life

Whenever I come home, I find myself planning the rest of my life in my head. Where I want to live (California) and how (off the grid, with my showering needs being met by my YMCA membership). Life back in Provo gets so much clearer when I think about what I really need and what I really want, when I'm sitting in my parents living room.

Lately I've been really concerned with being environmentally friendly. I know that green has been this year's black, but I mean in a serious way. Sometimes I wish I lived by myself, so I wouldn't have to make compromises on what kind of soap we buy, or how many ziploc bags we use. I think there are a lot of things I would change about my lifestyle, if I felt like I could, but the main issue is time. Of course it would be great to make myself some re-usable snack bags to use instead of always meeting my needs with the ever-convenient disposable kind, but that would definitely take a couple of Saturdays. I think that's how I used to think about cooking though. I used to think about cooking in terms of time and convenience (hello, pasta!), but this semester, when I started to cook my own meals, I found that I really enjoyed it. And even though I'm switching back to a (much) busier schedule this next semester, I have planned a few hours to cook each week to prepare my meals. Hopefully the lifestyle change will continue.

I am really excited for this next semester. Even though it was nice having a lot of free time, I feel like it is more important for me to be actively spending my time doing meaningful things, instead of catering to my own needs. And, truthfully, I think being engaged in a cause higher than my own interests is healthy for me. I feel like my life was meant to be dedicated to something, and the more structure I have to meet that goal, the better.

I also am thinking about where I want to get a job this summer. I'm pretty sure I don't want to hang out in Provo. I'm seriously thinking about working at a Disney resort, or just writing my favorite companies, and seeing if any of them need a happy, hardworking, capable almost-college grad for the summer. I figure there's always more coffee to be gofered, right?

I'm listening.

Someone told me that today. Here's to all you listeners out there; you don't even know, most days, how badly you are needed.

Schedule

My plans for winter break:
17-21 Laze about the house.
22 Wisdom teeth appt (boo).
23 Getting wisdom teeth out (Double boo. Any shakes brought by the house would be appreciated)
24 Getting over wisdom teeth (see note above).
25 MERRY CHRISTMAS!
26 Lazing again.
27 Religion.
28 Twiddling thumbs.
29 Going to Champaign IL for a friend's wedding!!! Woot!
30 Marvel at the snow and how much I miss it in Utah. The amount of snow they get there is ridiculous. Much less.
31 No New Years plans yet, but if I were to go somewhere I'd want to sleep over there on account of drunk drivers and all.
1 Recover from NY partying
2 Definitely going to Kroll's for a burger. Even though I've turned vegetarian. I figure once a year won't kill me.
3 Fly back to college.

looking

Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in a window, and realize you don't look like who you think you do? Today I felt like I didn't recognize my reflection, when I saw it in an unguarded moment. I stopped and actually looked, and I noticed my hair actually looks kind of good when I don't do anything to it; its' not the frizzy mess I remember from high school. My coat is doesn't fit me, and I don't stand straight.  I also can look pretty hostile while mentally evaluating my own reflection. Or scrutinizing someone I don't think I  know. 

The Ball

So Becca decided that we needed to be properly attired in masks for the formal dance this week, and we took some pictures of the process. We went and got paint at the local costume shop, and I let Becca have at it (meaning my face). I think it turned out really well, one boy at the dance didn't even recognize me!

Just the outline of a mask in silver pencil, with some gold dust on the inside:

Becca hard at work:

Closer to the final product:

We have some more pictures of all the roommates with the final product (Becca changed my hair eventually too) which I will post later.
 Finally, all the glitter I peeled off my face at the end of the night:

It was a really fun dance. There were quite a few girls dressed up like us, and the actual dancing was great as well. All I have to say is that I'm going to have to work on my skills to make it in this ward. Overall, it was definitely worth it, and definitely a great experience.

I am a chef!

A few months ago, I became a vegetarian, not because I believe meat as a food source is disgusting, or immoral, but because I became concerned about the super-commercialized meat industry, and its effect on our environment. I think (after doing some reading) that the meat industry, as a side effect of becoming so darn commercialized, produces a huge carbon footprint,  and also is inefficient in using our natural resources. Also, if we were to devote the resources we use for raising feed grain to raising real grain (for people's consumption) and just let cattle graze as they do naturally, not only would the cattle be healthier (although some could argue, less delicious) we could then redirect that grain to places that need it, and have an impact on world poverty. I also think we eat too much meat as a society, seeing as you can get all the nutrients you need without eating meat, if you plan your diet with that in mind.

So lately, I've made my first foray into the world of cooking, because it's become necessary for me to make and cook my own food, instead of relying on insta-foods that are common to such college existences such as mine.  I have found it as very rewarding.  I just thought I would share what I have been able to make (in a celebratory tone).

(if you don't want to read about all these recipes, I continue blogging near the bottom of this post)
***
From Sam Stern's Real Food Real Fast (a cookbook I love because it has dishes divided up into sections based on the time it takes to make them. I haven't posted the recipes in full because I don't want to rob Samuel of his profits, should one of you want to buy his book. But if you call me, I will tell it to you over the phone, as a favor. Or a favour, should I say. Sam is British.)
-Leek and Watercress Soup (also very delicious if you substitute carrots for watercress, as watercress has a short shelf life, and is a little hard to come by)
-Fried Veggies (This is very basic, but it is what first taught me how long it takes to cook various food items; asparagus, squash, eggplant, etc. I also learned how mixing my favorite vegetables is  DELICIOUS. Especially when cooked in a little bit of olive oil and garlic.)

From the NY Times recipes for health:
Eggplant, Tomato and Chickpea Casserole
Here is the link for this recipe.

This one I think I made pretty much exactly, and it was great. Who would have thought to mix tomatoes and cinnamon?! A pleasant surprise.

1 large eggplant or 2 medium (1 pound), peeled if desired, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced about 1/2 inch thick
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thin across the grain
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Pinch of sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sprig basil
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and brush the foil with olive oil. Place the eggplant slices on the foil, sprinkle with salt and brush each slice lightly with oil. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat, and carefully fold the foil in half over the eggplant. Crimp the edges together, so that the eggplant is sealed inside the foil and will continue to steam and soften. Leave for at least 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes, and add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, cinnamon, basil and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant. Add freshly ground pepper, then taste and adjust salt. Remove the basil sprig, and stir in the drained chickpeas.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. Cover the bottom with thin layer of tomato sauce, and make a layer of half the eggplant. Spoon half the remaining sauce over the eggplant, and repeat the layers.
4. Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the parsley before serving.
Yield: Serves four to six.
Advance preparation: You can assemble this dish through step 3 up to two days ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator. Leftovers will be good for about three days.
-MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

I also plugged in the recipe to sparkpeople.com and calculated nutrition information. This is for one serving or, 1/6 of the pan.
Amount Per Serving 
Calories 240.2 
Total Fat 8.6 g    
Saturated Fat 1.2 g    
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.7 g    
Monounsaturated Fat 5.3 g 
Cholesterol 0.0 mg 
Sodium 274.0 mg 
Potassium 885.8 mg 
Total Carbohydrate 38.1 g    
Dietary Fiber 9.8 g    
Sugars 2.1 g 
Protein 7.1 g
Vitamin A 20.0 % 
Vitamin B-12 0.0 % 
Vitamin B-6 32.5 % 
Vitamin C 35.2 % 
Vitamin D 0.0 % 
Vitamin E 3.8 % 
Calcium 5.3 % 
Copper 17.7 % 
Folate 26.6 % 
Iron 12.8 % 
Magnesium 16.2 % 
Manganese 44.9 % 
Niacin 10.8 % 
Pantothenic Acid    10.1 % 
Phosphorus    14.9 % 
Riboflavin 9.3 % 
Selenium 5.3 % 
Thiamin 13.6 % 
Zinc 8.2 %


Green Bean Salad With Chickpeas and Mushrooms
Here is the link to this recipe.

