Cologne

After the Dusseldorf adventure, Doris took the day off (this was Friday--wow it feels like it's been so much longer than 4 days) and the three of us went to Cologne.
These shops were all over the train station, it seemed like. Le CroBag? It's a combination of croissant and baguette, fyi. I just thought it was funny. What a terrible word.











The Cathedral
We went to the Cologne cathedral--my first one ever! It took several hundred years to complete. This crane sat on the building for so long that it became a landmark of its own.
It's ginormous--largest facade of any church in the world. It blew me away.
Beautiful stained glass. There's a big modern panel of glass too, put in after the old one was destroyed. Personally, I like the old stuff better.
The shrine of the three kings that houses the relics that the Archbishop of Cologne supposedly got from Italy in the 12th century. Sorry, forgot to turn off my flash on that one. Read more on Wikipedia if you want. It's interesting.
A ginormous organ suspended from the ceiling!


A street in Cologne, which is really cute.
I ate my first real schnitzel here, at the appropriately-named Im Martinswinkel. It made me so happy. :)
A cool building.
A cool tower.
Another cute building.
A ginormous boat on the Rhine River.












The Chocolate
As we were walking along the adorable river looking at the adorable buildings we saw...the Lindt museum! That's right, the chocolate people! It was something we couldn't pass up.
After learning more about cocoa beans than I ever would have otherwise, we got to the really fun part. Anyone for a giant Lindt ball? :)
Yes, that is a chocolate fountain. Looks beautiful, tastes beautiful. We weren't too shy to go back to the lady handing out samples for seconds...or thirds. Okay, so I had four. The walking canceled it out.
There was a room with a little chocolate factory where you can see how it's done. Becky and I felt like bursting into Oompa-Loompa song. Here, the little magnetic robot thingy is sucking the chocolates on the next stage.
And here they're being wrapped...really fast.
Hope you enjoyed! Paris pictures coming soon.

Hello Germany!

I'm in Europe! I wish I could've posted my Germany pictures sooner, but Jacqueline and I just came to stay with our host family last night and haven't had Internet access. So here they are! I had a great time with Doris and the Alberty family, who are very kind and generous. Doris' old roommate Becky, who is replacing her as au pair, came the day after me, so I had fun getting to know her too.
Me on a bus in London. It was really annoying having to switch airports.
Dusseldorf! That tower is called the Rheinturm and is the city's version of Reunion Tower in Dallas. At least I like to think it is. I know it's very gray, but Doris said at least it would be realistic. :)
A cool tree.
Dusseldorf is apparently THE place in Germany for modern art. Unfortunately, Doris and I aren't big fans. So we just walked around and enjoyed the city. (And Becky and I ate wurst for the first time.) There's all this funky architecture on the harbor. Yes, those are giant colored people on that building. The closer you get, the scarier they are.
The building next to it.
On the Rhine.

Frito: the last full week

Best names
Toi
Krishna
Antwanette (Kaci and Tom, how 'bout Petra Antwanette for your first daughter?)

Best cities
Red Level, AL
New Ulm, MN
Queen Creek and Gilbert, AZ
Oakton, VA--can you say NoVA? :)
Lewisville, NC
Lewisville, TX (see below)

Best foreign matter
cardboard
band-aid
nail

Most unexpected call
I was taking my morning break when one of my fellow reps across the way said, (in her British accent) "Summer, put on your headset. I have a transfer for you." Then she called and said, "Here's Elder," before she transfered him. So while I was saying hello, I was wondering if she had really said "elder" and who was this person who asked for me? Then I heard his voice...it was Elder Battista from our ward. I couldn't help laughing. The missionaries came for dinner last night and we talked a little about what I do at work. He said, "So if I call and tell you how great your chips are you'll send me coupons?" I said, "Yeah, just ask for Summer," not thinking he'd actually call. Funny.

Weirdest kid
The girl who called complimenting some product and then said no when I offered her coupons because she either didn't know her address or was scared to give it away. She sounded about 5 years old. Then she called back a few minutes later and said something about contacting us tomorrow. Went on and on like I knew what she was talking about. I didn't, but when I asked her she hung up.

Creepiest call
Imagine the creepiest voice you can because you'll need it for this one. When I answered there was suddenly slow, jazzy sax music playing in the background, and then a low male voice said, "I would like to request some Frito-Lay recipes."

Cheapest person ever
The guy who wanted a refund on two 35-cent stale bags of Funyuns. Seriously. It took me a while to convince him to take coupons. He wasn't very nice about it either.

