Headaches.....

Wow...I now have a new understanding of the word migraine.

Not that I have ever doubted the painful reality which some people have to deal with regularly but experiencing the pain is very different that having some one explain it to you.

Grades are out....

I really can't complain..... with 2 A's, an A- and 2 B+'s my scores weren't that bad. Unfortunately it drops my GPA to a 3.82. I know it doesn't really matter, but my OCD seems to keep poking at me.

*sigh*

oh well...... back to my crit lit and Civil War homework.

Medically Necessary

Today was full interesting information. So I thought I would share one of my many conversations:

Kristine: For some time, tryptophan has been available in health food stores as a dietary supplement. Many people found tryptophan to be a safe and reasonably effective sleep aid, probably due to its ability to increase brain levels of serotonin (a calming neurotransmitter when present in moderate levels) and/or melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness or low light levels).

Kristine: And, (also according to wikipedia) it's in chocolate

Rachel: and now I am well informed.... I am going to eat it before going to bed every night

Kristine: so chocolate does make your brain work better :)


Rachel: I have an excuse

Kristine: yay! serotonin's also the neurotransmitter that most anti-depressants target
so chocolate functions in a similar manner to anti-depressants, just on a lower level :)
ergo, chocolate is medically waranted when one is having a bad day?

Rachel: exactly or trouble sleeping or overly frustrated

Kristine: yep

Rachel: there are many many cases which warrent the medical treatment of chocolate!

Kristine: precisely :)

The stream of conscience ramblings of a tired student

I know I have no right to complain, there are others far more busy than I.

But I am tired and I miss my old life. You know, the one where I could do what ever I wanted as long as I put in my hours for the day at the office. I have vacations every year and I made enough money so i didn't have to worry about it. Yeah, that one. I know that attending school is good for me. That I need to get my degree....but man, I sure do miss my 2 weeks of vacation.
I miss my old boss, and my work friends. I even miss my hour long commute on the metro. All that prime reading and quilting time. *sigh*

Now I am going to go take care of my readings for World History and Brit Lit so I can make my 8:30 French Conversation study group ... so that some day, I will again be able to take a week off work and do nothing but lay in a hammock by the beach and read a book.

School Woes....

So this week I have been trying to figure out what I am going to do about classes this summer. I am so tired I am afraid I am burning myself out. I have finally decided that I am going to take only 2 classes this summer; a Crit Lit class and a history class.
I have also been trying to piece together a schedule for my classes in the fall. Unfortunately, this is not as easy. I have finally reached the upper division credits of both of my majors. While this leads to classes that I find much more interesting, most of these classes are held in the middle of the day.

I happen to work full time as a receptionist. My hours are 10-6. The office has been really good about working with my schedule, but I can only push it so far. I just don't know what to do. Anyone know a company who is willing to hire someone for $12/hr who can only work after 3 pm. Lol!

*sigh* I'll have to get this figured out.

The Battle

It seems for year no my body and I have been waged in a war for years now. Sometimes I win sometimes I don't.

Let me explain.

Most of you who actually read this blog know that I get tired. Really tired... brain shutting down, not finishing sentences kind of tired. (It's the "saying I will meet a friend at home but forgetting half way there and stopping to get gas only to remember when she called looking for me" kind of tired) It has been this way since my mission and no one knows why it happens. All I know is that when I am sick, or in pain, overly stressed, or just plain doing to much, my body combats this by trying to sleep for long periods of time. Like 12-24 hours. I am only half joking when I say that I came home from my mission and slept. I have very little memory of what went on between August and mid-December of that year.

In the years following my mission, I learned to recognize the signs of, what I term, crashing. Sometimes, I would be good and dial things back but usually I would just try to cram everything I had to get done into the remaining time and take the weekend to sleep it off. Or if that wasn't an option I would do nothing but go to work then come home and sleep..... all week long. Which usually got me back on track for another couple of months or so. Lately, the crashes are a weekly thing. If I take Saturday easy I am usually good for church on Sunday and then I take a really long nap.

Last week I wasn't feeling well and knew my body would want me to sleep.... but I had things to do ... so I didn't. I won that battle. This week ... my body didn't listen so well..... there was too much play /school/work and too little sleep. So when Sunday rolled around I slept through the morning and now have been awake for about an hour. Enough time to eat, get a headache, and realize that I am going back to sleep.

Never fear!

My body might have won this round, but it hasn't won the war.

I have to much to do ... it will just have to wait until after my nap.

A book to stand the test of time.....

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading the classic but Elizabeth Gaskell's portrayal England in the 19th century certainly reminded me. Not only is this a great love story (with no kissing. What can I say it is a victorian novel.) but it also delves into the mandates of English society for the time period. Focusing on the roles of women, the differences between the agricultural south and the industrial north, the breaking down of class barriers, and the effect of religion.
I am proud to say that this will have a special place on my book shelf.

View all my reviews >>

Done for the night....

Well I finished North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and the reading on FDR for American History tomorrow. I'll have to study for my film test tomorrow.... sometime before I take it. *sigh*

For now, I am going to bed. hopefully I can be asleep before the clock strikes one; if only to say that I got at least 4 hours of sleep. Lol!

The Debutante....

Every one who knows me knows I have a slight obsession with word and I get all kinds of excited when my french and english worlds connect. So last night while doing my french homework, I learned the word 'une debutante' which translates to a begginer.
I immediately thought of the debutante balls. Which totally makes sense.... As the balls are presenting women to society for the first time.

I am totally fascinated....

But I'm not a geek. I'm just boring. :)

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

weekend quotes...

While there were quite a few quotes from this weekend, I think this one was my all time favorite.

While having breakfast with my father and younger sisters we got on to the topic of books. (Really when don't I end up on the topic of books....) The conversation ended as follows:

Me: Sorry, I can ramble on about books forever, I am just a geek.

LL: You're not a geek! You're just boring.

So am I happy that I am not a geek or sad that I am so boring?

18 hours.....

give or take an hour.

This weekend was a whirl wind of excitement. From the wedding to Sariahs obsession with Princess Boo. There was homework and cream puff Jokes, Watching the olympics with dad and Tiana straightening my hair. There wasn't a whole lot of sleep, like many of my weekend trips. Lol!

So coming home on Sunday found me curled up in my bed dead to the world for about 18 hours. I feel better today....though still really tired. If I can just get my French and Film homework done I can go to bed ontime tonight.

Cross your fingers!

P.S. Steph, we are still wondering who guess was closest.... tell me you made it at least 15 min...

not quite done....

Well the laundry got done, along with the World History readings and the massive Brit Lit assignment.....

BUT...

I didn't get my packing done OR clean my room OR the bathroom. OR study for the french exam tomorrow.

Tomorrow is going to be a long night. Followed by an even longer yet fun filled trip to AZ.

Wish me luck and lots of caffeine. Lol!

That is why I read.....

Nothing is ever gonna come crawling out of my books to kill me.

Here I am at almost 11 pm lying in bed realizing that I can't go to sleep. I want to go to sleep. I even would say that I NEED to go to sleep... but every time I close my eyes I see Noah backing away from the creepy creepy little girl with the phone ringing in the back ground!

