One wedding and a ridiculous airport experience

A variety of news is in order. I have been married four days now and I love married life. It's nice to know that you can be with your best friend forever and ever and that you can spend all of your time with them. It's nice to know that they love you no matter what and that they want you to be the best you can possibly be. They see your potential, they lift you when you're down and they make you realize how much you love them everyday. That's what my husband Ryan does for me. He makes me laugh every day and he knows just how to cheer me up. He serves me and looks out for my needs just as I try to do his.

We love our new place and it's great waking up next to each other. It's just a small adjustment to have a little less blankets and to realize how much space you actually have. It's just fun doing things together.

The wedding was great. It had its hitches but me not being really picky, didn't actually care and knew that things would work out. It didn't really matter for a lot of the small details and everything worked out fine. Every one had a great time, I got to eat some of the cream puffs I specifically ordered and I got to see old friends and have a great time with my family. I had a blast.


Now flying was a different story. We flew on Delta on the way there with Una Tontaria and her husband which was fine. On the way back however, we flew United with just Ryan and myself. We were planning on flying back to Utah on Saturday the 23rd, however the flight was extremely booked so for some reason I got a ticket and a seat, but Ryan was going to be stranded at the airport. It was strange because we bought our tickets at the same time on the same credit card and so we're family too. However, since the flight had about a 150 people on stand-by they felt it appropriate to split up a family and kind of force me to stay with Ryan. It was okay though, the airline gave us $200 each or our choice of a roundtrip ticket anywhere in the US. We went for the $400 and we also got a comped hotel at the airport, which was the Hilton. It was really nice. However, we neglected to procure a meal voucher so we weren't about to pay for room service or to pay $13 for our choice of fruit with juice and coffee. No thank you.

Ryan's favorite part of that experience was that we only had our carry-ons which obviously contained no liquids as the nation is on orange alert. So, we had to go to an airport store to buy a $5 toothbrush, $6 deodorant, $1.50 small tube of toothpaste, two $1.50 Advil packets for my headache, $10 5 oz. container of contact solution, and two contact cases for $5. This totalled to about $35 which we did not appreciate. And then there was an extra day for parking at Salt Lake City since we drove. So, we ended up with $30 spent on parking, $35 on toiletries, making it about $335 we got from the airline. Jerks. We also got chosen, randomly I'm assuming, to be searched more thoroughly. Frisked is the word Ryan used, or padded down. They kind of dug through our bag and made sure we weren't dangerous or whatever. It was much appreciated. Not. Anyway, that was our adventure at the airport.

We are looking forward to a week of relaxation and spending time together sleeping in and spending some of our wedding money on stuff we need and such. It's good to be back and I've been at work picking up and organizing the apartment. Merry Christmas to everyone! Thanks for all that you do, I appreciate it.

Four more days til I'm an old married lady

So, the days are looming closer. Finals have started and I still have three finals left. Whoop dee doo.

The only way I've been able to get through this so far are a day at a time, an event or assignment at a time. Otherwise, I'd be going nuts and it would be absolutle chaos. A lot of it.

Something that I normally frown upon but have been doing lately is tanning. I think that has helped me a lot actually. There are surprisingly more benefits to tanning than tan skin. And it also doesn't mean that if you have ever went that you're baked orange. I have learned that much at least. I have been a lot happier after tanning and it's also nice to have a few minutes to yourself in a relaxed meditative state. At least that's my opinion of it.
I just got released from my calling today. I am now no longer the Relief Society Secretary and just passed on a ton of the stuff and information I put together to the next secretary who hopefully appreciates me doing that. If not, I won't ever find out and probably won't actually even care.

Ryan and I love our new place except for one downside. The lady who lives upstairs smokes and it kind of goes through the heating vents when she does. So today we called our landlord and will be fixing that problem, since in the contract it states that you're not allowed to. That will make the environment there much more enjoyable.

I'm still marrying the man I love more than anything else in the world. He is amazing, supportive, loving, gentle, caring, understanding, sensitive, and loves me completely for who I am. I feel like this is the right thing to do and that marrying Ryan will be one of the best decisions I could ever make. To everyone else, good luck finding your own eternal companion.

Anyway, have a nice day and get sleep and cherish the fact that you're not going insanely busy and slightly nuts planning a wedding, loving the snow here, and taking several finals. It'll all be over soon so I'm not too worried. I can do it and so can you! How's that for motivational speaking?

22 is my magic number

That's how many days before I have a ball and chain of my own. Ha ha. I'm sure Ryan is laughing uproariously reading this. I find it funny that even though it drives everyone nuts that nobody updates their blogs yet they do not update their own. What a world we live in.

I bought two new songs of iTunes yesterday, "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol and "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World. Both are fantastic and I've been listening to them almost non-stop. Good times.

So, how do you guys like this weather? Looking at my weather channel desktop, it says 2 degrees. Being (oh, by the way, Rachel is absolutely gorgeous AND beautiful)(Ryan just wrote that folks) from Chicago, even I will admit that that's cold. Dang Utah. Does that mean this is going to be a cold winter or did the mole bury its shadow or something? Maybe that means something. I don't know. Sure. Whatever.

I just heard that there's a Costco party on Saturday from 7-9 at Costco. In case any of you were intersted or something.

It has come to my attention that a Compulsively Indecision brother of mine has been flying airplanes off the roof of my building and then pulling on my keys. The nut. I have to hand it to him, the dude knows how to make airplanes. I guess it runs in the family since Jose works looking at parts of airplanes.

I went to California over break which was totally fun. I got to see the ocean for the first time and the weather was gorgeous, but now it's snowing here, but I still like it. Who couldn't. While I was there I kept thinking about Jon and how he's serving over there. I thought it would be pretty cool if I saw him but alas. He's only got two months left, I'll see him soon enough.

Still working on wedding plans. We have to send out invitations this week or else we're toast. Most of the people who care about it know so I don't think it's a huge tragedy.

Anyway, have a good day, make good choices and be nice to dogs. Yup. That's about it. Bye!

PS Sorry no pictures, I'm no fun apparently.

So you're getting married

So much to do! Ryan and I just registered at Target and have been enjoying looking at prices with the knowledge we probably won't have to pay for everything when starting our lives together.

We've got announcements almost all planned out exactly, we're having the manager downstairs of my apartments do them for us cheaply, and they'll be pretty nice too. We sent him the text for them and then Una Tontaria is working on the pictures for us.

I have a dress, as previously stated, and can pick it up this week. Now everyone but Ryan can get a close up of it. We have a place to live, which Ryan will be moving into in a couple of weeks so that it will be easier to settle everything in. I'm excited about all of this, in case you couldn't tell.

I loved the snow yesterday, I was so happy. It made me smile a lot and I'm sure I was very interesting to be around. Ryan noticed anyway. I believe he used the term "giddy." Me giddy? Never. Just kidding.

School is coming along, not fantastic as everyone wishes every semester would be, but I'm staying afloat and beginning the process of applying for the elementary education program. We'll see how it goes. I have yet to change my mind on this one though.

Anything else I need to mention? I feel like I'm doing progress and problems at FHE with the fam. Anyway, everyone has been great for this whole thing in accomidating their schedules and time for us, so I appreciate that greatly. Thanks!

Maybe next time I update my blog, it won't be a month later. That'll be the day.

Skin Allergies

Well, now Ryan and I have found a place to live that's only about $350 to live plus utilities. It's in a pretty good neighborhood and the guy who owns it is really nice. It was a first deposit first gets the place deal, so we rushed over there. It's a pretty big place. There's a living room, a study/storage area, a bedroom, and a mostly newly remodeled kitchen. However, the toilet is in a different room as the rest of the bathroom. Kind of funny, but I think it could be somewhat amusing to have that experience in a house. It's not furnished, so we'll have to dig around for some temporary furniture since we won't be here too long, at least not together.

I just did a NuSkin dealy at Una Tontaria's house. I scored a lousy 18,000. Apparently that's bad. I don't get enough veggies or something. I should probably eat more of those and take supplements or junk like that. I don't think I get enough Vitamin C either, so I want to fix that.

I'm also using ProActive, which is kind of working. My nose is allergic to it. It's really dry and itchy. Really sucks for me, but Ryan thinks it looks okay, mostly. I was looking at Nuskin stuff. Maybe that will help. The problem is that I'm allergic to a lot of stuff, it gets dry, and itchy. If only I was made of money. That could be fun.

Anyway, I think it's mostly related to stress, most of these issues, so maybe one day I won't have as much and I'll be great or something.

Anxiously engaged in a sweet raise

Finally. Took him long enough. I mean, hurray! I got engaged on Wednesday to my boyfriend, Ryan, and it's exciting business ya'll. He asked me while we were slow dancing and I knew it was coming. I said yes, obviously, since I'm engaged to be marred. I had to tell my whole New Testament class, which was embarrassing and nerve wrecking for me, but now I don't have to do that again.

He's already talked to the folks and has met a few members of the fam. Here's a picture of my ring.

I've also picked out a dress, but I have yet to try it on. As Seth would say, "It's such a great deal!" I'm excited for it. We're planning on December 22 in the Nauvoo Temple, but it's not final yet.

