If You Wouldn't Mind

Hello happy friends!

So... I've been blog stalking for a while now.  And I LOVE that I have friends who want to put a link to my blog on the side of their's.  However... I would like to point out something.  From the beginning of my blog I decided I wanted to keep my real identity hidden.  I even went over a year before I posted a picture of my face.  That's how hidden I wanted to be.  I decided that the world isn't THAT dangerous, and seeing as how I haven't committed any crimes, I don't believe my face can be found in any searchable face recognition data bases and I was probably being a little over cautious.  So, now there are pictures that include my face and my dear Hod's face.  There is just one piece missing.  Our names.  I'm not being Paily instead of Aretha (Man that lady can sing) just for fun.  I'm Paily and he is Hod because I don't want our names anywhere.

This is what I am asking.  If you have a link to my blog, first of all, thanks!  Would you mind checking to make sure that my name isn't on it?  Can you say something about Paily and Hod instead of Aretha and Frank?  (I have no idea where those names are coming from... and I can't say the real names cause that kind of ruins it too... just go with it.)  And along with not putting Aretha and Frank, can you be sure not to put our last name of Smithsonian anywhere?  (You may have heard of my super cool museum... yeah, I'm that famous)

Thanks, Yo's.  I knew I could count on you!

#39

Have any of you noticed that if you look at a fellow blogger's profile, and you read through the blogs they follow, any title with an apostrophe shows up as #39?  I kind of feel left out.  Like maybe I should have named my blog something like "I'm in need of buckets!" so then when it was listed it would say I#39m in need of buckets!  How cool is that?  But, No, it's just boring and plain and has no symbols that make me think slightly of expletives. Not that I want people to think I'm swearing.  (side note, do you have any idea how hard it was to figure out how to spell expletive?  That's a special word right there.)

Really... there is no point in this.  Just that I feel a little left out of the #39 club.  Oh well.

A Little Laugh From Date Night

(While watching "Return of the Jedi")
Paily: The Ewoks are SO cute!  I want one!
Hod:  I'm pretty sure it's illegal to own a midget as a pet.

The best part to me, is that he said this so matter of factly.  Apparently I say stupid things on a regular basis and it no longer surprises him.

The Chance to Obtain Buckets

Do you ever meet a person, and your first opinion of them is something like, "Huh.  That person sure has a lot of ... character.  I'd be OK with it if they just stayed on that side of the room."

We had a new family move into the ward this week.  Actually quite a few new families.  That happens about this time of year when you live in a college town.  There was a specific woman who caught my eye.  She made a few comments in class, she seemed really nice, I just didn't know that I wanted to be friends with her.  Pretty much I don't have enough charity.

Then, today, I was given the chance to do a service opportunity with her.  We talked, we got to know each other, we learned some stuff, and when we left, she told me that she wanted to do something with me again.  I gave her the basic, "Oh, uh, yeah... that would be good, although Hod and I are really busy, so it will be hard to find a time..."  Pretty much as non-committal as I could get.

I got home, and thought about what had happened.  Really, she's nice.  She wants to do whats right.  She is a newly-wed, and trying to figure out married life.  And there I was, being all sorts of mean in my heart.  I was kind enough on the outside to make this nice woman think we were friends.  Then I turned around and grumbled.  Why do I do that?  Why do people (Namely me) think that I'm better than anyone?  I have issues, I'm not perfect, I do stupid things, I can be hard to handle at the beginning.

So, this is the plan: I, Paily, am going to get over myself.  I'll be honest, I don't plan on inviting them to a sleepover or anything soon.  But I plan on finding a way to get to know this person.  To get past the quirkie outside and find the warm fuzzy center.  We may never be the best of friends, but I will come to love her as a child of God.  Think I can do it?  Here's hoping!