Therefore..... I am going to read a story that turns out a little happier.... and then another... and then another.... Hopefully at some point I will fall asleep with out nightmares.

P.S. Another time I am gonna have to blog about the realization that Meg, Sarah, and I are characters out of a Nora Roberts novel.... not tonight though.

Creepy Creepy little girl!

just another day in paradise.....

So after a fabulous nasal flush (which is just as enjoyable as it sounds) I am climbing in to bed with the good doctor...

here's hoping rest will make what ever this is go away!

100%

I hate it when professors lead you to believe that something is going to be difficult ...

and then it isn't.

After 2 weeks of stressing because the professor said that many people find the tests difficult or abstract, I took my first exam today..... And I have decided that the professor was just being mean...

I got an A after only 4 minutes. At least I can go back to treating it like the fine arts credit I signed up for.

Mondays....

Apparently the song is true... Mondays will get you down. Or maybe it is just me. Either way, my self fulfilling prophecy has come true.

Mondays are my bad day. From the time they start with my beautiful alarm at 5:15 in the morning (Okay lets be serious, you all know I lay in bed until 6 when the shower is finally free) until I finally get home from my Film lab between 9 and 10 pm, Mondays just seem chock full of things to do. And I never get it all done.

And I am tired.... So good night all. I will have to write my paper tomorrow.

*sigh*

Forgetfullness....

It seems to be that lately I am lucky to remember my own name let alone more important things like the assignments for my classes that I printed and left sitting on my desk at the office!!!

Some days you can't win for losing.

For Jer and Tink....

I am sad to say I haven't really had time to watch for a while... but Kate sent this on to me and it made me giggle....

Well rested!

Good Morning Everyone!

Apparently the week took a bit out of me. I came home from work last night and crawled into bed. After reading for about an hour I crashed and slept until about 6 this morning. I hope this isn't a sign of how this semester is going to go. I am not sure I have time for a 12 hour crash every weekend. Especially when the homework picks up.

Speaking of homework, I feel rather productive already. It is only 8 am and I have finished the novel I was working on, started my readings for wold history and started my french homework (which should be done soon). That means I should be able to get to my chores here in a bit. The bathroom has been screaming at me for over a week now.

First though..... I need to eat. I haven't had anything but water since the early afternoon yesterday and my tummy is telling me it is hungry. What do you think about taco soup for breakfast..... Mom said she made it spicy just for me last night?

lol!

Another Night.....

Apparently I gave the impression that I wouldn't be blogging until summer, Which was completely unintentional. While I will admit that blogging will be sporadic for the next while I do intend to continue writing.... just for you Dad. ;)

I am supposed to be studying.... but unfortunately I am distracted. So here I sit in my small room surrounded by text books, baskets of unfolded clean laundry, my unmade bed and a desk with papers piled so high I can actually see the desk top.

I am trying not to get discouraged tonight but today seems to be a day for it.

It is the first full week of my semester and I am already feeling like I am never going to keep up. The list of papers to write this semester seems never ending, though all seem to be easier then either of the major papers I had to write last semester. My French class is taught by a man at least 4 years my junior, if not more. He has already called me old in front of the whole class though the young girls in the front row were quick to jump to my defense. They kindly informed me "that 30 is the new 20." Lol!

On a good note, my world history class seems to actually cover a lot of the same information as my Brit Lit class. :) Though, the first 3 hour class period almost put me to sleep. I hope she gets more interesting. I look forward to reading Galileo's Daughter and things Fall Apart for World History and deciding on 2 Novels for Lit class.

Alright that is all the time I have for now. The study guides for my intro to film class (darn Fine Arts credits needed for G E's) have started to yell in my general direction. I have to complete them for the class at 8 am tomorrow morning (after my amer. history at 7 am).

Dear Yahoo.....

I am truly sorry that I haven't spent much time with you for about 3 months now. But 3 hours to go through the unread messages was a bit much. Even if I did end up deleting 10,443 unread messages.

Sadly I must also tell you that I probably won't see you again until Summer. Till then we will have to survive with Blackberry connections. I am sure you will survive somehow.

With much regret,
Rae

Another Productive Semester....

I got my grades today.....

a 3.94 for the semester

Interestingly enough it was my writing class that lowered the GPA. I only got an A-. But still for the schedule I was keeping I am still fairly impressed with myself. Lol!

Now to do it again.....

Wish me luck.

2:45 am

The house is quiet...

There are no loud boys or crying babies or any of the others things that signify a large family has gathered for the holidays. Shopping will come bright and early tomorrow, yet here I lay awake. I am exhausted and should be sleeping but in reality all I want to do is to start another book.

For months now I have had to put off my personal reading time. Books that used to take me hours now takeome weeks and sometimes months to get through. As the semester progressed and I got more and more busy, I the books in my TBR (to be read) list did nothing more than gather dust on the shelf. Now that the classes are done for the holidays and I have had 10 days to relax and prep for next semester, I have read 12 books. I have another week and a half to go and look forward continue on my reading spree.

Be it The Art of War by Sun Tzu, an young adult fiction, a sci-fi/fantasy, or a romance, I can't begin to explain the balance that I can find when I slide into the pages of a good book.

Tiana is not pregnant!!

Apparently there has been confusion.....
Now that that has been cleared up back to your christmas festivities. :)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

It's that time again....

So I realized today that I didn't have my traditional Christmas in Kilarney Video up yet this year. I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone... and since I listened to this song for the first time last night.... here you go! Aren't the Irish Rovers great!

Finished!!

The day I thought would never arrive ... arrived this morning. I had to meet with my writing professor regarding my conference paper. And with that short 30 min class.... I finished my semester.

It has been a particularly hard one. Between moving, the New Moon Event, work, and classes, I seem to have lost sight of myself and my goals. There were a couple of times I seriously doubted my desires. Did I really need to go back to school? Was it worth it? For the first time, I wondered if I had the abilities to pull off the degree I want.

Now that the brain fog of classes and finals has cleared.... my answer to all of the above is still a resounding yes.

This semesters classes have been passed and while I don't know if I pulled a 4.0 like last semester, I am content with the grades that I have.

Now for a 2 week break to prep for next semester. :)

"Goose Frabba"

Can it really have been a month since I posted? I can't believe I have let time go so long. I guess that explains so much of my current verbal diarrhea. I need an outlet.... :)

today..... well it is crazy busy and I have to get to the how to guides for Thursday's event......but I found a quite that I really enjoyed and needed to write it somewhere....

I have been taking an American Lit class this semester. I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading the classics. There is just something about the greats that causes my heart to race. (I can hear my mother now...... "Now if she can just get as excited over some guy as she does her books...." lol!) We have read so many different things, from short stories by Charlotte Gilman's to poets like Langston Hughes. I loved the chance I had to re-read Fahrenheit for book club discussion. That book is one of the ones that shaped my life as a teenager.

I came across a quote today while reading an interview of my friend over at Salon.com and it reminded me why I feel that reading is so important. Why I am grateful for women like J. K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer who bring people back into the world of books and reading.
One of the women interviewed stated that:

"I like my life. But there's probably some deep need to shut out the world for a while. Because the world is so [freaking] intrusive....Reading is an act of defiance in the world today. I owe Stephenie Meyer a thank you note for reminding me of that"

I felt this so describes how I am feeling these days. I have very few complaints about my life..... okay.....I am way busy... and I live in Utah ... with my parents. Other then that, I have enjoy my classes and all of my learning opportunities. But there are times, when you want to defy it all, block it out, and find that moment of "goose frabba," as Steph would say. And that is what books are for. Those moments of learning and Goose Frabba!