Letters
Most concise letter about a hair...ever
Dear Sir,
Found this hair in my bag of chips
Thanks for your concern

Harshest letter
Dear Sirs,
I have been watching the Tostitos commercials that have been airing during the college football games. As little to nothing is said about the product, I can only discern that these commercials are trying to communicate possibly one of two things:
1) Your customers are idiots.
2) White men are morons (I notice no diversity in the fools eating your product).
Please satisfy my curiosity and tell me which group you are trying to insult.

Longest letter about nothing
Dear Gentry :)
Last month, I sold my KO shared and put them into Pepsi stocks.
For 2008, I made a vow to buy MORE!
To celebrate, my husband and I went to the local Safeway and bought 3 bags of 12 1/2 oz (each) of Original Lays, Cheetos and Lay's Chile Limon. It was one of their deals at three bags for any Frito-Lays chips for something like $5. To go with chips, we bought our usual Pepsi products--Regular Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi and Fruit Punch Gatorade.
Cheetos have been my "stress food" for years. My husband and I demolished the bag on the way home. The Original Lays came next. Those never last in our home more than a few hours. We are lucky if they make it to my husband's lunch bucket the next morning.
So here it is. January 7. We still have half a bag of Chile Limon with no takers in sight.
The stuff is nasty. For potato chips, they taste just AWFUL. The Chile-Limon combination isn't very distinct. The flavor is lost. As a consumer, I can best describe this product as someone sprinkling taco seasoning over Original Lays before serving it. It just doesn't work!
I put the bag in my husband's lunch (half full), and it came right back, untouched.
Right now, the bag sits in the living room or on the kitchen table. It will probably make it to the garbage by Friday (neighborhood pick up day).
I will turn 50 in May, and I can honestly tell you I've consumed Frito-Lay products all my life.
I work with a personal trainer, now, but there are times when I go for the Original Lay's or the Cheetos. Or sometimes, I'll get some dip together and go for the Tostitos dips or the Fritos. There's so many of your products out there, so you can't possibly go wrong.
Except for the Chile Limon! At our house, it doesn't make the cut! But you can count on us to purchase Frito-Lay and Pepsi products! We've only been doing it for years!

What do they package?
To Whom It May Concern:
I'm am writing you for a school project and the reason I'm writing you is because recently I purchased a big bag of cool ranch Doritos and the bag seemed to be full but it turned out when I opened the bag that it was 3/4 full of air and 1/4 of chips. I was very disappointed because the chips were so good but there wasn't much of them and it was a gigantic bag.
The store said that I could not prove that it wasn't full when I brought in the 1/4 full bag of cool ranch Doritos and to go away and stop complaining, I told my parents about that and they were shocked that they would say that to a paying customer and we didn't know what to do about it. That same day my teacher gave our class this assignment to write a letter and either complain or compliment a company and to ask questions, I have some questions.
Do people package the food or machines, if it is a machine I would consider looking at the machine to make sure it is performing correctly. Also before you seal the bags, assign someone to make sure they are full of chips not air because this has happened to me many times and I am finally doing something about it. In conclusion I would like you to send me a big bag of cool ranch Doritos or refund my 3.22$ which I used to purchase the bag of chips.

Soaps and 2 large bags of Doritos every day?!
Dear Sir or Ma'am:
My husband and I have been buying your company's Doritos in various flavors for years. We eat at least two large bags a day while watching our soaps. (Hey, you GOT to have something to munch on while watching "As the World Turns.") A couple of days ago we purchased a new flavor, your Doritos Collisions. I'm sure it's a good product but most of the chips were stale. (The bag may have developed an air leak in shipment.) The Guaranteed Fresh date was Feb 26 on the 12.25 ounce bag we bought. We have enclosed the Guaranteed Fresh date and the UPC from the bag. We thank-you for your attention to this matter.
Still a loyal customer,
Beverley

New door and fence

Check out Mom and Dad's blog for pictures!

Frito: the first full week

Best names
Merle
Shaunte (shawn-tay)
Kellynn
Markeeda

Weirdest foreign matter
"There's this piece of artificial hair in my bag." Huh?

Most impossible request
This lady called and said, "I need a recipe that uses Fritos, corn, tomatoes, and such and such." Okay, let me run over to the kitchen and see what I can come up with in 30 seconds.

