Tryin To Make Some Lemon-Aid...

So it has been a tough week... I am not sure yet, but I think I might block this blog to certain users or just only post on my private blog. I am still fighting with the city of Centerville to get my refund, I was about to make an emergency trip up their today, but I ended up working late so I can go with my old singles ward camping tomorrow night.

In talking to other people, I have herd from multiple people their horror stories of being arrested under close to the same circumstances. It makes me all the more angrier, and more a reason to fight. The way everything went down yes, causes some laughter (they even checked my uncles license to see if they can get 3 when he claimed my luggage) but frustration and hurt comes along with it.

Another thing that hurts, is that someone who I thought was a friend announced to everyone in relief society on Sunday what happened, without even talking to me beforehand. I was just starting to get "comfortable" in my ward, and I am having a tough time fighting Satan on this and wanting to even go back...

Today was I think a new low. My company gave me a raise. Not a very big one, but nice non the less. I know for a fact that not everyone got one, but what kills me inside was all the layoffs they did today. The took out the entire 2nd floor in my office, except four. I found out after it happened, and my heart sank. Some of them I have come to know and care about. There was roughly 20 employees that are now jobless, while I sit here with a bonus last check and raise now. I think the best part was how it happened, when my boss pulls me up to her desk, and wrote down on a mini yes, a mini sticky note 4 names. She then proceeds to tell me that they are the ONLY employees left. And then to find out the IT department is standing in the stairwell, listening to this whole thing take place. How heartless can some be? I know I need to be grateful for having a job, but it makes me sad to see others suffer. I just wish I could have said goodbye to some of them!

This is my current life, take it and love it... All I can do is look for the light at the end of the tunnel, and move forward. I am trying my hardest to make lemonade these days, but my lemons want to sting my eye...

Go Straight To Jail... Do Not Pass GO Or Collect $100

***So this is going to be an interesting post… I wrote on my facebook page about my trip back home to Vancouver Washington, and they will be posted here soon as well. This post is about the journey after I landed back in Salt Lake and a 'night' in jail. Mind you there was no Shanking, Robbing or Assualting involved...

My flight was delayed leaving Portland, and I was not sure when we would actually land so I was told to call my roommate when we landed so she would just leave then. We live fairly close to the freeway, so in all actuality it is all freeways. As she was coming into the airport, there are a few ‘speed traps’ and sadly she was caught in one of them. When the “Airport Police” pulled her over, they found a bench warrant for an unpaid ticket to the city of Midvale. This in turn led to her Arrest. She called me and said that this nice officer was going to swing around pick me up, sign over the rights to the car and I would meet her at the county jail. This is where it went weary.

As I was getting ready to sign paperwork for the vehicle, and was heating up the car, they asked to see my driver’s license. Apparently the fine that I was paying for the city of Centerville (Expired Registration and not the currant Insurance cards in my car) something was wrong and I too had a bench warrant out for my arrest. This had the arresting officers laughing hysterically. So they in turn arrested me as well. This was by far the best coming home present anyone could have asked for!

I hurried and wrote down my roommates, roommate’s boyfriend, Aunt, Uncles and parents numbers. I also quickly called my boss laughing that I was being arrested for a traffic violation and I would try to make it into to work at 7am. They then told me that since this ‘infraction’ happened in Davis County and I was in Salt Lake County, that they would need to transport me up there, but since the snow was so bad up there, they did not want to come ‘claim’ me until the morning. Welcome to a free night in the slammer!

They put the cuff on me, stuck me in the back of the “Airport Police” SUV (mind you I find this funny it was an airport police officer, and the fact that this is all they have to do. What type of officer screws up enough on the job and gets ‘Airport’ duty?! That’s like getting parking enforcement duty!) and took me to Salt Lake County jail. They did not buckle me in, and he drove like a speed demon! I was scared he would crash, and I would die from a lack of seatbelt! When they got me in the pre-booking area, they asked if they needed assistance, and my officer was all like “No she’s a good kid”. This made me irate. If I am a ‘good’ kid why am in hand cuffs?! Why is he putting me through this?! That was when I saw my amazing roommate and we just laughed. At this point, you can cry or just laugh it off. We chose the laughter in place of getting upset.