We also just merged phone plans to save us twenty bucks a month from our old plans. And to explain the rest of the title of the blog, I just got a raise in my job just because I've shown that I'm responsible. Pretty much. Now I'm a lead Custodian. Whoo hoo! I guess. Now I'm making $7.58 an hour. That should help me out sufficiently. Hopefully. Yup.

Anyway, I also met Ryan's sisters, which was a mostly good experience. They're nice girls, and it's fun to see the sibling interaction. I also talked to Ryan's dad, Daryl, tonight. We're already on a first name basis. He seems to act a lot like Ryan, so we should be fine there. I also met his mom. They all seem to be really nice and friendly people.

Sorry kids, but I can't get a picture of my dress. It's pretty sweet though. I like it at least. And soon the whole entire ward will know, since Ryan's coming with me to church on Sunday. What a shame he can't come to Relief Society, since I'm singing for the "musical experience" so I'll probably do a hymn or something. It's been a long time since I'v performed a solo, so hopefully it'll all come out right.

BLT Sunglasses

What is up with people and wearing sunglasses inside? I don't get it. Is it a cool thing or something? Does it boost their self-esteem? My Relief Society President wore them recently, but that was because she had been in a car accident and the sunglasses were in place to cover up the huge bruise on her face. Poor girl. Anyway, why should any other normal person feel the need to do that? Apparently I'm having a grand old time venting out that intersting fashion choice. It's different if someone's about to walk outside, or if they're just sitting on their head, not their eyes. But when it's around inside for a long period of time, you'd think they're notice if it was dark inside, but then again, those college students, you never know.



Here's a funny tale for all of you people. I went to the Training Table with Ryan the other day, yesterday actually, after the priesthood session of conference. I ordered a BLT and when we picked it up at the counter, I thought it was looking a bit slim. So I went to our table and sat down, then studied the menu's description of their BLT to what was in front of me. All that was on my sandwich was several slices of bacon, and shredded chedder cheese. Definitely not a BLT. So, I went up to the counter and told them my sandwich was missing some stuff on it. I had never really complained before about food, but this was a bit ridiculous. At the counter, they all started laughing, and informed the person making the sandwiches, about ten feet away from me, that he needed to complete it. I was missing the L and the T part. So they added it, and I was totally fine with their service. I just thought it was really funny.

Blisters the size of my toe. Yummy!

Don't you just love being stressed out with a ton of tests in one week? I really appreciate the teachers synchronizing their schedules to have midterms and tests all in the same week. Total insanity. Yup.

Anyway, I've also been busy with my calling, work, homework, Ryan, Ryan again, and roomates. Life is so busy when you're at the school I'm attending. In past experience, the best way to deal with all of this craziness is to just take it a day at a time and to prioritize homework to what is due first, so you do that assignment or paper before reading for another class. At least it's organized stress.

Ryan and I have been dating for a month, and it has just flown by. It's funny to look at my first day back and we started dating. He's been so great to me. Good man, Ryan is. Gee, I sound like Yoda with that kind of a statement. But it's true, somehow even though I'm spending time with him all that time (I just said time twice in the same sentence, how does that make you feel compulsive indecision?), I feel like everything's going to be okay, school-wise and relationship wise.

The other day I wore some heeled sandals that pretty much killed my feet to the Relief Society Broadcast at the Mariott Center, and came home with blistered and cut up feet. You'd think I'd learn after this happening every time I wore those shoes, but apparently not. Anyway, I got this wicked blister on my pinky toe, which Ryan said was really gross, which is definitely saying something. So he pulled out his knife, and with my permission, he poked a hole in the blister and squeezed all of the pus (spelling?) out. I was pretty grossed out as well, you should've seen my face while I was clutching my favorite blue blanket, but I'm glad it's fixed. It was about the size of my toe itself. I hope nobody's eating while they're reading this, because they might become disgusted or something. I'm glad I'm so descriptive. Good for me. Yay!

Anyway, it's almost weekend, and conference, so it should be spiritually edifying, if not entirely busy with Ryan and homework. I guess if I had nothing to do I would be pretty bored, so I guess that'll teach me to have extra time on my hands.

Raise Nosebleeds Jamba Coat Ryan

I got a new coat today! Ryan must really like me or something, he purchased one for me at the Burlington Coat Factory. It was definitely a successful outing, full of me making fun of the most hideous coats I could find. It was great.

I went to bed at two this morning because I was doing a paper while I was half asleep, so it took about ten times as long as it really needed to. I was able to stay rejuvenated by stopping at the neighborhood campus Jamba Juice and asking for an energy boost. It actually worked, surprisingly enough. I ordered the sixteen ounce size, but I ended up with the next size up free of charge because they made too much or something. Yay!

I also got a raise today, a rather substantial one, I might add, of about twenty eight cents, so now I'm making $7.38, so since I've been a Sanitation Engineer, I've experienced a forty eight cent pay increase. Good for me.


I got done with my Humanities class early today by just a few minutes because my professor started getting a nose bleed. So pretty much he said he'd just finish up that slide and let class out early. The worst part was that I was sitting in the front row, so I could see it really clearly. Lovely. I have never had a nosebleed in my life, and think it's kind of funny when others experience such fun. It makes me think of Ralph Wiggim when I hear the word nosebleed. Ralph is going off to camp and his dad leaves him some parting advice of "If your nose is bleedingi Ralphie, you're picking it too much." and then as an after thought, says "Or not enough!"
Gross!

Ryan and I are doing fantastically. We see eachother every day, and talk about any subject that crosses our minds. We have lots of fun together, that's for sure. It's definitely a great learning experience, about relationships and other such things. It makes you realize how much you can appreciate someone. And then it's hard to imagine life without them. So far so good is all I can say. If I said anything else, rumors would be flying. And I hate rumors.

Anyway, I guess I should follow Una Tonaria's lead and tell everyone else to update their blogs. Yup. Make good choices and be nice to dogs!

Schooling My Life

How about I create some conversation, shall I? How was everyone's first week back to school? Exciting new things to learn at work? Anyone trying to race me for a relationship? Homework piled up yet? Get any great, out of the ordinary, fantastic callings?

As for me, I obviously got my extra special friend, meaning a boyfriend, for those of you who don't speak "(fill in my name here)." I still stick with my anonymity, it's much more fun and if you don't know me, my life doesn't mean too much anyway. I got a calling in my ward, yes Compulsive Indecision, I'm a secretary in one of the three relief societys. I like it so far, and I can tell that I'll be learning and growing a lot, as well as making a lot of new friends. I'm excited for it.

I got my old job back, which is good. I pretty much run the joint. I was a little worried that I would have to go and find another job, since I am a lazy gal, this job I currently have is ideal for the college life I desire. I like knowing how and what I have to do, and just doing it. I have a new boss, so that should be fun. She seems like a real nice lady.

I've got tons of homework, mostly reading, but I'm still working on it. Good for me.

Guess what? I got a printer! It's kind of funny, because earlier yesterday, before I got it, I had a Relief Society meeting, where since I'm the secretary I have to type things up and send them out. It also doesn't hurt to have a hard copy, but I don't really feel like going to the library and figuring out their new system for a few copies. Thus far, I have been using notebook paper, instead of printer paper, since I just got it yesterday. I was even smart enough to hook it up myself. How impressive.

Funny story. Today while Ryan and I were walking home from Stake/Regional Conference, I was looking around to see if there was anyone I knew. I asked Ryan if he knew anyone in the crowd around us, and he pointed to a blond girl in front of us and said, "I know her from work a few years ago." I had noticed the girl myself, and thought she looked kind of like someone I had met before at the beginning of the previous school year, but I thought she was somewhere else beside college. Ryan calls her name and she turns around and she recognizes him and asks how he's doing and then turns to me and I'm smiling. It's the girl I had met before, Susan, one of Compulsive Indecision's friend that used to live with Blue Adagio, unless I miss my guess. I thought it was amusing that out of a huge crowd, Ryan and I found the one person that knew both of us on completely different occasions. Weird, huh?

That's plenty for now. I should be watching the CES Fireside with Elder Eyring. Oh, and you guys you talk to Dancing Queen. She asked a guy out to Homecoming from church, and she said yes. She's super excited, but was wondering how it works now, whether it is considered a date or what. Yay!

Adios!

And more from a life in the peanut gallery

I'm back! And most of you have had the chance to see me in the flesh, which can't be too much of a bad thing I suppose. I have gone shopping, so now I can live, especially on that two percent milk that I love. Good stuff. Don't know what I'd do without it. I bought some of my books, so far the total is a hundred dollars. At least for Russian Choir, it's an easy class, and I don't really need books for that. Whoop dee do.

I have also acquired a boyfriend in my first day back, which must be a record somewhere, it was funny because when I was introducing him to my friends, they asked, "How do you know (my name here)?" and I said, "Well, he's my boyfriend. That's how I know him." and one of them said, "That was fast." At least I can say that at least we know each other more than we might have if we had just been dating. We were able to work on an emotional relationship before we ever engaged in any part of the physical, which I think is kind of a rare thing at this college. That's just my humble opinion and general assumption. I don't know how happy my mother will feel about this, but, there's not really much she can do at this point, though I do respect her opinions and am willing to take her advice. If they weren't concerned, they wouldn't be very good parents. They just want the best for me, and most of all, they want me to be happy and do what's right. Ah. I miss them. They're great.

