You Have Reached The Voice Mailbox of...

I have found that one of the most controversial topics of discussion revolves around something we all deal with everyday. The most contrast in opinion includes the very thing that we as social beings either adamantly participate in or profusely refuse to participate in. I think you know what I'm talking about...VOICEMAIL!

Now I have heard from quite a few nonbelievers that they don't leave voice messages and therefore fail to ever check their incoming voice messages. "It's a pointless waste of time and energy. I can always call back or they'll call me back." Blasphemers! What if they don't cal back? What if you don't recognize the number? What if it's a job interview? What if they're about to fall to their death but wanted to leave you one last piece of wisdom before their utter doom and gloom consumes their utterances?! Tell me, What then huh?!

In case you didn't already gather, I'm a big supporter of voice messages for the simple reason that they make me feel darn good. When I unlock my phone to see a little message icon blinking at me, it's exhilarating. I can't wait to see who it's from and what it could be about! Sometimes it's from Peter and it's as simple as "Hey just wanted to talk, can't wait to hear from you, have a good day!" Feels Great! It could be from my mom "Just needed some information from you. Call me back whenever you get the chance, love ya." Feels Great! Could be from Talysa (yep I'm finally getting to the point of all this rambling) "Hey Taylee, it's me, your BFF the one named Talysa, so....um I'm calling you, obviously, but you didn't pick up which is kinda lame. You're probably doing something exciting or awe-inspiring which is NOT cooler than what I'm doing because I'm leaving you a voice message and that can't be topped. In fact, this message might be so long that your phone will beep at me and tell me that it's too long and I need to try again. If that is the case, I won't mind because then I get to say even MORE! Even though it just occurred to me that if that happens, you won't get to hear any of this message..."

Yep, that pretty much is the 'tell-all' of the relationship that Talysa and I have with one another. Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than hearing Talysa's creativity through to outlet of a voicemail (that's obviously excluding wearing high suede boots and buying a Groupon cause those things just can't be topped). I encourage all you nonbelievers to partake and bask in the never ending, joy provoking, laugh inducing, fate inspiring mechanism that takes on the name VoiceMail!

Dear Miss Taylee,

You are a ray of sunshine

In a world that's sometimes grey.

The magic of your company

Will brighten up the day.

You've guided me through the bad times,

Wiped away my tears,

And brought me so much joy

As we've traveled through the year.

It warms my heart to know

You chose me as your friend.

A loyal, loving person

On whom I can depend.

If I could have one wish,

I'd make it just for you.

I'd ask God for His blessing,

In everything you do.

I love and miss you so much! I hope to see you before March, but I honestly don't know if that will happen. I'll take what I can get though!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!

Love,

Talysa

Through The Mouths of Babes

Besides our fashion sense, boy admiration, celebrity envy, bozo tolerance, music choice, netflix passion, movie musts, and every waking thought, Talysa and I have something big in common. We were both nannies. Now whether you're one of those people who thinks its really work or not is irrelevant because what I'm wanting to share has to do with 'the darndest things kids say.'

One of the things that drew Talysa and I together in our inter-woven friendship was our ability to finally talk to someone about what took up most of our time and have them not only understand but also relate. I have happened upon three stories in the past short while that I have shared with her that I decided were too smile-provoking to only keep between us.

#1. Elliot is a nine year old, head-strong entrepreneur who knows what he wants. This story took place in the kitchen while I was trying to get three kids out the door to school.

Elliot: Taylee, can I have some toast for breakfast?

Taylee: Sure Elliot, it'll be ready in three minutes.

Three minutes pass. I put the toast on a plate and placed it in front of Elliot.

Elliot: (with a look of disgust) Ughh! I never said I wanted it TOASTED!

#2. A young girl of five or six was trying desperately to explain something to her younger brother but couldn't remember the correct term for what she was describing. Frustrated, she ran to her mom in the other room. "Mom, what do you call it when two people sleep on top of each other?" Her mom, a little taken aback, didn't know how to answer her question. She tried several approaches of dancing around the issue but then decided to just directly answer her question. "Honey, it's called sex." The girl was satisfied with the short answer and ran off to her younger brother. The mother was still wondering how on earth her young daughter already had such a question when the daughter came running back. "Mom, you were wrong! It's not called sex, it's called bunk-beds."

#3. This isn't so much a story as it is an observation of the young mind at work. Jane, age 5 and a half, (she won't let you forget the half) filled four cups with water, each with a little bit more than the last. This is how she described their progression: little, medium, bigger than medium, and hugest. The steadiest form of measurement.

'Nuff Said

'Nuff Said

Jammin’ out to Glee and Cee Lo Green.

Trying to be the hippest Mormon scene.

Listening to 'Marry You' as we’d find “something dumb to do."