Okay....Moment over....... back to work and event stuff!

Coming up for air.....

You know that horrible feeling you get when you are in over your head..... Being me I get that feeling a lot. I thought that I have finally found my breaking point. So what do I do? I add another assignment onto my already full list of things to do.

I have been trying to think of a way to tell everyone.....well.....everyone who doesn't already know. But with all that is going on I just don't have the time. Today alone I still have to do my homework, find boxes to pack, research storage units, and figure out a meeting place in Draper for tonight's meeting.

To top it off, I am tired. Beyond tired, for the past 3 days I have gotten at least 8 hours of sleep and I am still draggin' tail. I know it gets worse when I over do, but I don't know how to cut back. There is too much to do and so little time to do it in. I also know I would feel better if I hit the gym, but with an already packed schedule I have no idea where I would fit it in. The only time I have available is after 10 pm. Which does me no good, as I am then up until 2 or 3 am because I have so much energy. *sigh*

Back on track......

I am moving in with my parents to work thing out financially. I have the chance to do a study abroad in France next spring and if I get every thing paid off I can go. So I am moving in with my parents so that I can do that. Now I have 2 weeks to pack up my house and move. On top of everything else I have to do. Cross your fingers for me.

;)

Pros

When deciding to move back to Utah, I made a list of pros and cons.

I have to admit days like today were on the pro list!!! Crisp fall air. The trees on the mountain changing colors. Topped with snow capped peaks!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

American Lit....

So I received my first exam for American Lit today. I have 2 weeks to take this 12 question test. It is open book, open notes and take home. Easy right?

NOT!

The first 11 questions are short answer. Meaning I have 1 paragraph to explain the significance of given quotations. Not bad. It is question 12 that is the doozy....

I have to write a 3 page essay. 3 PAGES! now I know why he lets us take home his tests for a week and a half. Lol!

To be honest, I am really looking forward to this exam. There was a lot of great readings in this section and I can't wait to discuss it.

I don't want to work.....

I don't want to read about Daoism (homework).......

I don't want to go to class tonight.......


*sigh*

I'll change my mind in about an hour......but for now can I take a nap?

Quotre from women's conference

"Nick taught me never to go to a church function without treats."
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

I have missed being able to write just for me........I never seem to have time to sit and write when the thoughts are flowing....

I just go off a call from a good friend....you would think after 12 hours of sleep I would be awake but I am still exhausted. Yet I got to thinking about guys and all my various friends and the choices they have made regarding guys. Some one once pointed out to me that to find a guy I was willing to marry I had to know what I wanted (Hi Tara!). At the time, I tried to make a list of what I wanted in a guy. But as Marianne the librarian's mother says, the mix of Paul Bunyan and Shakespeare doesn't exist. Even then, there were so many things I wasn't sure I wanted. I think this is my current problem. I feel a little like Eric from the Little Mermaid, when I see him it will hit me like lightening. Except I know that is not realistic.

I was trying to think this morning about what I really wanted. Want to know what I came up with?

Ok I will tell you....only cuz you asked so nicely.

I really want to finish school. I want to go to grad school. Iwas looking at schools again last night and putting them in order of desire......I think Rutgers moved into second place now that I know the Universite de Montreal is ALA accredited. It is also french speaking. How cool would that be?
UMD and Catholic are still on the list and so is Indiana. But I was looking at all the other options (all on the east coast) and I can hardly wait!

Also....I started thinking about minoring in French. My french teacher suggested it and it has been on my mind ever since. I am gonna look into what is required on top of what I am already doing.

That is what I want.....I guess everything else will have to wait. :)

Quote #4

J: I think he is sexy........ Whenever my husbands showers I find an excuse to go in to the bathroom. I usually tell him I have to pee. (Then there was lots laughing)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Quote #3

"We need a bucket for the placenta"
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Quote #2

Me: I don't have time to see my trainor.

L: then sleep with him its a better work out.

A: It's a two-fer.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Quote #1

L: He has his bras and I have mine.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Reasons to attend French class.....

Because you never know who will show up!

Out of Steam....

I have 13 weeks left of the semester. It sounds like such a small number, but the urge to cry is strong. I think I am in over my head. But truly I am not. It isn't that I can't survive the schedule I have set for myself. It is that I just don't want to any more. My motivation is completely lacking. While the schedule is rewarding it is also very demanding. I never get to do what I want any more. I love learning and I have chosen this path. I know that.

I also know that I took on the extra responsibilities for the event and I won't back out now. I committed and I keep my commitments. But I will admit that I have started counting down the days until Nov. 21st when I can eliminate it from my schedule. (I believe we have 67...should I put a counter on my blog? Lol!)

So people....what I need from you are ideas. I need help staying motivated. How can someone who is working a 37 hour work week, has 17 credits, and helping with an event keep her head above water. I just need ideas to keep me in a good mood......well at least most of the time. Can any one give me any suggestions?

Okay back to the 2 short stories for American Lit, the paper and 2 chapters for Writing and the 2 readings for American History.......

Helping Kate.....

While talking with Kate tonight she confessed to struggling to name her second bedroom....
It is a Study/Library/entertainment center

But what do you call such a room. Since I have a room that is also a study/library, I have decided that a word must be created. The top two choices are:

Stud-brary

and

Li-budy

To be honest I am leaning towards the first one.....lol! Ihave always wanted a Stud-brary. ;)

midnight.....

I think this is the first time in 8 years I haven't commemorated this day in some way. I didn't even put it on my facebook in any way.

I don't really have an excuse, though my day was rather full. On 3 hours of sleep I worked 7 and a half hours, went to 3 classes, worked on a paper, worked on the November event, watched a movie with the 'rents..... I think that was all.....To be honest, I am really to tired to think of anything important or commemorative. Today is important to me...... but right now I am typing with my eyes closed because the lids are too heavy to stay open. I have tomorrows to-do list running through my head and I might cry here in a minute cuz it just keeps getting longer......


Suffice to say, Gone but not forgotten.

It doesn't matter if it is 8, 18, or 80 years, those we lost will always be remembered.

A topic...A topic.....

Rae's got a topic!!!

I have been stressing over my topic for my world history research paper. I was told it has to pre-date the 15oo's and the paper should be between 8 and 16 pages (Until I have covered my topic). But I couldn't figure out what topic I wanted.

i thought about the female pharaohs for a bit....then shifted to the Celts..... I even talked to my professor about studying the epic of Gilgamesh or possibly the writings of the Celts.

After heming and hawing over it I decided that want I really want to study is ancient libraries. I mean really...who is shocked about that.

So now I just have to narrow down my topic. Which libraries....the first library in Sumer in 2000 B.C.? Maybe I could see what records were kept in Europe or the British Ilses? Ohh.....maybe during the Crusades...I'd love to do a bit of studya nd see what was destroyed then....hmmmmm....