I'm already all moved in, pretty much. My winter things are still in boxes, but since it's supposed to be a high of 89 today, I don't think I'll need them too much. Although, as most of you know, I do get cold pretty easily. I do eat, I promise. It just doesn't go to providing fat or warmth for me. I'm sure one day it will catch up to me or something. Probably. Well, that was a great post, don't you think? Anyway, back to another lovely Saturday, the last one before school starts. Lucky me.

Second Chances (and coincidentally, my first post as a nineteen year old)

No one has been nagging or I guess, reminding me to update my blog at all. Right. Anyway, I figure now is as good a time as any to inform you all of an extra-special friend I have that will be picking me up from the airport. We dated before, and we're on the "second try." I think it's only fair to give everyone a second chance. Anyway, I like him, obviously, so you should all give him a chance and get to know him. If this sounds cryptic at all, it's okay, because all will be explained when I get back on Thursday! Hurray! I'm nineteen! I'm going to be going through my second year of college! That's scary! Anyway, so Ryan (sorry, I couldn't think of a great pseudonym)and I have been communicating, rather well I might add, over the summer, and I have realized how much he has begun to mean to me, and this has been good, because we've been able to get to know eachother a lot better than I would've back at school, especially since I kind of made the decision to not date him so much, as most of you might know. So here's to second chances.

I took Dancing Queen to seminary today, and am actually sitting in my car typing this. This is the first time I have been able to get internet on this baby for months. It's so great. I'm leeching off some unsuspecting unsecured network. It's great! I'm not too tired yet, but since I'm doing this today and tomorrow, this may very well catch up to me, pretty fast. Makes me glad that I'm done with high school.

Thanks everyone for the occasional phone call and time online, I appreciate it, especially since you are all great and fantastic people. I love having family nearby, it makes life very much more pleasanter. Yup.

So, the moral of the story is, never say never, be open to new relationships, take time for family, and of course, always make good choices!

One Week Til My Birthday!

I've got a job. I've got a job. I've got a job hey hey hey hey. From the movie "The Little Rascals" in case ya'll were curious.

The job is as a prep cook for a week at the Chicago Mariott. I get $10 an hour (whoo hoo!) and it's from 8-4:30. However, I will be working on my birthday, and the fam will be out of town in old Nauvoo. Yea! I get the house all to myself! Maybe I'll eat out while they're gone. I haven't done that for a while. And I owe this job all to my loving and wish that I would get a job mother. She knows someone who works at a temp agency, and so the job was pretty much mine. All the paperwork is done and I am going to start Monday. Party! Or not. We shall see what I do with my time.

Una Tontaria, remember when we went to Tacano's when your brother and your parents were in Utah? I filled out the birthday thing, but since it's for the month of August, and I won't be there any of August, I was curious if you would like me to send it to you so that you guys could use it. If not, perhaps Compulsive Indecision or other blog readers would enjoy it. I would use it if I were there, but since I am not, then, I might as well make others happy.

That is all.

Laundry Systems

Dancing Queen has the most fascinating way to store her laundry. Her clean clothes end up in a laundry basket in the basement, where she goes down to get her clothes from there every day. And then she throws her dirty clothes in a corner in her room, defeating the purpose of the laundry basket. Interesting.

My system is to do the laundry, then hang up the shirts that I don't want to shrink on hangers to air dry. Then my clean clothes end up back in the drawers and my dirty ones in the hamper where they belong. Does that make sense to anyone or not? So, I guess to each his own system.

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E

Does anyone remember the last time they were in a spelling bee? I was one with the YSA's at FHE on Mondee (the Utah way to say Monday). I didn't win but I did make it to the top 5, out of fifteen to twenty people. I misspelled aborigine. I had never actually written the word before, or really seen it written so that made a difference. It could've been worse. Somebody had to spell thoracic vertebrae and another Tchaikovsky. Fun stuff, I tell you. These guys can sure get creative, that's all I can say about that.

Vacation Birthday

Well, another birthday on vacation everyone. It seems like that will be the plan for that lovely holiday. I don't mind too much, I'm pretty used to it, and was not planning on a party anyway, I'm still gonna be a teenager, nothing too exciting of course. We have tentative plans to go to Nauvoo the day before and on my birthday. I just hope we're going to stay in a hotel. It's always fun to do, and is a rare occurrance for me. My lovely niece is also going to be having the same fond memories of a vacation birthday. I also remember turning eight on vacation, so it definitely creates some memories. So, happy birthday to me everyone. Nauvoo is one of my favorite places to be, with the cool historic sites, the newly reconstructed temple, and being with family is the best thing ever. Always make the most of it. That's my optimism. I would have included pictures, but the picture button doesn't really seem to work on this old machine. That's okay, it makes you use your imagination.

You brush your teeth, chchchchchchch

Brushing your teeth is important to do. I try to do it at least twice a day. However, everytime I do it, I get the toothpaste all over myself. It's like some life skill everyone is good at but me. Well, it doesn't get all over myself, but on my hand, my toothbrush, and my lips are covered in paste. I just wish there were a less messy way to keep your teeth all nice and sparkly. Is there a way to do it with your mouth closed or something? That just doesn't make sense to me, to be able to do that and get all 31 of my teeth clean with your mouth closed. Enough of that nonsense, everyone have a wonderful day!

What if a kid reaches in there for a snack?

Funny story. My social security card is back at school. I am in the process of getting a new one, one that has my middle name on it hopefully, since it is part of my name after all, not just an "M." I would ask someone to find it, but as I keep telling everyone, I would never wish that task on anyone, to dig through all of my boxes to try and find that little card necessary for employment.

A couple weeks ago on Sunday, my dad was in the other room while my mom, my sister, and I were busy covering a vacuum box for a humanitarian aid project my sister was doing. My mom commented on my shirt, that it was low cut, but I proclaimed loud and clear, "I'm looking straight down and I can't see a thing!" and then we proceeded to work on the box. Then, my mom and sister were discussing where to put the hole in the box to put the granola bars in, and my sister Dancing Queen was thinking of the side, while others, meaning my mother and myself, were heading more towards the top. My mother was telling her that the top would be better, because, "What if a kid reaches in there for a snack?" My dad comes into the living room where we were working and says, "Ladies! I don't know what you're talking about but I want to hear it!" He thought that my mother was still referring to my shirt. Do you see the humor? Kind of like O.Henry's works on irony.

We seem to have an endless supply of chocolate chips in our house. My sister Dancing Queen has been trying to pay back my mother for some time, so she has been doing some fundraising of making cookie jars, with all the ingredients for a batch of cookies, including chocolate chips, so there's about ten bags lying around. My family seems to be addicted to chocolate, and they're dragging me down with them, not like I have a problem with that.

Well, I had better get to the lovely list on the board my mother has left me and my sister. That's what happens when you don't have a day job. I'm working on it though, so you can't say that I've been a complete slacker. All of those wonderful siblings of mine know about the lists on the board, and are probably smiling at this now as they read it, glad they aren't experiencing the same level of fun that I am.

License Plates

I never thought I would be so happy to see an Illinois license plate. Well, I knew I was a huge fan and all of license plates from my home state while I was at school, but here, it is extremely commonplace. Everytime I see one, I think of a phone number, you know, three digits, and then four. Just like a phone number. My mind just amazes me, doesn't it do the same to you? You don't have to answer that.

I don't know why I should be so surprised, but there you go. I like license plates that have Illinois on them. I just have to admit that, and now my conscience is clear.

Can you tell that I'm bored out here yet? I get the impression that my mom wants me to get a job, since in every prayer, she prays that I might find one. I would also like to get a job, but it never seems like it's the right day to find one. It's too stormy, I'm going shopping instead, I want to watch a movie, that kind of thing, but I know that I need a job. I had the option of having two jobs already, either as a nanny, which would really be a mom in my opinion, and to work at my old job at the Disney Store, getting $6.50 an hour, with about ten to fifteen hours a week total. That pretty much sucked, which is all that I have to say.

I did go to Young Single Adults, which was fun on Sunday, to be with people my age again. There's more guys than girls, and I don't know what's going to happen to the branch once all of the guys here for the summer working for ADT are gone back to school, as well as the rest of us yay-whoos. Is that even a word? That's never really bothered me before to make up my own word, I guess I'll just be better friends with Dr. Seuss.

That's pretty much all of the excitement my life has been thus far. My poor roomate at school has been pretty much all by herself, since one of my roomates just got married on Compulsive Indecisions's birthday, to be exact, and my other one works afternoons, so they barely see eachother. I'll just have to bother Camille more often, I guess.

Happy 50th Post!

I can't believe I have fifty posts. That's pretty crazy, if you ask me, that I had enough funny stories or entertaing things that would eventually add up to fifty. For those Spainiards out there, I hope you like the fifty I chose.


