Freshman fun (2 years later)

Last night I saw one of my very best friends dance with her husband at their gorgeous wedding reception.

Last night I also stayed up late talking about boys and the mysteries of life with my freshman roommate while sleeping in the same room once again.

Today I talked to and hugged another one of my very best friends for the first time in over two years.

This afternoon I also sat next to, hugged, joked with, snacked with and talked with two other really awesome friends who I've only seen once since they returned to Utah in December and January respectively.

It was a crazy weekend for freshman memories and friends, that's for sure. It all started with being around Jordan for a few hours on Friday. (Except I'm totally lame and we didn't take any pictures together. Bummer.) Being around him always makes me reminisce. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Saturday night was Mikaela's wedding reception. It was an awesome night. Lorraine and I helped decorate Mik and Calvin's car. It's so fun being involved in wedding activities like that. Our good friend Kara was kind of in charge and had bought a ton of supplies: window paint, post-it notes, streamers, knock-off Oreos, marshmallows etc. The greatest part about the car was what Calvin's uncle did. He wired the brakes to a horn, so whenever someone stepped on the brakes off went a horn. It was hilarious.

the finished product

After the reception Lorraine and I went to SJ's house to hang out. When we got there she had a huge ice pack on her face. Her little brother accidentally hit her in the face with a lacrosse ball. It was both funny and sad. We got a lot of nice talking in and just reminisced on life and also we got to learn about her boyfriend Dave. This was the first time I met him but he's great. Once Lorraine and Dave left Sara and I kept talking of course and just philosophized like old times. It was lovely to sleep in the same room as her again and talk about life across the room in our beds. It was so familiar and comfortable and great. I'm going to miss her terribly when she goes to Ecuador.

This morning Sara and I went to a mission farewell for her really good friend and a girl I met through her. It was lovely. Then we went back to SJ's and ate crepes with her dad and little brother. Sara is a great cook and the crepes were DELICIOUS. We had strawberries, raspberries, chocolate syrup, maple syrup and homemade whipped cream! We ate a ridiculous amount but it was great.

This afternoon it was time to see Matthew for the first time in over two years. He did an awesome job speaking and I loved just seeing and hearing him again. In church I sat next to Sara, of course, and our freshman friends Braden and Will. They were two of Matt's roommates and this was their first time seeing him too. We all just laughed and had a great time all afternoon talking about their missions, summer plans and our plans to hang out in fall. Will and Braden are the guys Lorraine and I saw Imagine Dragons with back in March. Will and I already have plans to go to another concert together in September.

reunited at last.

I probably monopolized Matt's time a little much but I felt justified since I haven't seen him in over two years and I won't see him now for another two months. It was so great seeing him and I can go back to Wisconsin a very happy kid having seen him.

I will never not love him.

Last YouTube video I watched: Permafrost (Laurena)

Summer packing & last adventures

I've spent a little time the past two days putting my clothes and a few other belongings in my now-weathered suitcase. It's been on quite a few trips now, many to and from Utah. The most exciting thing about packing today is the fact that I'll be able to fit my wonderful memory foam pillow and the suitcase won't be over the 50 pound weight limit. I'm very excited about this fact.

Packing is always interesting because it really shows you what things you like/need the most, especially when it comes to clothes. There are some shirts and pants I most definitely need and others that are nice to have but just aren't necessary. I've found that to be the case with a lot of my t-shirts. There are still things at home in my closet so I don't need to bring everything from here. It's hard to decide what to bring and what to leave though since I don't know how I'll feel a month from now and I don't doubt wanting a lot of the things being left behind in my closet in Utah.

Of course some of the hardest things to leave behind are books. I love having a lot of my books here in Utah because they make my room feel like a home. Luckily my brother and I both have all the Harry Potter books or I'd be real sad. This will also give me the opportunity/force me to read books I haven't read before.

Besides packing the last few days have been spent doing awesome stuff with awesome people. Becca and I made Swedish pancakes the other night at, like, eleven. They were delicious of course. Lorraine and Laura came over to enjoy them with us.

Lorraine, Becca and I also went to a birthday party for a friend, though the real purpose was to see Amber. She lived in the same building as us freshman year. Becca and her were also roommates sophomore year. It's always lovely to see Amber and just catch up on life. It's great when we all get together because suddenly all these inside jokes come out that we usually forget about, and then we just laugh really hard and people are confused as to what's so funny.