So many chances....

Life is full of dilemmas.......

Currently I am too tired to think clearly. I have 8 more pages to read for American History, 20 pages to read for American Lit. 5 assignments due for French, a narrative to write for the writing class, and I still can't decide on a topic for my world history class (thanks for all the facebook suggestions, I might even use one. Lol!)

Add to that trying to figure out what needs to be done for the November event, how I am gonna pay for my next tank of gas, when will I find time to prepare my lesson for Sunday, and for the French study group on Sat. and find time to sleep....sleep is a very good thing, especially when class starts at 7 am tomorrow.....

Maybe I will try that now....right after the readings that have to be read for tomorrow!

crunch....

I broke my tooth.....vertically right down the middle.... my good dentist is back in DC......What's a girl to do....especially when I can afford to fix it. *sigh*

Frustration....

I ran out of paper halfway through printing the readings for my Amer. History class. Argh!

by the way....the professor posted all of the readings so that I don't have to buy the discontinued product like his syllabus said. Lol! Helps if I actually look at all the available info. :)

The Morning after......

Wow....I can't believe how tired I am. At least I won't be washing the kitchen and bathroom floors on my hands and knees for another couple of months.

I got up early and bought my new school books to the tune of alomost $400. UGH! My only worry now is about the American Lit class that didn't have any assigned text books and the history class where the program was discontinued.

On a good note, the new parking pass will get me through the next 3 semesters (fall, spring, and summer). I only have to buy them once a year. Hallelujah!

And now I am thinking about my schedule for the next little bit..... I will be going to school and working for 11 - 12 hours a day for the next sememster. On the days that classes starts at 7 am I don't get off work until after 6 pm. On the days they start at 8:30 am I have a night class that goes until 9 pm. This won't include my meetings that I have to be at for the event in November. Or anything else that endes up on my plate. It also means no more movies for a buck on Tuesday nights. I have French class. (I know what you are thinking AmyO! French class!!)

What does this all mean.....

As of today, I no longer have a life until December. Lol! Have a great fall everyone. I'll see ya on the flipside :)

Rae is DONE!

It took almost 7 hours to clean my tiny 2 bedroom apartment.... 7 HOURS!

Okay that time included the time it took to update my calender with my new semester classes. Don't expect to hear from me until December. It is going to be a very busy couple of months for me. Lol!

I also tried to download the text for my American History class only to learn that Microsoft has discontinued the program that the professors based his entire class on. That's a bit awkward. Lol! Guess I'll have to go to class to figure out what the text will be. Maybe I should email the prof and tell him the product was discontinued....or would that be too annoying?

French looks to be interesting, though it will be a lot of work. I'm still hoping to get info on the other 3 classes.

On that note I have to crash because tomorrow is quite busy.

G'night

Every so often....

I find myself going through cycles. Usually I am fine, I have a good life. I am grateful to be near my family and have my cute little 2 bedroom that desperately needs cleaned. School starts again this week, I have meetings for the Nov Event, a Lonestar concert with Sarah, and an outing with Rhonda. It's not like I don't keep myself busy.

But then there are nights like tonight. I have known it was coming, I was stupid and joined my sisters for the movie P.S. I Love You this last week and that always gets me to thinking (yes things other then ...."Wow, Irish boys are hawt"). I can tell by my unexplainable temperament and the influx of my reading.

Tonight, I sit here listening to sappy country music and reading books. Purposely listening and reading things that will tug at the heartstrings.

oh well....someday......

I'm an idiot....

Its the last Sat before school starts and instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour last night I stayed up until 5:30 reading Tara's darn fanfiction. Makes me pretty useless today!
I need a nap before tonights baseball game. :)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Quote #3

"The one in the front has an a** of steel. Just so you know. "
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Quote #2

Is that a broom or are those guys pole-dancing?
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Quote #1

Paul on tonight's young (as in 10 year olds) dancers:

"If they were older I would call them whores. "

Let's just say the outfits were rather skimpy........
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

1 exit from home and I am stopped on the freeway due to construction!!!! Literally stopped!!! Dead phone battery so I can't call anyone and now what should have taken less than 5 minutes is gonna take over an hour!!!!

I hate night time construction!!!!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

P.S. I am home now and it only took 45 minutes. Thanks to Amy for the Blue October CD that got me through the stopped traffic with out pulling my hair out.

P.P.S. Night time construction workers.....I don't hate you. I understand the need for fixing our roads when there are less people on them. I just wish you would have warned me before the last chance I had to get off the freeway. I could have taken back roads to get home in 10 minutes instaed of 45.

Do a little dance.....

make a little love......get down tonight.....get down tonight......Everybondy sing with me now.....

I finished my last assignement of the semester.....now all I have left is the final tomorrow and I am done.

WAHOO!!!!!

Why tonight.....

I have to be up, showered, shaved, and ready in a dress by 615 in the morning.

So why is it that I have been trying to sleep for TWO hours and am still awake!!!!
Even reading didn't help. Argh!!!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

It's Monday....

2 Moments to remember from my morning commute.......

That gut wrenching feeling as the cop behind you turns on
the flashers then goes around you to pull over the guy in front of
you.

AND

Realizing the call with your dad didn't disconnect while you
yelled "why are you on my tail a**hole!"

I really need to work on my commuter people skills....Lol!

P.S.

While I might not be a HUGE pizza fan, I must say that I have a thing for Domino's desserts.

Especially the chocolate lava crunch cake.......

YUM!

And I'm not even a huge chocolate fan. Lol!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Tired.....

When I was in my early twenties I learned in a fairly dramatic manner that I cannot over do..... My body will only handle so much before it gives out and I crash for days (or months) at a time.

As time has progressed I have tried to train myself to stay with in the boundaries that my body has set. But it isn't so easy for me. I will do really well for a while and then I will want to have fun. My schedule will get busy and I will forget that if I don't take care I will over do it and crash out. I will want to have fun and you can always sleep when you are dead, right?

With my hectic schedule of late, I have been waiting for the crash period to hit. I knew it was coming but I didn't think there was a way out of the crazy life that I had set up for myself.

Then I went to Twi-con......

It started with 3 days of 16 -17 hours on my feet during the day and little to no sleep at night. I crashed on night 4 and I got decent sleep the last 2 days (my body requiring a full 8 hours before I was coherent enough to move). But the day schedule didn't change. While I had some great moments, the week is kind of a blur of fatigue and chaos.....

Now here I sit 5 days after the event is over and my brain is finally starting to get back online. I couldn't figure out why I had lost my motivation. I had assignments ready to be turned in and a final next week but haven't done a bit of studying since I finished Chapter 12 while at Twi-con. But the need to rest is still riding me pretty hard. I have completed my work assignments while at the office, but didn't go to class or do my homework during the last 4 days. I crawl into bed around 7:30/8 pm and read for a bit then sleep through the night.......(okay I admit to reading late into the night last night (I was asleep by 1:30) but I totally blame AmyO for that. Why would you give me a whole new trilogy? By the way.....Maria V Snyder Study Series - Good Stuff)

I have officially decided that today will be my last recoup day.....I am back on track as of tomorrow. But I have learned something....I can't do things like this while I need to be focusing on school. I can't lose a week of school because I am too tired to focus. Which is why I had to pull out of the New Moon Event in November. I can't handle this amount of stress right before I am to go into finals for a 17 credit hour course schedule. I can't take a week and a half off then. So...I will be helping on the fringes but I will miss the major action. While I am sad about it.....I know it is the right decision.

