12.13.2007

that's it--i'm done


I studied all night last night--at least 5 hours (not to mention the multiple hours from other days)--for this stupid British Lit test from another new professor so it's not like I knew his style anyway, I take it this afternoon, and spend the expected hour and a half in the Testing Center. We had to answer 10 out of 15 short answer questions and 6 out of 8 passage ID/significance questions for a total of 150 points possible. On one of the ID passages I am torn between "The Rape of the Lock" by Alexander Pope and "Vanity of Human Wishes" by Samuel Johnson because the style of both these poets is almost identical: the same cadence to the writing, the same kind of language, the same rhyming style, the same opinions of society, and after an intense battle with myself I choose Johnson's "Vanity of Human Wishes" and go on for a long paragraph about what he means by this poem which I hated anyway. I leave the testing center and immediately look up the answer in my Norton anthology and I am wrong. It was Pope. I hate Pope. That's a potential 15 points down the drain. After all that studying--that's it--I'm done--see ya.

12.12.2007

disintegrating . . .

I feel like my brain is disintegrating. My motivation: -7 My desire for break: 468827. Yesterday I was actually motivated and I guess I was productive--I worked on my British Lit paper all afternoon and finished most of it, but I still had so much to do and so my progress on my paper didn't feel like much. Good grief. Last night, when I still had two short papers to write, Katelyn and I kind of lost it and started making up new noises that we thought were funny (I know--as if we're 7--I know). That's where I am right now in my finals life. Ew.

Today was my last day of my MWF classes which was nice, but I was actually really sad to leave my religion class because it was my most favorite class this semseter. I learned SO much in that class and I felt so connected with all the other students. It was bittersweet--I'm glad it's the last day for some classes, but sad because I loved that class and the people in that class so much. :(

I had my orchestra concert last night which went well I think. It was lots of fun and a couple of girls from work came to see it! Katelyn would have come but she was sick :( It was kind of weird and sad though that my family couldn't come like they came when I was in high school and stuff. It was fun to perform though and fun to dress up and fun to hear people clap for you. I don't know how amazing we were, but it was fun nonetheless.


My good friend Erica and me


So tonight since I don't have orchestra, I'm going to go to pilates at the gym with Katelyn and our friend Viktoria which should be fun. And I feel like I'm rambling with no real coherence to my writing, however I don't think I'll fix it because it's an accurate representation of my state of mind.

12.08.2007

my christmas wishes

So Mom had us all make Christmas Wishes lists and I just finished mine yesterday. They all had to comprise of Big Wishes, Medium Wishes, Small Wishes, and Christmas Goals. They didn't necessarily have to be realistic, but it was fun! I might try this every year!

Mine looked really cute with colors and little drawings, but as a PDF file it won't upload and I'm currently too lazy to take a picture, put it onto my computer, and upload it to blogger so here's just the lists and not any of the fun aesthetic-ness.

Big Wishes
  • a Mac computer **it can't be one that restarts itself and the "i" key has to work**
  • a car that can get to Provo and back -- reliably
  • no more hairglobs in my apartment
  • $360 for my violin lessons next semester
  • any kind of cooking stuff (e.g. pots/pans, meat fork, whatever!)
  • a DVR for my apartment
Medium Wishes
  • books, books, and more books!! (this is harking back to a Christmas list I made when I was 9 or 10--it makes us laugh :) )
  • rain boots (refer to previous post)
  • trendy clothes
  • "The Office" season 3
  • an apron
  • the end of the writers' strike :)
Small Wishes
  • big earrings
  • any scrapbooking supplies
  • headbands
  • iTunes money
  • cookbooks
  • some flats
  • cute skirts/tops
  • scrapbook magazines/book
  • movies (any I would like--"Nancy Drew" if it ever comes out--oo "Bride and Prejudice!)
  • apartment decor
  • slippers
  • long necklaces
Christmas Goals
  • stay motivated and finish out the semester strong
  • pray and read my scriptures diligently
  • find ways to quietly serve others
  • spend my money wisely and responsibly--even though there are many fun things to buy!
  • remember to count my blessings
  • better implement the Atonement in my life
Important Dates (this is one I added :) )
  • December 13: last day of class!
  • December 20: last final!
  • December 21: HOME!!!
So those are my Christmas wishes this year--some of them are realistic and some are not but that's why they're wishes I guess! Any Christmas wishes you have this year, realistic or otherwise??

oh ps--I just watched"Waitress" with my roommates and loved it! Just thought I'd throw that out there if you're looking for a movie to rent--it's funny, thought-provoking, and sweet :)

12.07.2007

cold feet

It's been raining all day and on my way to class this morning, my feet got all wet inside. I didn't even step in a large puddle; water just seeped inside my shoes (granted they're $10 flat tennis shoes from Target and they are kind of falling apart). It's almost 2 and my feet are still wet and cold and probably won't be warm until I go back to the apartment and change. When I walk, my shoes squish and when I'm outside I feel the water slosh underneath my socks. Ew. Ew and brr. And yet I still love rainy days like today . . . go figure.

