When the lights go down in the city

Don't masquerade with the guy in shades, oh-no

2009-06-11T22:00:00.006-04:00

So I recently started working down at my dad's office. Its a nice job to have for the short amount of time that I am at home. Now, my father and I are not the only Smith's that work there, my little brother Nathaniel works there, along with my older brother Rulon. Growing up I was smack dab between the two of them, there were plenty of fights (physical fights, generally nothing else) we beat up on each other, actually they beat up on me, and there was more than enough teasing. So it shouldn't have been a huge surprise that this still goes on today. Working with them has been so much fun! Its just like the old days. I'll address a few things that have happened in my just short of a week experience there. So I stand at the copier for about 4 hours straight and every time my older brother walks by he smacks me, then calls me something like, retard, dork, or loser, this is a normal occurrence. The other day I walked into where my little brothers desk is and they were both at his computer, the next thing I know I hear Nathaniel say "Rulon, no don't strangle me, every time you get that computer cord you strangle me", then Rulon proceeds to turn towards me wrap the cord around his hands and put the cord around my neck, in the process he knocks me in the nose, then he picks me up and throws me behind some file boxes, and Ru and Thaners have this conversation Rulon: No one would ever find you back there. Nathaniel: Yeah I'm the only one that works back here. Rulon: It would be days before anyone smelled you. Nathaniel: Yeah, that would be the only way they would find you. Me: But Nathaniel you would know I was back here, you would be able to see my shoes, and you would just sit there with me dead behind the boxes and not do anything about it? You freak. Nathaniel: yeah. So I finally get out from behind the boxes and go to walk out of the office, and Rulon takes the computer cord and whips it at me so hard, I almost start crying, for sure I had tears welling up. That was just one small story, other things would include, things such as, pouring a box of paper clips on my head, opening a stapler and shooting a billion staples at me, etc. etc. But despite how this may sound, I am having so much fun being with my brothers again. I.Love.My.Brothers. Other than that I'm having so much fun being home, spending time with family and old friends! Jessica is coming home in a couple of weeks, and we are all going to Florida WOO!! We are also planning a couple, three, trips to Cedar Point!!! Best ever! Then I'll head back to Utah, and reunite with my dear friend KIMBERLY! This summer is shaping up to be very lovely!

Several stamps that Rulon thought he would try out on my arm at work, one said "needs help" another "bad debt" and I cannot remember the last one.

Saturday morning right after waking up, right before the Reeses headed out

Nathaniel's Graduation

Dig if you will the picture.....

2009-06-03T14:15:00.004-04:00

On Saturday Nathaniel had his graduation party, then he graduated on Sunday. This got me thinking about when I was still a little tyke (ok not that little), and I was thinking back to what a BIG dork I was, well I still am, but I was dorkier then, hard to believe I know. So the particular memory I wish to visit is all the way back in 5th grade. Picture an extremely dorky girl, frizzy hair, awkwardly skinny, huge front teeth, and just super dorky clothes (not too hard to imagine, because I still can't dress myself). Ok so there was a group of girls that, well, lets just say, they loved to hate me, and tease me, make fun of me, everything you could think of they did it (and they didn't ever stop, all the way through high school, so much fun). Like every other 5th grader I was trying to find my niche, where I fit in, etc etc. Like any good mother would, mine tried to help me look cute, by buying me cute clothes, awesome shoes, and occasionally helping me do my hair. Despite these efforts this group of girls would always make fun of me. No matter what I wore, they would tease me, it could have been the exact same outfit they wore a week before, it didn't matter, they made fun of me. So I tried everything, I remember going to Limited Too (It was super cool at the time) and picking out super cute clothes and being excited to wear them to school, but still they made fun. This one day I wore an old navy flag T-shirt (I know you remember those), a pair of plain jeans and some tennis shoes, and to my surprise nothing was said to me, no rude comments, no making fun. I was so ecstatic, that I went home and asked my mom to wash the outfit. The next morning I put the clothes back on, yes the same clothes, and went to school.... again they said nothing! NOTHING! I was overjoyed! So once again I went home washed my clothes and the next morning I put them on and went to school, nothing. Now I'm not sure that you can understand my joy at this point in my life. They were no longer being mean to me! So for the rest of that school year, I wore the SAME OUTFIT EVERYDAY! I now wonder why my mom never said anything to me about washing the clothes each night, or about me wearing them every morning out the door. I don't remember if I ever told her why I was doing it, but she still helped me wash them each night. Thinking back now I think that we just may have burned that outfit on my last day of 5th grade......