Here's another one that involves Compulsion Indecision. I was at his intermural soccer game last Saturday, and while he was taking a little break, meaning he had just been subbed out, we heard these two guys talking behind us, one of them said, "Do you ever see a girl so hot you don't know what to do?" That made me laugh, and then my brother said that the other guy said, "Those are good days." I don't know what they were referencing, but I thought that it was a really funny thing to say, so I laughed and have told my roomates about it.


I was talking to my little sister yesterday on the phone at about eleven, noon her time, and she had just gotten up. She was telling me about these earrings that she got that were really long, about to her shoulders or something, and my mom wouldn't let her wear them to church because they were too extreme. They might have been, but come on, it's church. I guess they might have been distracting, so I suppose I should make sure that my earrings are modest the next time I go to church. Right.


I can't believe I'm going home in two weeks. Only one more Friday at work taking care of recycling, only a couple of weeks until I get to sleep in my own room, in my own bed. I kind of wish it would be stormy when I get home. I don't know why, maybe it's because I like storms, especially in the summer out there. Home. Everytime I think of it, I smile. All of those memories, Mom cooking dinner over the stove, watching my brothers put their ties on on Sunday, I won't get that at home anymore since they're all gone, reading the comics on Sundays with my dad, frozen pizzas, the humidity, man, there are so many wonderful things I love about my home. Hurray!

This Aint No Womens Barbecue

Today my roomates and I had planned to interview one of the guy's apartments in our ward for ward prayer spotlight. We had set up an appointment with one of the members of the apartment, and so we set off to find out their deepest darkest secrets. However, we also saw a flyer earlier that day for an Elder's Quorum Barbecue, which had the title of this post at the bottom. The time of the barbecue also conflicted with the time we had planned to meet with the apartment, but we hoped the guys had remembered our appointment. We got there, knocked on their door, and then in the stairway above us, we hear several male voices asking, "Can we help you?" Some of the guys in our ward were barbecuing above us with little propane dealies, making shiskabobs. Then the hilarity began. We walked up the stairs asking where the guys form the apartment we were going to interview were, and some of them were at the barbecue. Imagine that. And then, they began offering us food, to make us some themselves. They wouldn't hardly let us leave without some. And then we questioned them about the last line of their flyer, about it not being a women's barbecue, and they kind of implied that it would not be your average cook-out of burgers and hot dogs, but I don't know how that makes it a women's barbecue. The whole time there, I was asking myself, "What am I doing at the Elder's Quorum Party?" It was crazy hilarity the whole time. We were there for about a half of an hour, but it was tons of fun. I guess we got to know the guys better, if nothing else.

For all those Special people who like the Olympics

Today I volunteered to conduct the music in Sacrament Meeting again today, just so that I would have the opportunity to serve and stuff, and as I stood up there today, I felt like my mother so much. It was a really strange feeling for me, since I know that I'm turning into her, but it was just the mannerisms I was using and the style of my conducting that I felt like her. We also sang "Abide with Me" as the closing song, and we had sung it together before in sacrament meeting back home, and I could just hear her voice singing the words of her solo on one of the verses. I believe I may already be reverting back to my childlike state that I was in at home, a completely lost innocence out here in "the world" or at least at college.

It's weird to think that I will be here only two more Sundays, I love my ward so much already and am so sad to be leaaving it. Every time I tell someone else when I will be leaving, it makes me kind of wish I could stay here forever, scary thought I know, to stay in this campus town with all of them Mormons, but it's such a great environment to be in. Everyone cares about everyone else, and there are so many service opportunities. It's just great. Actually, my ward is going to be helping in the Special Olympics on Saturday, so that should be a great chance to get to know the ward members better and to especially feel the spirit.

Helga saved my life dude

I decided that my last day of work will be June 23rd, so goodbye window washing and picking up after other people, oh wait, that's probably what I'll be doing at home. I've been looking at flights for Saturday, to get home in time for Finger Sucker's musical debut and solo performance, but little luck so far for anything great under $200. I also realized that I have to pay the rent today. Great. That'll teach me to spend money frivilously. Dang. I called my oldest sister Audrey yesterday for the first time, not that we don't hear about eachother's lives, but it's so rare that it's one on one, since she's eleven years older than me. I called her to figure out when she, the hubby, and the kiddies are coming out here in order to decide when to blow this joint and such. I think it will be interesting to interact with her, since I think she's the sister that I am most similar to, besides my mom, but my mom is obviously not my sister.

My internet has been retarded lately, all I can get is this random low signal with the name Helga or something, but my own connection with shows strong signal strength, is not working at all. Supposedly, it has something to do with the people who live across the way and need to plug something in. That's the lovely stress I am going through. Not very much, thankfully.

Heart and Soul

Well, I did it. I feel so freakin' relieved. However, this guy still thinks that there is a chance, in hinting, "we should do this sometime" and "let's try it again maybe in a few weeks" and that is where I told him I would call him if I felt that it would be right. Personally, I doubt it. That's the plain and simple truth folks. Wow, I feel so much better. This may sound mean and all, but I don't really care about him at all. I'm serious. Maybe it's because I don't like him anymore. I'd like to blame it on that so that I don't feel so terrible. I feel so FREE! It's kind of sad, but it's almost like I feel like I have permission to smile. I can be happy again. This guy is great and all, but it felt like there was a huge weight over me the whole time, like I had to be someone else, even though I was myself. It was as if I was waiting to slip up, to be someone else. I don't know if that makes any sense to any of my readers, but that's my emotion after this break-up. Geez, it was hard enough to break-up with someone who I had only dated for three or four days, I can't imagine loving someone and being in a serious relationship and doing that. We'll see how this works in our ward together. I just wonder how many people know about our relationship initially, but in truth, everyone has a history, someone that they've dated that others know about, so I will simply join the rest of that group, in being part of the ward gossip. Whoop dee do.

Breaking Up

I have decided to break-up with my special friend. This may sound cruel and sad, but when it's over, I think I will be very happy. Ryan is a good guy, but whenever I have been with him, I have felt very uneasy, and the spirit has not been there, and that is not a great feeling. I have fun on our dates, but I'm not happy. Advice from people close to me is to give him a line, to have our relationship take a break, but that's not enough for me. I don't ever want to have that feeling again. Actually, he will be over in a few minutes, and I gave him the line that San Diego used on me a few times. "We need to talk." In his reply text, I think he could tell where I was going. I plan on just telling him the truth, about how I feel, since he deserves that much. He's a really nice, great guy, but this relationship would be going nowhere fast, at least that is my opinion. I'll keep you posted.

Dating Update

Impressive isn't it, that I was able to put the word date into the title twice, at least that is what I think.

Technically, I have already gone on my first date with a certain young man, even though it wasn't supposed to happen until tomorrow. He called today asking if we could move our dinner time to 5:30, and I said that would be just fine and dandy. Tonight, I ended up at his apartment after playing "disco mafia" which is just regular mafia in which a disco ball is placed in the room merely as a decoration. We watched "The Simpsons" and then went for a walk, enjoying the lovely Provo weather at night, surprised at how active it could be for a Tuesday night. The funny thing is that we already have a date lined up for Thursday and we haven't gone on our first date yet officially. Sounds like we're going to end up dating steadily. I wonder if my whole dating life will end up in such a fashion, to begin with one date knowing that you like someone, and continuing that in a day to day fashion right after the first date. He's a good conversationalist, there's never a dull moment really in the conversation and there's always something to talk about. I guess you'll just have to meet him and see for yourself, forming your own opinion, then acting toward him according to the things you like and dislike about him.

Mission Accomlished

I would like to inform all of my readers that I was asked out on a date last night. Hooray for beeforoni! And a couple of guys comlplimented my wonderful window washing today, so I consider today a success for me, on the attracting level I guess. I'm impressed with myself actually, to think I have that power and capability. Maybe the compliment from the guy in my ward that asked me out helped me today. I told him what I did this past weekend, meaning Friday and Saturday night, and he wondered how a "pretty girl" like me could not have something fun to do. I just better not let flattery get to my head. We're going to have dinner after work on Wednesday and then his apartment does movie nights on Wednesday, and Joe will be pleased to hear that they have a projector and a wall that they watch them on. I just plan on having fun and not getting into anything too serious too fast. I find it interesting that there is a pattern between the guys that I have dated/been asked out by. They're twenty-two, from California, have a vehicle, and are intelligent, of course. Funny, huh? When the guy that asked me out learned that I liked the Simpsons, he immediately said, "now that's my kind of girl" and was actually really obvious, at least to me and my roomate. He seems to be smitten, at lesat those are the words that I would use. Never thought it would happen to me, but there you are. My roomate said that he hardly looked at her the whole time that we were over there. I don't think I even really noticed. I think dating is something that I need to do, especially in getting to know other people, particularly of the male gender. I just plan on having fun on this date, I'm not ready to give up my heart and be that open again for a while. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes.

Don't you just love these?

Thought this might go with my previous post on friends/family, they're pretty much the same thing.