Worst prank attempt
A bunch of little kids: "Can I get a #5 with large fries?"
A bunch of teenagers: "Can you tell someone to tone down this cheese dip?! I mean, my mouth is on fire. This stuff is seriously dangerously cheesy!"
Is that really the best you can do? If you're going to prank, at least make me laugh.

Weirdest weirdie
The woman from Laredo with a heavy Hispanic accent who asked where she could buy a lot of Cheetos. I thought she was talking like 1000 bags and wanted to order them, so I told her she couldn't. Then she explained that she didn't want to order them, she just wanted to buy big bags. So I told her to go to a place like Sam's or Costco. Then she started talking about some Frito-Lay place in Laredo and asked for their phone number. I told her I didn't have a number for Laredo but I gave her one in Corpus Christi. She finally thanked me and I thought the conversation was over until she said, "Okay, Sam's and what was the other store you said?"
"Costco."
"What's their phone number?"

Letters
Here's another from our friends who did the taste test at that NC elementary school. I wonder how long they'll keep coming.

Dear Sir,
A few days ago my clas did a taste test We had Utz frito Lay, and Wise After much thought I chose your brand was becase it smelled good and it was delicous. It has real cheese. Another reason I chose your Brand was becase it melted in my mouth. It was $2.49, But it costs that much because it tastes Better. Thank you for also for puting the good tast into the cheese curls. I well Buy youre cheps in the future.
Sincerely,
Max

Most-difficult-to-decipher orthography award
Hello To Who it may concern. I purchase your 50 variety pack chips. I purchase them for my twin's b-day party. I put the chips on a tray I lite the kid's pick there chips. my sister was the frist to tell me the chips. Was smash in the bag. then slowey every one came to me in told me. every bag was the same I cant be leeve this. this got me very up set my familly in friends ask me were did I Buy the chips. At Lucky food store my ant went in purchase a nuther box of 50 that chip's was good. this not fair what happend to my twins b-day party

Best-explanation-for-the-salty-chips award
Dear Friend,
I am very disappointed. I just purchased a bag of Lay's potato chips. I buy them quite frequently, and I have always been pleased in the past. When I opened this bag, the salt content is terrible. I could not eat them. This is a 13 oz. Bag of Lay's Classic. Apparently the quality of these chips is not up to par. I would appreciate it if you could look into this matter.

Most eclectic/best get-to-know-you award
Dear Frito Lay Corp.,
Your chips are by far the best! If I could eat them every day I would. They go great with a sandwich and some water. Hi! My name is Olivia King. Two of my favorite sports are soccer and basketball and there is nothing better then a snack after a game. About how many times a year do you restore your products?
Sincerely,
Olivia

Police Beat favorites

I think most people who read the BYU Daily Universe Police Beat would agree that it's a little ridonculous. Here are some sample incidents from last semester. I hope you enjoy!

Tip of the week Sept. 20: Mo-peds are a great mode of transportation but drivers need to take necessary precautions to drive defensively. Assume other drivers can't see or hear you and be prepared to take evasive action. But the most important thing is to wear a helmet, because traumatic head injuries are the leading cause of fatalities. On a motorcycle or mo-ped you can be right, but you can be dead right. Well, that's putting it bluntly!

Suspicious behavior
Sept. 16: Juveniles were reported launching objects in the Richards Building area, in the direction of the pool. As police were taking this report, another victim complained of somebody throwing objects from the west overpass on North Campus Drive. Police think the two incidents are related. One of the victims followed the suspects to Helaman Halls and got a room number. Nobody responded at the room, but police are following up on this incident.

Sept. 17: A 21-year-old female student reported a suspicious man near the old UVSC campus, west of Helaman Halls. The suspect was described as a 30-year-old man, 5-foot-10, normal build, scruffy face, a two-day-old beard, a European accent, and wearing a tan baseball cap, tan shirt and dark pants. He was reported for being suspicious simply because he didn't fit the profile of a student or an employee, and being a little bit off the man thoroughfare of campus, the student was concerned.

Warrant service
Sept. 15: After stopping a 24-year-old male student for an illegal left turn, police discovered he had an outstanding warrant for $172 for failure to register a vehicle. The student was taken to the bank where he withdrew the money, then was taken to the Provo Justice Court where he paid the citation. He was then taken home since the vehicle wasn't correctly registered. Shouldn't've made that left turn!

Criminal mischief
Oct. 6-7: The Chicago Bears logo was painted on the window of a 2006 Honda Civic in the parking lot south of the Knight Mangum Building. Relish was also dumped on the car. It is unknown if the car was damaged as a result of this vandalism.