Gossiping ‘bout Teej and Pattywack.

Reading each other’s minds behind their back.

Bowling nights in the middle of the workweek ‘cause we didn’t seem to care.

Then time said we had to change…

Now I come home at the end of the day,

Undo my hair and prop my legs

And I enter what I know to be

A state of noncommittal and infirmity.

But no matter what we go and do,

I’m still me and you’re still you

We’ll always be…

T-T-T-TIMELESS!

Sandwich notebook always in my bag.

Movie weekends and pictures left to bag.

Queso nights and using charm to let our wallets be.

Writing songs that didn’t mean a thing.

Karaoke to prove that fools can sing.

Midw-week sushi, Oberweiss, and dressing like we were something to see!

Then time said we had to change…

Now I come home at the end of the day,

Undo my hair and prop my legs

And I enter what I know to be

A state of noncommittal and infirmity.

But no matter what we go and do

I’m still me and you’re still you

Together we'll be…

We'll always be...

You and Me...

T-T-T-TIMELESS!

My Best Friend Taylee.

As my very 1st contribution to mine and Taylee's blog, I have decided to write (almost) EVERYTHING I love about my best friend Taylee. She means so much to me and words could never express how big of an impact she's made, and continues to make on my life.
(Taylee has no idea that I'm doing this, which makes it that much more exciting for me!)

-Even though it was my idea to start a blog together, she has never complained that I've never written anything on it! And it's definitely been a few months!

-Of the whole 7 months I was around her physically, I swear she had a smile on her face every single day! She is so optimistic and truly happy. You can see it in her countenance.

-She is amazingly talented with her voice, the piano, and now the guitar! Even though I don't sing very well, or play the piano very well, she's never made me feel embarrassed. She would pretty much BEG me to play the piano for her and she needed someone to harmonize with her on some songs so instead of asking every other musically gifted girl in our Branch, she asked me to sing with her!

-Taylee has seen me without makeup, in my pajamas, with my hair sticking out in every single direction, and she still hung out with me day after day!

-I felt so comfortable telling her everything about myself the very first day we ever hung out. And to be exact, it was on the drive up to 6 Flags, one week after I moved to Chicago!

-Well look at her! Taylee is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!

-She always knows what to say when I get upset about something. I know she really cares about me. I can feel it every time we have deep conversations which happen pretty much everyday!

-Even though Taylee is only 20, she is extremely mature and intelligent for her age! I never would have guessed she was only 19 when I met her! I feel bad she had to "dumb things down" a bit when she would talk to me, but that is just another reason why I love her =]

-She never has anything mean or critical to say about anybody or anything. She's the most non-judgmental person I have ever met! It means a lot to me that she accepts me for me because Heaven knows I'm not perfect!!

-Even though her and I are literally States apart, it still feels like she's still only 15 minutes away due to the fact that we talk/text alllllllll the time!!!!!

-Taylee tells it how it is. There is no BS with her! She says things that need to be said, but she says it in a very sweet, understanding, non-condescending way. She doesn't let me get away with things that she knows is important to me. I wouldn't have it any other way!

-5 hours with Taylee feels like 5 minutes. Time flies when we're having fun. Her and I definitley know how to have fun!!!

-"Forget You!!" 'nuff said..

-She lives what she believes. She is very strong in the Gospel and I can see it perfectly. I know that she will NEVER lower her standards for anybody. She doesn't swear, she doesn't drink coffee (Which is huge in Chicago), she doesn't watch R movies, she doesn't dress immodestly. She is truly an amazing girl, and it makes me want to be better!

-She has the cutest, most contagious laugh ever!! Most of the times when I'd laugh until I cried was because she would get going on laugh attacks that would last about 10 minutes! Best memories I have with Scattegories EVER!

-She is very "creative" with her cooking! Especially when it comes to making vegan brownies from scratch!

-Taylee is amazing, beautiful, true, honest, spiritual, talented, warm, loving, appreciative, forgiving, outgoing, silly, smart, down-to-earth, photogenic, daring, dorky, funny, happy, my best friend.... MY SISTER. I couldn't have asked for a better person to come into my life when I needed someone the most.

I LOVE YOU TAYLEE.

(My clever sign off goes here),
Talysa

Am I Mail-Worthy?!

I don't think anyone has yet been able to identify the reasoning behind the excitement that comes with snail mail. It doesn't matter if it's a massive package, a letter, a post-card, or even a bill. There is some innate giddiness that comes from seeing your name evenly printed on what you take out of the mailbox. I just recently realized that the reason I enjoy shopping online so much is the fact that I get to look forward to the package. With the online tracker, not only do I know exactly what is in the package, I know exactly when it will arrive...and yet it's still the most exciting part of my day.

