O, thriftyness, you and I were meant to be!

Happy New Year!!!

Today was really good. Mostly b/c I got to sleep in quite a bit. Then I took Louisa shopping, and got some new things for myself as well.

After shopping we came back and had dinner, I talked with Mom, and I finally got my fall semester sorted out, which will be nice. My days will mostly be long, but I think I won't mind so much. I'm really excited to go back to school actually. I think.

Then we went over to a church friend's house for a new years eve party. We didn't stay too late; it worries Mom if we're out late at night. But it was fun anyway. We came back and watch 'The Illusionist' good times.

So it's been a while since we had a list in here, and I just love them so much...so here's my shopping details:

3 pairs of pants
1 pair of slippers
1 bracelet
1 small bottle of perfume
4 shirts

total: $ 74 an average of $7.40 an item, with the most expensive being $12 and the least being $4.

I would like to add that this was all shopping at the mall; not Goodwill. Not that I don't love shopping at goodwill, but that would make my average much less impressive.

Happy New Year, especially to certain people who also have a birthday on this fine day!!!

Updates all around, with a side of snow and ice cream

Today is too awesome of a day not to write about. I woke up slightly not on time, but I got dressed, and started painting the basement door for my 1 hour of chores (mandatory in the rennovating Sieber house project) and I listened to Elder Eyring while I did it. I love that man. I listened to all of "Waiting upon the Lord" and the very beginnings of "Always." I feel like Elder Eyring really speaks to me in a way I can understand about the gospel, in a way I can relate too. He'd so awesome. It was great.

Then I showered, got ready, and after setting up the facebook event for Mr. Walker's party tomorrow (We're having Mr. Walker over for dinner, and inviting other former east high kids to come have desserts with us) Mom and I went cross country skiing. That was fun, even though I kept falling down. Eventually we got Mom to try to take a picture of me fallen down, but she was having technical difficulties. We did take a BFF picture though.

We ran to st. vinnie's real quick where i found a new formal jacket I like, and new pants, and four new books, and by new I mean old. Collections of Short stories and stuff, it's great. But by the time we were done there I was late for meeting Travis and Craig at Hansens. It wouldn't have been a problem for me to have been dropped off at Hanson's by Mom, except that I was wearing ski boots. Now, wearing ski boots in st vincent depaul--hey, who cares, right? But wearing ski boots at Hansens? Problem. Luckily, we happened to buy Louisa a new pair of shoes while we were there, and so I switched those for my ski boots just before we hit Hansen's.

Ice cream at hansen's was the best. I'm finally getting used to Craig's beard I think. We talekd about life and school and stuff. He's actually graduated, a real adult now. Gosh. We had finished the updates pretty much by the time Travis showed up (at which point I got another serving of ice cream) and then Travis filled us in on his life, we reminisced a bit more and then Travis took me home.

Came home, had dinner, and then we had family night. For lesson I shared an mp3 which is a collection of quotes from the Prophets and Apostles bearing testimony of the Savior, it was amazing. It is such a great track. It was even better to sit there with my parents because they could say "Oh, this is President Bensen" like they actually knew who was who on some that I didn't know (although I did recognize President Kimball, and Bruce R.).

For activity we played a game where one person writes a sentance on a piece of paper, passes it to the next person, who illustrates that sentance, and they fold over the written portion, so the next person they hand it to only sees the picture, and they have to write a sentance from that picture. Rinse and repeat.
Example:
Written: Mom wants to go to France.
Illustrated: a feminine stick figure/airplane/the eiffel tower.
W: Betsy wants to fly to the eiffel tower
I: Heart/ plane/a bunch of lines that look like a narrow upsidedown fan. teepee ish almost.
W: I love flying poles
I: Heart/long rectangle horizontal things with lines indicating rapid movement
W: My girlfriend betraed me and threw spears at my heart.

And that wasn't even the best one. I think I'm going to scan them all and make a facebook album. That way our children can see how wacky we were. They were hilarious.

Then I went out with a friend for hot chocolate at Kavarna, although we had initially planned it at the Attic, but they were closing, so we went to Kavarna, and then to Cafe Express till close. It was fun. I swear I could talk to that kid forever.

good times

Man, what a week this has been. I saw Mary on Monday, and then I went to the Berken's party on Tuesday (awesome!!!) where I saw SO many old friend and people that I literally hadn't seen in YEARS. Then Lauren and I ambushed Marie last night. And then the three of us did the same to Kyle--that was pretty rad. Ah, such good times. Tonight I went to another shindig with former east people, which was rad too.

Man, I don't think I've ever had a time in my life where I feel like I have to make so many changes. Well, I suppose I have, with job changes/school changes, but these changes are different. I'm changing my LIFE like my personal habits and stuff. I've really been thinking my life and what I want to change about it so I could have more fun and be more like the person who I want to be, you know? I figure going-on 23 years old is a good time to do that. I mean, now's the time to change right? Before I get old and cranky about it. And man, is there a lot to change. So here's one to all those new year's resolution-ers: GO FOR IT!!! Only I really don't like the new year's resolution business, so I just say "It's your life, change it whenever you want!!"

So I saw Lauren last night, and I called my friend Thomas while I was waiting for her at the restaurant, and as I got out of the car, to wait outside, I totally locked my keys in the car. Stop laughing Megan. I know you. Luckily my little sister came and bailed me out. Can I just say that Kroll's as a restaurant is amazing? I don't care if I can hear my arteries clogging as I eat it, it's a beautiful part of being American. Mmmmm, burgers and chocolate shakes, I beg you never to leave my life. Don't forget the mozzerella sticks either.

Oprah, Pirates and Epiphanies

12/25/08

Man I have had a rough day today. I did two worksheets of goals, things i need to change in my life (eating less and being prepared and on time). It was emotionally draining to have to examine my own behaviors rationally as if they were a symptom of some greater disease (which is kind of true, but still not what I was ready for).

I watched Return to Me with the fam today. Gosh I love that movie. I mean, it is substantially fluff, but I love the group of old guys/family dynamic in there. The love story is kind of ancillary to the community depicted, which I adore.

And it's not as if I'm doing so bad with my life either, about those goals worksheets. They were about things that we know we need to change in our lives and what is holding us back. I really don't want to share more here.

After having such an intensive day, I decided to take it easy after dinnertime and just do what I want to do for awhile. I ended up eating some frozen yogurt (mmmmm) and watching TED videos with Mom and Sammy. For those of you who aren't familiar you should check out TED, a symposium about how to change the world. Here were two of my favorite talks:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talk/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html

http://ted.org/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

I recommend them both, probably the second one more than the first. So funny. Goodnight folks, I'm about to turn in before midnight.