Disorderly conduct
Oct. 7: A witness heard an explosion outside F. Smith Hall in Heritage Halls. When she went outside to see what it was, she saw two males standing near a small bottle on the ground. The device was similar to a dry ice bomb, but the ingredients were different. The offenders have been identified as two students living in Snow Hall. They were charged with misdemeanor violations of disorderly conduct. Who cares what the ingredients were?

Communications violation
Oct. 2: An independent study student threatened to disrupt the IT system with constant e-mails and phone calls because he was unhappy about a grade he had received. Several e-mails were exchanged between the student and the department. The student's grade was raised half a point, but he is still unhappy about his grade. Why raise his grade at all?

Property damage
Oct. 3: A sign reportedly fell on a vehicle in the visitor parking lot east of the Wilkinson Center. There was no apparent damage to the vehicle. Am I missing something? If there was no apparent damage, why publish the incident under "property damage"?

Harassment
Oct. 4: Two teenage girls were reported speeding around the northeast parking lot at Wymount Terrace. They were harassing pedestrians, screaming at them, calling them names, and at one point, nearly hitting somebody. The officer met with the two females in the car. Their excuse for their behavior was that a pedestrian was careless. They claimed he walked out in front of them without paying attention and they almost hit him. There was some disrespectful verbal commentary between the pedestrian and the car occupants.

Stalking
Oct. 5: A female student reported that her former boyfriend was stalking her. On one particular day, he called her 26 times. She was given some safety tips and a copy of the police department's no contact letter. The police will be working the case and more than likely giving him a letter telling him to leave her alone. "More than likely"?

Theft
Oct. 5: Two cardboard star figures were stolen from a promotional booth set up at the Bookstore. One was Han Solo, the other was Princess Leia. Well, good thing we know who they are, because we're their only hope.

Oct. 5-15: Three Hollywood bases were taken from the Miller Park playing field. The white 15-by-15-by-3 inch bases are valued at $200. Okay, I can understand why stealing Han and Leia would be great fun, but why baseball bases?

Threatening
Oct. 3: A male student received a text message on his cell phone indicating that he would die within 9 hours and 16 minutes. I laughed so hard.

Roommate conflict
Sept. 12: A conflict, due to a failure to communicate and just talk problems out, was reported between two 18-year-old female students living in M. Smith Hall in Heritage Halls. The roommates have been arguing over apartment chores and accusing one another of destroying each other's food. Profanity and some hair pulling was involved. This has been turned over to the housing office for a resolution. Um...profanity and hair pulling??

Suspicious activity
Oct. 23: A 19-year-old female student, living in Taylor Hall in Helaman Halls, received a suspicious phone call from a man claiming to be a psychology student who asked her to participate in an experiment for his psychology class. She had read the police beat tip of the week in The Daily Universe on Oct. 12, and hung up on him. Is the Universe just trying to put a plug in for their tip of the week?

Oct. 26: A man wearing a dark sweatshirt was reported hiding in the bushes on Maeser Hill. An officer talked to him and discovered that he was there with his girlfriend, playing a game. The officer suggested that they shouldn't be doing that and they left.

Oct. 29: An 18-year-old male student was lying on the couch in his apartment and heard the front door slowly open. A man peered in, saw him lying on the couch and ran away. The police suspect he was intending to commit a crime. Unfortunately, they were unable to get a description on the suspect. A description on the suspect?

One of my favorites:
Oct. 27: A male individual was reported yelling in the Eyring Science Center. When the officers arrived, they discovered he was actually singing along to music playing on his iPod.

Suspicious incidents (I'd like to know the difference between suspicious activity and suspicious incidents)
Oct. 4: A BYU employee was driving down the hill near the Tanner Building when his vehicle was hit by a water balloon. He thought the balloon came from the direction of the Tanner Building or Helaman Halls. There are no suspects. It's just a water balloon...

Oct. 6: Three female students were reported for suspicious activity outside Felt Hall in Heritage Halls. When police arrived, they discovered the suspects were shooting each other with squirt guns. They were interviewed and let go. Since when are squirt guns suspicious?

And my other favorite:
Oct. 5: A female occupant of Wyview Park was asleep in her apartment when someone threw a cat through her partially open window. A man outside the window was communicating with her, trying to talk her into letting him come into the apartment, but she refused. The police think he threw the cat through the window so she would let him in. The suspect has not yet been identified. What??