12.02.2007

quintessential first day of december

As all of you who live here know, yesterday this is what it looked like outside (Katelyn woke me up excitedly to show me!):

and this was at 11 in the morning--sa-weet!!!

Can you think of a more perfect way to kick off December?! I submit that there is not. So anyway, Katelyn and I woke up around nine or so, got ready, and ate breakfast while watching the most recent episode of "Chuck" online (Emily and Dad converted me to that show--it's pretty hilarious). Then we got to make an exciting trip to the storage unit to pick up Katelyn's Christmas tree we decided to use in our apartment. She also had to pick up some more things from the storage unit and much to our benefit, almost all of it was in one bin that was sitting right on top.


We ran to the bank and then picked up Katelyn's brother so he could have the car. We then made mac and cheese for lunch and continued to watch the "Chuck" episode we didn't finish (and also did not go to the stake service project up in SLC--who wants to go to Salt Lake when you can stay in your cozy apartment eating KRAFT mac and cheese and watching TV shows online??) The best part about the snow of the day was that it continued to snow all day and it was cloudy and like Michelle said in her post yesterday, a true Winter Wonderland!

I was actually productive a little bit yesterday: I worked on some articles and read for British Lit, however I gave up on the articles (that were actually due, but I just emailed the guy explaining my problem) because my computer was being unusually retarded yesterday. I've had this problem with the "i" key and it comes off and it's really hard to put back on and my efforts yesterday were fruitless. Oh yeah, and my computer kept restarting itself all afternoon--good grief. I think next summer when I have a bit of money it will be time to find a new one that *hopefully* won't give me so much trouble. [*The "i" key still isn't working too well, so this whole typing thing isn't coming so easy . . . but I just had to post about yesterday because I knew if I didn't do it now I wouldn't do it and I'd end up only having 3 posts for December like in November . . . sorry . . . rambling . . . ]

So after some school and work things, then we decorated our apartment!!


Our super cute little Christmas tree!


Me decorating the Christmas tree--I love the snow in the background!


Julie putting up some colored lights she got from her grandma (they kind of look like fiesta lights!)


More decorating endeavors--I'm glad I didn't fall off :)

Katelyn and I went out to dinner at Wendy's last night which was a fun excursion and then we went up to campus to pick up Katelyn's brother again and while we were waiting we had a bit too much fun with the camera . . .


What can we say? It was REALLY cold


I'm a super spy


I don't know what I can say about this one . . .


A cute one of Katelyn

A cute one of Katelyn and me . . . well it's cute of Katelyn. Not my favorite one of me

Oh wait--our day isn't over yet! We went back to the apartment and then pulled out the Easy Bake oven. That's right--the Easy Bake oven. We tried making some Easy Bake sugar cookies that were not so great . . . . We watched "The Family Stone" (which was better than I thought it would be) and "Tristan and Isolde" (which also was better than I thought it would be). Then we went to bed.

A perfect December day.

11.30.2007

being a budget deputy

I'm enjoying working in the Physics Department so much more this year than last year (it's amazing to have a boss who actually likes you . . . unlike last year). I really like all the other student workers and one of the girls I work the most with is Brooke and we have a pretty fun time for the most part. We dubbed ourselves "budget deputies" because we're just that cool and we want to make badges and capes, but that's still a work-in-progress. I can't remember exactly how the term came about, but I think we were trying to find a description for what we actually do and 'budget assistant' didn't seem to cover it because really we only do budget-related things some of the time. Then it hit us: we are Budget Deputies--we have special skills and do whatever needs doing. We thought the term 'deputy' had more clout to it than 'assistant.' If you're unclear about what a budget deputy actually does, here are a few skills and duties to give you an idea.
  • run errands in the van
  • wash the dishes
  • organize the refridgerator
  • answer the phones
  • gas up the van
  • make donut runs to Ream's
  • bake brownies
  • eat sandwiches
  • clean up after parties
  • cater big blow-out Physics parties
  • pick up cookies for SPS meetings (Society for Physics Students aka Nerd Central)
  • organize plasticwear in the new rolling storage thing
  • balance plates and such when taking them down the hall to organize them
  • playing plate hockey down the hall when the aforementioned balancing doesn't work out so well
  • going down to the back with wheeling carts, meeting Nan (or whomever), and taking the merchandise back up to the Physics Department
  • running packages down to Mailing Services when it's too late to schedule a pick up
  • taste testing while on the clock (score!)
  • organizing Nan's desk on Fridays when she leaves early
  • putting up tacky Christmas decorations all around the Physics Department
  • file purchase orders occasionally
  • talk to Timm and Jessie when Nan tells me to (this one is a favorite even though it's only happened once or twice ;) )
  • oh yeah--keep the budget under control by entering purchase orders into the Budget Book, approving them, and a couple other things
  • keep the Physics and Astronomy Department exciting and fun with our vivacity
So, that's what a budget deputy does. Most of the time I like it; however, there are those days when I don't like it so much. Today has been an excellent day so far--we made a run to Ream's to use some coupons for free donuts, ate cake at a Physics birthday party, and did a little bit of budget stuff this morning. Not a bad Friday.

