A Peruvain Man? Nope. Not from Peru.

Do you all remember the lovely (well, perhaps not so lovely) Peruvian man from so long ago? Well, he has a brother... a Caucasian brother. "What's this?!" you say. Let me tell you.

It was a dark, dark night. The ominous sky foreboding and tumultuous. Lightning and thunder cracked the sky with utter vibrancy and shook the ground with great quakenings. A lone receptionist worked at the quaint hotel in Fargo. It was late.

She had done her duty in getting the vast majority of the disgusting linen from the previous occupants' stay washed, dried, and folded ever so neatly. She had filed all the needed reports, kept the place in good array, and was about to start the final preparations before the inevitable changing of the guard, er guest service agent.

Alas, it was not to be. She was doomed to fail in getting all in accordance before that fatal...changing... hour. A guest, more specifically, a male guest stopped at the front desk. Now, don't be mistaken, this was no ordinary inquisitory guest wanting to know where to find the most authentic North Dakotan cuisine in town. Oh no.

This sort of thing has happened before... but, this time it would prove more than just idle talk....(duhn, duhn, duhn!)

Seconds, minutes, hours, days (actually no day passed in it's entirety) passed by.
[if you would really like to be fairly precise in the measurement of time: 8,820 seconds ticked by, 147 minutes tocked along, 2.45 hours clanged on the clock, and .10208 days idled past.]

This guest kept me tied to the front desk, unable to finish the work assigned, or escape from his oddly questioning remarks. "How old is he?" he asked me frankly.

"How old is who?" I asked rather confused.
"Your boyfriend."
"My boyfriend?"
"The ring on your finger."
"Oh... that is from a friend. Not a boyfriend."
"So you don't have a boyfriend?"
"Uh, no."
"Dating anyone?"
"Not really."
"Really?" he said with a smirk.

A little later on...

"I am thinking about moving here."
"Really."
"You could fire your night auditor (who at that time was 30 minutes late), and hire me. I used to work at a hotel before I went over to Iraq."
"That is an idea."

A couple of Days later...

I am working on the housekeeping report in the manager's office, while at the same time a housekeeper was checking out a key, the same man handed something to the housekeeper, and said, "Give this to Maria."

I jumped up to figure out what was going on. I was handed a white teddy bear wearing a red paisley bandanna, a jean cut off t-shirt declaring, " Love to Ride Motor Cycles", black spandex pants, and black leather boots. I glanced up to see the man escaping from the hotel He glanced up, giving me a mischievous smile.

Two days after that, he turned in an application for the Night Audit position.

All hope of his idea of moving was thrown to the wind.


To top this off, my manager thinks this situation is utterly funny. And he is really thinking about hiring him.

With Much Ado

(about nothing)

Tragically it has been an incredibly long time since I have written. so Sorry.

I really am in the mood to tell a funy story, but alas, I do not really have a good one. Here IS a couple of random one:

My younger sister, Amy, was at church one Sunday and was coming out of the ladies room, when a darling little girl and her mother were walking in. The awe-struck little girl turns an ancicipatory face to her mother and asked, "Is that Barbie?" with wide eyes.

The Tree River

The River is encrouching!

It is eating the land & trees!

Ahhh!

by the way, this picture is of the Sheyenne River 10 yards away from my room

The Coolest Game Ever

A Basketball Hoop

A Big Trampoline

A Basketball (or a volleyball if a basketball can't be procured.)

use your imagination....

You're Invited!

So for the past three or four months, I have been organizing a REGIONAL CONFERENCE for the Young Single Adults. Our hope is that it will be HUGE. Our theme is "Extreme Make-Over: Spirit, Mind, & Body." And guess what! I would love to have you come! So, if you are feeling an incling to take a trip to the exotic and marvelous North Dakota (and see Maria before she leaves on a mission) now is the time!

For more information and registration visit the website (which I helped create):

fargoysa2007.com

Maria

I learned a lot of stuff lately. Basically, it is all about me. But, honestly, who can blame me for being so wonderfully awesome?

Why is Maria so wonderfully awesome? Well...
First of all: Maria Walen is google'able. Go ahead, try it. Google: Maria Walen
Secondly: I am a language! Yeah! So all those years that I was saying I didn't even understand "Maria Talk" I was totally being truthful.
Thirdly: I learned how to make a website!!! And it is super easy! You should check it out. Side note: A different person, one who shall not be mentioned changed the background... which I am NOT happy about. Grrrrr. grrr. grrr. grrr

To sum it all up, yep I am awesome. Little did you know.

A Story Annie could relate to...

or so I think...

One Sunday, namely last Sunday, I went to church. Then I left church. I went home. Later, Elder Armstrong (senior missionary) called and told me I left my green scarf. This I knew. Then he also told me I left my purse there. That I hadn't realized.

I told them I would come by and pick it up a little later.

So I did. I rang their apartment; they let me in. I was let into their apartment to find they had company. Lots of company. Elders. MANY Elders. And the mission president & his wife.

Elder Armstrong: Maria, come in, come in. Let me introduce you to everyone.
Bewildered Maria: Uh, hello. I am so sorry, I didn't realize you had company!
Elder Armstrong: Its fine! Have you meet President Cannon?
Maria: Yeah, at the airport.... I think. Um, well.. actually I think that was the area president. Never mind. Nice to meet you.
President Cannon: Yeah, must of been someone else.
Elder Armstrong: And this is his wife.
Maria: Hello.
Sister Cannon: Hi
Elder Armstrong: Come, take your coat off and join us.
Maria: Oh, no.. no.no. I couldn't. I feel bad that I int erupted your evening as it is. And, uh, I am, uh, not exactly, uh, we'll, um, I am only wearing my pajamas. So I think I better go.
An Elder: Oh, it is okay. We have lots of chaperons.
President Cannon, most Elders, and I turn RED. Maria laughs lightly.
Elder Armstrong: Well, let me go get your purse for you. I found it left in the primary room...
Maria: Thanks. Have a great night everyone, bye.

Outside of the apartment
Maria mutters about how awkward and embarrassing that was. Uses an Annism, "Ahh, I am so awkward!"