Tonight we went to Marshall's to get a birthday present for Ida and somehow--the curse of Marshall's being similar to the curse of Target--we arrived at the checkstand with 3 "gift drawer" toys, a game for Theo for Christmas, a shirt for Matt, a weird little board book about Halloween, and 2 Halloween costumes for the kids. And at the last minute, a candle. As we were standing in the checkout line and I was trying to keep Ida and Theo away from the gigantic display of candles in their fragile glass holders, I absentmindedly grabbed a candle and took a whiff.
And--what was that heavenly scent?--I checked the label. "Creamy Orange Frosted." I had to buy it. I could have closed my eyes and envisioned 2001...the days that were known in the land roundabout as "Marin #12." My sophomore year at BYU I lived with Hester, Sarah, and Melissa in the Marin Apts. Sarah gave me an "Orange Dreamsicle"-scented candle which smelled exactly like the Creamy Orange Frosted one perched on my desk right now.
I kept Sarah's candle next to my bed and burned it all through the fall and winter semesters of that year, often at night when I stayed up late talking with my roommates, who were my best friends too. That year was so great. A guy in our ward asked us once, "You girls kinda keep to yourselves up in Marin 12, don't you?" Yeah, I guess we did. Apparently we were all the company we needed!
In even bigger news, that winter I started dating Matt. I get so sappy about things like that, but you know your sense of smell is a magnet to memories and I was just sucked back 8 years even while the computerized checkout system at Marshall's was blaring "Next Customer to Checkstand Three, Please" in my ear. I reached up to make sure I didn't have a Meg Ryan-style ducktail at the back of my neck. Nope, 2009 after all.
But while we're talking about it, the Serendipity soundtrack does the same thing to me. I associate that dreamy orange scent not just with roommate shenanigans or first dates with Matt, but also with "Waiting in Vain" and "Northern Sky." I listened to that CD so many times the year of 2001-2002. The movie is silly but I love it anyway, mostly because its music evokes a very happy season of my life...conflicted at times, busy...but cozy and full of love.
Hmm, kind of like my life today! Parallels...parallels...
Clearly I shouldn't blog in the middle of the night because I am getting silly. But Matt is off in the woods somewhere watching the BYU game and I can't help it, I'm still awake because he's not home.
My Marin 12 roomies are scattered now. Hester is in Norway (well, technically she is in ITALY AT THE MOMENT) and Sarah is in Nebraska and Melissa is all over the place.
Now I am listening to the Serendipity soundtrack in all its glory and I have my Creamy Orange Frosted candle burning next to me.
Totally can't get better than this...
(until Matt gets home of course.)
5 comments:
I get discouraged at the chaos that is our local Marshall's - so I'm glad to hear that out of chaos can come something of great worth!!
And roommate memories are the best!
I kind of remember those times too - we visited once or twice I think.
Be sure to always stay connected with old roomies!
"Something" just told me I had to get on and here was worst hair cut glaring me in the face! You make me wanna cry. My son is abusing me, literally hitting and biting me, as I type this. I'm in the "zone" of memory lane and even the fact that he is sobbing and stood in the rain for 3 minutes in just a shirt and diaper will not detract me from applauding your orange dreamsicle candle. Funny, I smelled my "mulled cider" (the candle that burned in my room) and was brought back to the same year. I never knew by signing that contract I was signing up for life-long friends so dear to my heart I could call them sisters. That semester felt like years. It was so short but we were aquatinted so well. I thank you for making me part of your family. The only thing that was better than Marin #12 was getting married to Dave. I don't know what I would have done if I had to settle for new roomies. I guess we did keep to ourselves but I felt no deprivation because it was always so fun and btw how in the world did I ever become friends with your old roommate Meisha, so much so that I gave her a ride home to her small town in Nebraska. WACKY! I love you. always have, always will
MY worst hair cut. You can vouch for yourself. Thank you for not sharing any Oompa Loompa pictures.
first of all do I even have pants on in the picture of melissa and I? Secondly, the groups shoot is probably the most unattractive picture of me ever. Wow. not good but so hilarious!
AHHHH! You totally don't have pants on!
haha...that made my day. But I promise I didn't intentionally post such a revealing photo. I didn't realize...
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