Thursday afternoon I got lunch with Jeff. We went to Cafe Rio and it was glorious. I seem to always forget how delicious Cafe Rio is until I go again. It was just the two of us which was lovely. We sat for a long time just talking about life and such. We're really good at transitioning between all sorts of topics of conversation. One minute we'll be talking about BYU football or basketball and then we're talking about his roommates' dating lives and then we'll be having some spiritual/churchy conversation. It's great times with Jeff and I'll miss our little hang outs.

Perhaps the best thing of this past week was hanging out with Jordan one last time before I leave. Actually, it is definitely the best thing that happened this past week. He came over yesterday morning and we went to the park and threw around my frisbee for an hour. Then we got shakes at the creamery. It was the first time he had the flavor graham canyon since getting back from his mission so he was super excited and he was not disappointed. We ate our shakes at my apartment and then watched most of the Sweden/England soccer match. At halftime we shared our friends' awkward engagement pictures and had a good laugh. I also shared some of my new music with him. Jordan and I became friends primarily because we loved each other's music, but we stayed friends because we have a lot of other stuff in common as well. Saying good-bye to him was difficult since we've only seen each other a couple times in the past month he's been home but it's all right this time around because we can actually call each other and text each other whenever we want. Fall semester is going to be awesome and we've already made plans for some adventures upon my return to Utah.

So tonight is Mikaela's wedding reception. Lorraine and I will go to that and then visiting SJ's house to have a little fire and to eat s'mores. I'm sleeping over at Sara's house so tomorrow we can go together to see Matthew speak in church. This will be the first, and really the only time, I'll be seeing Matthew this spring. I'm ecstatic. Now that he's home the mail has little meaning anymore. For two years I practically lived for checking the mail, but those days are no more. It's weird to not have that constant anymore, though now that my friends who are girls are going on missions I'll still be writing plenty of letters, that's for sure.

And now a photo tribute to Mikaela and I throughout the years:

I'm pretty sure this is the first picture
Mikaela and I were ever in together

Congratulations on getting married today, Mik! You're awesome and I can't wait to hear about all your married life adventures with Calvin in Colorado.

Last YouTube video I watched: Watsky raps fast

Accomplished: spring term

Today is the last day of classes. I am all done with spring term. Time is a crazy thing. When I got home from my last class of "junior" year, I went for a 15 minute run and then I did an ab workout for 15 minutes. There's this really cool app called Nike Training Club that has all sorts of workouts to do that focus on all different things. They last anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes, all depending on what you want to do. While doing my abs I started watching more Euro Cup! (This is what I've been doing every day before the past few days.) Ukraine and Sweden are plying right now. (Carson served his mission in Ukraine so I really hope Sweden wins so I can trash talk him.) I love Sweden. They were the first national team I ever saw play so I will always love the Swedes. Also, they are all very good-looking; well, except maybe Ibrahimovic. If matches were decided on how good-looking the players are, I'm pretty sure Sweden would win unanimously.

But since spring term is over now, not counting exams (I only have one so it hardly counts anyway), I am officially in summer. So I present:

Spring term in Utah (photos I haven't posted yet)

Finding "wetlands" in Provo

Watching Grant be a sea lion

Pondering life in Santa Cruz (This is my favorite
photo from the entire CA trip)

Riding the train to SF between these hooligans

Matching with Stacy

Being Trent's favorite, meaning I always got the front seat

Celebrating Maddie's wedding

Mik's bridal shower type party dealio

This week will bring more awesomeness since I'll probably see Matthew McKay soon(!) and Mikaela's wedding reception is Saturday(!) and the California road trip crew (Grant, Phillip, Emily and Trent) are leaving for Canada to run the Tough Mudder so I'm probably going to hang out w/ those boys one last time before we go our separate ways for the summer. At the very least Trent and I will be getting lunch like old times, and by old times I mean like we did three weeks ago and for most of spring term.

So eight days from now I will be headed home. That'll be lovely.

Last YouTube video I watched: The Green Bean Gelatin Plan

Fake spring break days 1 & 2

Here's the story of how I went to California for 4 days with 4 of the most awesome people ever.