As for the event....I think it will be awesome! Check it out and those of you in the area swing on by the event in November. For those that aren't close by y'all know I got a floor if you need a place to crash. ;)

Bow I am off to bed.

3 am never looked so fun

Britton recorded this on Thursday night.....I am not sure the actual time but I know it was well after midnight. There we all sat with our laptops and Facebook having conversations about Mormons, Catholics, and Foogart's Frozen Yogurt & Smog Checks. Lol!

TwiCon definately had it's moments. ;)

1 down.....2 to go

Do you remember the scene at the end of Mr. Mom....the one with the little boy running around the house shouting "One Punch! One Punch!"That is how I feel today. I want to run around the house shouting:

88.6%!! 88.6%!! 88.6%!! 88.6%!!

Okay I feel better now. That would be the score I got on my Astronomy Mid-Term today. I know it isn't a stellar grade, but after 2 weeks of studying and sweating I am ecstatic over a solid B. I have apparently absorbed enough of the information to pass and if I can pass this class with a solid B I will be happy.

Admittedly, it will be the first B of my college career (all three semester..lol!). Who gets all A's in college any way?

Now I am back to studying....It's time for the History of the Solar System.

Girls Night......

We forgot to take pictures!!!

Nannah...next time we will remember. Lol!

The night got off to a rocky start but with our sodas and candy in hand we were seated minutes before the curtain went up (actually it was minutes before the announcer guy came out on stage to talk to us about sponsers...the outdoor Scera theater doesn't have a curtain.)

The Dr. Pepper and gobstoppers kept the nausea at bay long enough to enjoy the womens voices and cringe at the mens. I did a double take every time "Baby John" came on stage. Between the hair and the old school clothes I could have sworn that Nick was on stage. Lol!

Nannah and I had a good time. We laughed, we talked, I cried (never fails the ending always gets to me.....). I can't wait to hang out with her again. :)

I also realized tonight that I have been very spoiled. The Kennedy Center, the Hippodrome, and Broadway are definitely not community theater. After 4 years of that coming back to actual community theater is hard for me. But I will persevere. I will suppert the arts here while I can, and wait patiently for the days when I can afford to go to the other theaters again.

I can't get it all done!

I seem to have hit a block......

My eyes won't stay open for the reading of my Astronomy book. I still haven't finished the last 2 chapters, which I have to read and answer all the questions for so I can take the test. That doesn't include the other 6 chapters that I have to have done by Monday so I can take my second test. Is crying allowed?

Secondarily, the writing of my anthro paper has ground to a complete halt. It is due on Friday!! I have all this information swarming around in my head and I just can't get it to come out in a logical pattern.

I think I am going to give up for the evening. I will try again tomorrow morning.

Things of note....

While the new headset makes me look like a little silly....I am really, really, REALLY grateful I don't have to turn or tilt my head today. It seems to aggravate the pulled muscle in my neck when I do that. I figure if an hour and a half can bring me to tears.....more then that will reduce me to blubbering and that would be BAD on the job.

Second.....Kirsten...you were so right. I LOVE Castle. Nate Fillion is great and ABC lets me watch all of the episodes online. Yay!

Today's Astronomy lesson......

1) F=ma

2) (Pyears)2 = (Aau)3 (wow that doesn't look right on my berry but there you have it.)

3)CCD = Change Couple Device. It can be found in telescopes and your digital camera.

And finally.....

Astronomers like it BIG. ;)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Sometimes......

Sometimes I wonder if I am fundamentally broken.........Steph says I'm not but I still wonder.....

Now back to astronomy and anthropology.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Down Home Country Boy

This is the reason I have a soft spot for them good ol' country boys. Lol!

The find of the day....

3 minutes left of my day and I found a pot of gold!

Doogie Howser, MD is on Hulu!!


This is great. I just finished the Pretender so I need something to watch while I am creating labels for mailers. Wahoo for me. :)

Too Tired

I was going to post today....but from the time I got up for my morning class....to the visit with my sister, to the shooting activity to the concert....I really didn't have a spare minute.....


And now it is after midnight and I am exhausted........

So this is all you get.


P.S. The concert was AWESOME!

I knew not only every Styx song, but I knew the words to each song. :)

(Sadly, I only knew about 2/3 of the .38 Special songs and only 1/2 of the REO Speedwagon songs. Of those songs I was only able to sing along to about half of them. *sigh*
Blame Ralph, he was the one with the Styx CD's growing up. They were right up there with his ABBA collection. Lol!)

Proof of Age.....

Tonight I realized that with my birthday approching, I have started showing my age. What proof do I have, you ask......for starters:

• I am tired by 10:30 pm.
  
• I went to an Eagles concert and I knew not only all of the songs, but all of the words to said songs.
• Tonight I went to a BeeGee's Tribute concert.....where yet again I knew all but 3 or 4 of the songs. (At least I didn't know all of the words this time.)
• Saturday I will be headed to yet another concert....and I am really excited...but yet again, I will probably know all of the words, to all of the songs sung by Styx, Reo Speed Wagon, and .38 Special.
  

Sad I know....some days age just smacks you in the face.

*sigh*

Jumping up and down!

I know I'm a geek. But I get to see the new Night at the Museum movie. I loved the first one and am stoked for this. Hope it lives up to my dreams. :)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Isn't this the music that Ross plays?

Alright...last one for today....Special thanks to Darla for all of the cool quizes!

You Are Electronic Music

You are energetic and expressive. You love feeling alive. You never get sick of your favorite things - they're what makes life special. You don't take tradition or conventions too seriously. You live for the future. You enjoy remixes and re-interpretations of things. Life is about making improvements.

What Kind of Music Are You?

Of Course.....

You Will Be a Cool Parent

You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting, and you know what kids need. You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

Not Very Rational?

You Relate to Deer and Pandas

Your Power Animal: Deer Animal You Were in a Past Life: Panda You are a fun-seeker - an adventurous, risk-taker.While you are spontaneous, you are not very rational.

The Animal Personality Test

There are days I hate being a girl.

So I am going to bed. Granted it is only 9 pm but maybe tomorrow will be better. I doubt it. But MAYBE.....
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

And thus began the jumping for joy!

I have been stressing greatly over my Bio class this semester. Every one has heard how I have a research paper and a presentation due this Thursday.....

ACK!

Well today at work I registered for my fall classes. After getting everything set I realized:

General Bio is COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY!

So I spent the early part of the afternoon searching for any class that would fill the slot. Anything, at all! I needed something that was at least 1 credit so I could continue at 12 credits. (When I first registered I was told I had to have a 12 credit course load for financial aid) I came up with a big whopping nothing. So I put in a call to the financial aid office just to double check things. Then came the sweet sentence that has made my entire week. I am fine at 11 credits. I don't have to take the extra class.

Isn't there a song with the words...sweeit is the joy it brings.......Lol!

This means I don't have a research paper or a presentation due. Any one want to joing me in a hapy dance?