I made this recipe a second time, and I used different herbs, mostly because I discovered I did not care for marjoram. I recommend parsley, cilantro, and green onions. I also substituted balsamic vinegar for the sherry vinegar, and I did not add any mustard. I never thought that as a vegetarian, I would need mustard, but it appears I'm going to have to make some. When steaming the green beans, as I do not own a steamer, I put a little bit of water in a small pot (6-inch diameter, with about an 1/2 to 1 inch covering its base) and then put the green beans in there, bringing it to boiling, with a lid on. Home-style trick, courtesy of Mom. 

1/2 pound green beans
3 ounces mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced thin (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like chives, marjoram, parsley and tarragon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, green shoot removed, finely minced or put through a press
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Optional: 1/4 red pepper, sliced
1. Steam or blanch the green beans for five minutes, then cool in a bowl of ice water. Drain and trim the stems. If the beans are very long, break in half.
2. Combine the beans, mushrooms, chickpeas, Parmesan and herbs in a salad bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, mustard and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil.
3. Toss the dressing with the bean mixture shortly before serving. If desired, garnish with red pepper slices or toss them with the salad.
Yield: Serves 4.
Advance preparation: Assemble the ingredients and make the dressing several hours before serving. Cover with plastic so the mushrooms don’t dry out. Toss just before serving so that the beans retain their bright color.

This nutrition information is for one serving or 1/4 recipe

  Calories 187.0 
Total Fat 3.4 g    
Saturated Fat 1.4 g    
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g    
Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g 
Cholesterol 5.0 mg 
Sodium 480.7 mg 
Potassium342.7 mg 
Total Carbohydrate 30.7 g    
Dietary Fiber 6.5 g    
Sugars 0.4 g 
Protein 9.8 g 
Vitamin A 6.8 % 
Vitamin B-12 1.8 % 
Vitamin B-6 31.1 % 
Vitamin C 19.0 % 
Vitamin D4.0 % 
Vitamin E 0.7 % 
Calcium 13.8 % 
Copper 15.1 % 
Folate 24.1 % 
Iron 11.6 % 
Magnesium 11.9 % 
Manganese 39.9 % 
Niacin 6.1 % 
Pantothenic Acid    7.5 % 
Phosphorus    18.9 % 
Riboflavin 10.7 % 
Selenium 10.1 % 
Thiamin 5.4 % 
Zinc 11.2 %


After conquering a few of these I decided I was ready to get fancy. Thus when I saw a recipe in the Oprah magazine (my favorite!) where I recognized all of the ingredients, I decided to give it a try.
Orange Chocolate Mousse
Here is the link to this recipe.

When I made this I substituted 2 Tablespoons unsweetened orange juice (Simply Orange is my favorite brand of OJ ever) and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract for the Grand Marnier.
I do not have a double boiler, so I used a 4-inch deep frying pan and a small wok pan on top of that to create that effect. I filled the frying pan with just enough water so that as it boiled it touched the bottom of the wok pan, and it worked beautifully
I also am using whipped cream and mint instead of the candied orange peel, etc, that they recommend for a garnish. I just made this last night, and as today is fast Sunday I won't get to eat it for about 8-10 hours yet. I can tell you however, from licking the bowl and beaters, that it tasted like a dark chocolate orange.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

• 5 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 2 Tbsp. coffee or water
• 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
• 4 large eggs , preferably organic
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• Candied orange peel , for garnish; available at Amazon.com
• Edible gold flakes , for garnish; available at Amazon.com

Combine chocolate, coffee (or water), and Grand Marnier in the top of a double boiler. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Separate eggs. When chocolate has cooled, whisk in yolks.

In a medium bowl, whip chilled heavy cream to soft peaks. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy; add sugar, and beat to soft peaks. Fold half of whites into chocolate until incorporated, then fold in rest of whites. Finally, fold in whipped cream.

Spoon mousse into 6 glasses; chill at least 4 hours. To serve, top each glass with candied orange peel and gold flakes.

Some of you may notice I have not put up the nutrition info for this dish. Hm.

 ***


I really enjoy cooking. I never thought I would because cooking usually connotes a stressful situation to me, and I am the LEAST comfortable person when I am in performance mode. However, if I am cooking only for myself, which usually happens, as I don't know many other vegetarians nearby, it takes away the pressure, and turns it into a creative experience.
Cooking for me is a lot like gardening, I think. I attended a class on depression this last semester, and one of the hobbies they actually recommended to people suffering from depression was gardening, because of the satisfaction that comes from creation, working with your hands, and seeing the success of your efforts. Cooking is very fulfilling in that same way for me.  It's sort of like when I took my first bookbinding class, and realized that I love bookbinding. I love it for the sense of using my hands and creating a work of art in a visual and material way. To cut all the sheets of paper to a certain size, line them up, sew them together properly; and to cut and paper the cover how I want to make it, to make something that represents what I can do. It is the same physical creation aspect of cooking that appeals to me so much.

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaating

I don't know if this has happened to any of the other ladies out there, but last week I was conned into another date by a boy who I tried to tell to stop dating me. It went something like this:
Me: I enjoy spending time with you, but I think it's better we just be friends.
Boy: Yes, definitely, I know and I agree with you, we are good friends, thus I want to get to know you better on that friendly level, and I'd like to do that by going on more dates with you.
Do you notice how he makes it sound like we are on the same side until the very end of his sentence? That con man. We had our third date this week, and it was actually really fun, as dates with this particular guy always are. I'm not saying I really like-like him yet (you know what I mean) but it was fun. I'm just sayin', I'll keep you posted.

School is getting stressful with finals and whatnot, everyone is feeling it I think. I always think it is some sort of cruel joke that the weather gets colder as school gets harder. As if we needed any more deterrents to going to class.

I stopped by an apartment in the ward recently to tell them about other romantic matters (not the one mentioned previously) and it felt really good to go tell someone about what I had been thinking about for weeks. Moreover, they told me to keep them posted, and to stop by whenever I feel like it. I forget sometimes that people do want to hear about my life, and that sometimes it is me putting up the barrier to communication, and not them.

I love you, California

A few weeks ago I went on a road trip to California. My friends Bryce and Brittany were running a triathalon, and I just came along for the ride.
Here are excerpts from the notes the trip inspired:
***
I think I definitely need meditation time in my life. The ability to just sit and think about my life after I wake up is wonderful.

I love the group mentality of people at athletic races, it is just awesome. Everyone is trying to be their best... I think I'm going to pretend the rest of my life is a marathon. Because it is. 

(this was inspired by listening to a musical in the car and hearing them say "your life will never be the same)
Is there something wrong with wanting your life to be the same? I've had some of the hardest times in my life come from my life changing when I didn't want it to. What's wrong with same-ness?
***
I loved this trip.  We got to visit Ventura beach (I didn't get pictures because it was dark out) but it was so cool because I felt like I knew California from how much west coast punk music I listened to growing up. It was like a pilgrimage to Mecca, finally being where Andrew McMahon was talking about all those years ago.

This is the lake where the triathalon was held.

Beautiful California:

p.s. San Dimas high school football rules! (see also: Loni Philbrick-Lindzmeyer's punk rock mix, opening song, The Ataris)

Daily News

Today I:
Found out people actually read this blog. Although this is exciting, it is also rather intimidating. Here we go self-consciousness, nice to see you.
Presented an article in American Literature class purporting that if Walt Whitman lived today, he would sympathize deeply with the movement known as "Rock and Roll."
Saw S-blade and he said that he and Whitney are moving in a month! Sadness! Called Whitney, to affirm.
Saw one of my friends from freshmen year in line in the testing center and didn't actually try to talk to him because whenever I see people from that set I feel embarrassed remembering how self-conscious and awkward I was that year. Who wasn't? But I still don't like to bring up those feelings, so I just don't say hi. Sad, isn't it?  It's easier to get to know new people than to talk to people you've known a long time. I feel like I recycle the same conversation with person, unless I am actually a close friend. I eavesdropped what he was saying to his buddy in line anyway. I really do want to know how he's doing.
Ran (read: jogged/walked in intervals) 4.7 miles in one hour.  My fastest mile was 9:48.
Ate delicious Japanese Eggplant pizza
Had to leave the room so I could laugh as loud as I wanted to when Cameron told Katy (in regard to his virgin lips) "We could change that right now." Oh my gosh, I love that kid.
Watched Channing Tatum. The most graceful man I have ever seen.

que lastima

One of the elders I worked with every week, and was a great worker, went home before he left the MTC.