On Thursday we left Provo at like six even though the plan was to leave at like four. That meant we didn't get to Grant's house until two in the morning. Needless to say, we were all pretty dead tired. The drive wasn't too bad. I was in the middle back between Grant and Trent for the most part; yep, I drove to California in the back, in the middle, with my feet on the hump. It was pretty nice all things considered. I fell asleep on Trent's shoulder two different times, mostly by accident and without the intention of actually falling asleep, but of course he's so sweet that he would never complain, even if it did bother him.

the best road trip buddies a kid could ask for

We listened to a lot of music, of course. And we also watched a Mission Impossible movie, though I mostly slept through it. Well, it wasn't so much sleeping as it was laying against the window with my eyes closed. I quite liked the drive, honestly. I love road trips. All in all it was an uneventful drive. Apparently some crazy stuff went down as we were going through Truckee but it was really only Phillip and Trent that know what went down. And Emily and I aren't going to ask about it anytime soon.

On Friday we left Grant's house bright and early to get to the Oakland Temple so Phil could go to the actual wedding in the temple. That was the reason for the trip after all, so we could celebrate the wedding of Wes and Hannah. While that was going on, the rest of us walked around the temple and went into the visitors' center. I haven't been in a visitors' center in a long time. The sister missionaries of course reminded me of Kelsey and soon enoug Sara. After that, Grant and I went back to the car to study. Grant got a lot done but I ended up taking a nap of sorts. Once the sealing was over we took some pictures on the terrace of the temple. It was very beautiful.

Then we made our way to a nearby BART station to take the train to San Francisco. Taking the train made me really miss London and the tube. Once we got to San Francisco we made our way to Chinatown. I say "made our way" but it was more like wandering around. Since Trent served his mission in Oakland and San Francisco he was our unofficial guide of sorts. He didn't really know where he was going but it seemed like he did. It took a while to walk to Chinatown but we didn't mind. It was just great to be around each other in a new city. We eventually found a really good place to eat, though the boys were not pleased with the size of the portions, though that was to be expected. After lunch we made our way to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square. We were on the bay and walked around there for another few hours. It started to rain just a bit but nothing to deter us. It was crazy windy by the ocean but once again we didn't care. I think the best part of the day for Emily and me was Ghirardelli Square. We shared a delicious and huge peanut butter sundae known as the "Gold Rush." It cost us a bit but it was most definitely worth it.

I also loved when we stopped at this random Thai restaurant. Trent spoke to the waitress all in Thai. It was awesome and I admire Trent so much for being able to do that. He's an incredibly talented and smart guy. Things are always great when you have a half Thai/half Irish friend who speaks multiple languages.

At that point we were even more tired and decided to take a street car to the Embarcadero BART station and then back to our car. From there we drove back to Oakland for the reception. It was beautiful. Wes and Hannah had their reception at a building at the Oakland Zoo. It was outside and a perfect night as the sun set over Oakland and San Francisco. The dinner was also awesome. They had a great buffet. (You'll notice quite quick that much of this trip revolved around food.) Perhaps the coolest part of the reception was seeing Wes and Hannah's friends give toasts. Hannah's Harry Potter fandom friends were there and they said some hilarious things I'm sure only a few of us got. It was neat to meet them especially because I've seen pictures of them for years and heard a lot about them from Hannah. Though by far the best thing about Hannah and Wes as a couple is the fact that they have known each other since they were about three years old.

We left the reception before the dancing which was kind of a bummer since I really wanted to dance with Grant and Trent, who were both my dates.

our fearless men

 So we went off to Santa Cruz then, heading for our campsite. By the time we got there it was sometime after eleven. We all basically went straight to bed, and by bed I mean we laid out a huge tarp, unrolled our sleeping bags, crawled in and didn't wake up for hours. I did sleep quite well and wasn't cold at all.


And that's the end of days number 1 & 2 of our epic fake spring break trip to California.

Excitementish?

Sometimes I feel like my life doesn't amount to much. I see what my friends are doing, friends from school and friends from home, friends taking classes right now and friends elsewhere in the world. People have jobs and internships; others are graduating; a good number are on various study abroad trips to awesome places, like Mckenna in Guernsey and Carson in Italy. I've got my riveting classes of media and world religions, which goes right up until 6:30 every Monday and Wednesday evening, and Iberian civilization, which has an exam basically every week. At first glance, I don't have much exciting stuff going on, but things are surprisingly great, and exciting in ways that most people would probably not consider exciting.