I'm glad he's still happy

Another Frito mini-post. This one's for you, Natalie. :)

Best names
Meta
Otal (both women)

Best places
Kankekee, IL
Weekiwachee, FL

Best foreign matter
3" flat, beige piece of plastic with a hook on the end...???

Worst prank attempt from a kid trying to sound like an adult
"Can I get a pizza?" Really, is that the best you can do?

Best conversation starter
You know, people don't realize how many elderly people there are. There are lots of diabetics and elderly people on blood thinners...

Letters
Recently just discovered your sun chips love-em & good for you-- or not much SALT & FAT Thanks-- But a tiny complaint Last 3 BAGS Bought at once had DRY crackly chips TOO OLD? Still happy

Hi, my name is Brandon Clark. Doritos and Chilli Cheese Fritos are my favorite chips. I'm writting this letter concerning my recent purchase. The Chilli Cheese Fritos doesn't taste as good as the ones I'm use to. They taste like half the seasoning was taken away. I hope it was just a bad batch and not because, like more and more companies, your trying to "penny pinch". Thank you for you time and I wish that Frito-Lay keeps their top quality standards. Please don't stoop down like other companies that "cut corners" because in the long run they lose out on good customers.

Hi, I bought a 15 1/4 oz jar of Tostitos Salsa con queso dip and it was sour my son tried it and agrees with me, later on my wife tried it and noticed that it was not good, could you please reimburse the $3.49 or send me a free coupon for a free 15 1/4oz jar.

Seriously, does anyone go to school anymore? I also received:

1. A sheet of paper filled on both sides with the loopiest, scribbliest handwriting I've ever seen, of which only an occasional word like "Funyuns" is ledgible.

2. A sloppily-folded napkin with some nappy chip crumbs inside and this written with a name and address: "Mail a refund back of three dollars in cash Rush." I don't think so.

Semester in Review

Since I didn't upload any pictures from my camera this semester, I thought I'd blog about them now that I have some free time (and an adorable new laptop with wireless). :)
So think way back to football season...
Rise and shout!
Natalie and Candice at a game. I don't have any pictures of the game that Dad came to because I didn't want my camera to get wet. But that's ok. Dad kept saying he was fine, but I know I was frozen and nearly dead by the end.
It SNOWED on Sep. 30. I remember because it was the day of the general RS meeting and I had gone to World of Dance before that (without and umbrella). When I got home Kristin was sitting on her bed talking on the phone and when she glanced out the window said, "What is that white stuff coming out of the sky?"
Goofing off on the way to the meeting...with the lens halfway open.
The view from the front of the MOA. That statue is supposed to look like Squaw Peak, the mountain behind it, but I don't really get it. I don't get most of the statues outside the MOA. On a related note, my security buddies and I, who get paid way less than the rest of on-campus security, are getting a raise! Yay! Good news, just not very good timing.
I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills...
My friend Stephy and I and her friend Lacey went to BYU-I for a weekend to visit Steph's sister Maria. We stopped in Blackfoot to befriend this giant potato.

The almost-complete Rexburg temple was a 15-minute walk from Maria's dorm. It's really small, but beautiful. The open house is going on right now and the dedication is next month, in case you were wondering.
Maria, Steph and me.
Sign of the week: a hair salon by the grocery store where we went about four times since there was nothing else to do and we wanted to visit a certain boy who worked there. When he asked if I was from Louisville (CO--Steph and Maria's hometown and where he served part of his mission), I thought "how did he know that?" Then I realized we weren't talking about the same place. Blonde moment.
We were really bored on Saturday night so we ended up going back to the store to look for inspiration. We got sidewalk chalk and decorated the sidewalk outside one of the boys' dorms until it was too cold to stay out any longer. Then we went inside and watched the Red Sox beat the Rockies.
We stopped by the Idaho Falls Temple on the way home.
Putting hand turkeys on the window.

Hope wishes you a happy Thanksgiving! (Sorry about the glare.)

Matthew showing off his soccer skills...
and instructing Logan and James on a play.


Our in-house ninja.
Putting a puzzle together.












The last Sunday of the semester my study abroad class was invited to Bro. & Sis. Welch's (the directors) for a potluck dinner. It was fun, but I couldn't stay long because Tommy and I went to the Erdmanns' for the Christmas/anniversary shindig.
The Erdmanns' beautiful tree.
Our beautiful tree.


