Honestly, I'd make fun of me too. This is one of my favorite memories, I laugh so hard when I think about that year in school. So great (obviously this is not the outfit described above, just a picture to give you an idea of how..... great I was).

In other news, I'm so so so excited to go to Utah in two weeks to see my little Jessica! Then to go to Florida where she will join in our festivities!!!!! YES!

Don't Cry Out

2009-05-27T23:14:00.002-04:00

Ok so I realize this is not an 80's song, not all of them are but I guess for the most part they are. But I really couldn't think of a great one and this is the song that kept coming to my mind when addressing this issue. So being home has been good, I absolutely love my family. Lindsey is finishing clinicals and Rulon is working so that means Mom gets to watch the baby, well for the past three days I've been watching her, which I love! Do not get me wrong, she is the sweetest cutest little baby, but she is so scared of me it freaks me out! She screams whenever I try to pick her up, look at her, or talk to her. It is not so cute when the baby is screaming because she doesn't know you, but today was successful! She didn't cry! I guess I should mention that it was because she feel asleep right after she got to my house and when she woke up I was there to greet her and she only cried a little bit. Yes! I'm making progress! I can't even imagine how its going to be when I meet my little Bailey, seeing as she's never even seen me! At least I've been around Shy several times. I'm glad I can be here for a couple more weeks, maybe she'll favor me just in time for me to leave! But for now baby Shy, please, please don't cry out!

Cute toosh

When she likes me the most!

Changes, turn and face the strange.

2009-05-24T11:33:00.005-04:00

I really don't even know what to say. I cannot believe how fast the past 10 months have gone. I lived in New York City. This morning as I sit on my couch for the last time writing this blog so many things are going through my head, I can't believe its time to leave already. My parents and younger siblings came in yesterday and I couldn't have asked for a better day, if anything was going to make this easier that was it. The past two weeks have been fun filled. I have great friends here and I am so sad to leave them behind. Life is so crazy in all its stages and phases. I decided that I can look forward to Utah, and starting over once again. I'm so thankful for the time I had to spend in this great city, and mostly for the people I've met while I was here. This will be something I will never forget. Ahhhh, this just feels so surreal. Ok so I'll post picture from the past couple of weeks.

'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine.

2009-05-09T14:36:00.009-04:00

Ok this is a little bit of old news for those of you that have heard this story I apologize, but I didn't get around to calling all the sibs to tell them about my sweet weekend! So last Friday I went to a Yankees game with Jeff, Natasha, and Russell and it was sooo great! I've never been a huge baseball person, I've always been partial to watching guys pound each other into the ground during football, but going to this game opened my eyes a little! I love baseball games!! (This doesn't mean you'll catch me watching it on tv, I just don't see that happening). But I absolutely loved it! It was Yankees vs LA Angels. Now before this game I was a bit hesitant to go and cheer for the Yankees, but after being there and enjoying the atmosphere I changed my mind, and I am now a Yankees fan! We sat in the bleachers and it was just so much fun, the people were so funny! There were two old men (ok they weren't that old) that were my absolute favorite!! so here's what happened. Yankees were up, 4-0 after the first inning, then in the 6th inning the angels came back and were up 6-4, and in the 7th the scored another 3 runs, so going into the 8th inning it was Yankees 4 Angels 9. During the 8th (maybe 7th) it started to rain and our spirits may have dropped just a tiny bit, but then something amazing happened!! The Yankees scored 4 more runs in the bottom of the 8th, then comes the 9th and the Angels get all three outs with no points, so its bottom of the ninth BASES ARE LOADED!!! Cano was up to bat he hits and and we get two runs which means.... YANKEES WIN!!! yay!!
Two hilarious guys sitting in front of us.

This was obviously a low point in the game.

Bottom of the ninth.......BASES LOADED!!!

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!!!!!

2009-04-20T16:14:00.003-04:00

I’ve often wondered where that phrase came from and why it is used in Hide and Seek, but that has nothing to do with this post, now onto something completely unrelated........... Queen. So if you know me, then you know how much I LOVE my 80's music, I often joke that I should have grown up in the 80s instead of just being born in them. In high school I'd say 95% of the music I listened to was from the great era of the 80s. So I don't know why I didn't know this before, but I didn't..... So this past week we were playing a karaoke game and one of the songs was Another One Bites the Dust, naturally I gravitated towards singing this song, because I LOVE queen. So in the game the background is the music video of the song, and as I'm singing I stop, bewildered, and ask "Is that Freddie Mercury?!" My world was shattered........

