just another day at the office

the extra long hours i've been putting in at work recently were alleviated by this little delivery yesterday:



thanks AGAIN to the man from utah...they are in prime position to make all my co-workers jealous;)

so, though i was at work late on thursday, unnecessarily later on friday (the cleaning crew decided to shut my locked door with my keys and the rest of my things inside. since it was 9pm, it took awhile to find someone who could come back and let me in) and again yesterday, i've had a few opportunities to get out.

saturday, i attended lara's mom's memorial service. the funeral is being held tomorrow in utah, but saturday allowed those in va, where she spent the last many years, the opportunity to remember and show support. lara is holding up and i know she's grateful for the well wishes and thoughtful expressions she and her family have received.

on saturday night anne and i had a chance to meet up for a late meal, and sunday, i made a visit to my old singles ward. it was a bit of a surprise to see that so many faces had changed, but the few people i had hoped to say goodbye to were easily found.

monday night saw my final 'regularly scheduled' dinner with justin, and i am taking tonight off:)

the next couple of days will be quite hectic, but i'm looking forward to friday when the pressure should ease ever so slightly.

details for the road trip/move are coming together. on sunday night, i had a chance to talk to laura for the first time. she has graciously agreed to host me for the new orleans portion of the journey, and even though we ever met, our mutual connections, lara, heidi, and oliver, made it feel like we were old friends. i am so excited to finally meet her, and it seems that she will also make a fabulous tour guide. can anyone say palm reading?

once i arrive in in california the schedule remains fairly hectic. about two weeks after arriving, i'll be returning to va for the first event, then heading back to ca for a few days before flying out to utah for a long weekend. then it's back to california for a couple of days, and one more trip to va. whether that will be the final pre-christmas virginia trip remains to be seen. it will be fascinating to watch the future unfold.

i'm not even kidding

move prep

the no brainer
thanks to many of you who clued me in to the value of ordering boxes from costco

the cool new must have
an absolute must for the serious road tripper. genius. absolutely genius.

the quikpod on crack

you jeered and sneered when i bought a quikpod. the words 'geek' and 'nerd' were even used. but who's laughing now? uh huh, that's what i thought. truth be told, the quikpod was an incredible investment, and since the trip will be full of self-portraits, i thought the extra extension might allow for more variety. also enhanced by the item below...

the indulgent purchase
what can i say? mine's wearing out, and now it comes in pink :)

a few more details

okay, per lara's email below, the memorial service info is:

Saturday, Sept. 15th, 3 PM
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
21015 Claiborne Pkwy, Ashburn, VA 20147

the church building will not accept flowers, so members of the relief society will be transporting any received from the ashburn home, located at 43108 Stonecottage Place, Ashburn, VA 20147

the funeral will be held in utah, on wednesday, september 19th at 11:00am, and flowers can be sent via:

Olpin Funeral Home
881 E. 1180 N
Pleasant Grove, UT 84062
(801) 221-5405

i just got off the phone with her and she is holding up remarkably well. when i asked what people could do for her, her response was 'ask them to be patient, i will get my wedding thank you's out as soon as i can.'

clearly, her good humor remains in tact:)

for those who may not have seen this...

date Sep 13, 2007 3:02 PM
subject In Loving Memory of Karen Sedar

Dear Friends,

With much sorrow, I am sorry to announce that my mother has lost her 5 year battle with colon cancer. She passed away this morning at 1 AM ET in the comfort of her home. Over the past week, all of my sisters were able to gather together to provide care and comfort. Anyone that would like to join my family in remembering and celebrating her life is invited to join us for a memorial service this Saturday, Sept. 15th at 3 PM ET at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel located at: 21015 Claiborne Pkwy, Ashburn, VA 20147. She will be buried next to my father in Alpine, Utah next week.

On a personal note, I can't thank everyone enough for your continuous love and support for my mom and my family over the past several years. I will miss my mom terribly but take a lot of comfort in knowing that she is no longer suffering from the physical pains caused by this disease. Thank you again for your love and friendship.

Love,
Lara