Friends

Recently, I realized how much I cared about my friends, how important they are to me, how happy they make me, the appreciation of their understanding of things I may be going through. When I lived at the dorms, I could talk to any person on the floor I lived on, and they would listen and love me for what and who I was. My friend who lives in Arizona, is a reader of my blog and just turned nineteen. She just sent me an email telling me how much she appreciated me, and I realized how much I loved having her as a friend. I have guy friends, who I trust and who I know will be there for me, and roomates who care about me, who would worry about me just as I worry for them. I have siblings who will give me a place to stay if life ever gets too much for me, and a job I can take off whenever I want pretty much. I have a great life, I've just decided, and advice to ya'll, read your scriptures in the morning. I'm sure you have all heard that before, but I have been doing it the last few days at breakfast, and my days have been so great, with no apparent reason. I'm just happy and I feel good and it's just a good idea. So, to reiterate my post, be good to your friends, read your scriptures, and if any of you are hungry for some chocolate cake, I just made some, so if any of you are starving, you know where to go.

The Return of the Roomate

She's back! It turned out that she was sick over the weekend, so she ended up staying at her own home for a day or two, and then she wasn't able to get back last night, so all is well that end's well. Just thought I'd inform my lucky readers of all that has come to pass.

Wanted: Roomate

I appear to have misplaced my roomate. She hasn't been here since Saturday. She said that she was going to be back that night. Then I thought that she would come back Sunday night then, since maybe she was spending the day with her family or something. She has work at 8am and then til 5pm. It is now 6:30. Her bed hasn't been slept in and there's no sign that she has been home at all, since I've been here most of the time. I'm really worried about where she might be. I realized I don't have any contact information for her, and so I looked her up on Route Y in the Directory. I am obviously not a stalker, so it should be okay for me to obtain that information. There's a ward social tonight, and I don't know if she even has any knowledge of it, since she's been gone. I hope she hasn't gotten into an accident, or anything worse. I think we might've gotten a call if anything too bad would have happened. That is my recent turmoil right now, I don't mind having the room to myself, you know, but it's when you don't know where the other person is and they were supposed to be back sooner is where the problem lies. Hopefully all that happened is that she ended up staying home longer than she expected, since she doesn't have a car and would be transported here by her boyfriend. I think it must be the maternal instinct I have or something, I act like a Mom some of the time, maybe because I want to be one or something someday. Anyway, I'll let you know if she decides to surface.

Another One of These Babies

It's Mother's Day, and since I had a recent post on dating, this should fit in just fine in my collection of blog posts.

Trials

Have you ever stepped out of your own personal little life and just looked at what everyone else is going through? I have never asked why for any of my trials, I simply look back at them after I am finished with a particular trial and think, I'm really glad I went through that, or, sometimes even, thank you for that trial. I'm not going through anything majorly particular right now, just headaches, feeling really tired all the time even though I get plenty of sleep, and feeling nauseas when I wake up in the morning for no apparent reason. I see my roomate's trial, of work, of dating while having a boyfriend about to go on a mission, it's just kind of complicated and it isn't a very easy problem that can be solved with a right or wrong answer, it's something that she needs to do, not something that she can be told to do and it may or may not be necessarily right for her. (A run-on, I know, but that pretty much describes the turmoil of trials and decisions). Another roomate has been interviewing all over the place to get a month long job to help her to pay tuition for school in New York. Pink Emmers is struggling with finding a job as well. Little Finger Sucker (she just turned 17) has been so disappointed with the fact she won't be able to dance for a show she's been working really hard at, because her doctor won't let her, with a leg related injury.

I think it's when I look at other people that I wonder why they have to havae certain things happen to them. I can handle trials myself, but to watch them suffer, to have something that only they can do, is hard for me to accept, I believe. Maybe that's supposed to be a trial for me, to watch other people endure theirs. Profound, isn't it? I guess since I'm not taking classes, I have to do something somewhat hard.

Phones, Laundry, and Dating...

I am getting a new phone! Yea! I just changed my cell phone provider from Virgin Mobile to T-Mobile. I am also getting a razor phone like Compulsive Indecision, so I might have a cooler ring tone this time around in the cell phone business. I also get eighty dollars back, which is really cool for me, since I love rebates, or at least getting money back which is the definition of rebate I suppose.

I have reached a new record for not doing laundry. The funny thing is, I still have cute clothes that I could wear. It's been about two weeks since I did it last. I'm also suffering from "24" withdrawal. Hmm, I think I should go to Una Tontaria's house and fix that...

I'm reading this book called "The Frogbuster" that was recommended to every person in the ward during the "Chastity Talk" on Sunday. It's a really good book for me, since I prefer learning from books as opposed to real life experiences. I just keep reading it and realizing "Duh! That guy liked me!" or "Oops, that was really stupid of me" and other related junk. I think it's interesting, I'll have to try some of it out, since Compulsive Indecision wants me and him to go on a double date. The problem is, I don't know anyone in my ward or in general who I could ask. At least the date is something I like doing. We're going to go to a bookstore, not buy anything, and pretty much get to know each other better. I already know my brother obviously, but the deal with going on a double date with a sibling, is that you're more relaxed, and the sibling may reveal more about you than you were planning on telling the other person. I think it will be fun. I just plan on talking to a few guys in the ward or something, and randomly asking them if they like books. We'll see how that goes...

Mormon Adz from Divine Comedy

I don't know how many of you have visited the Divine Comedy website, but it's pretty funny, at least in my opinion of such humors. Here's a small sample of their entertainingness.

FHE

I went to my actual ward FHE group tonight, which was pretty exciting, I guess. There are definitely some interesting people in it. My FHE dad is a hard core Star Wars fan, you should see the apartment he lives in. He's got glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, life sized cut-outs of Lea and other characters, as well as action figures in their original packaging. Thus far, it rivals that of Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons, at least that is what my humble opinion is. We played two games, one of which is called "What If" which some of you may or may not be familiar with. "What If" is about each person writing down a random question beginning with "what if" and then they put it into a pile in the middle. Then each person takes a question and answers it. Then, the first person asks their question, with the person next to them giving the answer to the question they answered. Most of the questions were about Star Wars, surprisingly enough.

The second game we played was called "Hot Seat." Each person sits on a chair in the front or middle of the room and everyone can ask them any question they want within two minutes. The person is also supposed to answer truthfully. I was volunteered to go first, funny enough, and they asked me questions ranging from my favorite color to favorite actor to shoe size to animal to food to height. Thank goodness I was saved from too much embarrassment. The people following me were asked questions regarding which body part they wouldn't mind losing, whether they preferred back to belly button hair, to webbed feet or hands, mullets to rat tails. What kind of family do I belong to? Anyway, it was fun, I got some exercise, and am ready to rock out to some itunes or something similar. I have spent part of my day ripping cd's onto my computer so that I can have a killer time, all the time.

Accents

I am back from my recent vacation. Actually, I didn't really have time to write in my blog, and I also did not have access to a computer, so I guess it's a break from my blog. Sorry.

So, about accents. I have recently been pondering the topic of accents. I have a knack for picking up and copying accents. I don't know if it's a hobby necessarily, but I think it's fun. Languages for example. My voice teacher in high school asked me if I was Italian at all, because I could pronounce the words after her seemingly naturally. A friend of mine who was in Russian Choir with me, Blue Adagio's brother to be exact, complimented me on my Russian accent on the word "la" in Russian, which is pronounced "lya," something that was not very difficult for me to do. I just like to study the sounds, listen to them in my head, and then copy them, nevertheless what they actually mean. In spanish class my freshman year of high school, I must've had a good accent, because my teacher always had me read the dialogues in spanish out loud to the class. And today, I was complimented on pronouncing the name of a Brazilian city, Curitiba, very well by an RM who served in Brazilia. Cool, huh? That's talent. I guess. So, I think that's a fun gift to have. I can't do that with all languages, I hate singing in German, it's just I don't know. Maybe I have something against Germany or something. Singing in Hebrew's kind of fun, it's like German and Latin mixed together. So, that's how I feel about accents.

As for my own natural accent, well, sometimes I wish I could hear myself, since I don't think it's that prevalent in my normal every day speech. Since I used to have a lisp when I was younger, I try to listen and control my speech. Sometimes I still slip up and say an s instead of a t or vice versa. Those were my trouble letters, you see.

I am writing this on my brand new laptop, so that is perhaps the reason why I am actually taking time to write in my blog, since it is extremely convenient just to pull open my Toshiba and go online to my high speed wireless internet. I love this thing, I think part of it is the ownership that it is mine, and only mine, that makes me really enjoy having this. Since I have shared a lot of things in my life with siblings and other people, I enjoy having something that is completely mine, all the way. I think I'm going to watch a movie on my brand new baby...I just hope I don't drop it, I didn't buy accident insurance, just a two year warranty, in which they will replace the battery once a year if it dies, saving me about three hundred dollars. Well, to the movie, whatever it may be!

PS I also got a cordless mouse, since I am completely incompetent using the keyboard mouse. Besides, it's cute, and it was only ten dollars!