Enough Said.

Major Tom sees now the life commands this is my home.

2009-04-11T14:58:00.011-04:00

Okay so last night (Friday night, mind you) my brother was at my other brothers house, and I was not invited, (ok well I really was but they were finishing a basement, and I really did not
want to help with that!) so I was at home with my two youngest siblings, and my parents, after having some delicious Chinese take-out, we said family prayer and it was off to bed. It was probably 11:30, maybe midnight, and the three of us trucked upstairs, where we should have gone to our respective bedrooms, but instead all ended up in my little sisters room and here is how it began .................. So I was sitting there thinking about how a couple of days ago my dance teacher was talking about pulling his legs up with his abs and pulling them into a head stand, he was saying he could do it like it was such a big deal and that he was so talented, so of course I needed to try to see if it was really as hard as he was making it out to be. So to the left is my first attempt, a little sloppy but I still did it, the later times I did it very pretty, toes pointed legs straight etc, etc. So this went on for quite some time, I would try, then Ivan ,then Natasha. I think it was maybe the funniest thing I've seen my little brother try to do! He was so hilarious, we were all laughing hysterically! So we stayed up doing this past one in the morning! It was soo great! I think that the funniest thing was all the comments that my little

brother was making! So yes I admit, I was at home doing head stands, until one in the morning on a Friday night with my two youngest siblings! After our heads hurt from all the blood rushing to them I decided to try a little ANTM, I knew this would be hard, with a 10 year old little boy, but surprisingly, he was the one that shouted YES! OK I'M FIRST!! Then he ran to the door to do his runway walk, and it was the funniest thing I have ever seen, I wish that I had it captured on video, because the picture did not do his hips justice! He is so hilarious! I love my siblings, they are so great, and I also love that the same thing that entertains 10 and 11 year olds, can entertain me.

I'm leaving on a jet plane..........

2009-04-08T11:29:00.002-04:00

So I'm pretty excited to be going back to Ohio for Spring break. Among the many things I am excited for, is the fact that I will be able to have 3 acres all to myself, pretty trees, grass, a lake, air and no tall buildings! I do love the city I do, but sometimes its just nice to be out away from all the noise and be able to just breathe! woohoo! I just love Ohio and I think it is beautiful (hence the picture with me standing creepily in my front yard, it just shows how pretty Ohio is). So I thought I had so much to do this morning, and I did, but I finished it all so quickly I'm so proud of myself now, I have two hours to just sit and wait to go to the airport! I think this is the first time that I've actually been ready far before I needed to be, I'm usually running around doing everything at the last second, I guess I was just really excited to be going home so I got everything all together in a timely manner! But this morning I did go to crumbs yum! I am such a good sister I cannot even believe it sometimes! Here's a picture of the deliciousness that I am going to be bringing home to my siblings!

Yes I am an amazing sister! Hopefully I wont eat them all before I get home! They just look soo good! But it was Nathaniel's birthday on the 30th, Ivan's on the 5th and Natasha's on the 7th, so I thought I would bring them some yummy treats! I'm really excited to be home for a little over a week, I was recently asked if there was anything I HAD to do while I was home, and I started thinking about it, and I think that's why I love going home, because I don't have to think about doing anything, I just do. I'll spend time with my siblings, my niece and parents and just have a great time, I'm excited for BW3's on Tuesday, followed by helping at the elementary school's library! I'll stay a couple of nights at my brothers where we will no doubt stay up all night playing video games, watching movies, and eating food that is not good for us! I just get to be home, and that is good enough for me.

I'll take the rain

2009-04-03T14:03:00.003-04:00

So I really love it when it downpours, which is currently happening! I was just at the grocery store up the street getting some french bread and fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, when I went to leave it was raining so hard, everyone was just standing waiting for it to let up, but not me! I jumped right out in it! I love love love the rain, I love standing in it, walking in it, and playing in it! For some reason it is just makes me so happy, it liberates me, weird I know! Growing up I would cry every time there was a thunderstorm, I was always afraid that there would be a tornado along with the storm, but now I welcome them with open arms (thunderstorms, not tornados), I love them. I know the rain ruins your hair, runs your makeup, makes you all wet, but for some reason it just makes me feel so good! Thank you downpours!

