Rape Hill...and her other blows to my esteem!

So there have been a few people who in the past have found great enjoyment in the sisterly love displayed by my older sister Lindsey and I. And then there have been a few who just like to have us around for pure entertainment factors, as if we are a 3D version of the latest comedy flick. So here's the thing...I don't always think she's so funny. In fact in my bank of memories she resembles more of a never-ending horror flick!! Let's go back in history a bit...

Freshmen year of High School...1994...first day of school:
Lindsey being the ever popular Senior and I the little freshman sister of the ever popular Lindsey received a bit of advice upon my entering the roller coaster ride called High School. I believe it is so ingrained in my memory that I can actually recall word for word what she said to me.
"Tristen, I'm going to tell you something that I wish someone would have told me. You're not going to get by on your looks so you better have a dang good personality!"
Now...let that sink in for a minute and ask yourself how you would respond to that. I'll tell you how I responded - I obediently followed those orders (back in those days I was still discovering who I was...so I listened to her more than I should have!) and accepted the fact that I was never going to be the pretty girl...but rather I was going to be the funny ugly girl??! All I know, is that sucks if that title stuck with me. I get it that everyone needs that funny/fat friend in their crowd - but honestly you never want it to be YOU!!! But nevertheless my lovely big sister dubbed me with what would come to be known as my identity.

Sophomore year of College at BYU:
Now by this time I've really come into my own. I've even kissed a boy and discovered that some days I'm actually pretty cute and have "a dang good personality." Although there was a slight hesitation in that discovery when my very first 'BF' did tell me that I was better looking in pictures than in real life.
**(Well little does he know that the IDEA of kissing him was way better than actually locking lips with him! Let's just say I called my mom the next morning and told her I thought I must be a lesbian because I DID NOT enjoy kissing my BF - it was disgusting! She responded with a new dress and a card saying, "You gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince." - Oh SHIZ...you don't even want to know about the army of frogs/toads I've dealt with!)
Back then I literally probably knew every good looking boy in Provo and had like 4 other siblings to accompany me in the Ure Posse all around town. So I didn't wonder too much about who I was, and as long as I made my Mammie proud I didn't really care what others thought.
And then there was the night that changed it all.
So I had just finished a huge test at the BYU testing center and wanted Lindsey to pick me up. It was late at night and we all know that's when the crazy Mormon's come out in Provo. To get home I would have to walk down the infamous 'Rape Hill' and was too terrified to do so and just wanted my big sissy to pick me up and keep me safe. This too was a moment ingrained in my memory so here's the convo. verbatim.
"Lindsey, will you pretty please pick me up?"
"No - just walk home! I'm watching tv" (some things haven't changed)
"But Lindsey, it's so late and I would have to walk down 'Rape Hill' - please come get me!"
"You're not even RAPE WORTHY! Walk home!"
-CLICK-
And that phone conversation led me to really rethink some of my esteem that seemed to at times be overflowing. Good 'ol Linds watches out for me and will never let me get too full of myself.

Mission for the LDS church...21 years old:
Life was great on the mission. I don't think my esteem has ever been more high. Looking back at pictures I apparently based my esteem on everything BUT looks (it was too hard to eat healthy and only 1 helping per meal and at the same time share the good word. So I chose the more important and shouted the good news from the rooftops and ate my little heart out). But I always found it a little odd when I would run into the office elders or even the Mission President himself on mail delivery day. They seemed to always do a bit of a double take, shake their head, and walk away. It confused me untill I would see that once again Lindsey's influence had followed me all the way across the country. On my packages that my mom religiously sent me week after week Lindsey lived out her dream of being a "tagger" and would cross out my name, "Sister Ure" and replace it with, "Elder Ure...she's actually really a man!" or "Warning! Caution! Sister Ure is a man dressed like a girl!"
Ohh Lindsey Lindsey Lindsey...I just want the world to know that I'm glad you're still looking out for me. I think it's great the way you advise me to first lose 10 lbs. before going out with a potential 'prince'. Or how you try to talk me into dating boys that you wouldn't have given the time of day (...DownEast, is all I gotta say..."hold that thought"...). Let's keep giving the world a comedic show. You be a mean big sister to me and watch the hysteria of laughter rise as it always does.
Oh wait -I forgot that the world actually CAN finally see you in action. All they have to do is tune into our debut of Family Feud on Christmas day and they can see how hard you pinch me and how loud I scream cause you didn't think I was fast enough to get into our huddle. I just want you to know that even though I don't think you're funny...I'm glad that in your heart of hearts you find yourself hillarious...you just keep telling yourself that!