Irony

I found this pen on the floor of the JSB.

I can only imagine that the person who borrowed it couldn't  (didn't have time to or couldn't remember where it was from in order to) return it to where it belonged, and rather than living with the guilt of a marked pen, abandoned it between the sleeping benches.

Naturally, I kept it.   It's homeless now.

Fulfilled Dreams

Sometimes, I realize the life I am living, and I am amazed. I don't want to write this stuff down as a bragging rights thing, I just earnestly believe that it is possible to live your dreams. 

Met Josh Groban. Twice.
Met Ingrid Michaelson. Twice.
Met Jason Mraz.
Saw Snow Patrol live.
Saw Missy Higgins live.
Saw Andrew McMahon sing live.
Ingrid's drummer wrote his name on my arm.
Worked a merch table at a concert (Ingrid's).
Got accepted to BYU. (Twice)
Got accepted to teaching program at BYU.
Had healthy dating relationships.
Have gone on dates with friends from freshman year. Often.
Receive hugs regularly.
Saw Wicked live.
Become friends with people I think look interesting. In a good way. Often.
Feel that a higher power is guiding my life.

RE: Old Testament Boy

This is from my friend Warren, in response to me being excited about sitting next to a boy in Old Testament, but I found it exceedingly hilarious, so I decided to post it.

hi betsy (wetsy)- at staples yesterday, i tried out a felt-tipped pen due to your implied suggestion. however, i felt like the paper wicked away the ink too quickly on my more-slowly-produced letters, creating not only uneven stroke width, but some letters whose line widths were unacceptably too great. in the end, at office depot today, i settled for a set of multicolored papermate 0.5 mm gel pens which not only dry quickly, but produce deliciously even stroke widths and lack the "ink trails" between letters. in other news, i currently use a 0.3 mm mechanical pencil, but i feel like the shaft is too narrow, resulting in greater pressure (pressure = force/area) on my finger. if you learn of any moderately wide mechanical pencils with 0.3 mm lead, please let me know.
also, my friend who accompanied me told me that i was "picky". i'm not picky, i'm just "particular".
-Warren 

 p.s. there is more to come with regards to my Old Testament romance, I just haven't typed up the latest update yet.

Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol = Amazing

As the concert opened I was so excited. It was like seeing friends I hadn't seen in forever. And I was so excited. The lights came up and I raised my hand up to the music, to move the air in time with the rhythm, and I thought, "This is all I can give you. I can't tell you how much your music means to me. I can't explain how it's helped me through my life. All I can do is show you that right now, my soul is showing through the movement of my body, and it is just saying that I love you for understanding my feelings like this, and so I will move my hand up and down as you sing, to show I know what you mean, that my heart is responding to your words, as it always has. All I can give you is this gesture of an open palm stretching toward where you are to show that right now, I am there with you as you are singing, just as you have been there with me all along as I have listened to your music when I needed support the most."

During one of the songs where the lyrics say"open your eyes" and the scene going in the background was someone driving around a neighborhood; there is this break where there is just a cacophony of sound. The drums are going, the guitars are going, you feel the chords circling around you and thrumming, and as we were watching this, I saw the lead singer rocking on his guitar and with his foot pounding the ground, in time with the music, and an expression of the most heart-rending grief on his face sing on rhythm "I want you back" over and over and over again as the music rose in intensity. You could only hear a faint echo of it on the mike because he was standing farther back and the microphone didn't pick it up properly. His face was so compelling though, as if he was sobbing as he was singing and the words were stabbing out, in desperation. I am forever moved by the memory of it; there are very few times that I've witnessed that kind of grief in the open. Especially heartache.

I need a new job

So let me know if you know of any openings anywhere. My class schedule next semester is in the mornings; it won't permit me to continue at the MTC.

Dear girl...

...who sat down just before me in Old Testament class and left a seat open next to the cute, clever boy with the rectangle-shaped glasses who takes notes in a blank sketchbook with a felt tipped pen and who started talking to me about my laptop and complimented my t-shirt and whose number I got, "In case I miss class."-

Thank you.

love,

Betsy

sleep

my afternoon slinks away from me
in half hour catnaps
and various arched positions of my spine

I'm always planning
to get up a half-hour later
but i just can't bring myself to

Sleep is so comforting
like a member of my family
it doesn't expect anything of me

just loves me the way i am
forever and always
I can retreat to childhood dreams
when life becomes too much

but sleep is also a highway robber
who promises fulfillment
and pays me in procrastination
and self-doubt

Homes

I was hanging out a few weeks ago with some people I didn't know very well, you know, new people, (I always have to put a disclaimer on these things, lest you think I am writing about you, dear reader) and while we were talking two of them got into an "I walked on the moon" sort of contest (If you don't catch that reference, I implore you to go watch Brian Regan). Among other things. it seemed like the point of the conversation was either to one-up each other, or to be the most critical one in the group.

Now, obviously I am becoming a part of the ridiculous sect who criticizes by writing this post (not to mention my last post) but I would just like to say how awful it is to realize, as you are in a new group of people, that with the way this conversation is going you, the quiet one, are in for at least 5-8 minutes of uninterrupted criticism of any movie/person/entity/corporation/policy/structure/industry. Everyone is SO busy sharing how THEY could fix the problem. How THEIR opinions/ideas are superior and so much more well thought-out than whomever is running apple/breyers ice cream/academic policies. It was practically unbearable. Ridiculous. DON'T WE HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE COULD CHANGE THE WORLD IF ONLY SOMEONE WOULD LISTEN TO US. Go, do something about your opinions! Too much artificial flavoring in ice cream, fine. Go write a letter. Boycott. Throw the offending food articles into the bonfire in protest (but let me mourn the loss of some perfectly good ice cream before you do) but don't sit there and PONTIFICATE about all the things that are wrong with whatever situation ticks you off right then, and how that small situation is really just ONE MORE indication of how AMERICA is going down the tubes. Leave it alone. We're fine. I don't care if you don't like the new iTunesX. I don't care if you disagree with the universities dress code. I DON'T CARE if you see the apparent lack of concern about the obesity epidemic by the food industry as how we are all "slaves to the man." That's fine. Hold your opinion. Just don't make me listen to it on the grounds of being polite.

So, that got a little long, but I was thinking that we all know people like this. For whom this kind of conversation is the usual savior faire. People whose conversational skills never reach beyond the open lambasting of topics which afford no opportunity for rebuttal. They only serve to demonstrate how if "WE" (the people speaking) were running said entity, "things would be better."

And it makes me question, who teaches these people that this is acceptable? The answer: their parents, right? It has to be. That's who you learn to make conversation with. That's who you observe making competent conversation with other old people. That's who you learn to speak from, by copying their lead.

It also made me wonder: What can the people who speak to me tell about my parents, or my house, from my behavior?

This is not to say that everyone is a carbon-copy of their upbringing. Occasionally people exist who are just socially impaired through no fault of the home they are raised in. Maybe more than occasionally. I don't worry about it. Or there are those who learn from sources better than their homes how to behave, and don't reflect their home situation.

I just wanted to think about that last question, not really have a soapbox about upbringings. What things do I do that reflect my home, and what don't? Why is it that way? How did I decide what stuff (social skills/acceptable life patterns) to bring with me in my own separate life, and what to leave behind? Was it a conscious decision? What do people think about my upbringing when they meet me? What is the impression that they get?