I did have a reason for bringing this up. With Talysa now in Utah, it's put an obvious damper on our 'Taylee&Talysa' time; However, it has unearthed an entirely new value to our Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly notebook. Not only do we get to wonder what the other is going to write in it, we also get to wait (impatiently) for it to arrive in package form. Even though we have technology that allows me to hear about her 'Stu the Anchor Man' Skype sessions immediately, and even though I can text her right away after one of my 'Josh the Lawyer' bed-time discussions...seeing it written out in a notebook that was received via mail makes it that much more fulfilling.

Right now it is in the mail and I can not wait to see my name written across the middle, boldly implying that I, Taylee Robinson, am an important, mail-worthy addition to society!

Without Wax,

Taylee

The Non-Narrator

There are two ways to deal with information after a lot has transpired: The first possible scenario is to tip-toe around it while making a cutesie story and stringing the non-narrator along while you divulge rather unimportant information that may or may not waste someone's day. The latter and less common way is the way I am going to use. It is quickly and efficiently divulging all the information that needs to be known in a timely (i.e. entertaining) manner. Here it goes...

A lot has come to pass. First off, Talysa got an out-of-state boyfriend that decided she needed to be the man in the relationship. Needless to say, she preferred being the estrogen so that didn't turn out the best. Second, the flirty waiter at Chili's became my boyfriend after 4 similar trips to the Chili's Saturday Night Lounge. Like I said, entertaining. That was a good yet short-lived run but enjoyable nonetheless. During that time, Talysa and I found time to embarrass ourselves via poole and karaoke night and countless trips for midnight sushi. We dressed to impress and yet never seemed to see anyone...I wonder if the time of day had anything to do with it?

Talysa has now moved back to Utah which seemed to be needed and I have lowered myself to calling strangers for weekend hang-outs. Yes this is the reality of a sister-esque friendship. The friendship is not dead, however, and never can be. We still send our "Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwich Notebook" through the snail mail so it can be updated continuously and I have recently started composing an all encompassing song that will embarrass both of us if ever heard by the general public.

Ahh the beauty of sisterhood!

Without Wax,

Taylee

Uncommon Talent!

Last Saturday, while enjoying a girl's night with just ourselves, Talysa and I discovered a talent never before known to either one of us. This talent had shown through once before, but that time alone hadn't been enough to convince us of its true potential. Saturday was the confirmation.

While sitting at the booth at Chiles, after enjoying "Tangled" ( one of the greatest 'chick' films out there) we waited for our server to arrive. We didn't have to wait very long at all. He came up to the table a few minutes later and introduced himself. (It must not have been a very thorough introduction because neither of us can seem to remember his name.) We ordered chips and salsa and he said we also wanted Queso. We're an easy sale I guess. He brought us the queso and chips only a few minutes later. He returned every five minutes or so until we finally decided we wanted the salmon. We continued to just talk and eat, but he continued to stop by every five or so minutes. Spread out through those times, he had managed to tell us about how much he likes drinking, his age, where he goes to school, how much longer he'd be working, and when his next shift would be. Talysa and I had managed to tell him our ages, where we went to school and that we didn't have plans for that night.

I may have batted my eyelashes a few extra times and Talysa may have pursed my lips when it wasn't necessary but who was keeping track?! After over an hour of being there, he finally brought the check and said "I may have taken care of a few things..." Sure enough, the queso was free, the brownie sundae we had ordered had been given to us on a special and the only thing charged had been the salmon. Our total for an appetizer, seafood entree, and dessert was $13! If that wasn't enough, when he came back to take the check, he got us two drinks on the house!

You could argue that this had just been one really lucky night. I would probably have even agreed with you on that, if this same exact thing hadn't happened one month prior as well with a server named Nick.

Talent? I think so. Useful? I know so.

Without Wax,

Taylee

Gala/Earl Had to Die

A couple months ago, I received an unexpected invitation. I was invited to a Gala party in which all my fellow scholarship winners would mingle. Now if you're like me, when you think Gala, you think about those professional parties that take place in Washington D.C. where they all wear tuxes and drink out of tall champagne glasses and nibble on orderves that are half the size of their pinky. While that explanation doesn't make it sound that appealing, who wouldn't want to go? I felt so sophisticated! Of course when it said I could bring a guest, Talysa and Jake were the essentials. They seemed just as excited as I was. We put on dresses (and suit so that Jake doesn't feel left out) and did up our hair, and did our very best to look professional. However, once we got there....it was somewhat of a disappointment. There were drinks in tall glasses but the glasses were plastic. There were orderves but they were crusted Macaroni and Cheese and there was mingling but only because if we filled our card with names, we could enter to win an Amazon gift card. Though Talysa and Jake said that they enjoyed it, let's be honest, they didn't want to make me feel bad.