My roommate Natalie's birthday isn't timed well. It's Dec. 19, right in the middle of finals. This year Kristin was getting ready to leave for Vegas the next morning with the band and the rest of us still had finals to study for. It was still fun, though. We got her a High School Musical 2 game that she didn't want to wait to open, so we did that in the morning before I went to work. That evening her math buddy Erica joined us for birthday cake and Candice came over to study with me and bring presents from her gals. The day before I had some free time and some spare baking ingredients, so I re-made the blonde brownies that I brought to the potluck dinner and didn't get to taste. Yum!
Before...
After
Her real birthday cake, complete with Funfetti frosting.
Roomies.
Now we're back in Texas. Here's Kaci's beautiful Christmas apple cranberry pie before it imploded in the oven.
Mom and I babysat Eli one night. He really liked applying Chapstick...to his nose. Then he started eating it so I took it away and he got mad. He was also very suspicious of me and mom the next day when F&A came over for dinner. I'm no longer the favorite aunt.

That's it for now...Happy 2008!

Provo to Plano

Dear readers,

I'm back in Texas! After a last-minute flight booking, a stressful night and morning last Friday and Saturday, and a few hours waiting on planes and at gates, I came home two days earlier than expected and surprised the fam (thank you Mr. Lane!) It was nice to have a few days to chill before going back to Frito on Thursday. I don't think I could have gotten through those boring two days without all the mail I read. I got more than my share of gross product samples, but also more than my share of funny kid mail. If you're looking for a good sample of children's letters, read on.

Love,
Blogger Sum

The first three were obviously from the same school and the same assignment. I had fun comparing. I wonder what grade they're in.

Dear Frito Lay,
A few days ago we did a taste test of cheese curls in my class. I liked yours the best. The first reason. I chose FritoLay was because the taste and smell. The cheese smell like real cheese and they tasted "Mm!mm!" It did taste good!!! Another reason I chose FritoLay is because is melted faster than the oters. The 3rd reason I chose Frito Lay is because it was as big as my thumb. I really liked the taste. Thank you for making cheese curls.
Sincerely,
Sandy

Dear Sir
A few day ago we took a taste test. We tasted a cheese curls to see if we liked it we wrote on paper. The first reason I chose your brand is because the appeal of your bag. It is so colorful. Another reason is because the tiger on the front of the bag it looks so funny. also I liked the taste because it was chseey, it melted in my mouth When I go shopping I will always buy your cheese curls because they were better then the others Thank you for making cheese curls.
Sincerely,
Jaylen

Dear Sir
last week we did a cheese curls test to find out which was our favorite. I chose your brand. One reason I chose your brand was because of the taste and smell. It tasted like popcorn and it smelled like ceddar cheese. The bag appealed to me because the colors were bright and has less calories. I liked your price it was 25 cents per ounce. When I and my mom go shopping, I'm going to buy your brand. I liked your brand.
Sincerely,
Jorge

No, thank you for liking "cheese curls," Sandy, Jaylen, and Jorge!

To Whom it may concern:
I'm in 3rd grade at the Windermere Boulevard Elementary School in Amherst, N.Y. I am writing to you to tell you how much I love Lays. I like the flavor of them and especially salt & vinegar. I was wondering will you be coming out with a new flavor or kind of chip? I was hoping that you could write back to me with answer, to my question, and possibly a free sample. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Antonio

Lucky Antonio got a very individualized response because the phones were slooow and I was in no hurry. I had fun with it. The next one is my first complaint from a child--we don't get many of those. It cracks me up that she actually wrote in about it and signed herself "a shopper."

To whom may consern,
I am wrighting to complain about your chips. When I opened it there were only ten chips and most of them are crushed. I wish you could put more chips in the bag. Be careful with you chips so they will not be crushed. Thank you for your help.
A shopper,
Kelsey

This one wins the awards for most creative name and weirdest, most eclectic questions.

Dear Flay,
Why did you want to invent Tostidos? They taste sososo good. Why did you name them Tostidos? How do you make your product? How old is everybody? What else do you make? You guys women are the best!!! Do you have kids? How old are they!!!!! Have a Happy Holidays and a Happy New year!! Hope to hear from you soon.
Love,
Kysawn

I don't know what to say about this one...it gets the Goofball Award?

