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Saturday, March 29, 2008

Country Folks! (In your best Nellie Olsen voice) Part One

So I have been dreading this day since Jordan first alerted me of it. A day together in the city. Not in the nearby city but the BIG city; downtown part of the BIG city if you must. We were to go to the city together as mother and daughter to share in the special experience of the General Young Women's broadcast. Yes in the actual Conference Center itself. I have never been to a live session of conference and so despite the implications that I would have to drive up to and in the BIG city, I was a teensy bit excited (in a good way). Then as the event approached I started to have anxiety. How would I be able to get to where I am going? How will I find the Conference Center when I got to where I was supposed to park? (They gave us a purple parking pass with an address on it.) How would I find my way back to the freeway? You get the picture. I approached Rob with my problem and he kindly agreed to drive us and sit in the car and read while we went in. (OOOOOH how sweet!) So then I was ok.

Well there was one little problem with this new plan. I was winding down from a fun-filled week with my sisters who came from out of town and I just found out another would be here on said day. Needless to say I really didn't not want to leave. My sisters and I left early this morning to go shopping with the intentions to be back in time for Rob to get ready, but my sisters held me hostage. I had to beg and plead with Rob to forgive me for not getting back when I should have and he was not able to get ready in time. So to pay my penance I told him he did not have to come (hope it was worth it guys!) and that I would brave it on my own. I was even guilty for having one try at seeing if Jordan didn't really want to go anyway. She shot that right down and wondered if I had turned heathen on her. With a repentant heart, I map qwested the parking address and with Rob's reassurance that we would be fine, we left on our way. The ride up was quiet and uneventful. We got to SLC and off the freeway with one hour to spare. This was supposed to be a good thing because it meant we could tour the Conference Center since I had never been there before. But alas it could not be that easy right? NOTHING in the city is ever that easy right? The story takes an agonizing turn right here and there might or might not be some swears so I don't blame you if you want to stop reading now.

Ok, you asked for it. So I got off the freeway and found the right road to get on. That was good. As I am looking for the next road Jordan says, "hey look mom that lady has a purple parking pass too!" How could this POSSIBLY get any better? I slowed right down and got behind her to follow her. As she was taking me into unfamiliar territory Jordan points out that just because she has a purple parking pass like ours does not mean she has the same parking lot as us. Oh yeah. Um, how do I get back to where I was? I felt like Lucille Ball at that point. WAAAAAAAH! It took me fifteen minutes to go around the block through all kinds of mess and over some kind of tracks. There was a speeding train coming right at me. He was right on the road! When did they start driving on the road?

So I got back to square one and I was on the right west but I couldn't figure out how come there was no parking lot. Jordan looked at the ticket again and reminded me that there was another part to the address and that I needed to find S. Temple. She remembers seeing it on our little trip around the block and I didn't believe her so I went the way I wanted to go. As I came around the block for the third time Jordan points out the second part of the address. Finally, now where is that cursed parking lot? To make a long part of the story short I kept getting stuck in lanes that I wasn't supposed to be in, once again Jordan saved the day and found the parking lot we were supposed to be in but only after I got in the right hand turning lane that would have taken us around the block for the fourth time, I got flipped off (how rude!) when I sat in said lane for two light cycles while trying to worm my way back into the other lane, and after several attempts at finding the right entrance we got parked with 5 minutes to spare. By this time I was a little ragged and had a slew of swears on the edge of my tongue. As we got to the doors of the Conference Center, the man at the door asked us to deposit anything unworthy of entrance into his hand. I kindly obliged and handed over my swears without using even one!

The rest of the story is just as amazing but definitely less agonizing and I will have to wait until tomorrow to post the rest. Needless to say the experience was one of a lifetime. I would gladly do it all again and that is saying something! Thanks Jordan for saving us from sure death!

10 comments:

Shaney said...

I guess I have lived in the city toooooo long:) I take all of the things that you talk about for granted! I have long forgotten those Mona days when many a time you are the only one on the road. I guess it will be a while before you venture to my house;) I am so glad you went though! What a wonderful experience. I can't wait to share those experiences with Kaleigh. It sounds like Jordan has learned well from you and that she has a very strong testimony of the gospel. Thank you Jordan and Bonnie for being a wonderful example to all of us.

shauna said...

Does laughter while reading your blog while sitting right next to you count as the ultimate comment?

Sorry for holding you hostage. The ransom was worth it. So was the punishment of folding laundry. Are we even?

Here at home said...

You need to get out a little bit more.:)
I'm glad you made in there on time before they gave your seat away.
Thanks for the good laugh.

Anonymous said...

That's one thing thing I didn't teach my daughters, eventhough I was raised near the big city and worked right in the big city. I know it had to have been worth it, and do have some memories of doing those same things with at least one young daughter. WoW

Tamster said...

That was great, Bon! I felt like I was right there with you--except that if I had been right there with you, none of that would have happened that way because I would have known where I was going! I've been to the Conf. Center many times!!! It is a wonderful, beautiful place! I'm glad you and Jordan got to go; that's a great experience she'll probably never forget! :-)

Tamster said...

Hey, it's tomorrow; when do we get part two?! :-)

Wendoyoublog in Colorado said...

So, a post from the country mouse and comments from all the city mice.....how nice!

GPS baby!

Cindy said...

Oh Bonnie... I could feel your anxiety! That is how I feel when I drive in Seattle! Man, you are the brave woman for sure!

Looking forward to reading part two!

HuckFinnsMom said...

We must be a lot alike- I am a scaredy cat when it comes to busy city roads and crowded places. I am fine if I have done it a few times, the the first time freaks me out. Joe is lucky though, because every time I want to run away home to Utah, I realize I would pee my pants if I drove there by myself- so I just stay. You all didn't know that is how my DH keeps me around, did you?!

HuckFinnsMom said...

I know, I'm a wimp...