I will complete my science requirements over the next year with astronomy this semester, Bio Anthropology in the fall, and Cutural Astonomy next winter. They all interest me...so they can bring on the presentations and research papers...I am so eager to learn those. Plus, I get to return another book. I cannot tell you how happy I am. Maybe this one will make up for the cost of the extra Anthropology book I had to buy for a hundred bucks.

Everyone take a moment to chair dance with me......come on you know you wannna.....

Kant and his infernal Universal Law!

For those that haven't heard me rant, I have a 7 am Ethics class. I have been heard to say that "no one has ethics at 7 in the morning". Seriously, who can even think clearly at that time. Interestingly enough, this class is quickly becoming one of my favorites. (Ten times better then the dreaded Bio class)

Today's discussion centered on Immanuel Kant. I have to admit that I struggled with the reading and his theory of Universal Law. The Prof asked that we focus on the following quote:

"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."

Talk about over my head. My poor professor kept trying to explain it to me but I just wasn't catching on. I kept circling back to my understanding of Kant's statement and what I perceived he was saying regarding "willing that it should become Universal Law" My brain kept getting stuck on the fact that that there is no universal categorical imperative. In other words, there is no law or action that everyone follows with out exception. No rule that everyone agrees is always the right answer in a specific situation. Therefore, if all of our actions had to be based on the need for it to become universal law.....we would never act on anything.

Finally, towards the end of class, one of the students chimed in and I think I have finally started to get a grasp on the concepts here. Kant isn't saying that you have to act in a way that you can expect all others to act as well. I was right in thinking that there is no universal imperatives. What Kant suggests is that every time you act you should look at what the outcome would be if everyone else handled the situation the same way you did. If what you did became the norm...hypothetically, would that be good or bad for society. Then again, this seems to take things to an extremist point of view:

If I do X in this situation, what would happen if the whole world did the same thing? If the result is not good, then you can't do it.

But then if you take Kant's theory and say....
If I don't do X in this situation what would happen if the whole world never did the same thing?
What is to say that it wouldn't be a bad thing if the whole world was acting in X manner or not acting in X manner.
(I would like it noted that I wasn't the only one struggling with this reading, it made for quite a discussion as everyone had a different opinion)

Anyway.....that was today's rambling in my head. I will get a week recap up soon. It has been a fun one, despite my Bio teacher assigning me a Research paper and a presentation both due this Thursday. Now I am off to read Aristotle.....wish me luck. ;)

Quote for a fine Saturday......

"It's like the Budda's belly....rub Amber's boobs and all your dreams come true."

"Is there an apostrophe in Amber's? She does posses her own boobs, right?"

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

The weekend begins.........

I realized yesterday that I thrive on my busy weekends. I know this is something that has been apparent to everyone, but after months of very little activity I was reminded rather sharply this weekend.



Boo and Steph are in town, my parents are out of town AND I have a TM event to attend this evening that will probably run into the wee hours of the morning......

So here is what my schedule looks like for the next week:

Last night I got off work at 6 and went to stay with my brothers. (Really they are old enough to be by themselves but Mom felt the need for a safety net.) There was a lot of fun which culminated in me finishing my new book at 4 in the morning....

This morning I was up at 6 so I could get ready for work, make breakfast, and have scriptures with the boys before 7:30 am. (We couldn't have them late for school, now could we) I am working form 8:30 to 3:30. I have a dinner starting at 5:45 which I do believe will run until about 5 or 6 tomorrow morning.

Which is a good thing since I have to be on the road by 7:30/7:45ish so I can be in Salt Lake to meet Steph and Boo by 9 am.From there we head on to Wyoming to see teh Grand Tetons.......don't ask, I am not sure why we are going in the snow, but I brought a jacket and lots of jeans......maybe I will pick up my long johns this afternoon between work and dinner. hmmm......

Monday starts bright and early with a session with my trainor. Since I haven't been to the gym in a week, I am really not looking forward to it. *sigh*

Tuesday is free...so far (but I still have to finish getting stuff ready for school...like a parking pass and a student ID)

Wednesday starts classes. My first one at 7 am!

So really my life will be jammed until somewhere around mid August. Though if you think about it, by then I will have chosen my fall schedule, so it will probably still be packed then. I think it will be fun.

Now I am back to work.....and my secnd Cherry Coke of the day. ;)

P. S. I bought myself my birthday present...I get to go see Beauty and the Beast the musical the first week of June. :)

Quote of the night...

Me:what do I look like the crazy cat lady.

Brother Paul: you need got either a cat or a boyfried.

I feel the love. How 'bout you?
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Again

How is it possible the last week we hit 85 degrees on Wed but it is SNOWING today?

Yay for springtime in Utah. Lol!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Being sick stinks.....

But I have to give a quick shout out to my younger brother Ian
who kindly brought me Sprite....not 1 but 2 2 liter bottles.

Yay for me I haven't thrown up in 3 hours!

Now I am going back to my couch.

G'night

They always come back for more.....

I couldn't resist sharing this one......

You Are Chinese Food

Exotic yet ordinary. People think they've had enough of you, but they're back for more in an hour.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Not Comfortable.....

Religious post…….read at your own risk. ;)

Yesterday during Relief Society a story about the march of Zion’s Camp was used to emphasize how God can step in and help us out when things are beyond our control. During the lesson I had a thought but I couldn’t get my words to align so that I could express the sentiments running through my head. Ironically, while in the shower this morning everything snapped into place and I was able to word the comment I wanted to make. So you are stuck getting it. ;)

Abit of LDS background………

In the early days of the LDS Church the members were driven from state to state, trying to find a place where they would be allowed to live with their neighbors in peace. Time after time they sold what they could and moved on. At one point in Missouri, after mobs had forced the people to leave, the government in the area promised to help us get our land back if we provided the armed men to do the task. About 250 men volunteered to march from Kirtland, Ohio to the lands in Missouri to help the members that were living there. The group, called Zion’s Camp, ranged in ages from 17 to 79 and struggled to make the 1000 mile march. One night the men were warned that there was a mob gathering to kill them. Our men were outnumbered and outgunned. I am not sure what exactly happened at that point; I am at work so I don’t really have the ability to do more research. I am pretty sure prayer was involved but I don’t have the facts there. What I do know is that night a great storm arose. The men of Zion’s camp got wet and some of the tents were blown down. Some of the men even had to take shelter in a nearby Baptist church. The Prophet Joseph remarked that God was in the storm that night. A few miles away the men of the mob did not fare as well. The lightning and thunder spooked their horses. The rain that had fallen on Zion’s Camp turned to large pellets of hail. Bones were broken, guns were broken, and the river swelled to the point that the mob could not cross it to reach Zion’s Camp. The result: the men of Zion’s Camp were protected in their time of need.