I've gotten a lot more time to read lately. I love sitting in the grass on campus or at the park and reading a good book. It's definitely one of the things I miss the most about fall and winter semesters. There really just is not time for recreational reading. I may have gotten a little too excited about reading though because I've barely started some of the books I checked out from the library and they're due in a couple days.

There's a house of boys who live right around the corner who make sure at least two or three nights a week are filled with some kind of . . . something. Whether that be watching a movie, or kidnapping a roommate for his birthday and getting cupcakes and then fries and Frosties from Wendy's, or going to Macey's for cheap soft-serve, or getting lunch and then going to Home Depot to find spray to kill wasps. They're always around for hugs and laughs and smiles and snacks. Just last night I saw The Avengers with them, and let me tell you: seeing that movie with a bunch of boys makes it 10 times more hilarious and epic.

My apartment has always been friends w/ the apartment right across the hall, but over the last few weeks of spring semester we've seen even more of them, and it's been awesome. We've gone to see movies; we've stayed in to watch movies; we've eaten cookies; we've talked about boys. I got to go to an awesome fire w/ one of them and then after to stare at the super moon. We stop by each other's apartments just because we can. It's a really small thing but hanging out with them is easily some of the most fun I've had all semester.

And perhaps what I'm most excited about/what is most exciting is having the opportunity to go to Mikaela's wedding reception, which is exactly a month from today! I'm so excited. Mik is from Colorado and getting married in Utah and is having a reception here and back home, so had I gone home for spring semester, I would have missed it. Mikaela easily became one of my best friends at school and I'm both terribly excited and sad she's getting married, though mostly I'm excited. Her dress looks awesome and it's going to be an epic day.

However, now that I think about it, what will make spring semester the best is the fact that I get to go to California over Memorial Day weekend! My other wonderful friend Hannah is getting married in Oakland, and fortunately for me the aforementioned boys who live around the block are all going to California that weekend and I get to road trip it with them. One of them is going to the reception as am I, another is from the area, and the other two are basically just going for fun.

So while my life may not be as epic as those traversing the world, it's still pretty dang good.

Last YouTube video I watched: Pitcher Makes Awesome Behind the Back Grab

It feels like college

Last night/in the wee hours of this morning I felt more collegiate than I have in a long time. The last time I felt that young and carefree was probably when Hank and I went to play tennis outside at 11 at night back in October. Last night definitely beat out late night tennis, though.

First there was a wedding reception for a dear friend from freshman year. I got to see a bunch of awesome friends so that was lovely. There was also a Cold Stone ice cream bar dealio. It was delicious, of course. My favorite part, besides seeing my now-married friend, was reuniting with SJ.

After the reception, Lorraine went right to bed since she had to run a half marathon this morning and the bus for the start of the race left at 5:30, so she had to be up around 4:30. I, on the other hand, went over to my friend Trent's house. He'd called earlier that evening and wanted to know if I would care to come roast marshmallows with him and his roommates. 

So I went over there and to my surprise were we not only roasting marshmallows for s'mores, we were legitimately grilling. That day Trent's roommate Chris bought a little Weber grill, and so of course they had to use it that very night. Mind you this was around 10 or 10:30 at night. And we were grilling pork ribs and pork chops and asparagus. It was all wonderful, and we had some rice too for good measure. Later in the night, around 11:30, we did roast marshmallows for s'mores. Trent was lovely enough to give me a Reese's peanut butter cup to use instead of a Hershey bar. (Because he is awesome.)

Eventually Grant found the movie he wanted, the first Sherlock Holmes, and we watched that. I was pretty awake at the beginning of it. Then I kind of started falling asleep. But in the last twenty minutes or so of it, I was quite awake once again. I was not tired. At all. Grant walked Becca and me home and then I ended up staying awake until around 3 or 3:30. Totally irresponsible? Yes. Completely great decision at the same time? Also yes. 

