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.