They later questioned me about my medical history and medications what not. He came to the all too familiar question of “Do you have any current or past considerations of Suicide?” I answer, “Well right now I do!” He did not find that so funny and actually yelled at me… How do you really want me to answer that? Then after getting basically violated (The officer had to make sure I was not ‘carrying’ anything and when it got to the front chest area, she was like “obviously you can’t get anything else in there!”) they where ready to take me down to the holding area. Mind you I was slightly disappointed, there was no actual bars or real cells, they where all mostly just a ‘pit’. I found my roommate once again, and I felt comfortable. Honestly if I had to go through this with anyone, I would totally pick her! However, I did have to use the restroom since PDX, and I was terrified of using the “inmate” bathroom! It took me almost two hours to finally get over it, and suck it up. That is the last I wish to comment on this, I have a huge phobia of using public restrooms, and it was not pretty…

I then called my uncle to see what was going on. I called him at the time of the ‘arrest’ and he was coming to help. He also works with the department of corrections. We then found out it would take 2-3 hours, and that he should just go home and to bed. I was then told to call my one roommate at home and let her know what was going on. I couldn’t help but laugh when she picked up the phone at 1:30am, and it said “Will you accept a collect call from Amber an inmate at Salt Lake County Jail?” Sadly her phone would not accept collect calls, and that was a no go. She started to stress though and then I felt horrible. I did not want to stress her out too!

Somewhere in the mix my roommate and I where separated and it was harder to stay calm for myself. For the record I would once again like to point out “TRAFFIC VIOLTION” and I was sitting in the same area of gang bangers, drug dealers, druggies, assault charged and one person who had a DUI and ran her ex boyfriend over with her car! I was sitting there in my nice new designer jeans I bought for my trip, a nice blouse, slippers and a sports jacket, and I felt like the prude person! After the picture taking, pre trial and finger printing it was around 3am. My roommate was released close to 3 hours before me, and I was still stuck there since it was another counties jurisdiction. Because of it being Davis County, I had to pay the initial ticket I was giving back in July, with out what I had paid on it already, which totaled $1030, oh and in cash before I would be released. Thankfully my roommate helped me post bail, and in just enough time. If I could not come up with all of it within 2 hours, then they would ‘dress’ me in for the rest of the night. Let me just say what I herd they do for that was not appealing and did not want to do any of that!

There were lots of other interesting things that happened, but a lot of it I choose to forget. I still had to sit there on these cement blocks basically for another 2 ½ hours after my bail was posted before they released me! Oh and they will not let you sleep, lean, lie down, put your feet up, stand or anything! By the time I left it was close to 5:30am, and it had been close to being awake for almost 24 hours, and I had to be to work at 7am! That was the just of my experience. Oh and the fact that I guess I am allergic like my mom to different metals and my wrists started to break out into a rash yesterday, and they swelled along with the bruising. I did not get to take a nap until about 2:30pm, since my boss let me off early but I had to help my roommate find her rental car that was impounded and all that fun stuff. All in all interesting experience, I hate “airport” police, and learned that the city of Centerville sucks and always make sure they receive everything, even if the check clears the bank! I now have to fight with them about getting a refund. Oh what great great fun I get to deal with now!

*Oh and for the record, the officers in the jail, could not stop laughing at the reason why where in there! Not only that, but the look of "joy" on the arresting officers face when they brought me in at least was ridiculous! All the other officers with the gang arrests and cocaine bust where making fun of the "Airport" Police officer for his "BIG" capture!

Airport...

So I sit here in the Salt Lake Airport, waiting with anticipation and tears starting the swell in my eyes... For the first time in exactly 18 month to the day, going back home to Vancouver/.Portland! I need this trip, I need to clear my head, to remember what its all about... Life is tough, and I have one comfort place in this world, and I get to spend the next four days there!

I sit here eating my cinnibon, listening to music while watching the snow come down. Wondering if my flight will take off on time or delayed, it does not matter to me. Nothing can change my feelings or excitement for this weekend! Just to be able to escape from life for a minute, means more to me than anyone can ever imagine!

So with this all said, I am sitting on the plane, and being told to turn off electronic devices. I guess when I turn my trusty blackberry on, I will be home in the land I love!!!

The Randomness of my life & Random facts...

So I keep getting these tags for the 25 things about yourself. I am too lazy to tag anyone, but its here to look if anyone wants to see. Note, this is me being honest, and some of you might not be prepared to read this! The following are in no particular order...