I had an absolutely fantastic time with all of my friends last night, both at the reception and at Grant and Trent's house. The best part of it all? We don't even need alcohol to have that much fun. It was so chill and fun and relaxing and exciting all at the same time. Something was always going on but just being around those people made it feel as if nothing was happening at all. That's always interesting to me, the idea of party schools and drinking alcohol of some sort to have fun. I don't understand that type of party/partying. The possibility of not remembering those incredible nights is so unappealing. The only reason I can't remember certain parties is because all the fun and excitement just runs together into a blur of awesomeness from the various times I'm with my friends.

As for today? I'm just studying for a test and reading books for fun. I might go disc golfing with Hank and some other people but he hasn't gotten back to me yet on a time. And Jeff might come over? Question mark because I don't know what time/if he really will. All in all, I just need a relaxing day to recover from being so college.

Last YouTube video I watched: The Empire - Jason Munday (May the Fourth Be With You)

Trip to Tennessee Part II

So I'm back in good ol' Wisconsin! And I must say, Tennessee was awesome. I absolutely love that state now, if only for the reason that I made some amazing memories there.

Here's a rundown of my weekend in the south:

I got picked up at the airport by one of Brooke's brothers, a cool kid a year or two younger than us. That was around 10:30 am. We had to battle w/ some epic weather and bad traffic but we finally made it to their house. And then it was time to get ready. Brooke's sisters and a friend from school were there getting their hair did and make-up put on all fancy like. Having woken up at 5:45 and just hanging out in airports all morning, I chilled for a bit and then finally put my dress on. Though I technically was a bridesmaid, I didn't have the same dress due to some circumstances we couldn't really control. This made me a little apprehensive at first. I just felt out of place. This feeling soon subsided.

Over to the Nashville temple we went, waiting for Brooke and James to exit. It stopped raining just long enough for me to find Kelsey in the parking lot and for us to freak out over being together. That was when the awkwardness subsided, when I saw Kelsey. There was quite some time before the happy couple came out so Kelsey did my hair and make-up on account of how I had been hanging out in the aforementioned airports.

And then finally they came out! At the point it had started raining pretty hard again so the entire wedding party and families and friends were tucked under the overhang right outside the main doors. I had yet to see Brooke's dress but it was just incredible. It was the epitome of her. Seeing her so happy is indescribable. Another thing that's indescribable was her face when she saw me in the back of the crowd. I was at the back, just watching everyone, especially Brooke and James' faces, taking pictures, peeking through shoulders. Then some people shifted and Brooke and I made eye contact. It was just . . . Wow. Her smile was incredible. She waved and mouthed "Hi Anna!" I could tell me being there really did make a difference on her wedding day. That was the second moment when I didn't care what I was wearing or that it was different. I was there for Brooke and that's all the mattered.

After taking bunches of pictures, Kelsey and I went back to Brooke's house to help Kelsey's sister prepare all the food for the reception. That was more fun than I expected it to be, and I expected lots of fun. Kelsey and I talked about everything under the sun, reveling in the time we had that weekend. A bunch of the families went out for lunch but Kelsey and I stayed behind and it was totally worth it. Brooke and James came back to change and that was the first time all day I really got to see Brooke and talk for just a few seconds. But we did get in some epic hugs, the kind of hugs that heal your soul. I'm not even exaggerating.

Fast forwarding a few hours after cooking, to the reception we went. It was decorated beautifully, a destination wedding without the destination is what they called it. Very nicely beach themed. It was not even close to tacky as one might expect of "beach themed." (Pictures soon to come. It's hard to describe.) The cake wasn't so much a cake as it was just cupcakes! Lots and lots of cupcakes! Deliciousness. So rich and delightful.

Perhaps my favorite part of the night was the slideshow that was played. It showed Brooke and James from babyhood to marriage. Obviously I loved it the most when the college pictures started, many of which I was in. At the very moment those pictures started playing, the song "You and I" by Ingrid Michaelson came on. Intentional or not, I have no idea, but it was perfect. Kelsey and I freaked out together. That song was very much a part of the end of freshman year. Hearing it in the context of a wedding was just incredible.

Here's a little note I wrote on my iPod Touch Saturday night, some reactions from right after everything happened: The wedding is over and wow. Brooke looked absolutely amazing. It was easy to tell how happy she was. The moment she saw me her face lit up. I was standing kind of in the back, looking between those in front of me. When Brooke and I saw each other, I got a little teary. I know that moment was just for us. And no one else had one just like it which makes it even better. It was just Brooke and me that mattered. At first I was a little out of place being around only her family but seeing Brooke made everything worth it. I'm so glad I came. It's just an added bonus that I get to be around Kelsey as well. I love being around both of them.

