Murder Mystery

I'm still a little behind in documenting the "current events" happening in MissPrissMorgan Land.  Better late than never right?! 

Gibber-Snibbs has been an official missionary for about 1 ½ months.  Before he left, two of our friends, Spencer and Laura, planed an uh.may.zing going away party for him in the form of a Murder Mystery Party!  We met at Mystery Adventures and after filling out some paperwork, were given our dossiers.  Dossier is a fancy French word meaning "file containing records of a person or event," it's also really fun to say.  In it we learned of the murder of a man.  We were given background information on potential suspects, and learned a little history about a certain voo doo mask with magical powers.

It was then time to jump on the party bus and head out to do some very important investigatory work!  It's a good thing I watch Law & Order SVU, and Criminal Minds, I felt extremely prepared to play along! 

Our first stop was the office building of paranormal investigators.  There were all kinds of video clues, and pictures we needed to observe, but lets be honest, I was more interested in tearing the place apart to find evidence and "crystal balls."  Once we had done all possible damage at the office, we found another address, and decided to go there.  This led us to the house of a voo doo witch lady, and it was the coolest house ever!  There was a book case that opened up into a dungeon!  We found chains, cages, jars of blood, and the names of previous and future victims posted on the wall... One of them said "Morgan Green!" Yikes! 

After more ransacking and key finding, we were finally able to get into the torture chamber, find the voo doo mask and solve the mystery!  We even earned promotions to Inspector!

Problem solving and clue puzzling made us all very hungry, so we went to dinner at a Thai restaurant.  Everyone had such a great evening, and I know Griff really enjoyed his send off!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

I really need to get in the habit of taking more pictures. Until then, please enjoy re-posts!

Awkward:

 

☆ Leaving my cell phone at a new restaurant we tried.  When the owner found it, she called Muscley Arms who is listed in my phone as "[first name] So Sexy [last name]."  I'm sure they got a nice little chuckle out of that one.

☆ Having to buy new underwear...  No, that's not so much awkward as is the reason behind it.  I am rarely home and haven't done laundry in almost a month.  No clean panties?  Just buy new ones. 

☆ Realizing that not everyone understands the concept of proper gym attire.  Flimsy tank tops are not a good shirt to exercise in... it doesn't help that you cut a slit down the front... or that you're not wearing a bra.  Please put those away, if I see another nip-slip I might vomit. 

☆ My recent food baby.  No I'm not preggers, I just ate a lot this week, and the gym isn't working.  I know it's becoming a problem because I got a few stink-eye glances from friends after inhaling 2 white paper soufflé cups of just ketchup the other night.  What?  It satisfied my food-baby craving more then the rest of the meal.

☆ ½ way through brushing my teeth in the bathroom at work after lunch, when a voice from one of the stalls asks, "Hey, are you almost done?"  Umm, how do I respond to that?
 
Awesome:
 

☆ Living in Las Vegas for 25 years and still finding new, incredible things to do here, like night hiking to hot springs. 

☆ Warmer weather has finally reached us!  I waxed my legs, painted my toes and hit a tanning bed.  I'm ready for shorts!

☆ Korean-Mexican fusion! Who knew that not only would it work, but that it would be delicious!?

☆ Sunflower seeds.  Without the shell.  I'm obsessed.

☆ Date night with Muscley Arms to try our third new restaurant this week.  Neither of us eat fish, so imagine my confusion when he suggested sushi.  Do you want to know how many times throughout the meal I said, "Mmmmm! I love fish!" It was the equivalent of a metric butt-ton.

☆ It's been 2 years since my last big vacation, and I gotta say, I'm getting a little antsy.  Last night, we booked a week long trip to Cancun!  Woo hoo!

 

Happiness is

Night Hike to the Hot Pots

I've lived in Las Vegas for over 20 years, and I find it funny how much I haven't done.  Did you know that there are hot springs in Las Vegas?  Neither did I, until Saturday!  A friend mentioned that we should hike to the hot springs and of course, I was in!  I thought it would be a really fun group activity, so I got on my trusty phone, and sent a mass text to about 35 people.  I tried to select the perfect mix of guys and girls to make the invitation more enticing.  Imagine my excitement when Saturday night, when a whooping 9 people showed up {7 of which were single guys}!

I didn't let it get to me.  I got the feeling a lot of girls wouldn't be down for this sort of activity when my mass text was met with responses of "What are you wearing?" and "What boys will be there?"  I figured if they weren't down for a good time, regardless of what potential spouses might attend, then c'est la vie!  Around 9:30 pm, our small, but super-fun group jumped in the car and headed out to the Hoover Dam!

Normally, when I've been on "hikes" in the past, they aren't the rugged, boy scout type of hikes I see on TV.  They are more of a leisurely stroll down a dirt path.  In all honesty, the latter is what I was expecting.  Boy was I wrong!  This hike was L.E.G.I.T.  First of all, we couldn't have picked a more beautiful night to go.  Las Vegas still hasn't quite gotten the hang of "Springtime," and we've been dealing with rain and gale force winds; but Saturday night was a perfect 75°, clear sky night with just the slightest of breezes.  We headed out into the canyon, surrounded by megalithic rocks and desert plant life.  Before long, we were jumping off small cliffs, sliding down boulders, rock climbing with our bare hands, and climbing up/down 20+ feet high rock faces using tattered ropes.  It was definitely my kind of hike!