We left after entering our name cards (obviously the Amazon gift card was a huge perk) and decided the night was too young to get back in the car and drive home. We found a cute little sushi bar down the street and went in in our heels, long coats, and curls. The next occurence will give you a good idea at how good our friendship must be. Yet again, I was laughing hysterically! Jake brought to my attention the song by the Dixie Chicks called "Earl had to Die." One of my personal favorites. He asked me how long it was after Wanda got married that she started getting abused? I thought it was a random question but started singing the song in my head..."well it wasn't two weeks after she got married that Wanda started getting abused..." I blurted out with cofidence, "Two weeks." He very proudly answered that I was incorrect. Eager to prove my point, I started singing the song to him. After I had, he just smiled and said "Taylee it WASN'T two weeks after she got married. It could be anything BUT two weeks. Four weeks, a day and two minutes, three years, we may never know." Once again, Jake had me. I didn't stop laughing the rest of the night and my sushi ended up having to take the back seat! It turned out to be a great night after all!

Without Wax,

Taylee

View From The Top!

In the far distance was the dark landscape of muddled lights trying to break through the mist of air but all blending in together. Building after building fought for the spotlight trying to prove their worth in the eyes of the beholder. The lake looked like a never-ending sheet of glass. The cars below still in the their place, as small as match heads, seemed insignificant. The buses slightly larger looked as though they were the hounds defending their turf. A pool on a rooftop had a glimmer from the moon's reflection of it. The tallest building seemed just equal with the eyeliner yet profound as it reached further toward heaven. Several church spires created a stark contrast from the plethora of high-rise, steel trees that poked through the clouds. There wasn't even a faint glimmer of a single star in the sky due to the city lights and the engrossing fog that only seemed to hide the very top of the tallest steel tree. All these lights together created a jewelry box filled with glimmering necklaces, shining gold bands, and pearls galore.

This is an image taken of the view of Chicago from the 95th floor of the John Hancock Tower in the month of September, 2010 while eating a good meal and talking with a good friend, Talysa. This is the view of what life really is. The buildings represent the working life and the accomplishments of man. The lake is our survival, our fun, our beauty. The cars and buses and trains symbolize the need to always be moving and to always have a purpose. The fog is the ongoing confusion that comes with being real and being human and making mistakes. The lights, however, are the reason we go through all of it. The lights are the beauty, the music, the speech, the glory, the emotion. Some people may look at this scene and see a busy city, chaotic maybe, sometimes impossible to deal with. I look at that scene and I feel a sense of joy and pride. This is my town. So many amazing things have happened here. I have felt so many powerful emotions while here that I associate with this beautiful city. Chicago creates its own beat, its own culture, its own story. Chicago has a history, a past, a future. Chicago is the house of my present.

Scattegories!

The game Scattegories has a magical property that releases all the possible endorphins in your brain causing you to think everything is funny. At the same time, it confines your normal thinking function so that coming up with a simple, 4-letter word that starts with S is impossible.

Obviously there is a story behind this discovery. Talysa and I were at Jake's house, which seems to be the norm these days, and we were sitting around the kitchen table playing Scattegories (as you may have guessed). The challenge was finding something in the kitchen that started with N. This shouldn't have been too difficult given that we were in the kitchen and all I had to do was look around. Unfortunately, Scattegories' magical property of confining the brain took affect and I was unable to think of anything that would fit. There was a newspaper sitting in front of me but of course that didn't register. I considered knife, knee, and knuckle sandwich but of course, those didn't exactly work. I resorted to the only thing that I could think of...Nostril.

This still wouldn't have been that funny but of course Scattegories' other magical property kicked in. Jake very seriously looked at me and said "that is not possible Taylee." I was confused, of course there were nostrils in the kitchen. In fact, there were six to be exact. I told him this but he wasn't swayed. His next line was what set off the incessant laughter. "What is a nostril but the absence of nose?"

Yep I lost it. That line sent me into a whirlwind of uncontrollable giggling which of course caused Talysa and then Jake to laugh. Oh, they weren't laughing with me as they may have later claimed, they were laughing at me. Nonetheless, the entire room was in abdominal and cheek pain from the uncontrollable jolts.

We finally composed ourselves and continued the game thinking that this experience was only one of our, shall we say, unmentionable experiences, but we were surprised to find that that wasn't the case. A couple days later we called Jake's sister living in Idaho and had to tell her what happened. SHE LAUGHED, TOO! It wasn't just us, it must have been a truly, funny experience. Or so I'd like to think, if for no other reason than to make me feel better.

There are many more Scattegories experiences to be had, especially since I scored 102 and intend to break my record!

Without Wax,

Taylee