And so yeah, today was spent at church w/ Kelsey's family, with whom I stayed the night, and watching Cake Boss, and eating food. It was all about relaxing after Saturday was GO GO GO. Kelsey took me to the airport and that was all she wrote. I'll be seeing Brooke, Kelsey, and James in just a few weeks though when I head back to Utah for school.

So much happened in the last two days. I felt like I was in Tennessee for much longer than I actually was. I think that's when you know it was a great time. The happily married couple is now honeymooning in Aruba. What a party, I know.

That was my weekend. Lots of other feelings happened too but those aren't exactly blog appropriate, meaning I'd rather keep them to myself and a few select people. Know that it was totally and completely epic and that marriage is awesome.

Last YouTube video I watched: Spitting on people isn't nice

Trip to Tennessee Part I

I'm currently chilling in the airport, playing Angry Birds and using Instagram. Hopefully this actually gets posted on Saturday. Blogging (almost) every day in August has been quite enjoyable thus far. I'm lucky that I've had such fun things come my way as of late, namely the wedding I'm about go to and getting ready to go back to Utah for school.

I feel as if I'm part of some awesome club, what with me typing this all on my iPod Touch. People around me probably think I'm texting like crazy but in fact I'm blogging. The whole concept of me blogging from my Touch, which does not have a name though it should, is quite baffling. Barely over a year ago I didn't have a nice laptop or a fancy touch screen iPod. Now I can't really imagine living without such things. Obviously I can but as far as every day things are concerned, I need my MacBook, which I have christened Rory Williams. You'll probably have to Google him. (Side note: Macbook just auto corrected to MacBook. Oh Steve Jobs... Speaking of auto correct, Becca, we haven't read that site in recent weeks. That's a problem.)

That was quite a long side note. Blame my bff Jordan, Scottish missionary extraordinaire, for that. He's gotten me into writing long tangents like that. That's how it goes when your only form of communication is hand-written letters. It's an art that I absolutely love, letter writing is. I'm currently in waiting mode; a letter should be arriving any day now, and I just hope it's not today since I'll have to wait all freakin' weekend to read it.

Well, that's all I have for you fine people. Have a fantastic weekend everyone. Expect a Tennessee and weekend recap Sunday night!

Last YouTube video I watched: Whatever the last Shaytards video was. (And oh my gosh! Steve Jobs just predicted I was going to write Shaytards. I guess he's a fan.)

Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.

John Wooden said that. He was one of the most successful college basketball coaches of all time. Quite possibly the very best.

I'm going to interpret "winning" in the way that Charlie Sheen does. Basically, if you do something awesome, that's winning.

My very good friend Margaret does not just have talent, she has character. Not only does she win, she does it over and over. She is a woman of many talents. At only 19 years old, she

plays piano like a professional, runs like an Olympian, cooks like an Iron Chef, and sews like a winning contestant on Project Runway. All of those are at least slightly true, I promise. Her winning as of late is all about the sewing.

Here is Margaret and myself. We are totes adorbz. I know.

I bought a dress to wear to a wedding. This dress is adorable. It makes me look very good. I bought said dress this past Saturday. However, it was too short! Whatever was I to do?! The wedding was in one week! I'll tell you what I did: I contacted Margaret. And guess what? She happily obliged and took on the task of adding a few inches to this dress. The dress came into her possession on Tuesday morning. At first we were worried it might not turn out as we wished due to the kind of material we had and what the dress what made of.

Have no fear. Margaret saved the day, as she always does.

I picked up my dress after work tonight and it looks FABULOUS. I can hardly believe this weekend is finally arriving. I'm going to a wedding for one of my best friends. It's crazy to think I even have friends that are old enough to seriously consider marriage.

That being said, I'll be in Tennessee Saturday and Sunday. If I miss posting on Saturday, know that it's because I'm partyin' it up, celebratin' a marriage that will last forever. That's a legitimate excuse in my book. I'll be sure to write something on Saturday and post it upon my return to the interwebz on account of how I won't be bringing my laptop with me.

Now I must go do my laundry and start packing!

Last YouTube video I watched: Parent Fails