*I have not drunk in almost a year, and I am planning on sticking it with it this time.
*I worry that I will never see my brother again.
*I am an avid Obama supporter
*I am terrified of serious relationships, and tend to take off running when things get too serious.
*I miss doing woodworking projects with my dad.
*I do not have a good relationship with my dad, and wish things where different...
*I miss the rain, and love to dance in it when it comes down.
*I hated living in Vegas, but wonder what would have happened if I had stayed.
*I am starting to miss cooking in restaurants and bakeries.
*I have an addiction to baguettes and bread.
*I miss going to concerts almost every night in Portland.
*I placed 3rd in baking for the VICA Washington State competition.
*I am terrified of failing in life.
*I bought a drum set in high school and shortly after realized my hands and feet do not work well together.
*I have a phobia of public restrooms, it has taken years and years to even consider going inside one.
*I miss everything there is about downtown Portland, especially the Burnside district and the Roxy.
*If the time ever comes and I do get married, I really do not want a diamond, I would be happy with a ring pop or Cracker Jack prize!
*I love my mom more than anyone in the world, and I glad she’s been there for me during some of toughest times of my life.
*Thinks my Aunt Margie is the second most important person in my life, and she can tell anytime I am trying to hide something from her.
*I burned my entire right forearm on a heat lamp at Taco Bell when I worked there in high school.
*I believe fishies should swim freely in the ocean like Finding Nemo, but I have no problem hurting Bessie the Cow, and this coming from someone who used to live in the Pacific Northwest home for their Seafood, and visited my Grandpa’s farm every summer!
*I miss my grandfather almost everyday, and miss spending time on the farm and as a kid riding the four wheelers.
*I totaled my 1st car in Vegas, and now I am scared of other peoples driving, even my mothers! I have a tendency of putting my arms up or grabbing the handles if I panic that something is going to happen.
*I do not believe white chocolate is real chocolate, the only real chocolate is dark and I think the darker is better! YUMM!
*I love watching independent and under-named films, same goes for music as well.
*I have been felt up by Ben Kweller, an AMAZING musician I have also seen twice in concert.
*I sometimes like to sew, and in high school made a majority of my skirts and pajama pants.
*I always wanted to get hit by a car and brake my leg, until the day after I moved to Utah I fell down the stairs, sprained my ankle and changed my mind about ever wanting to brake a bone or use crutches ever again!
*I broke my brother’s pinky when I was chasing him around our old house when I 'accidentally' tripped him...
*One of my favorite places to escape to is Rockaway Beach, and of course stopping at the Tillamook Cheese factory on the way to get Cheese Curds and Ice Cream!
*I love bowling, but I am completely horrible at it, my worst score was 14 and I could always bowl better when I was drunk.
*I am allergic to dark ale’s; besides the fact that I think it tastes Icky!
*One of my favorite things to do when I worked at the Bellagio was go out on the patio on a warm night and watch the final fountain show if I got all my work cleaned up in enough time.
*Other than Utah, I have never been ID'ed to go into clubs, but was checked when I went and saw the 40 Year Old Virgin. Vegas was interesting…
*I have moved 9 times in less than 4 years.
*I like to wear things on my wrists, especially hospital bands.
*I got my Tonsils out when I was 20 and it was one of the worst physical pains I have ever felt.
*I got in a fight with a rock when I was in third grade, and sadly the rock one and it took two stitches underneath and 16 outside to close it up. I have an awesome scar on my right temple.
*I am afraid that one day I am going to wake and think that everything was just a dream, and I won’t really live in the house I live in now. It all seems too good to be true!

Supid Car Problems... AGAIN!

Stupid Stupid car! I am getting so frustrated with it! I showed my car love and support yesterday when I washed it for the first time in over a year (yes I know that is sick and wrong, but that is just how I am!), and even cleaned it out top to bottom last week! Well anyways, last night I was driving back from Santaquin, where my family was having a Super Bowl get together, and I thought everything was fine, except for when my fuse blew around American Fork, AGAIN!

I have a fuse that allows me to have dashboard lights (trust me, it is hard to see at night, and know your speed!) and my park lights in the back! Thankfully one of my uncles was with his family a few miles behind me, but SERIOUSLY! I am so sick and tired of car problems! We then couldn’t find the fuse that it was, since when it happened about a month ago, I wasn’t the one that fixed it! We gave up after so long (the way my fuse box sits, it under my steering wheel and there is not enough space between them to pull and my pliers where too big!), and they followed me around the mountain to my house.

It took me about an hour to find it, I tried using tweezers, a flat head screw driver and nothing was grasping it or loosening it up so I could grab it! I was so frustrated that I finally went up to my room and started digging through boxes to find if I had needle nose pliers. Thankfully my mom gave me a bead kit years ago that I will never use, and there where a pair in there! Thank you lifesaver! So I was able to fix it by myself after all last night, and I was feeling good about myself and thought that I could do almost anything, until the morning…

I was running late this morning, and as I raced out to my car, I was upset when I had to scrape my windows! I got in the car, and put it into reverse, and then the fuse blew again! So I pulled into the driveway and fixed it, again! As I pulled out of the driveway for the second time, it blew once more! I had run out of #10 fuses, so I stopped by Macy’s a local family owned grocery store. They did not have a box of just #10, but I ended up buying an assortment. It looked there was more than one, but I was wrong! I paid almost $4 for 1 fuse (I may use the other some day, but not today!), and when I went to go fix it, it blew for a 3rd time this morning! By now I was late to work, and I said forget it, and just drove. Thankfully the sun is coming out more so in the mornings again, so it was too dangerous. I have to figure out what it is going on, and I am going insane now! This happened once before with my BMW, and when we put in a larger fuse it stopped. Hopefully that will help, if not I want to call it quits!