Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Spring Escape

A couple of weeks ago the stars all aligned and I decided that this was the week for my annual (solo) escape to Utah & Idaho.

I got up well before the crack of dawn yesterday and got on a plane, which meant I got to see this from the airplane window.


I had the strange experience of seeing this in the airport.


I also worried for a few minutes that I was going to get arrested for smuggling contraband.  As I was putting my carry-on bag up onto the conveyor belt to go through the security scanning I had a sinking realization that I had forgotten that I wasn't checking baggage when I packed my small suitcase.  I was carrying everything on with me.  Most of my toiletries were sample sized, but I had also packed my full-sized, Brand New, EXPENSIVE bottle of mousse.  (You wouldn't want me traveling with bad hair, would you???)


I was sure that they were going to arrest me, or at least yell at me.  By the time I'd gone through the scanner my heart was pounding in frightened anticipation.

And then my carry-on bag came rolling down the conveyor to me, right behind my shoes.

I grabbed everything and RAN.

Of course now the dilemma is what to do with the mousse on the way home.  Cindy Lynn thinks I should leave it with her, but I have declined the opportunity to have 5 bad hair days before I can get home and buy more.  Do I try to sneak it through again, and have it throw it away if they find it?  Or do I give it to someone on my last day in Utah?  This kind of question will keep me awake at night...

When I arrived in Utah I saw quickly that while spring might be happening in NC, it has definitely not arrived in Utah.


Pretty, but chilly.

My first stop on my trip was to spend a day and two nights with Cindy Lynn in Rexburg.  I love seeing the Rexburg temple when you drive into town.


We had fun shopping together, where we were tempted to buy this jacket.

We were very tempted, especially because we could have gotten this too:


Just in case you can't imagine the full magnificance of this outfit, let me show you again...


But in the end I had to remind myself that I was travelling light and so we walked away without buying...

We also had a great time playing Ticket to Ride.  Three times in 24 hours!  At lunchtime we persuaded Mahon to ignore his books for a while and come play with us.  A decision he probably regretted for the rest of the day...


Don't worry...we eventually calmed down and are all friends again.  But Cindy Lynn said she's not playing TTR with me again for a while.


I'm so glad that I got to come and hang out with Cindy Lynn and Mahon.  I always love spending time with them, but I love seeing how happy they are together in their little home.

Here are a few final pictures from my day in Rexburg.

Stay tuned: Tomorrow I head back to Utah!

4 comments:

  1. How fun- and I love CL's hair clip...it reminded me I need to go on her Etsy site and order some for Marley and me! Also- re: the mousse, I would definitely try to sneak it back through. I have made it through airport security with random liquids in my bag so many times I can't even tell you. I don't think they've ever pulled anything out. But then I'll feel really bad if you lose it!

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  2. Congrats on saving the mousse! =D Sounds like you are having a great trip. I'm so glad for you that you could go!

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  3. You look like you're having such a great time! I bet CL loves you being there...

    I will warn you that my experience with the SLC airport security is /quite/ different than with RDU. Probably because it's a bigger airport, so they have to be a little more efficient...but they've been much less lenient for me. Mousse isn't quite the same thing as lotion or gel, though...so you might be able to get away with it. It's worth a shot!

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  4. Fun trip! Love the Utah mountains and I love the Rexburg temple. And I love Ticket to Ride!
    Glad you made it through with your mousse. Despite all their efforts they totally miss stuff all the time! I made home from my brother's wedding in Portland once with a full-size pair of gingham scissors in my purse! I had totally forgotten they were there and was SO relieved when I realized they were there that they hadn't been confiscated at the airport. My mom would NOT have been happy. Another time I was taken to a table by security while I had the "knife" removed from my carry-on. Turn out to be a small pocket knife that I had forgotten was on my key chain...

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