Unappreciated Sarcasm

There are some times that my brand of sarcasm just does not fly on BYU campus.

Yesterday, in literature class, we were discussing Margaret Fuller, and comparing her views to the views espoused by Julie B. Beck General Relief Society president. Sister Beck gave a talk about how women need to embrace their roles as caregivers and mothers in order to feel fulfilled and reach their true potential. As another student was giving her opinion on how the two women really did concur in their views, my professor said, "Yes, it's not like she [Sister Beck] was telling you to stop reading by encouraging women to do these things." and I interjected (deadpan), "That's what I thought she [Sister Beck] was saying. I walked out." Absolute silence. After a heartbeat I said "Okay, I was kidding. That was sarcasm. Please, move on." and gestured to the girl who was originally sharing her views. Then some people gave this sort of half-hearted titter, as if they were still recovering from the shock of my apparent near-apostasy-like views. I was so embarrassed to have interrupted the main speaker anyway, but then my friend Allison behind me whispered "Betsy, you are amazing," and I felt a little better.

A few weeks ago the prophet (Thomas S. Monson, for those of you who don't know) spoke at devotional, and since EVERYONE attended at the Marriott Center, the hallways outside the arena and avenues back to campus were jam-packed. As I shuffled slowly forward, I turned to the boy next to me and said, "Want to be friends? Because it looks like we're going to be walking at approximately the same pace for the next 20 minutes." He agreed, and we started talking. After I found out his name (Trevor) he asked me, "So, how did you like the devotional?"

Can I just say, that I think that question is ridiculous? Hello? The Prophet just spoke. It was great. Amazing. Revelation for our day. And knowing President Monson, it was hilarious too. So why are you asking me how I liked it? Is that supposed to be rhetorical? I have this same soapbox when it comes to people asking me how the Temple was. What am I going to say? "Nah, I don't like following counsel from the Lord and communing with Him in sacred ways, as well as providing salvation for my fellow men. Boring." Um, no. Or my FAVORITE is when people ask others "How was your mission?" as if you could sum up a two year-long life-changing experience in such a paltry way! What can you really say? "Nah, it was okay. You know, the ush. Bringing people the bread of life and consecrating my life to God for two years straight." My friend Will is the only one who has ever been able to answer it appropriately by saying "Solid." Which is pretty much the best description of a mission I've ever heard in one word. But that's Will for you.

So my friend Trevor asks me how I liked the devotional and I say, "Ah, I don't know, I thought they could have done better. I mean, I felt like no one really knew who this guy was. I wish they'd get us some high-profile speakers every once in a while, instead of these guys no one has heard of. I felt like I was the only one in there. We could really pack that place, you know?" I glanced at Trevor out of the corner of my eye, and he was looking more startled than anything. "Surprised and confused" might be another way to say it, only he was definitely more confused than surprised. He struggled for words for a few seconds, still looking at me as if I were an alien life form and then said slowly, "You...are a wicked girl," and I laughed at him (%70 nervous/%30 at my own cleverness) and said, "Oh, you know. I try." Then we moved on to safter topics such as "where are you from," and "what's your major." I don't think I've EVER been called wicked before. I hate it when people don't get my jokes. Boo.

poetry

Sometimes I feel like i am a tree
backlit by the sun
so much potential
so much beauty
so much outlined by light
and then i say to myself:
Betsy, you are not a tree
you are the sun.

Goals

So it is my idea, technically, to have me write for an hour a day. To have that as a goal I mean. But it shouldn't be too hard, right? I mean really, a lousy little hour? Maybe this would be easier if I had a paper and pencil, instead of just the click and tap of keys to accompany my writing experience. And maybe I should be sitting in a cafe down on center street, looking artistic and cute. Not that I don't look cute here in the LRC, I'm just saying it is a different effect when you are streetside halfheartedly sipping coke that was brought to you in a bottle and steadily working your way through delicious potstickers (ok, maybe I am a little bit hungry. As well as strongly desiring to look artistic. In fact, those just might be my two most forceful motivations for life right there. Looking artistic, original, like a cultured, smart lady, and wanting to eat delicious things. That, my friends, is a great Venn diagram to be in the center of).


Listening to: "Take a Look at Me Now" The Postal Service

Be kind to animals; kiss a rugby player

a bumper sticker I saw this afternoon. I like it.

a few run on sentences with poor punctuation and grammar about home

i definitely need to write more about this vacation today I woke up and i picked up ellie and then I came back and finished watching ms austen regrets on youtube then I showered. louisa came home and we all went shopping, came back, i saw mary for a little bit, that was wonderful and then we all went out to eat and came back, finished watching the paul mcartney concert, and i hung out with marie where we talked about our lives but ended up talking about the gospel at culver's till 11. my life is great

i am excited to start school and not be stressed out



i found this great site called listography.com; i want do to one of them a day this next semester as well as just write for an hour a day. they'll give you a list and you just fill it in. What a great idea!

husband

So it was awesome to see Carter and Rach again. As it was awesome to see Sarah and Spencer tonight. Not to mention Bry-bry and Katie. But it does kind of make me want a husband. Patience, patience, I know...

st george

Best weekend ever.

I miss hanging out with Rachel and Carter when they are not around. Which is pretty much %98 of my life by the way. We had a grand time talking on the way back to St George from Provo, and then we packed up their old apartment. It is a huge job moving. I am not looking forward to it in August. Then today was great, but I never knew how exhausting it was to have kids in church. I was feeling drained by the end of 3 hours, and I didn't do anything but watch. And hold a baby occasionally. Being a parent is hard. Here are some cute pictures of their daughter who got into the cards while we were playing.

beatlemania

I saw Andrew jump off a piano tonight. With my very own eyes.

Perfect

Yesterday was awesome, work passed quickly b/c I got into an intense discussion with a co worker about guys and girls relationships. Only my favorite thing! Also I overslept (in between working early morning custodial and ancestry.com i usually squeeze in a nap) and was going to be late and have to work longer, but instead i called a pal who took me to work. I miss morning conversation sometimes. You don't get it riding the bus. Instead, I just blog. Which is not quite the same thing, but still a good use of my time I think.

I think the best part of my night though was playing Perfect Match with Tamsen and Sam, Eliza, Maranda, and Dave. That game is hilarious.

Today, first the big ward activity at the lake, and then, the concert!!! Pictures, respectively, will follow.

p.s.
I love Imogen Heap. She twittered about some issues coming up with her latest album, and then invited all of us to this chat where she talked to the fans via live streaming video from her flat, answering questions brought up in the chatroom, and basically consulting with her fanbase before solving the issue. Amazing. She played the piano for us too. It was incredible. She took requests! <3

hearts

I took off work 2 1/2 hours early yesterday, and spend it reading the princess diaries novels at the HBLL. It was the greatest vacation anyone could have asked for. What with how often Mia is getting kissed these days, it does make me feel a little old fogey ish, but it was still a great read. A candy bar read, as Eliza would say. And after 2 hours of reading it, I was feeling like I needed something with a little more substance, which I think is a good sign.

Eliza and I are going to the Jack's Mannequin/the fray concert this Saturday. And although i am in love with Adam of Owl City, he has nothing on Andrew McMahon as far as I'm concerned. Formerly the lead singer of something corporate, Andrew was definitely one of the gods/musical best friends of my high school existence. If I ever have a movie made about my life, the high school soundtrack could be exclusively Something Corporate songs, although I would argue for some Jimmy Eat World to be thrown in there for total accuracy. But we are going to see him (Andrew) live, and I think I just might die, if you'll pardon the 15 year old expression.

