A Funny Thing Happened on my Way to Women's Conference

Oh my goodness, oh my helk, oh my gadness even. I have so much to write about like how I saved $185 dollars at Albertson's last Friday, or how Jared went on the trek, or my shopping trip to help Diana buy a new bathing suit, but all of that will have to wait for another day because yesterday I met up with some of my favorite blogging friends in real life. Yes and all of them were even nice women, no dirty old men looking to kidnap me or anything scary like that. No axe murders. Just wonderfully friendly and funny bloggers.

It came to be, because I finally decided that I should attend women's conference. I know this is usually one of the highlights of my life and I haven't missed for the past four years, but my oldest son who never sang one word of any primary presentation his whole 9 years of primary is performing in the high school musical THIS WEEK, of course. Because why would it be another week, when I didn't need to go to Provo and stalk my favorite leaders of the church.

And so I have debated with myself back and forth about whether or not I could just attend the dress rehearsal and be OK with just that. And then just last week I found out that the play will be performed next week also. This was very happifying because I could leave and not miss out on all the fun.

And then to seal the deal I read on April's blog that she, and Shelle, and T were getting together for lunch and so I would be driving right by where they would be eating and why wouldn't I stop and meet up with them. And of course I invited myself right along.

There was a bit of stress getting my stuff in the car and leaving by 9:00. I did the dishes, shredded a pork roast from the crock pot and put barbecue sauce on it for sandwiches while I was gone, ran around and threw various miscellaneous items into my suitcase, in case I needed them, cooked 3 fried eggs and waffles for Jared for breakfast, dropped Diana off at school, wrote a note for Trent so he doesn't go over the allowed absences and loose credit and not graduate, stopped by the pharmacy, filled up with gas, and dropped off a copy of Norton Anti-virus to a friend whose lap top had frozen.

After all that craziness it was if someone opened the door to my hamster cage and let me off the wheel. Well not quite yet, because I was 20 mins later leaving than I wanted to be and so I sped as much as I dared between Vegas and St George.

But no worries I didn't even get a ticket and I was the first to arrive. After a stop in the bathroom, there was another woman speaking with the hostess. We eyed each other and finally she said "Are you Pat" and I said "Are you Tonya". After she said yes, I opened my mouth and made my signature screaming face, and then of course she recognized me right away.

We decided to go ahead and be seated and then of course needed to get the bottomless chips. We started right in visiting and soon April called me on my phone to ask where I was. I replied that she needed to get right over there and get some chips while the getting was good.

Here is the group shot we made the waitress take. And of course she had to take it with four different cameras. If you look at the edge of the table you can see some of them waiting for their turn. April is sitting next to me and Tonya is right across, and then Shelle next to Tonya.

Shelle snapped a shot of me and April.

And here I am teaching April of my screaming ways, she is a quick learner, don't ya think?

And Tonya took one of Shelle, April, and me. I think she did that on purpose because she doesn't really like to be in pictures.

I know they say imitation is the best form of flattery, but I am not so sure in this case. What do you think? I think they each carried off the crazed look in the eyes that totally makes the look. Good job girls.

We laughed and talked and seriously I don't know why people keep saying that they met someone they didn't' know when they meet blog friends. When you read some one's blog you KNOW them. And I totally agree with what Heidi said on her blog, meeting blog friends is so much better than you think it will be. As funny, smart, clever and witty as people are in writing well magnify that by 100 and that is how fun it is to be around others you have so much in common with.

It got me thinking that as fun as lunch is, it would be so much better to go on a blogging cruise. Crash will you get on that and get it organized. You can play the part of Richard Simmons on our cruise, or may be that part should go to Kristina P. Look to it.

And as if it wasn't my best day ever, I continued up to my sister's in Spanish Fork and of course stopped at the cheese factory in Beaver. I departed from my usual plain Jane vanilla and instead got lemon custard. It was sooooo yummy, I almost went back for seconds even if I was 10 miles down the freeway.

And besides the ice cream, the scrumptious ever delightful cheese curds. Here I am trying to show off the big bag I bought, but it still didn't show.

So now I am in Spanish Fork until Sunday with my 3 sisters. For the next two days I will be at BYU eating up as much knowledge and mint brownies as possible. I will be on the look out for blogging fodder. Not sure if I will harass John Bytheway this year, been there done that. But we shall see.