Dear Sir or Maddam,
I'm an eighth-grader at Alma Middle School. I would like to compliment you on all your products. In my Spanish class we had to pick names. I couldn't think of a name, so everybody for some reason that I still don't know, picked the name Dorito for me. That is what I have been called ever since. Plus I really like Doritos! They sure are tasty! Thank you for your time. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Derek

The handwriting in the next sample and the fact that its sender threw away her possibly expired salsa because she couldn't read the date lead me to believe it's from an elderly woman. I know those things are hard to read, but this course of action seems a little extreme. I would also question her spelling and word choice, and her decision to scrawl this on an index card and not include any jar information.

Today I wanted to use All Natural Tostitos Chunky Salsa. Neither I or my husband could make out the crazy dot letters and numbers telling the experation date. We could not decipher the code even using a magnifying glass. So in exacerbation I just dumped it down the garbage disposal.

Ummm...sorry? Have a coupon. The next one looked like this...

I FOUND WHAT LOOKED TO STRANGE TO EAT IN THIS BAG OF CHIPS. I DON'T WANT TO EVEN SAY WHAT FEW THINGS IT LOOKS LIKE. I WANTED TO SEND THIS BAG IN, SO IT COULD BE EXAMINED.

Good! I don't want you to say either. (It didn't look that gross. People are so dramatic.)

And now a few phone call tidbits...

This summer it seemed like I'd get a comment or joke about my name every day. I figured it might stop this week since it's not summer anymore. I was wrong. In fact, that's just what the first guy said when I said my name:

Summer? It's not summer anymore, is it? Hahahaha...

And another one said, after the standard greeting, "Summer? Is your real name [insert long Indian name here]?"

Do I sound Indian to you? Who cares if you can understand me?

Here's the best annoying comment from a child (probably in Detroit): If I left a bag of chips in the rain and they got soggy, would that be my fault or your fault? Thanks for calling Frito-Lay. Click.

Catchup

Okay, I know I've been a slacker in the blogging department this semester--mostly because I've been a slacker in the picture-taking department this semester--but here are some highlights that you guys missed out on.
The weekend before Halloween my friend Stephy and I went to BYU-I to visit her sister Maria. We had fun dressing up as '80s aerobic instructors.

I've enjoyed keeping up with some missionary blogs, including that of this guy (don't you love the flag and hat?)



who is here (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)


and this guy (my FHE dad from last year)


who is here (NYC)

Date #4

My stake did this blind date night thing where you could email them and they'd set you up with someone. Great, right? And one of our options was the Percussion Ensemble/Steel Band concert that Kristin was in. Double prizes because I'd be going to the concert to see her anyway, right? Well, it was fun because half my ward was there, but let's just say my date seemed a little clueless...and like he didn't even want to go in the first place. He was nice and everything, but it's a good thing Kristin gave me her two extra tickets because he didn't get any from the stake when they handed them out. (If you think he looks creepy, so did I when I saw that picture. In his defense, he was clean shaven that night. Thank goodness.)

Date #3

I guess technically it was a date, but it involved the following:

-trying to convince my roommates that between work on Friday night, ballet on Saturday night, cleaning checks, homework, a get-to-know-you breakfast at my study abroad director's house (yummy crepes!--not buckwheat) and all the trip prep stuff I had to do before I left, it wasn't worth trying to win the date contest

-my roommate Hope (not the crazy one, Tommy...okay she is crazy but in a different way :)...) convincing me that I HAD to win, that I COULD squeeze in a date, and that with the billions of boys she knows, she WOULD arrange it for me

-Hope contacting her ex-boyfriend via Google chat (that will forevermore make me think of you, Forrey), telling him about the contest, and asking him if she could give my number to one of his roommates

-said roommate, Tyler, calling me and asking if I wanted to do something (...well duh) and then a harder question, WHAT I wanted to do

-date coming to "pick me up" and walk me to the Malt Shoppe, a popular and conveniently-located local ice cream hangout (just across the parking lot, although we had to hop a fence)

-us getting to know each other between large bites of jumbleberry pie and pumpkin Oreo shakes, and thankfully, no long painful silences

-me paying for mine, since I really asked him...I guess that does violate Elder Oaks' definition of a date, though

-me learning a surprising lot about Tyler in the hour we spent together, such as he's the youngest of 9, from Montana, at his house they have more animals than I could handle, he's brave enough to do engineering, he's a violinist and music minor, and he is lucky enough to have a married sister in Orem that he babysits for

I glanced through his Facebook photos and there were no good ones of just him. Can you believe it? This was the best I could do in an effort to keep a semblance of following the picture rule. And it's a year old. You may recall that all three of my dates this semester have been blind...not the best circumstances for picture taking. Just pretend the girl is me. :)

The drought is over!