Awesome

day-old post (I didn't have time to post it yesterday)

I woke up this morning to go to work and it appeared to me that I was the only one home. Awesome. Everyone else was out seeing Harry Potter 6 or hanging out with their sweetheart. Woo hoo. Betsy just gets to get up in the middle of the night to clean the MTC. (note: I talked to MJ later, and she was actually home in bed, so this was an erroneous sense of loneliness. But I experienced it nonetheless.)

Good quotes lately:
(from Bryan, Russ' cousin, talking about Russ' teaching skills. Bryan was saying that his missionaries don't draw him stuff, whereas Russ has a few drawings that missionaries have done on their P-day. Eliza (i think) told Bryan that Russell just confiscates those drawings, that they don't draw them for him, and Bryan felt better: "I was lyin awake at night with jealousy burnin in my heart now I know you're just a has-been jerk stealin missionaries stuff in class."

Not awesome: (for real, this isn't sarcasm. I was upset at this.) One of my friends (who i used to really look up to) made a gay joke yesterday, and it really bothered me. Not that was an actual joke with a punchline, but he just pulled out the effeminate hand gesture and lisp when talking about style. Another friend who was with me called him on it, which was nice, but I am still debating going and talking to him about it later. I'm not so good at confrontation in the moment. And I think I'll have to talk to him, because it will keep bothering me. Even if it is kind of terrifying.

I must have misheard you

I was in Alex Vaz' car on Saturday, and he was listening to Bryan Adams. I shared my opinion that every boy likes Bryan Adams, and I told him that my last boyfriend put him on a mix CD he made me. Alex asked "so you like him then?" and I said "Yeah, I cared about him a lot," and Alex said "I meant Bryan Adams." And I said "oh...(pause) yeah... sure."

And then yesterday, as Jo and I were walking back from church she said "ah, it's Tuesday today." and I thought that maybe she needs to have her head examined, but I didn't say anything because it's not like I should contradict her; if she wants to think it's Tuesday, so be it. Also, sometimes when people say strange things, they follow it up with a more lucid comment. As I was waiting for this comment to appear (and Jo is not actually, a talker, so that means it was just kind of quiet) I thought to myself "gosh it is hot outside" and then I realized Jo said "toasty." Hm.

I need to get my ears checked.

On the bright side, I woke up on time for work today, and I finished in time to take a nap at home before heading to ancestry.com. I must have been sleeping well because I had a weird dream. I'm not going to share it all, except to say it involved running into Michael Stewart (first sweetheart) in the Copp's (grocery store in WI) parking lot as I was riding on the back of another fellow's (who shall remain nameless) motorcycle. We were picking up California Pizza Kitchen, because it was on sale there. Ahhhh, if only (about the pizza, not the motorcycle and the boy. Okay...maybe that too. Tee hee).

ingrid

@ingridmusic

how I love her. The latest demo. This song is depressing, and also I think, untrue. but the harmonies are beautiful.

the wee hours of the morning

Maranda had a great slip and slide birthday party tonight. Even if I did lose my glasses. But then we recovered them. It was quite the group effort. I'm pretty tired though.
This picture was taken right after Amy soaked me with the amazing squirtgun Elise brought. As you can see, we're still friends. And it was pretty fun chasing Tadd around later. I told him to get Amy back for me, because if I squirt her it's revenge, but if he squirts her, it's flirting. So he squirted her. And then me. And then we took off after him, but he was too fast for us. Not to mention he was wearing shoes. He'd probably make a good Hermes.

At the party, I hug out with Dave Zacherson, which was awesome. Conversation excerpt:
Me: Dave, I'm going to say something, and you're going to think I'm saying something else until you listen to the whole thing.
Dave: OK
Me: I love seeing boys in their swimsuits, because it reminds me that none of them are models, so I don't have one to be either. You know?
Dave: Yeah...you're right, I did think you were going to say something else.

And it was true, out of all the people at the party there were only a few who had ridiculously attractive figures, everyone else was just normal. I liked that we were so average. Being around a bunch of beautiful people makes me nervous. And self-conscious.

Ah, time for a little nap before I go to work!

blogging in the afternoon

I think I need a schedule. Or something like unto it. My sleep schedule is completely out of whack. I am blogging in the afternoon, need I say more? I feel like blogging is an activity best done in the early morning, or the wee hours of the morning. (as soon as you get up, or just before you go to bed) So here is a blog post I wrote up this morning, but I forgot to put in.

The Morning Blog
"So today for some unaccountable reason my alarm did not go off. Either that, or I slept through it, both plausible situations. Something has got to give with me and this work schedule, and right now it is my co worker Victor giving by covering my shift 3 out of the last 5 days. I know, awful. It's resolution/plan time. like a planned bedtime might be good. Like I used to do. Except I just can't make myself go to bed some days. I think I need to develop some self-discipline.

Ah, it is spiritual thursday for the EFYers. For me Thursday means two glorious things: A) There will be bagels and donuts at work for me today, and B) tomorrow is friday. Woo hoo. speaking of which I need to change my tickets to see singin in the rain today because I will not be able to go tomorrow, and besides that point, I definitely don't have anyone to go with.

On to another day of Anne Hathaway-narrated drama (the princess diaries is my audiobook of choice) and resisting the temptation to get on facebook chat at work. Getting enough sleep was nice though. "

i feel pretty

Yes, I got haircut. And I'm vain enough about it to put pictures on my blog. Mock me later, I'm busy looking pretty.


It was an awesome day today. VB from 10-12 with friends, I saw UP at 12:30 with friends, I went to the mall (with Mego) to get my haircut (by Maranda) and then got back to Pioneer park (with help from Eliza) to tell Mandy (for her birthday) why I love her. It was grand.

music

So I should definitely be in bed by now, as proclaimed by my twitter status (readbetsyread), but I just can't somehow. I think I need some creative input before tomorrow begins.

I was just listening to the song "Who I'd Be" from Shrek the Musical (I'm not joking, it's up for a Tony Award) and at the end the characters sing in harmony with different verses about how their lives should have a perfect happy ending. It's a really great song, I think I'm going to purchase it.

I was talking with a friend of mine about perfect happy endings. His wasn't coming fast enough for him, and he vented about how he has a perfect job (he does) a perfect roommate (so true, I would marry that kid), and how his life is shaping up really well, aside from the romance, or lack thereof. I suppose I could say the same for my life; I feel like I'm doing really well right now. I'm really glad for the jobs that I have, that I'm able to pay for school, and I love my roommates, I love my ward...life in general is great. Sure I don't have anything romantic going on right now, but that is okay by me. I'm sure something will come along, hopefully soon, but if not, it's not as if my life is bad; it's great. And I appreciate it, with or without a significant other to share it with. I'm sure it would be great to start dating someone again, but it will happen when it needs to. And I am not worried about it. Love you all!

texts from my bestie

Sammy: What's the worst that can happen again? I REMEMBER IT BEING really funny but I canMt remember what it was. Ooops, caps lick.

t shirt

I just saw a boy wearing a "Curves" (the women's fitness gym) t-shirt.

It is purple.

He's sitting to the side of me in the lib now, or i would try to surreptitiously take a cell phone picture.

sunday

Hmmmm, what to say about today...

I saw Diana, that was good.
Saw Shawn/Sean and got asked if I was their girlfriend (apt 44 was concerned--I didn't ask them which boy they were inquiring about).
Went to Nicole's and saw Sammy and John and Bryce and Nicole and Katie and Amanda and Jimmy and Jeff (and yes I am disregarding all grammar rules, thank you very much).
Ward prayer
Went on a short walk (with a buddy)
and now I'm going to bed.

love,
Betsy

work work work

I don't know what it is with the titles being repetitious verbs, but that's just how I feel. So naturally, I worked a lot today. It was great. I listened to a conference talk, and then my "The Rocket Summer" channel on pandora for quite a while, and then I think I moved to rascal flatts. I don't understand my music shifts either, don't ask me to explain them. But then I made a youtube playlist of the 1996 'Romeo and Juliet," I think it's directed by Baz Luhrman? With Clare Danes and Leonardo Dicaprio. I can't say that I was overly impressed with the acting, but I do remember realizing what an amazingly postmodern movie it was. I mean, I think you would have to learn about postmodernism in order to really understand it. If I didn't know about postmodernism, I wouldn't get it.