My Ward and Ebay

I've said my farewells to those in my ward yesterday, knowing full well that I may not be seeing some of these people again til we're all in the spirit world together. It's kind of sad to think that some of these people, as strong as they are here and now, those young men preparing to go on missions, that some of them might not make it to the Celestial Kingdom. I hope that they remember those moments in Sacrament Meeting, especially during our testimony meetings, when the spirit testified and taught all of us. I learned something in my ward these past two semesters, and that is how to love. I learned how to see each individual with so much potential and light that I could see their spirits and their testimonies being manifest as they spoke to us as equals. I learned how to see my ward as another family that I have to go to, that people there I could just go up to and know that I could trust them, that they would listen and understand me, as a sister. They all became my brothers and sisters in those last few weeks, and I'm glad I was taught so many things by my bishop, and by my Relief Society sisters.

Initially when I thought of Relief Society, it was always the Old Lady Society, where you have a bunch of elderly women and mothers, discussing the raising of their children. I know that in a singles ward, it's different because most of you are about the same age, and probably aren't discussing having kids and what not. Back home it might be like that, but here, it's like a wonderful gospel discussion, where everyone is open about their lives and their feelings on various topics. That is where the strength of the church lies, is in each ward member. And as sisters and ward members, we strengthen eachother, which makes the ward strong, then stakes, then regions, then nations. That's what is cool about this church, and I don't know if I'll ever experience those wonderful feelings again in any other ward, but I hope to be able to call another ward my family, even though I know perfectly well how close other family members are to where I currently live. They aren't able to share those wonderful spiritual experiences that my ward and I had, and so they can only support me, which is good enough for me.

On a side note, I have recently bid on two items on ebay, you know, part of my once a month ebay purchase. That's the only way I can control that spending urge of mine. So, I have bid on a Weezer cd, one in which I was forced to listen to in the car by my brother Jon, because he didn't like my music, and if I sang along to a song I knew that was playing, he would change the station. Interesting boy, Jon was. Anyway, I know all of the songs on the cd, and think it's great, clean language, catchy lyrics, things I can relate my life to, so I think I may have managed to snag this one for about $7.00. Good old ebay. And my brother Compulsive Indecision has a dvd in which is one of my all time favorites, called "Pride and Prejudice" the LDS version. Personally, I think it's hilarious, having viewed other versions of the same movie and read the book. Gotta love that LDS humor. Anyway, so that one is going to be about $11.00, which would normally by form $15-25 at the bookstore. Those rip-offs. So yea, that was variety and the spice of life for everyone. I'm glad that I was able to figure out how to put links on the side bar of this wonderful blog, so as to keep ya'll closely linked. Puns, what would life be without them?

The Irony

So, yesterday, I decided that since I didn't have enough money to go spring term for classes, that I would drop the spanish class that I was enrolled in. I did that, and then that night, probably about a couple of hours later, I called and talked to my mom. She said that my tuition refund dealy came, and I asked her how much I got back. I got $1100 back, which would've more than paid for my semester here. Oh, well, at least now I can get that laptop I've been coveting for weeks and weeks and maybe months. I've just watching the price go down, hoping it would keep getting cheaper, and somehow better. I'm okay with my decision not to go spring term class wise. I need a break from the old learning process anyway, and I think I will be able to have a ton of fun living off campus. Hooray! Random thought for the day, as if this blog isn't random enough, is that a good author of irony, and one of my favorites, by the way, is O. Henry. Some of his stuff makes you laugh and makes you think, so he would be my recommendation for books or short stories on irony.

There you go folks, that was my ironical statement/life application story that I wanted to share with ya'll. Hey, do you know what's fun? Talking with an accent, the Western and Southern are the most enjoyable, in my opinion. Once you get started you just can't stop.

Another funny thing about my life is that I was sick, as most of you who actually read this rememeber, and I thought I was getting better. Then my throat started to hurt, and my nose started to itch. It's allergy season, dang it. So, my Kleenex box will continue to be my constant companion, always at my side from now on.

Blue Jeans

So I was cleaning my closet the other day, already beginning to pack to move into my new place next week, and I was trying on all of my clothes. I found that I had ten pairs of jeans, only three or four of which I actually wear. I've had most of these since high school, and they all still fit, so I see no reason to throw them away or give them to the DI. Something funny about jeans is that when my visiting teachers were over yesterday, I told them what my floor had voted me as, and they said, "We can picture you in fancy clothes" or something like that, and I told them that I love blue jeans, and would always wear them no matter what. They said, the only difference there would be me spending $100, but I NEVER spend more than $30 on a pair of jeans. They're merely temporal possessions, and you have have to buy new ones every once in a while anyway. So, basically, I love blue jeans, they're pretty much the best legwear ever made, in my opinion. Not that I don't mind skirts and Sunday clothes, it's nice to get dressed up every so often, but jeans are so much more comfortable at times. And that's pretty much how I feel about jeans and how awesome they are, and I think everyone should wear them, and I'm glad women were allowed to wear them in the seventies and stuff. Yea. Good day.

Bathrooms

I know by the title, you're all thinking, great, now she's talking about using the facilities, but actually, it's about walking into restrooms of the opposite gender. Just today, this guy at work, opened the door of the bathroom for the female sex, and almost walked in. This happened twice today. He must be distracted with finals or something. He's done this before, sometimes I say his name just as he's about to walk in, and other times I just stand there and let him realize on his own, especially when a girl is standing there, looking in the mirror. Good old Andy, always good for a laugh, the nice kind you know.

Have any of you dudes ever done that? At work, I see various other males making the same mistake, and I just stand there smiling. It's pretty funny to see. I've been in a guy's bathroom before, but it's always been on purpose. Not like that people, it's work related, we have to knock on the door first. Usually, the girls only have to do it when there are not any men to do the job. I hate it, because you feel paranoid that someone's going to walk in at any time, which is always a possibility. Nothing like good old potty humor.

That was pretty blunt. Good for me. My job as a sanitation engineer will bring me far, I think. Not. My boss at work, has been employed in a number of places. Sundance for twelve years, Thanksgiving Point, Wynnsong Theaters, and at my present place of employment. The funny thing is, Jared keeps buying things. He's declared bankruptcy twice, he just bought an apple book, which is an $1800 laptop for his wife to write her books on, and he just recently paid off his video ipod. They also bought a jeep in January. I wonder why he doesn't have any money, and has to work so many jobs. The only job he doesn't have now is Sundance. Interesting. Anyway, as you can all tell, work was wonderful today (not really), and that my work needed to be involved in my blog, as it is a significant part of my life. At least the part that gives me money.

Foxtrot

I thought Una Tontaria might appreciate this one.

Dreams

I've just been thinking about the power of dreams and the revelation that you sometimes get through them. A good example of this is Lehi's dream to leave Jerusalem or else they would be destroyed with the people there. Now let's say that you're a bishop or a stake president living in New York City and you dream that you and everyone else needs to leave because the city's going to be destroyed. Would you brush it off and just think of it as a dream the next day? I'm sure when Lehi thought about his dream, the impression continued to come to him, and he thought about this revelation for a few days. Would you tell the church members there that they need to leave their jobs and their homes to move to, let's say, Canada? I don't think I would be able to do that. Preparing in your home is one thing, but moving to a different place with only a revelation and no other purpose behind that would need a great deal of faith.

I don't know if I'd be able to follow a prompting like that, but I do believe I've been warned or told things in my dreams. It is a form of revelation after all.

This wasn't told to me in a dream, but I have the feeling that something good, something wonderful, is going to happen to me in the spring here at school. I don't know if it's ward related, or work related, or whatever, but there's a reason I'm supposed to be here spring semester and I'm excited to find out what it is. So, I'll let you know when I find out. And you're in suspense? Imagine how I feel.

Singin' in the Rain

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but "Singin' in the Rain" is one of my favorite movies. Do you ever have songs that just make you happy? Well, that's one of them, maybe it's because it's closely linked to memories of watching that movie as a child. My sister "Finger Sucker" and I would watch musicals on Sundays, as those were what was allowed to be viewed on Sundays, because of its clean uplifting content. I think I just finally got the words down to that song, which is good, because now I can sing it wherever I go, whether I'm in the rain or not!

Singin' in the rain
Just singin' in the rain.
What a glorious feelin'.
I'm happy again.
I'm laughin' at clouds
So dark up above.
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love.

Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place.
Come on with the rain.
I've a smile on my face.
I'll walk down the lane
With a happy refrain,
And singin', just singin' in the rain

Don't you guys just love my lyrics by now? I think music and their words can express things sometimes that we just don't know how. So, there's my little post, you lucky ducks, and may you watch that fabulous movie one day, and enjoy the jokes. You can even fast forward or skip through the singing, just not that song, at least when it's sung for the last time. If anyone wants to borrow the movie, I have it :)

If I had a million dollars

I hate that song by Bare Naked Ladies by the way for personal reasons. So don't sing it around me, please. And don't do it just to spite me either, Compulsive Indecision.