Peter Ord...not the Strongest Man in the World

Although my friend Petey might like to think he is a close competitor with the other finalists at this years Strong Man Competition...I gotta say he wasn't even in the running. But the mature (after all my last name is in fact part of that lovely word!) side of me can look past all of that muscle and strength and stuff. I can look past and say that guy is the freaking funniest kid I know.
So I've been so excited that a fun friend finally moved here instead of the ever popular Huntington Beach. However, yesterday was the first time I actually got to hang out with that fun friend. Yeah - he's been here for a few months and apparently I'm not on top of his list of priorities. It's cool...I can look past that too! It was worth the wait.
Peter, myself, and a few of this friends made our way out to the Anaheim Convention Center to be a spectator of this years SMC. Now, that is how I like to spend my Saturdays! Surprisingly to us, it was a pretty intimate group. But within that group there was some great people watching to be had.
We got there in time for the car lifting event. They had to stop it halfway through because it was raining like crazy. I was pretty much wet and had to keep my jacket zipped up so it didn't appear I was in a competition of my own...the wet T-shirt contest.
We were loving hearing the many voiced opinions of our neighboring spectators. People literally traveled from miles and miles away to be there. We soon discovered that we had a favorite in the competition. Mark - who won that car lifting competition with I think 12 reps or something crazy like that. That guy made it look easy!
Then there was a break and I followed Peter around so he could take pictures with the bodies he idolized. We even got a shot with some UFC fighter!! He at one point was even going to take his shirt off so he could have a visual comparison. Again...I might add he's NOT the strongest man in the world. But I will tell you what he's #1 at...hooting and hollering in my ear louder and deeper than you could ever imagine. It was as if the Loch Ness monster was giving birth! Don't believe me? - watch the video clip! (CRAP! I'm retarded on this Windows based blogging system and for the life of me can't figure out how to post video...that bites!)
The second and final competition that we watched was the fire truck pulling contest. Our buddy Mark didn't shine like he did previously. However the Polish guy in the green tank with the great wedgie was the winner. I mean talk about some unbelievable strength...check out those thunder thighs!
It was a real fun day and I've decided that now I need to go to a UFC fight, or a body building competition, or even a cheer leading competition. I'm lovin' this sort of stuff...not to mention good 'ol Petey had me busting up all day long.

He brought Sexy back...and now I'm in love

Oh goodness gracious - all a boy needs to do is sing me a tune and dance like a black man and I'd marry him tomorrow! Freaking Jessica Biel has ruined it for the love affair I was fantasizing about last night at the Justin TImberlake concert. That boy was killing me with his skills. It's like he has the dance talent of Micahel Jackson mixed with the performance abilities of Prince, and he takes it to an all new level with his poppin' and lockin'! I'm in LUST!
So Summer who always has some kind of connection to the latest and greatest was kind enough to invite me last night to the J.T. concert at the Staples Center. What a night!
Now you might wonder what the craziness of the night consisted of. Well... here's a few highlights
a) the never ending back seat driving with Summer who is just positive that I am either going to crash and kill us, or that the world's biggest earthquake is going to hit while we're on an overpass and we're going to die, or a deer is going to jump out and we'll hit it and die. I'm bringing a muzzle for that girl next time - she's crazy!!!
b) my crawling up to get into the front row seats only to find that the seat I was borrowing was actually taken and then being invited to sit on the man's lap instead. He was totally fine with my standing in front of him?? I don't get it - I would have booted someone out of my way asap!
c) Summer making me walk 20 miles (after a full day's work at the Apple Store mind you...and let's just say my 'slightly above minimum wage' job gets this girl TIRED! I have to hide out in the bathroom at least a few times during the day to give my feet a little rest. A girl's gotta sit for a second or two!) to look for any celebrities etc. Keep in mind that I never in a million years would ask for a picture from a celebrity. This was all purely for the pleasure of Sum-summs. She is STAR STRUCK! We had to run after Carson Daly who was nice enough to pose 'down' for a pic. And after we left the concert early to go and and be part of a paparazzi stake out looking for a glimpse of Britney Spears - we felt lucky enough to get a shot with her little sister instead. Jamie Lynn was oh so nice. I made sure to tell her that I was cheering for her sister - she was quite appreciative. Not to mention that our Paparazzi friend captured that and it is featured on:
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/09/18/jamie-lynn-justin-timberlake-concert/ (Or you can just hit my title of this post and it will take you there!)
d) And last but not least to end our festivities...Summer placed her new cell phone in her ice cream cup and let it sit there the whole drive home. It's cool...I can probably get you a discount on an iPhone...after all I do work there. (Again...how cool is that?!)
So the night was a blast as it always is with Summs, Celebs, and lots of pics!

p.s.: Summer just called me (like 10 times) and was emphatic about my adding to my blog that I was star struck too...which I will not add because I'm not star struck at all! But she wanted me to edit to not make her look so "crazy" and to mention that she has a great knack at celebrity stalking. And if I do these changes to my blog well - then on her ever popular blog she would add in a little link to have others check out my blog. HA!!! How funny is that girl who in her own right is a "blogging celebrity" . Ohh if only my blog could reach out to millions the way hers has. I will have to give her some credit though - she's pretty good at scoping out the celebs and tracking them down...and I'll also have to admit I am a faithful blog groupie of hers. Summer you got skills girl!

MAC ATTACK

I am URE MAC GENIUS! I officially now work at the APPLE store in the Mission Viejo Mall. So maybe some would call me silly for my step backwards on the pay scale. But I have to say that $11.00 an hour can totally pay for a lot of things. I can pretty much get anything at the dollar store that I want, and I even get a discount at Paradise bakery because I'm a fellow mall employee.
But I have to say that I am obsessed with my new "hobby job" and all the fun people I get to show off to. People here think I'm freaking smart - come visit me and you'll totally agree! I love it!
p.s. And you might want to ask to see my iPhone - because you better believe that it's all tricked out.
Umm...what was that? You want to see my iPhone turn into an "Etch n' Sketch"?...or was it that you wanted to see my dashboard turn into a mini version of "Tap Tap Revolution" or you wanted to see me have my own ring tones? You tell me...I got it all!
That's right - this Mac gal has taken it all to a new level. (ok so maybe it was my fellow mac employee that I had to flirt with to take me to the new heights...but whatever)