After it was done I didn't really feel like listening to peppy music anymore, I mean, hello, it's a tragedy. It's one of those works of art that changes you after you view it I think. But let me not wax philisophical. Also, I noticed some really funny lines in the movie that I had forgotten about:
"Affliction is enamored of thine parts and thou art wedded to calamity"--the priest to romeo after he is banished.

I really think I'm going to use that one sometime.

break break break

So today I took the first legitimate break in I don't know how long. I got home, had a snack and then felt very strange, because nothing was due imminently. Naturally I decided to go hang with pals, because that's what I do, and I was much surprised/pleased by seeing my friend Alisha over at Shawn's apartment!!! We actually ended up going out to eat (Noodles and Co.) and then hitting up Barnes and Noble which was great.

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in forever. There are a few experiences I'd like to type up and share with the world, but just funny little things, not big things. Like today I realized I dance with the vacuum at the MTC. Not really 'with' of course, because I am vacuuming, but I was listening to "Kiss the Girl" (that's right, you wish you had my work playlist of Disney classics) and after about the third chorus (I think I felt like spinning in place) I realized I was dancing along with the music. Like, making my steps coincide with the beat. I bed they don't see action like that in the MTC lobby much. Good thing it was 6am, that's all I have to say. I need to go dancing.

Also, my pick for American Idol? Totally Anoop, baby. I'm a fan. He could sing me to sleep any day (in a good way).

ps I miss you Marae!!!!

Mego and Me

So today I was overjoyed to learn that my dear former roommate Mego is going to be my roommate again in the fall. The only words I can think of to sum up my feelings ("Let me 'splain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up.") HALLELUJAH!!!!! I am going to keep after Marae about joining us as well. For anyone else interested, we are living in the elms next year, it is 265/mo + utilities which are usually 30$. Now I know almost $300 is a lot to pay for a ghetto apartment, shared rooms, but TRUST ME this is the BEST STAKE YOU WILL EVER MOVE INTO IN YOUR LIFETIME. That's why I'm moving back into it, even risking being the 'old' roommate in the apartment, b/c I'm pretty sure the ward will be comprised of sophomores. But it is a good life; you will not regret it. And I am SUPER EXCITED that Mego is GOING TO COME LIVE WITH ME AGAIN!!!!! It will be glorious.

Here is a small shoutout to a fella I know. I don't want to name him precisely, but everyone who's familiar with him will know who I'm talking about when I say that his answer to "how are you doing?" is "Best day of my LIFE!!" It is a great perspective to have, let me tell you. I am trying to make it more consistently mine. And as someone who got kicked out of the university for a while (for my academics, not conduct) I literally do live the my dreams every day I attend BYU, and it's something I would do well to remember.

Other than that, school is good. I have 3 more midterms, two this week and one the next. I survived this week, getting an %86 on my jazz listening exam, and I don't have the results for my linguistics one yet.

Life is good.

I heart

...girls who give me a pen when I ask to merely borrow one,
former roommates,
free pie,
jobs,
books,
budgets,
and...

...going to bed on time.

Today was a good one. Wish me luck on my History of Jazz test tomorrow! Also, It looks like tomorrow, I will get enough sleep!

back

Home again, home again, jiggity jog.
Best parts:
Swing dancing. Mos' def.
Finding "Slang flashcards 2"
Powells

and many others. To be elaborated upon at a later date.

Airports

As of right now I am in a public library in Vancouver, Washington and it is delightful. I went ahead and decided to make my very own spring break, seeing as we at BYU aren't normally afforded the privilege, and I'm visiting a very good pal here until Tuesday. I think I'm going to be blogging a lot more during this trip, as I have so much more time to think about things and moreover I love traveling and the chance to capture people in my journal.

I was kind of worried that we weren't going to make the flight, what with the on ramp to the highway we wanted to get to shut down and all, and then there was some rush hour traffic getting out of provo. But the worst thing that could've happened is that I would have missed my flight and then had 4 days off from work and class. John asked me "You mean you wouldn't go?" (if I was still in town and took off work) and I don't think I would. A sabbatical is a sabbatical after all, and I suppose I could have one in provo just as well as anywhere, I would just meander around the libraries there, and pretend to be out of town to anyone I knew. Slightly decietful, but for a good cause, to be sure.

Airports
I love airports. Most people don't, I do, and I don't know why. I think mostly I love the shops that are there, seeing the ridiculous things people try to sell me. I wonder what that would be like, life working in a retail store at an airport.

Airport experience no. 1) In one of the shops there was a tshirt that said 'freedom' in fancy-flowy typescript, followed by a fleur de lis. I was somewhat confused. Is that the real meaning of freedom? The French? I had no idea it was so important to them.
2) I was walking past a newsstand, you know, one of those stores that sell only books and newspapers and gum, and they had two normal (15"?) flat screen tvs on each side of their walls, just inside the store, and President Obama was giving a speech on whatever channel they were on, and the funny thing was, people were stopping to listen. Around 4 or five of us were there, listening to whomever he was addressing about Lincoln's legacy, or some such thing and what that meant for our country. Now I am an Obama supporter, so I'm not enthralled with what he said or anything, that's not the point. The point is that people were stopping to listen to him. Can you remember the last time anyone did that for President Bush? If he was on T.V? Maybe, when the war broke out. But that's all. I know there are those of you who make fun of Obama's theme of 'change' but it was nice to see him actually make a change--like having people actually want to listen to their political leaders.

3) I hate sensor-flushing toilets. I'm always worried I'll remain exceptionally still for a really long period of time unintentionally and then the nouveau convenience will flush with me still sitting on it.

4) The snack bag of peanuts I was given complimentary of southwest airlines had "Produced in a facility that processes peanuts and other nuts" on it. Well, really. Thank you, for telling me. Tee hee. (ps i love southwest airlines, they're the only ones I want to fly with ever)

5) There was a young (early 20's) couple sitting across the aisle from me, and I notice the girl had an engagement ring on. They were pretty affectionate on the plane, not gross or anything, but sitting right next to each other, she fell asleep on him during the flight, etc. When we landed I leaned over and asked if they were engaged (intending to congratulate them on that, and ask when the day was--you know, the usual small talk) and I asked, and the man said "no we're married" and I said "Oh! I was going to congratulate you, but I suppose it's a bit late for that now." and the woman said "oh you're fine." Tee hee. you had to be there. (or maybe you wouldn't have preferred it.)

I love andy's house. it's old and retro and small and I have a desk in the room where I'm staying where I promptly displayed all the books I brought with me (numbered at about 10) and got to reading. The shower makes noises when you don't have both the hot and cold water on, and his Mom had to show me how to turn the curtain so it doesn't leak out all onto the floor, and Andy and I started a chess game last night which we never finished. There are so many trees here, tons more than wisconsin, and the roads aren't big and huge and it's gray and rainy when I got up this mornign I was kind of still in doubt that it was 9am b/c it looked dark outside.

I got up to take a shower and it was only when I got in there that I realized "I don't need to shower today, I showered yesterday" (sorry that cat's out of the bag, I'm an every-other day showerer) but I thought "Well, Betsy, this is your sabbatical, and on a sabbatical, and on a sabbatical you do things you don't normally do, so you get to shower every day." and in truth I'm kind of looking forward to it. If only showering didn't feel like such an inconvenience when I'm not on vacation.

I love libraries, and I am taking many pictures. I love you! Talk to you tomorrow!

new friends

So today I made two new friends.
One is a boy I met walking back from devotional. I had noticed we were walking at the same pace as we left and upon discovering that he was going to hover somewhere around the edge of my peripheral vision unless I sped up or slowed down, I decided to talk to him. My opening line, you may ask?

