The shortest distance between two points is a straight line

This is how I got home.

P.S. I'm using wifi on a plane? Odd but so 21st century.

Surviving a Rieske Holiday 101

Helpful hints of how you get through a Holiday on Hester.
1. Be prepared for anything. There are not certainties for what will happen.
2. Get ready to laugh at all sorts of corny not so funny jokes. Rich Rieske is full of all sorts of "funny things."
3. Like dogs. The baby of the family is a spoiled shiatsu that is rotten.
4. Don't forget to stay humble. My parents are professional pampers that spoil anyone who walks into the door.
5. Be in a people mood. The "open door" policy is always in action here.
6. Know that you won't walk away near as stressed as when you walked in.
7. Have your game face on. Mexican Train get's rough and rowdy here.

I love being home. 

Surprise!

"One must try by doing the thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try"

- Sophocles

So my family is a pretty chill, fly by the seat of our pants type of family. I can completely back this up by the  following story.


So Friday night I'm prepping for the hockey game and I get a phone call from my mother. "What if you could come home for Thanksgiving?"


The next thing I knew I was in the SLC airport begging different Delta agent's to let me on the plane. Of course buying a real ticket would have been outlandish so instead I flew on a buddy pass. When you fly on a buddy pass you basically just take whatever open flights there are. I thought my chances for getting on a particular flight were stellar until an hour before the flight when the gate agent got there and crushed all my hopes and dreams. After sitting back down and assessing the information she had given me and I went to talk to her again.


"Listen, I know I'm flying on a buddy pass during the holiday season which is completely and totally dumb. The other thing I know is that I don't really care how I get there or even at what hour I get there as long as I get close to the Arkansas border sometime soon. I'll fly around the country if I can be home for Thanksgiving."


After she chuckled for a minute she started talking choices. My kind of lady. She then told me the sweetest news I had ever heard. She told me that there was a direct flight into Tulsa that was leaving in 30 minutes that it looked like I could get on. I ran up to the customer service phones and spoke with one of my best friends. She had a southern accent and called me "Honey." Sweet sweet words. After a nice little chat with Barbra I then booked it carry-on in tow to gate B12. Just in time to meet my other new best friend William. William printed out my ticket as I was on the phone with my dad explaining how he now had to leave our home that moment to pick me up at the Tulsa airport. I told William that I loved him and he could be added to my best friend list. He took the ticket he printed off and tore it up. My heart DROPPED. He then smiled and said "I hardly ever get called someone's best friend" and printed off a new ticket. It was first class.


So now I'm home, and my little home on Hester never felt so good. I have three fabulous new friends that work for Delta in SLC, and I get to spend a little quality time with some people very close to my heart. Life is good.


My family MIGHT be a little random but boy does it make life way more exciting. 

Retail Therapy

"I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist." 

-Tammy Faye Bakker

So I often find myself boasting about how I am not super girley and hate shopping but for some reason lately I've fallen under the "Retail Therapy" spell that takes girls by storm. I feel as though there could be several reasons for this sickness.


1. I work for the Devil Wear's Prada. I go to her house and she walks around spitting out a million things for me to do. Oh did I mention she calls me "Bethany?" I fold,hang, and organize boxes filled with thousands of dollars worth of clothes so it's only logical I'd think about mine all the time right?
2. These dang BYU girls are hardcore. Where I come from it is perfectly acceptable to wear a t-shirt and jeans to class, much less a funeral, wedding, or graduation. I've always worn nice clothes but here I feel like it is perfectly unacceptable to even sit inside your home if you aren't dressed to a T. It is without fail that the moment I put on sweats/p.j.s someone comes to visit, not excluding friend's parents who are in town for an evening.
3. It gives me something besides school/work/church to do. Shopping requires little commitment. You don't have to do it at certain time, place, or with a certain group of people. It's almost like being a free spirit in the racks of Nordstrom.


Before you stress about my new found like of shopping (yes I meant to put like because I'm not in love just yet) keep in mind I'm one of the thriftiest shoppers that there ever was. Last night Devo and I spent our evening at the Gateway and I found a dress at gap for 4 bucks and a sweater for 6. Yes, two items of clothing at Gap for 10 bucks. Ladies and Gents, I've still got it!


P.S. - As I folded a sweater that was marked at $465 today my boss complimented me on my $6 dollar sweater. Some people have more money than they have sense.

Keep on trucking

And I do this for a wise purpose: for thus it whisperreth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, 

I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; 

wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will. 

-Mormon 1:7 (Book of Mormon)

Really?

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." 
-Mark Twain

This is an e-mail from my professor. 


Hi,
We'll go over the exam in class tomorrow, but I wanted to let you know how the scores will be adjusted, step by step:
1. take your percent score:
2. subtact it from 98:
3. divide the number in step 2 by 3.0 and round it:
4. add the number from step 3 to your percent score (from step 1):
5. add 2% to this total: this is your adjusted score.
Best wishes,
Ron C.

This is him. No further explanation needed.