I do go to school .... occasionally.

2009-04-01T12:34:00.002-04:00

So maybe I've been a little bit of a slacker this semester, but today I was not! I went to school today, and let me tell you what.... I wasn't missing anything by not going. I find it so easy to justify not going, its an hour commute, the commute costs $10, and my classes are pointless and have nothing to do with anything, but alas, today I went to school!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MA-FANIEL

2009-03-30T18:15:00.003-04:00

Today is my brothers Birthday, words cannot describe how happy this makes me! I called him this morning at 6:30 hardly able to contain my excitement!! I can't believe we've been forced to be friends for the past 18 years ( just kidding, he would be my best friend even if he wasn't my brother). So Nathaniel, here is to the past 18 years and to the many fun, dorky, ridiculous times........... Happy Birthday!

Oh hey New York....

2009-03-30T17:52:00.004-04:00

So this past weekend my parents came out to visit me, my dad had a couple of courses out here so they got to spend some time with me! It was a really great time, I got to play tour guide and we got to do a lot of fun things! I always love it when I get to visit with my family, and this was no exception, another really great visit! They got in Thursday, we got to go to the temple which was a really neat thing, I haven't gone with my parents since I was a youth so it was really cool, on Friday we went to Top of the Rock, ground zero, walked the Brooklyn bridge, and later that night we went to the empire state building. Saturday we went to a play called Blithe Spirit, which was hilarious! I loved it so much! Angela Lansbury (me and my mother LOVE her, she is in one of my favorite TV series of all time, yes Murder She Wrote, and yes you can make fun of me for loving that show) and Rupert Everett, and a lot of other really great actors/esses. It was a great performance, and I loved it so much! Sunday we went to church and my parents got to go to my ward, my mom pointed out "There are a lot of good looking boys in your ward", so all you Manhattan 8th ward boys, my mom thinks you're good looking! Then they left, and while it was a little sad I'll be going home in a week and a half! It was a really really fun weekend and I finally played a tourist!

I met a strange lady, she made me nervous

2009-03-24T18:04:00.004-04:00

So today I was sitting on the floor folding some clothes, when I realized that I was wearing my rain boots, and northface knit hat, its a little strange that I was wearing them, what is even stranger is that I realized that every time I clean my room I end up with my rain boots and hat on. How weird is that, and how weird is it that I'm just now noticing that I do that? So I had to take a picture of it to go with this post. But at least now my room is clean! =)

Ground Control to Major Tom

2009-03-20T16:38:00.006-04:00

My dearest little brother Nathaniel is turning 18 this month........ holy cow are you for real? Yes its for real, I cannot believe he is a senior and is going to be starting college in the fall! It makes me feel old! But!!!!!!! I am so excited that he will be moving out west! Yay! Over the years my brother has become one of my closets, best friends, and I'm super excited to have him just, four short hours from me! Party!! Ladies of BYU-I look out for this stud!! Its always fun to see where we've come from and where we have arrived, life seems to be moving so much faster than I ever remembered! I've been in New York about 8months, that is incredible, where did the time go! I'm here for about 2 more months, then its back to the SLC to finish out school and become a real person with a real job, weird. I'm excited to get back to Utah, for one, my little brother will be just one state away and BYU-I, my oldest brother just had a brand new baby, and my sister Jessica may be in Utah for a little bit of time on a long vacation while I'm there! I love it when my family is close by!

For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night

2009-03-18T12:05:00.002-04:00

Dear Simply Sleep,
You saved my life. Thank you. So I would say for about the past two months I've had insomnia, let me tell you, nothing is more annoying to me than not being able to fall asleep. I would lie in bed for at least 2 hours, usually 3 to 4, not being able to fall asleep, sometimes I wouldn't fall asleep until 5 in the morning only to be getting up at 6:50. Needless to say this made me a little grumpy and it made it very hard to focus in school. I need my sleep, I think I could sleep for days straight and still be tired, so when I don't get sleep I am one huge wreck! So finally I called my mom complaining to her that I couldn't sleep and she told me about simply sleep, basically Advil or Tylenol PM without the pain medication, so I tried it, and holy cow I was able to fall asleep! Last night was the second time I've used it, you're not supposed to use it more than 7 days in a row, and I'm hoping that I wont need it and that I'll get into a better sleeping pattern and just be able to fall asleep on my own. Cross your fingers. But for now, Simply Sleep, you are my new best friend!