It took us about an hour and a half to reach the hot springs.  Once there, we all stripped down to our swimsuits and got in.  There was one semi-warm pool, and one hot-tub-like pool.  We took turns climbing and sliding down the boulders that separated the two.  In the back of the warmer pool there was a cave, but to get to it, we had to swim underneath the water, between a really small crevasse for about 6 feet.  It was a little intimidating, but totally worth it!  We brought in glow sticks and enjoyed the sauna created by the grotto.  After about 45 minutes of playing, we realized it was getting quite late and decided to dry off, get dressed, and hike back.

The way back to the car took a little longer than going to the pools.  We decided to turn off our headlamps and just rely on our night vision.  It was awesome.  We were better able to appreciate the beauty surrounding us.  In Las Vegas, the night time is often drowned out by the neon lights of the strip, so we don't often see stars, or appreciate how bright the moon can be.  I loved looking at the mountains, and hearing the silent peace of the night.  There really wasn't much sound, except for maybe a few Disney songs sung by Muscley Arms, the sound of the rocky sand beneath our feet, and a brief encounter with a choking homeless man... it turns out he was just snoring.

We didn't get back to the car until about 3:30 am, and by then I could feel the fatigue.  We were first to arrive and had to wait for the rest of the group.  My legs didn't want to move anymore, so I hoped into the bed of the truck and laid back to enjoy the crisp air, and stars.  STARS!  Who knew we had stars in Las Vegas?

 

I had such a great time!  The boys kept mentioning how the hike would have been an amazing date, but most girls would have hated it, or not been able to do it.  Not this girl!  It was right up my alley, and I'm so excited to go back and do it again!

Disneyland

Three weekends ago I went to

What? It's ok to write about Disneyland three weeks late... I've been busy trying to pee out a rock. TMI? Anyway, I haven't been to the Happiest Place on Earth for about 10 years, and to be honest, I wasn't really excited about going {maybe I'm a Grinch}.  However, I was able to overcome the dark forces of Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Ursula combined, and have a jolly good time...  I had the best time!

Our hotel was only about 5 blocks from the park, so Saturday morning, my girlfriend and I decided to walk.  All the way, I commented what a beautiful day it was, 83˚, super sun-shiny, and just a slight breeze to ward off sweat!  With each step my body absorbed more vitamin D from the sun's rays and I could feel my mood improving, until I started skipping and singing Disney songs.  Yep I was that girl.  We couldn't have picked a better day to spend outdoors! 

As we were walking, we noticed hoards of people going the opposite direction.  "Where are you going?  The park is this way," my girlfriend kept asking.  When we arrived at the front gates, we found out.  The entire Disneyland Resort (Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney) were all closed due to a bomb threat earlier that morning!  Closed?!  I couldn't help myself and I started to cry.  I had gotten so excited, and now what?  Was I supposed to turn around and go home?

Unwilling to accept defeat, we walked across the street to have breakfast at IHOP.  We decided that maybe the park would open later and that we would wait until about 1:00 pm before throwing in the towel.  We had a nice breakfast, and one of the servers even made me a Goofy balloon animal.  I wasn't sure if he was just being nice, or if he was rubbing the park's closure in my face.  But then, just as we were paying and headed out, there was an announcement that the park was open!  "YES!" Happy dances ensued and we headed over, and we even got ½ price tickets for the inconvenience.

Whoever said that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth sure was right.  As we walked in staff members were lined down Main Street, smiling, waving and welcoming us.  One even said to me as I walked by, "Welcome home, Princess."  I about peed my pants!

It's amazing what a smile and a wave can to do for someone's mood!  My girlfriend commented that even the birds were happier at Disneyland, I noticed that they were happily chirping and agreed.  For being on the up-side of 20-something, I felt like a little kid!  I was so excited and happy, I can't tell you how much I cheered, jumped, and sang all day.

One nice thing about the park closure in the morning was that everyone must have decided to go home and come back another day.  I have never seen it so empty.  We didn't wait in line longer than 15-20 minutes for any ride, except Space Mountain!  For that, we waited 75 minutes, and just as we boarded our space craft, the ride broke down and they evacuated the entire complex!  For our troubles we were given unlimited Fast Passes, and we were able to cut to the front of every ride for the rest of the day!

We were able to ride each ride 2-3 times, we saw the parade, and Mickey's Fantasmic show {which was awesome!} and even got some souvenir shopping in.  I bought my brother some Aztec gold from Pirates, myself a Minnie Mouse mug, and my "big bear hunter" a Davey Crocket hat and a Pirates of the Caribbean baseball.  We ate at a few of the restaurants and enjoyed lots of yummy treats, I even got my frozen banana- my favorite!  It was such a glorious day, I wish I could do it all over again!