All through our meeting yesterday the thought that it wasn’t comfortable kept running through my head. When it all finally clicked into place I realized that the men of Zion’s camp didn’t have it easy. During the storm, they got wet. There was lightning and thunder in the distance so it is possible that their own horses were a tad spooked. Their tents were blown over. They even had to take shelter in the Baptist church. To top it off…how would they know what the storm was doing to the men of the mob? The mob could have found shelter and were waiting out the storm to attack. Just because God steps in, doesn’t mean that life will suddenly be easy or comfortable. We can have the peace of knowing that we are doing what is right; but we will still have to work to follow that path that the Lord has set for us. I keep looking at the schedule my life will take here in a few weeks and getting more and more nervous about it. I know that I am doing what is right, but I guess I needed to be reminded that it isn’t supposed to be easy. This life is a test and a trial. Neither of those words are synonymous with comfort.

So in the end what did I learn in Releif Society yesterday:

Suck it up and deal!

A girl needs a forceful reminder now and then. ;)

What do I do now...

I spent the day running errands that I needed to have done before starting work tomorrow. The biggest thing being registering for classes. I am officially registered for 14 credit hours on top of my 35 hour/week job. (Shall we say I will be a tad busy during the summer semester?)

I had decided last week that I was registering for classes today whether or not I had a job. Lucky for me....I have a job, so I had to work around that schedule. It's not as easy as it sounds, but I managed. I am working to get all of my GE's out of the way so I can really concentrate on my English and History courses. (Oh yeah...Jess: I am working on an English Lit Bachelors and a Public History Bachelors before going onto our favorite Masters Program). Out of the 5 classes I am taking, I am mostly excited about 2 of them, the other 3 are required to get a degree throuh UVU. The ones that I think will interest me most are Social/Cultural Anthropology and Elementary Astronomy. Both classes seem to be something that will hold my attention. I can hardly wait to start them.

But now that I am done with that, I guess I had better get the apartment cleaned so I can go to bed ontime. But I really am not in the mood to clean or go to bed....*sigh* the struggle of being an adult. :)

I have a job.........

Yup you read that right:

I HAVE A JOB!!

It is more hours (35/week) then I would prefer in a week, but I can work a small school schedule around it. I have to go register for classes (hopefully this afternoon) but I should be able to pull at least one class in the morning and one in the evening. It might not be the full 12 credits I had planned but we can go this route for a couple of semesters at least.

As for details: It is a receptionist position at a small software company (Sound familiar Kristin?). So it is something I am good at and something I am comfortable with. It is in the salary range I was shooting for (Yay!) and I start tomorrow morning.

Next Question............With classes (morning and evening) starting in May.........when am I gonna go to the Gym? Ugh, I have to call my trainer, he is not gonna be happy with me. :)

Just late night ramblings......

Saturday was a big day for our family. After an early morning of Easter egg hunting the adults in the family headed up to the Salt Lake Temple to attend the sealing for my big sister and her family this weekend.
(Short version translation for my Non - LDS Readers: A Sealing part of the LDS wedding ceremony. It is part of our belief that marriages are to be 'sealed' for time and all eternity. (Now you know why marriage is such a big deal in our world...Eternity is a VERY long time.) Sometimes this is done at the time of the wedding, sometimes it is postponed for one reason or another.)

Lighthearted-ness aside it is a very spiritual moment for any family and I am very glad that I was able to be present for it. It was a sweet ceremony that gives us a reason to celebrate and be with people we don't see all that often (Hi Sandy and Travis!) The ceremony was followed by a great big dinner filled with family members. I was joking to a friend that we had at least 25 people at my mother's house for the dinner and that wasn't all of us. More then half, thank heavens, but not all. It is always an interesting time when we are surrounded by family. I truly enjoy the time I get to spend with them (even if they do stab you in the back every so often......"miracle" indeed Kent Jr! :P )

Ohhh.....also a quick shout out to my best friend and her amazing husband who took the time to come do a quick fix it job on my car when we broke down on the way to the temple. John was a sweatheart to come out to the freeway and take a look when I called Meg in a panic. So thanks to John we got moving again and made it just barely on time.

So after such a long event and family filled day, I took today off. Lol! I needed the quiet of my apartment and was very grateful to have it all to myself. Wahoo for living alone! Anyway, it has been a very relaxing day. And tomorrow I am back to job hunting, the gym, maybe a trip to the temple.......maybe a stop by the History department to talk to one of my advisors for school....there are so many options. :)

Happy Easter to everyone!

Scene from a semi-Italian Restaurant.......

My heart has been melancholy this week. It doesn't make any sense. My life is good. My family is good. Even Inkheart couldn't lift my spirits in the long term. Though, I liked it enough to see it twice. (Ya gotta love theater's that have movie's for under a buck!)

I think this melancholy is what led to my trip into the city today. It has been years since I have gone to visit the graves. I got directions only to find that the main buildings had closed. I had been planning to stop in and ask for directions to the actual plots. As I said it has been years so my memory is pretty sketchy. I walked around for a while trying to locate the plot but the wind was pretty nasty and I was starting to feel creepy. I mean who walks around a cemetery at dusk ALONE looking at all the headstones with out stopping. Apparently, people who can't remember where their family is buried! Argh! I finally had to give up when my hands started to freeze. My flowers ended up on the grave of of a Navy Vet from WWII. I'll try again next week, when people are actually working there. I know her body isn't there but I need to make sure the headstones are at least clean. Ya know, and she deserves flowers. Every girl deserves flowers once in a while.

Written during dinner.....hence the title.......

**Edit**
Just for clarification, the graves I was visiting were those of my best friend and her mother. They were killed when I was 11. It is kind of a long story....but they had a profound impact on my life.

All by myself.....

Tonight I have decided that it is time to start having my own FHE again. Not that it is that big of a deal as a single person. Lessons are short and there are no arguments over the activities.
But I'm taking this opportunity to do fun things all by myself. Tonight's activity:
Inkheart with Brandon Frazier (sp?)

I have my popcorn and bottled water.......so we're ready to start the previews. Now if only the kids will stop yelling.....*sigh*
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Nothing new on the horizon.........

It feels as if it has been forever since I posted anything about what is going on in my life, so here is a quick update:

• Classes start May 6th. I have decided to get 2 bachelors degrees before heading on to a Masters. I figure that should keep me busy for a while.
  
• I am still job hunting. I interview at least once a week and am getting rather tired of the words over qualified. It is quite annoying.
  
• My apartment is almost ready for other people to see. My front room is mostly unpacked, my library is mostly set up and my room is livable.
  
• My family is close by and I see them a couple times a week. It is nice to be able to see and hang out with everyone, and also nice to go home to my apartment and ignore everyone. ;)
• I see my friends a couple of times a week.......especially Meg and Sarah.
  
• I am also at the gym 3 times a week and have just decided that I will start going to the temple right before I go to the gym (it's not like I don't have the time).
  
• Conference was great, I spent it with the Fam, cooking and cleaning. Lol!

That about sums up my life. If anyone hears of any part time jobs....give me a holler. I could use all the help I can get. ;)

Conversation of the day........

Today I got to go to lunch with the incomparable Megatha and her great kids.

During the course of our lunch I had the following conversation with her 5 year old son:

5 yr old: Where's your husband?
Do you have a husband?
Me: Nope, I don't have one.
5 yr old: Then you'll have to work for one like my mom does.

Did You Know.....

There is a Chipotle and a Five Guys in Bountiful Utah........

Why did I move to Provo again?
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Snow In March.....

Next week is the first of April but today is freezing. There is snow, granted it is not much and the wind is blowing like crazy. But the point is.....