"Hey, wanna be friends?"
"Sure."

It's just that easy.

Also Josh Guest ran into me on campus, and that was awesome, to say the least. In fact, I think the least that can possibly be said about it is the word 'awesome'. He introduced me to my friend Lisa, sitting on the other side of me, as we all enjoyed a lifesaver. Josh checked out my MacBook Air, and we exchanged vague updates about our life in witty repartee. Not to mention Josh rehearsing to me how to have a successful marriage. It was great.

quote day

Today...I went to work. And then I worked some more. And then I went to Linguistics class. And then I studied (and ran into Lindsay!) and then I took a test. :( And so forth. I've been pretty much just running around today.

Best part of my day:
Definitely eating Panda with Shawn.
Also: Seeing Shari and Spencer at the testing center!!!

Quotes from the day:
James: It would be like a really cool wink. (talking about wiggling one ear at a time at his date)

Kristy: I've lost my brain! (talking about internship/writing fellows/classes and she got ENGAGED!!)

Teacher: Is there a Klingon over here? (because there was one group who studied the klingon language in class today)
-Heidi raises her hand.

Otro ejemplo:
Hannah: Are you a Klingon.
Joy: No, I'm a McDonald. (another group studied the Mc morpheme)
Anna: Ouch! Id' rather be a Klingon!

Lastly: I'm pretty dang tired, and I'm goin' to bed. I love you!!

schooling

I do too much school, and not enough loving. I know that everyone knows life is all about balance, but I thought I had it! and now it's gone. Boo, midterms.

best part of my day:
Finding a note in my bag from Marae, left while I was taking a nap in the HFAC.

Unfortunately I feel like I have my cranky pants on right now, so I think I shall head to bed. To alleviate myself of them. (from? augh, prepositions you elude me)

play by play

My life is so great.

I had an amazing day today.
I got to sit with some super-nice random lady at the MTC.
The district of elders in front of me stood up every time a sister sat down at their table.
Saw Andy, and got pin!
Got interviewed with Scott.
Went to devotional with Marae
Hugged Thomas
Hugged Drake
told story
more hugs.
Walked with marae
went to the elms
did homework
went to class
did more homework
went to class
sprinted for bus (missed it)
talked to Chris
walked home
taught New Member discussion to Mariko (AWESOME)
called Steve
had to call Russell about my really awesome day
Listened to recordings of Marae.
Scripture study (Alma 34 and 42, check them out)
semi packed for tomorrow
got Sebastian's number (you know it)
blogged
(I predicted)
going to bed by 10:30

I love you all!!!!

Wig

I bought a wig today. A flapper wig. A 1920's bob. I also bought a hat for said outfit. I have a pinstripe dress. And my roommate is lending me a string of pearls...1922 here I come! I am really really really ridiculously excited to see "Thoroughly Modern Millie" tomorrow night. Ridiculously.

So, best parts of my day, in no particular order: Going grocery shopping with Alisha and picking up said items for party-date (also having groceries is nice).
Finding out Noah is engaged.
listening to old lady talk at the quilting shop. (excerpt: Well I just don't believe in that sort of thing)
Walking up to campus with Stetson and tyler.
Talking to Sammy and John on the phone while I walked home.
Sherilyn texting me hello.
Talking with Cheryl at work.

Lastly, I love you all.

the non-dating phase

It's starting. Right now.

busy busy busy

It's 5:22am and I'm at my computer looking up a song I heard yesterday because it was beautiful ('Hymn' by Brooke Fraser, a NZ artist).

I haven't had time to post much lately....recent happenings:
-Watching 'It Happened One Night' with Steven and Joanna
-Going to Soldier's Hollow with Steven Allen, Jaron and Mike
-Being ridiculously enamored of Mike Hinckly's protest party album
-Having Marae come over, and all that that entails (laughter, love, singing. Every song is better when Marae sings it)
-Going to the ward shindig last night and freezing yet having 3 cups of hot chocolate, and another one when I got home, in lieu of an actual dinner.


My favorite verse from this song:

If my heart has one ambition
If my soul one goal to seek
This my solitary vision
'til I only dwell in Thee

Someday

Someday, I will find where all my lost tweezers are hiding.

Also, I wish I could always do my jazz homework when it is gray and rainy outside; the blues just seem to fit so much better then.

sky

It is amazing what one little patch of blue sky can do for your day. :) Love it.

new member discussions are the best!!!

Today I saw Matt Meese on campus!!! Not that I actually know him or anything, but it was still cool, just seeing him around. I wonder how many times he gets the obligatory "Is that Matt Meese?!" double-take.

Do you ever see people on campus, and know that you've noticed them around before, for some salient feature of their being/appearance, and say to yourself "Oh yeah that's [insert nickname here]! (for example: really poofy hair boy) and keep noticing them every day on campus, and hence, feel like you know them when in all actuality, you don't? And then let's say you end up standing next to said person in the library at the public computers, and you have this really strong urge to talk to them, and tell them your nickname for them because heck, you've been friends for awhile in YOUR mind, andwhat's one more hello, but you know that saying anything would mean certain social death? So you don't say anything but you have this sense of guilt because it feels like you're ignoring them when really you're acutely tuned in to any excuse to become friends with them just so you can finally stop lying to them about the actual intimacy of your relationship? But despite this you still don't say anything, and end up feeling like you've not done your duty of fellowshipping someone, and end up venting by blogging about it later?

yeah. That never happens to me either.

We taught a recent convert in my ward a new member discussion today; it was the best. I love being a ward missionary. It is a great calling. I know all of you can't exactly go try it b/c callings come by inspiration and all that, but if you have any way within your power to get together with the Ward missionaries sometime, you should. Their jobs are the best. I really love teaching about principles I know to be true, and stregthening my own testimony by bearing testimony, it helps you feel the Spirit so much more.

I am going with Drake to St. George in 3 weeks!

p.s. I adore hearing people whistle happy tunes on campus. You can see everyone around them happier because of it, I promise. Such a whistler brightened my day today (before the Matt Meese experience, but after the hypothetical naming-people-you-don't-know-but-see-on-campus episode. It was a busy day.) So, thank you. And keep it up you whistlers. Keep it up.

five phone calls

Today I made, as soon as I got home, at least five different phone calls/text conversations. Most of them were with people I would call my 'family' circle of friends here in provo--you know, the ones who help you when you get sick, the ones who always find out how you're doing, and the ones you say I haven't seen you in FOREVER, when in all actuality, it's been 4 days. That was really cool. I really like having that many intimate connections in my life. Where I can just call people, and connect with them, and even better--have something to say that's meaningful. Mostly I was calling to tell people about the AWESOME Folk ensemble show that's going on this Friday night at 8 in the barefoot studio of the RB--it's their tech rehearsal so it's FREE, and YOU SHOULD GO!!!! but it was great to just talk too, and get the updates on their lives. I think there was maybe one (possibly two) people who I didn't get the real deal with, probably because they were doing something else, like preparing for dinner group at the same time. But mostly, it was great. What a great end to my day. It was pretty funny though that two of those people I had already talked to on the phone at least once already today, and then one of them called me back a third time, later this very same evening. Ah, friends!

You should go to this show. It's going to be amazing.

My Dance with Troy!

My roommate did this for me. I laughed until I cried.

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elbow-touchy-feely

Whoa what a week!! First full week of classes, and a full week of work, and I am still alive! It's been pretty busy, but I am the happy kind of busy, not the "I want to lie down and go to sleep for a week" kind of busy. Man, did I sleep today though. I got a wonderful nap in. I should probably be in bed right now, seeing as I still will go to work at the MTC tomorrow morning, even though it's a holiday. We do get holiday pay though, which is nice. Then I am going to come home and clean my room!!! I know, not exactly exciting plans, but it's gotta get done sooner or later, and it will greatly improve my quality of life (Not to mention my roommate's!) I do have a really busy semester, and so I have to use my extra time wisely. Manage it. I never thought I would hear myself saying this kind of stuff, but it's so true.