It's what you've all been waiting for! I know I'm a slacker and haven't posted in over a month. Don't worry, I'm still alive. I've actually had some very bloggable material since the last post but I've been enjoying everyone else's blogs so much that I feel like I can't compete with pictures of adorable children or exciting adventures in Germany. Okay so the truth is I just keep putting it off. :) I figured I'd better catch up at least a little before Thanksgiving when I'll have a lot more bloggable material. You can thank my roommate Natalie for encouraging me to have a blogging party with her. So without further ado, here are some of the things you've been missing out on:

exciting exciting classes: Doctrine & Covenants (first half), teachings of the living prophets, French 321, ASL 101, beginning ballet, music civilization 201, and my study abroad prep class

lots of exciting missionary letters, but not as many as I would like, because 3 of my correspondants are in Brazil and their mail takes about a month through the Pouch service

lots of other exciting stuff in the mail, like a Michael Buble CD from Forrey & Abbie and a 5lb box of Pirate's Booty from Mr. Lane

meeting up with two guy friends from last year before they reported to the MTC

the annual India fest at the Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork...there were lots of llamas!

very welcome weekly temple trips with my temple buddies Candice, Stephy, Jacqueline, and their roommate Courtney, after a long temple drought this summer

the same old same old at the MOA except for a couple funny things: an unexpected early-morning flower delivery for one of the custodians, and watching others of the said custodians try to clean a duck print off the glass at the main entrance. That's right, a duck print.

a yummy dinner at the Erdmanns'

my first time experiencing the horror/hilarity that is Labyrinth, a 1986 Jim Henson movie with an altogether scary-looking David Bowie wearing altogether too tight pants

going to UVRMC twice on Sunday evenings with some wardies to sing hymns to the patients...this kind of replaced tunnel singing for me, which is what I did last year on Sunday nights

awesome BYU devotionals/forums, with distinguished speakers such as Pres. Hinckley, Elder Perry, John Roberts, an astronaut (I don't remember his name...hopefully he won't read this), and author (and New Englander!) Nathaniel Philbrick talking about the Pilgrims (Pres. Monson is coming this week!)

*cough* interesting forum with Harry Reid

two dates (both of which were semi-set up) involving a fun soccer game and lots of Vietnamese food...but I already posted about both of them. Sad.

painting our window for the Canyon Terrace Halloween decorating contest

two sessions of conference in the conference center!

the best dollar movie night EVER--Hairspray, complete with smuggled popcorn, M&Ms, and 3 half-gallons of ice cream

having Dad come visit and come to the b's freezing cold and wet football game with us!

going to BYU-I to visit my friend Maria and dressing up as '80s aerobics instructors for a Halloween dance, with a little help from DI

awesome CES fireside broadcast with Elder and Sister Oaks (he is my new hero...the first half of his address he devoted to quoting from and reemphasizing his well-known fireside address from May 2005 about dating vs. hanging out. Hope and Kristin and I listened to it together and decided we should post a sign on our door: "Will open for individual dates." Some girls who live above us did that.)

spending Halloween night with my pals Jacqueline, Courtney, and Stephy making sugar cookies, singing and dancing to Disney music in French, laughing at ridiculously high decibel levels, failing in our attempt to get into a Halloween party, and enjoying a taste of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (it was totally worth only getting 4 hours of sleep that night)

awesome stake conference and awesome stake firesides with Edward Kimball, son of Spencer W., and President Merrill J. Bateman, new president of the Provo Temple

way fun football games (with very different weather). BYU has now won 11 home games in a row.

multiple viewings of Monk, courtesy of Mr. Lane who sent me DVDs of this summer's episodes

a fun FHE which involved getting lost and taking an hour to drive to Spanish Fork, after which we arrived at the home of a bishopric member and had a lesson, activity, and yummy food

a $10 TV from Craig's List!
painting our window with hand turkeys for Thanksgiving

lots of culturally enriching experiences, like...
-the choir showcase featuring the Women's Chorus, Men's Chorus, and BYU Singers
-the jazz showcase featuring Synthesis, BYU Jazz Voices, and Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band
-my first experience with both the wonderful and the weird in World of Dance
-a concert featuring BYU Concert Choir, BYU Singers, and Philharmonic Orchestra
-a lecture from a French cultural attache about immigration in France (not a lot of which I understood)

lots of intense meals from my roomies, especially Hope who likes to be adventurous and make stuff like falafel (I just figured out how to add links...can you tell I'm having fun with it?)