It's beautiful.......and one of the reasons I moved back here to Utah.

Happy Spring y'all! :)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

It WORKS!!!!

I have spent the day trying to get my internet to work.

Finally!

Now it is almost 1 in the morning and I need to sleep. But I wanted to post a quick review of my day.....

Went to bed at 3 am.....

slept until mid-morning.

read

cooked a full meal in my kitchen for the first time

read some more

cleaned and put a way a few more items

read

slept

watched the movie House Bunny (not sure what I was thinking there....it wasn't as funny as I wanted it to be. Lol!)

And that was my day. As Scuttle the Seagull would say....."Ahhhh...very boring"

Tomorrow should be better, there is a visit to the bookmobile and a run to the park with the Zerkle kids. ;)

The dawns begins to break across the sky.....

.....as I finally start to fall asleep. I've got to find a way to cure this horrendous insomnia. :s
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Qoute of the evening....

"I don't need the balls I have the letterhead...."
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Rinding in cars with teenage boys......

I have great little brothers. They crack me up over random things. Often I can be found jsut hanging out with them.

On Friday there was a run to the store with Goose to snag a birthday present for his friend.

Yesterday was a quick jaunt with Wog and his girlfriend to drop me off at my car.

But today took the cake...... I had all of them in my car when we went to the first birthday party for our niece. On the way home it was reaffirmed that I do not think before I speak around them. I am afraid to post what was said as it was rather crass and I know some of my readers don't think that type of humor is funny. But lets just say that it could have been a scene straight from the Simpsons. I was just to slow to catch on. Lol!

We laughed all the way home.

The geek in me.....

Alright, those who know me know that there is a small part of my heart that will forever love the ABC Family and Disney Channel original movies. What can I say? They are clean, and cheesy and fun....and you know that they will always have a happy ending. Lol! In a world as uncertain as ours, I am a sucker for a happy ending.

So no one is probably surprised that last night I was drawn to the Disney Channel for my watching pleasure while babysitting. On a Friday night Disney is known for playing their old Original movies. Which is how I got to watch Camp Rock.

And being me, I watched the whole thing sort of. Part of the time it was on mute while I was on the phone. I also offset it with 3 other movies that were running on other channels. So I was totally confused by the end, which means that I did a little searching this morning and watched it on my laptop. Since I geeked out....y'all get to join me. Here is the climactic song number (Steph and Heather get your mind out of the gutter it is a Disney Movie....) the unpopular girl is who the rocker is looking for.....aren't we all surprised? Lol!



On another note.....I now know what the Jonas Brothers look like. Lol! Why is their hair in their faces? The main character makes me think of a 70's pop star........

Quotes of the Evening.....

Tonight, my friend Sarah called at the last minute and wanted to go to dinner. I had nothing pressing and was glad to join her. As always dinner was full of laughter. So I thought I would share a few with you........


*** So it looks like we haven't spent enough money on dinner. We're gonna have to get dessert. Are you okay with that?

(Yes that was said seriously.....You gotta love Sarah)

*** We would like to look at the dessert menu please. I am the menu. You are the menu? (we order and he leaves the table) He's the menu? He is a bit young but do you think maybe he would lay down on the table for us?

*** I am gonna have to stop exercising. It's not good for me when I am a single girl. It clears the clutter from my mind and all that is left is the gutter. I just dive right in and go swimming.

It's been A Month.......

Wow, How time flies when your having fun.

This is fun. Right?

Mostly, my life is still pretty boring. I am still applying for jobs and not getting much response. I refuse to start school until I have some source of income. Call me crazy, but I have this terrible fear of not having money to pay rent. *blush*

I spend a lot of time at my parents house. I love my little 2 bedroom apt and I am still working at unpacking everything there. BUT.....as everyone knows, I hate to be by myself. There is something about too much silence. So, I head over to my parents house just to have a noisy background. I love the time I get to spend with my brothers.


Now onto THE TRIP....everyone keeps asking about the trip to San Fransisco with some of my friends. I love to travel and I haven't been to SF since I was 11. That isn't to say that I really got out and saw the city at all. Ha Ha ha, I spent the weekend with my friends at a convention. But that is for later in the story.

I drove to Fresno Thursday night. Why Fresno you ask? Because I refused to drive I-80 in the snow with the possible requirement of chains for my tires. After the small snafu in Wyoming, I am staying clear of snowy mountain roads. So, I went south through Vegas, up through Bakersfield and onto Fresno. There I met up with friends Kirsten and Mary. The next morning we gathered with the rest of the women traveling to SF and carpooled the remaining distance. Then we were there and the weekend started.


Now for a confession........

My friend Kara won 2 tickets to the San Francisco Salute to Twilight Convention. Yes, I have driven all that way to go to a Twilight convention. For those that followed my Facebook conversations, already know how I feel about being there. I had a blast with my girls that were there. Kara and I spent alot...and I mean ALOT....of time together as we waited in line for signatures or attending the various events. Then there were meals with everyone and just time to chill. It was great to see the girls that I had met last September and to make friends with the new women. The TM's are such an interesting mix of women. :)

As for the rest of the conference......There were Q & A sessions with the actors from the movies, which I found interesting and embarrassing. as much as I loved listening to the answers to the various questions, it is unsettling for me to be counted among the fans that were there. I would rather not be compared to the woman who asked for Peter Facinelli's gum straight for his mouth, or the one that offered a marriage proposal to Kellan Luntz, or the women who brought out the cuffs.....or other gifts.

Part of the tickets that we won were signatures from each of the actors, so I had brought my twilight book for them to sign. There were quite a few hours waiting in line for that. To be honest, if we hadn't been getting something signed for a charity auction we probably would have skipped the signings entirely to go hang out with our girls who were at the front of the line. :)

The Jackson Rathbone concert was fun. I am sad i didn't attend the Vampire Ball as one of my friends from Sept. was there so I missed out on seeing her. It was cool to see what can happen at these things and talk with Kara about what she wants to happen for the one I am volunteering for in July.

I have to admit, my one grump was Billy Burke......he is my favorite actor from the movie. I adore his version of Charlie and he will forever be what I see in my head when I read. Unfortunately, when I asked him to sign my book.....he signed right across the words! I mean really. Who signs across the words of a book? You read books! LOL! It's not really a grump just a pet peeve of mine....Hee hee hee.


I also took some time to see my sister Gretch and her husband Mark while I was in town. I haven't seen them since Christmas and never in their "natural habitat". It was nice to spend a day with them. We ran errands, played cards, talked about pregnancy (Gretchen is right now in the hospital in Labor.....GO Gretch!) and just hung out. I am a big fan of just chilling with family.

Okay that is my trip. now I have to shower.....and get ready for another interview. *sigh* As Laurie tells me.....it would help if I could upgrade from "Interview Goddess" to "Job Goddess". Then I could stop going to interviews and start working.

From my uncle...............

This morning my mother, my sister-in-law, and I sat and watched this video repeatedly.

What I want to know is.........Who doesn't know the Mashed potato? That end choreography is almost straight from a Dirty Dancing scene and any girl of the past 3 generations knows the story of Johnny and Baby.......
Don't they?
If so they all should be able to join in at that point. :)