengeance. Ok, so maybe not. But nonetheless, here I am...back in the hellish heat of AZ and not so sure I am happy to be back. I have many a pic to post and many a word to type, but I will just keep this short and sweet for now:

(a) so I don't get fired
(b) because I will be uploading and downloading like crazy at the parentals house later
(c) don't really have anything for c, just have a thing for multiple choice answers...

Utah was awesome! Friends were amazing (just wish Emily would have had time to visit)! Weather was beautiful! Getting away from work was heavenly! Having people comment on my weight loss was blissful! Having people make funny faces when seeing my hair...not so exciting. Which brings me to the crux of my post today: I DON'T SO MUCH LOVE MY HAIR! I believe the brown has faded and now the "copper" is shining. Pretty much, I'm a red head. Everyone at work just says, "oh, it's red." I even had a co-worker ask me what I was thinking. RUDE!!! But nevertheless, it triggered a phone call to my hair dresser for some touch-up. Apparently my dad thinks I look ugly too cause he is super excited I called my hair dresser. OH WELL! You win some, you lose some. It just so happens that this is the first time I have ever really done anything drastic to my hair. Let's just chalk this one down as a LOSS. Until later:

{GO, FIGHT, WIN}