Love it.....

2008-10-29T23:19:00.001-04:00

So a couple of weekends ago me and Hannah Banana went on a little trip to Westpoint to watch Eastern Michigan play against Army. My good friend from high schoo, Ryan, plays for eastern michigan and he got us tickets to go to the game. It was SO much fun, perhaps the most fun I've had since I've been here. Upstate New York is sooo beautiful! I had a grand time..... pictures to follow!

Too Legti to quit

2008-09-12T00:08:00.002-04:00

Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard, their shadows searching in the night

2008-09-11T01:32:00.001-04:00

So recently I started listening to my ipod on the trains, its funny because before I would see some people bobbing there head, mouthing an occasionally verse, tapping their feet, etc. and I would think, what a weirdie. But I can't lie when a good song comes on sometimes I can't help but do the same exact thing, most of the time I try to just keep it to a smile, but then other people on the train think I'm smiling at them so they keep looking at me and trying to make eye contact and if they get eye contact they usually just look at me like I'm crazy, so I've learned I'm better off doing a little dance. what can I say I love music! I've also noticed how much faster I walk since I've been here, everyone is in a hurry to get wherever it is they're going, and they seem to not notice when they run you over, so you learn to walk fast enough. Also my favorite time is about 5 or 6 trying to get out of the subways, everyone trys to cram up one small tiny staircase and people keep trying to walk right into your back, even though its clear that no one in front of you is moving. I always wonder what the hold up is, if everyone just kept walking then there wouldn't be a problem, but alas there always is a hold up..... so lets see what else, I love grocery shopping here, the stores are fun to me, I love grocery shopping period, I can thank my mother for that, always bringing me with her, I really do love it! I also love honey bunches of oats, and decided that I should just live off of that for the rest of..... my life possibly. mmmmm. So I ordered a mattress awhile ago but there was drama with the shipping and delivery part so it was sent to Arkansas?......... yeah I don't know. So I was going to order another one, but then I noticed that my ceiling was leaking on me, and that is not fun, so now my ceiling is all ripped up and they are fixing the pipes, and after that's all finished I'll get my bed, until then the floor is treating me quite nicely. Jessica had her baby!! Yay!! That means in the past 4 weeks we've gained three new babies! Babies are cute! I saw one on the subway today, she made me smile. It was a great temperature today, I fell asleep outside between my classes today, I have a sweet three hour break, so fun, I tend to sleep for at least an hour of that time, its the other two hours that are boring, because sleeping is never boring, in fact I'm going to sleep right now.

Millions.... no ZILLIONS!!

2008-09-05T23:54:00.001-04:00

So I've been here almost two full weeks! Woo Woo! This city is amazing, right now I'm still in the "oh my gosh" stage, still never really sure what I'm doing or where I'm going, but loving every minute of trying to figure it out. Surprisingly my hour and 45 minute commute(one way mind you) is noot too bad.... I see a LOT of interesting people that's for sure. The subway is getting better, my first experience almost made me cry, I got on with my dad , we were going to my apartment for the first time, and things were just fine, then a guy got on the train, he was homeless, and here's what happened ..... Homeless man: Attention!! Attention everyone!! Can I please have your attention. I..... am HIV Positive. ..... at that moment I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, anyone that knows me knows how paranoid I am about getting some sickness or disease, anyways so my eyes were watering, and I felt like someone punched me in my stomach, I looked over at my dad, who earlier that day said: "Chelseanne you still have two days. If you want to come back home just tell me, I will come back out here and you can come back and go back to Utah", at that moment I came so close to saying: "Dad, I want to go home!" But instead I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as the man walked by us, chills all over my body, I just cringed a little bit thinking about it again. Anyways after that I got used to the crazies. The subway has become normal, and it doesn't bother me anymore. I still look for the seat that is next to no one, but sometimes you just can't find that seat, so I stand. This is a great city, sometimes I forget what I'm doing because there are soooo many people that I just stop and watch, then I remember my dad telling me "you have to be more aware of what you're doing" sometimes though I just can't help it, its awesome, in the large sense. I love walking down the street and just looking at all the buildings around me, I love that there is always noise, its never quiet, there is always something going on, I love walking everywhere. Its an incredible place. I'm excited to just dive right in and meet more people, I'm ready to hit the clubs and bars and meet some real upstanding gentlemen..... no just kidding, I can't even get in to bars or clubs, still a baby..... well more to come!