A good first impression

One night we were talking about he and I met.  Originally we decided that we met after an institute class, and that I was a snob.  As previously explained I didn't intend to be, I was just busy coordinating everything.  I'm sure I introduced myself, shook hands, exchanged how-are-you's and then ran off to deal with the refreshments.  He says snob, I say "very busy and important."

But when the topic came up again the other night, I remembered a key detail.  I remembered that the night at institute was not our first time meeting.  I remembered after that institute class we met, shook hands and I said, "Oh, I think we've met before, but I'm sorry I don't remember your name..."  It's strange I would say that to someone I was just meeting for the first time.

We thought about it some and then he tried to remember moving to Las Vegas, and a few of his very first friends here.  I asked him, "who was the first person you met in the ward?"  He started by saying, "John..." (the friend who helped him move in), but then something triggered his memory.  '... Actually, you know what?  That's not true, I met a girl before that..."

He told me about how he had come to Las Vegas to scope out his new ward, about a week before actually moving here.  He didn't know anyone but knew he should at least introduce himself to the Bishop.  After sacrament meeting, he leaned forward and asked the girl sitting in front of him, "Which one of those men is the Bishop?  The one who is asleep?"

Just then, my memory was sparked and I finished his story for him, "Yes.  He's an OBGYN and is on call 24/7, this is really the only time he has to sleep.  By the way I'm Morgan, nice to meet you." {Shake hands, and conversation continues with me giving him information on the new member meeting & candy in the bishop's office.}

"That was you?!"  We said in unison, half excited half confused.  I felt like I had just been struck by lightning.  I vividly remember the conversation, I even remember what he was wearing, but I couldn't remember his face, I still can't.  It turns out I was the first friend he had made in Las Vegas, I guess I'm not such a snob after all.

Motion Sickness

Have I ever mentioned that I suffer from motion sickness? Dramamine non-drowsy formula is one of my very best friends. We do everything together, airplane rides, road trips, roller coasters. The only time he ever stood me up was when one of my very best friends got his pilot's license and took me up for a ride. There were lots of zero gravity tricks, and I may have vomited on the pilot... more than once. The details escape me. Needless to say, it didn't go so well.

While I know most of my motion-sick triggers, I never would have guessed that Pinterest would be one of them! Yes, Pinterest, the iPhone app to be exact. Sometimes too much of a good thing really is too much. Yesterday, whilst enjoying the spring sunshine, I was scrolling through all of the beautiful images until I was so overly stimulated I felt like my brain might explode! But that didn't stop me. Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling.

Uh oh!

Suddenly the nausea kicked in, and I knew I was done for! It was so bad, I actually had to leave work! Kids, be careful while digitally stimulating yourself... And don't forget your Dramamine!

He should...

 

 He should:
 
♥ tell you you're beautiful every day
♥ make you feel sexy
♥ make you laugh
♥ make you smile
♥ be protective of your heart and your feelings
♥ want to kiss you every chance he gets
♥ hold your hand
♥ compliment you
♥ compromise
♥ appreciate everything you have to offer
♥ show the you, and the world, that you are important to him   
♥ love you as much for your weaknesses as your strengths 
♥ talk to you 
♥ feel lucky that you chose him
♥ want to be around you 
♥ encourage your goals and aspirations
♥ tell you how much he likes you 
♥  take you on dates
♥ open doors for you
♥ stick up for you
♥ make you want to be a better person
 
If he does, he's a keeper.

Blarney Blast

I am always looking for a reason to party, give me a holiday and I'll make it happen.  This year for St. Patrick's Day, my friends and I decided to host Blarney Blast.  I was a simple dinner/get-together, but can I just tell you, it was a blast!!!

 

I spent close to 9 hours cooking a traditional Irish Dinner: Corned Beef, Guinness Stew, Irish Soda Bread, Chocolate Stout Cupcakes, and Irish Cream & Mint Chocolate Trifles {click titles for the recipes}.  Since none of us drink alcohol, we played Beer Pong with green Gatorade, listened to Irish music {and by Irish music, I mean Mumford & Sons and Flogging Molly}, and even played some Rock Band. 

 

Since mucley arms was such a great nurse this past week, I decided to let him know how lucky I am to have him.  Growing up, my mom always did something special for each of us on every holiday, and I have really embraced that tradition.  I purchased some inexpensive Irish and green themed things {a St. Patrick's Day t-shirt, A green baseball cap, some green boxers with clovers on them, gold coin and gold nugget candy, a green self adhesive handle bar mustache, and some other small things} and placed them in a black gift bag with yellow tissue paper. 

I then purchased some inexpensive construction paper and created paper chains in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple,  {making a rainbow} which I taped to a door frame.  I then placed the gift bag under the rainbow {the little pot of gold} and created a scavenger hunt which led to the rainbow using green die cut clovers with clues on the back. At our party, the most of the guests figured the clovers and rainbow were just part of the decor!  It was a quick and inexpensive gift, and he loved it!