Trust me, it's FUNNY!

We took a little road-trip.  A quick jaunt from Utah to Idaho to meet with a very successful man who gave us very successful secrets.  We had a great 12 hours in Idaho, including sleeping time, and the story begins with us headed back to Salt Lake to catch a plane to Oregon (well one of us).

Let me set the stage.  It is 7am.  I am driving (because I am the best driver), Mike is sleeping in the backseat (dead asleep) and Ben is sleeping in the passenger seat (also dead asleep). We have no radio, no CD's, the only sound is the occasional snore. Boring.

Finally, the bore is getting to me and I grab my iPod and headphones and put them in thinking I will rock out to music while the others catch some Z's.  Let me tell you about me and my iPod.  I listen to it for 2 reasons.  The first reason is to workout with loud, obnoxious, fast working out music.  The second reason is to go to sleep; in planes, hotel rooms or foreign places where I need to block out noise.  There is something with those headphones in my ears that makes me either run like crazy or fall right asleep.  As soon as I put the headphones in the later started happening and I was instantly very tired.  Might I remind you that I am driving and the only one awake.

Enter Hot Tamales.  I don't care if it's 7am in the morning I value my life enough that sugar at 7am to keep me awake is worth it.  (Sugar at 7am is always worth it actually).

So I am eating Hot Tamales, chugging sipping on a Diet Coke (yes, 7am) and listening to my iPod with one ear.   My tactics aren't working though, all I can think about is how heavy my eyelids are and how much sleep I haven't gotten for the last few weeks.

Then the greatest idea ever pops into my head.  An idea that will no doubt keep me awake and entertain me at the same time.  PICTURES.

So I grab my camera and snap the "must-haves" (REMEMBER - the car is dead silent). The barely audible click of my point and shoot is the only sound around.

Must have #1. My Hot Tamales because even though they don't keep me awake, I keep eating them.

Must have #2. Ben sleeping.  Because pictures of people sleeping, especially in cars, is really funny to me.

Must have #3. Mike sleeping.  He is tricking you with the sunglasses, I  promise you, he is asleep.

Must have #4. Another of myself.  Because I am awesome and have perfected the art of self portrait car photos.

Note bright red tongue from high consumption of Hot Tamales.

And then a spectacular idea comes to me.  Must have #5 should be a picture of Ben and myself.  Dual shot if you will.  This may be harder than a self portrait, but car picture challenges are always accepted.

First Attempt: Fail. Who left the zoom on? WHY is the zoom even on? Too many questions for a person driving.

Second Attempt: Fail.  Come on Amber - you can do better than that!

May I insert here that after every shot I was turning the camera around and looking at the photo I had just taken.  Come on, we all do it.

Third Attempt: I take the picture and turn the camera around hoping to find that my third attempt worked like a charm.  I stare at the screen for a second and then let out the HIGHEST pitched SCREAM I have ever heard leave my two lips.  Mike jumps out of his seat just about shooting through the roof in terror.  Ben is doubled over, laughing uncontrollably.

When I turned the camera around after my third attempt I saw this:

After I gather myself, I look at Ben and a look back at the camera and my uncontrollable laughing begins.  Like crying, almost wetting my pants, not able to speak - uncontrollable laughing.  For a good 5 minutes we laughed so hard neither Ben or I could talk. Leaving poor, startled awake, Mike wondering what exactly is going on?

Finally - when I could speak I said to Ben, " I THOUGHT you were asleep!!"  He replied, "I was until I heard all the clicking from your camera!"  "Ben, that picture scared me to death!!"  "Well Amber, I was teaching you a lesson.  It's not safe to take pictures while you drive."

Lesson learned.