I was voted by my floor here in the dorms as "Most Likely to Marry a Millionaire." I wonder if they're trying to tell me something. I would never marry a man for his money. That's just silly. I'd rather work, and be poor and happy, then to be completely provided for like that. I like to work, because I feel like I'm doing something, like I'm earning money, having some source of income. Now if he happens to become a millionaire after we're married, that's fine by me. I think I'd still have a frugal lifestyle, just because it's the way that I've been raised, and no one needs that much stuff. There's a quote by Brigham Young, "The worst fear I have about this people is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and His people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecutions and be true. But my greater fear...is that they cannot stand wealth." Another quote about this is by Daniel H. Wells, "There will come a time, however, in the History of the Saints, when they will be tried with peace, prosperity, popularity, an riches."

I think those statements are true. Sometimes we get so caught up in "stuff" and "things" that we forget why we're really here on this earth. I don't think I would like to be tried with wealth as a trial. I wouldn't know what to do with it. I'd probably give it to my family or something, maybe fund some poor college student, or start a business, such as a bookstore. So, there you go. If I had a million dollars, or married a millionaire, I'd buy a laptop and a house, maybe a camera, and that would be the extent of my purchases. I hope. I think that's why money's a trial, a temptation. There's always something else to buy, and a need to buy it. Nobody saves their money anymore. Personally, I like having money in my account. It feels safer, as if more secure to have something in there in case of an emergency. At least I'd like to think so.

These are my thoughts on the riches of the world. Really, there are few things that anyone really "needs" and so any other purchase should seem somewhat frivilous, in my opinion. But if you just happen to have the extra money...

Anyway, Happy Easter everyone, I don't think I'll ever get through all of this candy Emily loaded me up with. Happy 24th Birthday, Blue Adagio! Anyway, two days left of class, and I get to sleep in until nine. Lucky me. Enjoy your candy, and don't get a stomach ache!

Easter Chronicles of Narnia

I don't know if any of you have seen "The Chronicles of Narnia," but this picture reminds me of a scene of the movie that is symbolic to this picture. Basically, the Chronicles of Narnia, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is using a lion to symbolize Christ, coming to earth, and his Resurrection. In the movie, Lucy and Susan have turned away from the stone table where Aslan, the lion, had been killed the night before. A moment later, they hear a crack, and the table has broken, symbolizing Aslan breaking the bonds of death. You see Aslan standing in the sun, alive, and the two girls staring up at him, much in the same wonder portrayed by Mary Magdalene. Anyway, everytime I look at this painting (it's in the inside cover of April's Ensign), I think of the scene in the movie where the two girls see him as a Resurrected being. In my opinion, there are two ways to watch "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." There is watching it like a regular movie, and seeing it as a kid's show. Then there's looking for all the symbolism, and types of Christ, which make it a way better movie. Good old C. S. Lewis.

Anyway, I thought that pertained to the Easter season since Easter is about Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection, and what better way to show that than with a painting? So, Happy Easter everyone, I hope you all enjoy your candy, and that you take the time to think about Christ. I know you will, you're all responsible adults that seem to care about the gospel, so there you go.

So you think you've made a life decision...

I think I might know what I want to be when I grow up. Will someone please tell me when that happens so that I can start my career?

Anyway, I think I want to be an elementary school teacher. How do you guys feel about that? I want to inspire children, and to do fun projects and stuff like that. I remember my elementary school teachers with fondest memories, that was the place where I learned the most in school and actually remembered it. The people I look up to and admire are/were teachers, especially seeing life in their perspective, as a teacher myself. I like to share my knowledge with other people, and I get along with the young age group myself, seeing I can relate to being in fifth grade once myself. The only dumb thing I would hate about going into the program are some of the classes. There's rhythm and dance, PE for elementary school teachers, teaching math (a subject which is definitely not my favorite), and other such classes. I just hate doing things in which I feel extremely stupid or childish.

I've thought about an older age group, like middle school or high school, but they're not big fans of dumb project ideas I'm sure I'd think up, and I don't think this college that I'm attending offeres a secondary education degree, but I could just be a dumb freshman and be searching with my eyes closed or something.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I just think I should pick something soon, that registration date is looming ever closer...

Finals!

So, as most of you know, finals week is coming up. Goody goody gumdrop. That's about all I have to say about that. I have two finals this week, one in the form of a Russian Choir Concert, where you sing, show up, and get an A. The other is in my online Lifestyle Management class (HEPE). I have that one tomorrow morning with a late fee. All it really is is just another exam for the class. La ti da.

The good news is, next week I only have two finals, and one of them is optional. My professor, who I called dude today, actually, decided that he wanted to make the final optional for the class. If you wanted to get more points, you had his permission to go full speed ahead and to take it. However, it could also hurt your grade if you do a poor job on it. I'm still deciding whether I want to take it or not, since I don't know what my final grade is. I still have one three page paper to do for the class. I just feel sorry for other classes, since some people have really hard humanities classes, in which they memorize music, and their final's an absolute nightmare. It was funny because I was sitting there in class today, wondering why I was even there if there was no final to take. I hardly took any notes on good old Machiavelli.

The other final is Sociology, which is an interesting class but I wish I could stay awake better. That would be nice to do. Good thing all of his power points are on Blackboard, thanks to Ralph. (He's my professor, I just like to call him Ralph because that's the way he would like it, probably). However, this final is on Friday morning at seven am. That's just wrong in my opinion, but you could be like my coworker Andy, who has his last final on the last day at the last available time. That's when the testing center scheduled it. Sucks for him.

And then the last week of finals, I have Book of Mormon, which I expect to be a challenge, but our teacher has given us a list of all of the things that we need to know. I just need to start studying. And then there's Social Work. I'm expecting that final to take about an hour to do, and it's in class as well. Lucky me. At least it isn't way early in the morning. That would definitely not be any fun.

So, everyone, that is my life of finals with all of my classes. Overall, I'm not too worried, but I do need to begin studying, so I will be busy next week a lot, but will be willing to take an occasional break every now and then to enjoy ice cream and other such delights.
Another long post for the whole world to read.
There you go.

Que Sera

Would anyone like to know the origin of my blog name? Well, even if you weren't curious, or were not wondering, here's the story anyway. There's a movie by Alfred Hitchcock, one of the few horror movies I would ever see are by him, and it's called "The Man Who Knew Too Much," not to be confused with Bill Murray and "The Man Who Knew Too Little." The movie is not necessarily a horror movie, but Mr. Hitchcock knew how to create suspense. Doris Day is in the movie, and in the end, her son is kidnapped because her husband has information about an assassin that they don't want the police to be notified about. The kidnappers hide in an embassy, and the wife of one of the kidnappers doesn't really want to kill this young boy, so when she hears Doris Day singing a few floors below she tells him to whistle the song, which is one that she had sung to him before. Whistling helps Doris Day's husband to find their son, and saves him from certain death. Here are the words:

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be?
Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?
Here's what she said to me

Que sera sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
What will be, will be

When I was just a child in school
I asked my teacher, what should I try?
Should I paint pictures? Should I sing songs?
This was her wise reply

Que sera sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
What will be, will be

When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my sweetheart, what lies ahead?
Will we have rainbows day after day?
guess what my sweetheart said
Que sera sera

Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
What will be, will be

Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother what will I be?
Will I be handsome? Will I be rich?
I tell them tenderly

Que sera sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera
What will be, will be

Que sera sera

I think it pretty much relates to life because we have no idea what lies ahead, and have only God who we can put our trust in. The Lord will guide and direct our lives, if we rely on Him. Somethings are not up to us to decide, and we don't know what is before us, that is why it is important to trust the one person who knows our plan. If we follow his example, try our best, and always do what is right, then that is all we can do. We can make our own choices, make our own mistakes, but we always learn from them, at least I'd like to think so. There you go, what will be will be, some things we have no control over, like what will happen to us in the future, but we do control how we react to these trials and obstacles. That's what makes us grow, and mature, hopefully emotionally and spiritually, depending on whether or not the Lord is with you. So I have decided to let the Lord guide me, to let what must happen to happen. Trials happen for a reason, and we might as well make the best out of them.

Sundays

Don't you just love Sundays? I don't know if everyone gets to experience the wonderful spirit present in a freshman singles ward, but it's so awesome. I remember my first few weeks here, all of those wonderful precious spirits all in one room, I couldn't stop smiling, my heart was so light and full of love. Sundays are so relaxing, I don't know if it's because I get to sleep in and take my time getting ready, or if it's because I'm being taught by other spirits, but it's wonderful. I remember at home, Sundays included meetings, reading the comics, getting our five days treat (if you read scriptures at least five days that week, you got a treat), eating pizza, and talking to various siblings on the phone. My little sister and I liked to watch home videos, laughing at different antics we had done as younger and sillier girls.

I think the difference out here is that we are discussing the gospel as peers, as equals, each of us teaching eachother, not one authoritative figure with a considerable age gap who had been a former bishop. During fast and testimony meeting, it's just so much easier to relate to these individuals who have gone through some of the same trials, being one of the few members in their school, or watching friends fall away from the church. It's just different, better for young people waiting to learn. It's much different to hear people receiving their calls out here, than it is at home. These are young men, who you are acquainted or friends with, they're excited to leave and go and serve the Lord, and you can just feel their spirit glow, and their lives seem more purposeful when they know where they will be serving. These places they are going already mean something to them, and they want to share this light with other people so much.