So today I was at a ward activity and as I was talking with a guy, and he was a fun kid, he reached out and touched my arm. Not a big deal, right? I should think not. But I was immediately more comfortable with him. I don't know why. I'm not going to make a big deal about his looks out in the open world wide web or anything, but he was a usual clean cut handsome kid. Just the BYU look, you know? So it wasn't that I was like "ahh! he touched me!" ala 'I can hear the bells" or "Joshua Noveck" but it was still comforting and nice. I'm reading a book right now that talks about how important positive interaction with others is (for both parties, givers and recievers) to have a meaningful life. So true!! Just a shout out to all you guys who are comfortable and confident enough to reach out every once in a while: thank you. I appreciate you. I think we need to be more affectionate as a society.

I should have gone to bed two hours ago. Ah no-holiday MTC, how I love you. And you, dear friends; I love you too. Goodnight.

tastyness.

What a day! Did you know that breakfast at the MTC is AMAZING?! I bet you did. If you served a mission. Except if you served it a long time ago, because I'm pretty sure they've changed it up sometime recently. It's rockin. My favorite, in fact.

Today they had a party for my and Tracy's birthdays at work.
Megan gave me a ride home so I didn't have to ride the bus.
I was prepared for class thanks to a study party with Steven Allen on Saturday.

Monson time!!!

What a great day. President Monson's fireside was totally the best part. That and I got to sit by three of my best friends while listening to it. Every time I attend a fireside in the Marriott I get so excited, I just can't help myself. Also, I got to see Marae, always a plus. And Diana. And get a little bit of birthday planning done. Yay! Life could not be better right now. Well, maybe it could be. Perhaps, if I went to bed an hour ago.

My best-ever almost-birthday

What a great day. 48 hours, really. I can't even describe to you how awesome it was. First of all, I got my job back at the MTC, and then had a good day at school. Then Sammy was able to come over and help me with party prep. Maranda did a great deal too, not the least of which being running me to target to buy a pinstripe hat and men's shoes for my mobster (circa 1930) outfit for the party. And back to that party. SO rockin'! I saw so many people I had not seen in literally YEARS (thank you missionaries!) and people I grew up with, current wardies, and former wardies, former former wardies, former roommates, current soulmates (also known as Marae)...so many people. It was a great party. We had a great variety in themes, I was much pleased. It was really awesome. I think my favorite part of the night was having everyone sing to me. And putting on the postal service record. And getting penguins. Thank you, you know who you are. It was a blast. And it's not even my birthday yet! (It's on Tuesday)

Next: we started the new season of DG, breakfast every saturday morning!!! Will's crepes were amazing. Delicious. Delectable. charming. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand. Mouthwatering. Fabulous. Not to mention the warm happy glow in my heart that the DG is going on again. What a great life this is.

And then I went to the leadership training meeting which was good. We got some great brainstorming done on the Missionary committee, woot! I really love my calling. I am not as good at it as I could be, but I'm trying, and that's the important part.

So 2/3 of the way through the missionary training meeting i start getting these texts. Literally i got six in 2 minutes. All stuff like "Congratulations!" "I'm so excited for you!!!" "I hope your dreams come true!!" it wasn't until I got the "When's the date?" that I knew something was up. I texted Louisa and asked her about it. She said that I was listed as engaged on facebook "Dad's freaking out, it's not true is it?" and I told her no, and embarked on a rampage of texting to berate the culprits into submission. So I texted Will, Shawn and Good Lookin' because I had left my laptop over there post-DG breakfast. All of them pleaded not guilty, and I really only suspected Good Lookin' anyway, because he's mischievous like that. So I made him change my status to not engaged (which he followed by the letter, changing my status, NOT my relationship status) , and after he pled not guilty one more time, I apologized, and then he confessed. Needless to say I chewed him out when I got over there, and he is currently in the DOGHOUSE with me, which pretty much means no hugs for a week, and also prime target for a major prank. Shawn too, he was an accomplice. When I signed on to facebook next I had TWENTY TWO notifications. It was up for 40 MINUTES. Holy cow, apparently me getting married will be a world-class event, and I will be sure to invite you all. If only it was true.

Then I came home and finally met Critter, a person of mild reputation, but he sounded so cool. Anybody who would make a good muppet can totally be my friend. Especially ones that would make a good beaker. Because we all know I would marry Beaker. I went over to Steven Allen's after that and had a homework party. On a Saturday night; lame I know. But I had to get the homework done! For once in my life I will not be waking up Sunday morning early to finish homework. Which is pretty good b/c I wake up early anyway. And then Steve, Michael and I watched TNMT (the animated series). Like I said, it was a great 48 hours. love it.

P.S I'm currently addicted to Ingrid Michaelson's "Little Romance."

no stress

So I've decided not to do the whole 'work full-time, school part-time' thing. Now I'm going back to school like usual.

First day

What a rush. First day of winter semester.

Things I accomplished today:

Got a second job (custodial at the MTC, woot!)
Got school supplies (free BYUSA notebooks in the bookstore! 3rd floor past the checkouts!)
Wrote down books I need and found out I don't have enough money (the usual)
Checked for cheaper versions online
Went to History of Jazz class
Saw Jason Akinaka (ok, so this isn't really an accomplishment, but it was a notable event)
Jamba (had to)
Went to work
Listened to Elder Aidukaitis' talk (awesome!!!)
Listened to HSM3
Talked to Derek on the phone.
Picked up new laptop
Commenced transferring my life to it with the help of Shawn.
Got many great hugs
Ate pizza
Hugged some more
Will drove me home.

The end.


It was an awesome first day of classes. It worked out really well that I got this job at the right time, and I didn't have to worry about adding any classes. I've definitely hit the ground running though. We'll see how it goes!!

Hey, chances are, if you are reading this blog, you already know about this, but, if you don't: I am having a birthday party this friday!! email me or comment if you want the details and have yet to receive them. I am so tired, I need to head to bed. Chao, amigos!

My love of books and the Savior.

I don't know why the wee hours of the morning are always better to blog, but it is so true.

Today we made it back to Provo with relatively little mishap. Can I just say how excited I am to be back here with all my friends? Not that my Green Bay friends aren't awesome, THEY ARE, but it is sure nice to come and go when I want and to not have to give the same ol' update to everyone. Once after a friend asked me how school was going, I just shrugged and said "more of the same." What can you really say, year after year? School is pretty much the same. My life is still awesome. How do you elaborate on that generally?

The books I bought for myself for Christmas (with a gift certificate from work) arrived just after I had left, so it was really fun to come home to them. I had forgotten 2 out of the 3, I have so many favorites, it's kind of hard to keep track of them all. I really found I love novels in verse. I'm trying to start a small collection. So far i have "Make Lemonade" Virginia Euwer Wolff by "Song of the Sparrow" by Lisa Ann Sandell, and "On Pointe" by Lori Ann Grover. On the list "to get" yet are "Heartbeat" by Shannon Creech, and "Where I live" by Eileen Spinelli (wife of Jerry Spinelli (author of "Maniac Magee" and "Stargirl"). A novel in verse is exactly that--an entire work of fiction written in verse. Now that doesn't mean it has to be rhyming, it can be free verse, as opposed to blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter), but it's always poetry.

Best Picture Ever



This picture was taken at the Salt Lake City Visitor's center on Temple Square. Thomas, Steve, Jayrin, Michael and I went up to see the lights the weekend before everyone left. I love this picture because I feel it's symbolic. I've got the Savior watching over me, and my friends all around me. How could life go wrong? Or, if I feel like it is going wrong, how could I feel alone?
That's why it's my favorite. Most definitely. We don't remember often enough how many friends we have supporting us. Or that the Savior is there with us. What a different place the world would be if we all remembered that.