I think it's interesting that the people here, put on casual clothes for the rest of the day. For me, staying in my Sunday clothes helps me to remember that it's Sunday, and for me to act accordingly. I think that the commandment that is broken most often is the fourth commandment, about keeping the sabbath day holy. I heard of parent let their kids go swimming abou someone else's house, when it could've been done on a weekday, or a Saturday, and others of going to movies or doing laundry. I'm not reprimanding anyone who may have done these things, I just think that Sunday should be treated as a special day, since the Lord has given us so much, we might as well sacrifice some of the activities we would do during the week, and spend some time getting to know the Lord better, that's all. Naps are also acceptable, since Sunday is the day of rest, after all. Hey, at least everyone is wearing Sunday clothes to church, instead of flip-flops and jeans, so I guess it could be worse. I brought this up, because I remember my first ward prayer, everyone had changed, and I was still in what I had worn earlier to church, and I felt silly, and then I realized that was their choice, and I had made mine. So, I don't mean to sound preachy at all, but that's where I stand, that's what my values are, and I don't plan on changing them anytime soon.

That's why I love my ward, this church, the wonderful leaders who inspire me so greatly. I don't think the spirit's like this anywhere else, but I have time to find out. I may not necessarily know every single person in my ward individually, but I love them, nontheless. They're my brothers and sisters, my family outside of my family. They will listen to me, they will love me, and because of that I am blessed. Isn't that great? You've got to have your weekly dose of the spirit so fully in some way, it might as well be with these wonderful people whose spirits show their true potential, what they can become. I just hope they keep that with them always, that that light never fades, dims, or goes out. I've recently heard a challenge by some of my ward members, to try to have the spirit with you 24/7. Even if you aren't completely successful, you'll be so much happier and blessed. Maybe I should try it, maybe YOU should. Anyway, I'll let you know how it turns out. Oh, by the way, I'm almost finished with the Book of Mormon again! I realized for my Book of Mormon class a few days ago, that we only had a couple days to finish it, and I had been taking my sweet time, since class wouldn't end for a week or so, but our reading logs are due with the last day for reading on the tenth! So, there you go. My spiritual insightness for today, at least.

My Peers and Careers

Have you ever stepped back to look at all the amazing people that you know? I realized that I was friends or associates with people I knew were going to be successful. People, who you could see their potential in life, by how they pursued their dreams, or how hard they have worked in their lives. A lot of friends back home were in what was called the Academy, a selected few who submitted essays and had interviews with the staff in order to be in that group. There was a girl I knew who had an amazing singing voice and wonderful stage presence. She wanted to be an architect, and I have no doubt in my mind that one day she will be where she wants to. A few of my friends want to be doctors and nurses, like my friend Jen, and I just know she will be good at what she wants to do, especially since I've been treated by her before, when she was a CNA (Certified Nursing Assisstant). I know people who will be successful at whatever they try. Maybe it's because I see their talent or their great potential, maybe God's plan for them, I don't really know.

As for myself, I've always known I was special. Supposedly when you come out here, everyone is considered the same, but I have never felt exactly like anyone else. In school, I was the good one, the smart one, the funny one. Right now, I can see my life going so many ways, I know where I have a gift or a talent that I love or could make useful. But what I want is happiness, some life experience or career that will set me apart from my peers. All of my life, I have wanted to be a mom, to care for my children with so much love. I've also been a teacher, as my parents have informed me, especially to my sister. I never knew that I taught her so much, it was simply natural. I know that Lord has a wonderful plan for me, I've just got to find it and get going. I feel a lot of pressure to pick a major or a career, since my registration date for fall semester is coming up in a couple of weeks. I want to begin classes that will count towards that credit. I've gone over some personality tests and career tests that I had taken last year in my career exploration class, but nothing has popped out at me yet.

This is personal, but I don't mind sharing it. What I have been instructed to do, in a manner of speaking, is to choose a career that is compatible to motherhood, as it is hinted in my Patriarchal Blessing that I should choose something that will sustain my family, as needed. This has always been in the back of my mind when I've looked at different jobs, things that I would like to do. Here's a few careers that I've thought of over the years: teacher, diplomat, writer, in the military (I always thought it would be cool, and I've liked gym class, but the motherhood thing...), owning a bookstore (I don't really have any business sense though), movie critic, a newspaper editor, a columnist, a singer (maybe a choir director, as was my original intent when beginning at BYU), just something that would make people happy, and would please them. I think that's part of my personality; I always wanted to make sure other people were happy before I enjoyed my own happiness. There's a talk by John H. Groberg titled "What is your Mission" which talks about choosing a career. Some advice besides prayer and meditation, is to choose a major and try it. Go in some direction if you do not receive an answer. The Lord will tell you as you are attempting a certain subject whether it is right for you or not. So, the question is, what direction do I want to go in? That ladies and gentleman, is the million dollar question that will in nowise be answered in a moment.

Sore Throats, Fears, and Discovering Myself

The answer to yesterday's trivia is a., His baby brother. Silly Ralph. Today's trivia was lame, so I won't subject you to it.

I have a sore throat today, with a possible fever, nausea, etc. I hope I didn't get this from Compulsive Indecision, and I really hope that it's not strep. I should probably go to a doctor, huh, since it's difficult to swallow. I bet San Diego's glad he's not dating me anymore. Ha Ha. So, I called into work, not wanting to infect the whole world with this, and I plan on getting tons of rest, handing in a paper, and studying for different classes. And if I just happen to watch a movie, then so be it. I haven't had one of these sicknesses for a while, but I do remember that they do suck.

Well, here's my epiphany about life. I've always been afraid of a lot of things. I'm afraid of nursing homes, which I'll go into later, I used to be afraid to go to the store by myself. I was really afraid of driving when I began, but I realized how much freedom it gave me, and how liberating it was. I've always been afraid of failure, and most of all of losing a family member. If anything happened to my little sister, I don't know what I do. I would like to think that given a situation, her or me, I would go instead of her. I love her that much. I have silly fears, like getting caught in the doors of the elevator and getting stuck. I am afraid of people, strangers, unpredictable persons who I have no idea what they could or are going to do. I used to be afraid of showing myself to the world, faults and all, but wait, what am I doing now? The way I see it, everyone should just accept one another as they are. If change is needed, it is up to the person themself to change, no one else can do that for them. I used to be afraid of the unfamiliar, but I'm learning to try new things in my life, to be unafraid. I don't know if it's being here at school but I feel more confident, safer, like I know myself better. As if the real me was waiting to appear when I was on my own, when it's just me and the Lord here, not my mom, not my siblings living with me, or my close friends from home instituting peer pressure, it's just me. I make my decisions, no one else can. And that's the difference in my life. I decide what I want to do. And it's wonderful to know that you have control over your life. Well, that statement's not necessarily true, but the thing that will make you stand out is what you make of the trials, the things you don't have control over. That's part of what makes everyone unique. I heard a saying that's kind of funny, "I want to be different, just like everyone else." Back home I couldn't be me, because I was always so and so's sister, or this person was my brother. They would look at me and say, "Hey, I know your family" and that opportunity to know me as me was gone.

Well, that felt good to get out of my system. I'm not saying I don't love my family, they are the most important thing in the world for me. I'm saying that living out here, I've become myself for the first time, and I don't want to lose that when I go home. There you go, I hope you all enjoyed seeing into my soul, my true thoughts and feelings about my very existence.

Simpsons and My Shoes

Okay everybody! Time for some Simpsons Trivia!
Here's today's question from my calendar I bought from Barnes and Noble!
In "The Lastest Gun in the West," according to Lisa, Ralph Wiggum thinks a pinecone is who?
a. His baby brother
b. The Pillsbury Doughboy
c. Mr. Christmas Tree
d. Coney from Coney Island
Answers will be revealed in tomorrow's blog!
Do I sound enthusiastic enough or what? I know the fam will love hearing Simpsons trivia, since they don't get it enough while I am around them.

So, yea. My life is pretty boring right now. Actually, I'm planning on making pasta with mozarella cheese, but I think I ate too much food today, if that's possible for my little body, which is good, since I've lost weight since I've been out here, too much junk food I suppose, but I must be full today because I've been eating healthier the last few days. I'm going to a concert with Compulsive Indecision at seven, and then to walk their (their meaning my two brothers) play a basketball game. I was going to go running, but my running buddy was unable to go tonight, and the weather's pretty crappy and wet for us to do our route tonight. So I think I'll nix that idea.

Anyway, I think I need a couple of new pairs of shoes. My tennis shoes get water in them when it rains, and are then soaked for the entire day, creating discomfort and blisters on my feet. I have another pair of black shoes that are five years old that I used for marching band in high school that are slowly coming apart, and I need a more comfortable pair of black flats. The pair I have, has scarred my feet where the strap is, because simply walking is too much for them I guess. It might also have something to do with me not wearing nylons...So yeah, that's how I feel about shoes right now. However, I think I will live for a few months more with the ones that I have. The end of my story is right here. Hasta lasagna. Or the pasta I will be eating soon.