I mentioned this before, but I just have to say it again: I love the other student workers. We all get along really well and have fun doing the crazy things we have to do. On Wednesday, I was having kind of a rough/frustrating day at work and my feet hurt (probably because I was wearing my sexy toe-cleavage shoes . . . but they're so cute!!) and Nan was in a snippy mood. I was in a moment of exasperation when one of the workers (Sarah) came around the corner and said to me: "Oh Charlotte--you look so beautiful today!!" Talk about a tender mercy right when you need it--that pretty much made the rest of my afternoon and made the rest of the craziness more endurable. Also that afternoon as I was leaving, another student worker (John--he reminds me of my own little brother John--in a good way--and so I just really like physics-John for that reason) told me I reminded him of Nancy Drew with my red peacoat, big brown earrings, and chocolate patent leather headband; I love Nancy Drew!! That was most definitely an excellent thing for me to hear. :)

So while last year I complained about my job more often than not, this year that is not the case. Nan is an awesome boss (when she likes you) and I get paid $7.70 for doing the various duties mentioned above--not bad, eh?

11.27.2007

end of november and an excellent tuesday

So I tried posting before I left for Thanksgiving, but blogger wouldn't let me post pictures and so I gave up on that front. Anyway, I'm back to reality now and Thanksgiving was most excellent. I flew back to Denver early November 17 (a Saturday) and early means at 6:45 in the morning--good grief. It was totally worth it though because I was home by 9:30 a.m. and could spend the entire day with my family. My aunt Susan and uncle Fred came in that same night, my uncle Lee and cousin Ross stayed with us for a couple nights on their way home from a hunting trip, and then Tuesday night Michelle and her whole family came in to enjoy the Thanksgiving festivities with us, so it was a great visit home! I wasn't quite ready to come back, but at least I get to go back home again in a few weeks for Christmas!! (and let me tell you I am SO ready for this semester to be over).

Last Sunday was a bummer of a day for the most part because once again I had a really early flight and so Katelyn and I basically bummed around all day sad because break was over and we didn't want to go back to school. One of the good parts was that we did take 3 hours naps in the middle of the day (we went to an early sacrament meeting so we could crash all day because we were both so tired from traveling and sleep deprivation). I forgot my Bear at home so I couldn't wallow with him Sunday (fortunately though Michelle brought him home with her and I picked him up this afternoon--it's lame but I just love my Bear). The best parts of the day though were seeing Stacy and Julie (my other two roommates) and Trevor (the note ask-outer) invited my entire apartment over for dinner and so that gave us all a good chance to be distracted from the fact that we weren't on break anymore and that we had to go back to school. So that was Sunday.

School and work were okay yesterday--not great, but what can you expect after coming off a Thanksgiving break high? Today was definitely better--I only have one class on Tuesdays and so I spent my afternoon doing homework, running a couple errands with Katelyn (which included going to pick up Bear :) ), helping Katelyn bake cookies, and watching TV shows online. It was really relaxing, semi-productive (it could have been more so, but whatever), and a better ease into real life.

Oh and when Katelyn and I got back to our apartment Sunday morning, we realized the heat wasn't working so we were freezing. What a stellar welcome home right?? I called the landlord the other night and fortunately it is now functioning and we won't freeze all winter.

I'm still counting the days down to Christmas break because I so do not want to be back at school and work, but oh well--what can you do?? I'll edit this post with some pictures later tonight (I'm currently at work), but if you want real photographic documentation, look at Michelle's blog! She has a slew of Thanksgiving posts!

11.09.2007

8 days and counting

So I didn't realize how fast the time went since my last post and then I started thinking about it and realized that I haven't had too much to post about. My life for the past two weeks has basically been the same, dull routine with a little bit of excitement thrown in here and there. On Halloween my apartment had a party which was fun, but I would have been content to be a hermit (as I almost always am). Here are some pictures from the night:


Katelyn was Harriet the Spy and I was Nancy Drew

I had on brown argyle tights to go with the ensemble, but you can't see them.
I promise I had them on.


So Halloween was fun. That week for FHE we carved pumpkins at the boys' apartment which was fun, but there was a bit of a sad disaster on the way there. For that particular night, it was just Sean and me in charge and so I said I'd cover the refreshments and made a lovely loaf of pumpkin bread. It was pretty much amazing.


And then, as I was transferring the loaf pan to Katelyn so I could run upstairs and grab the carving kits I forgot that I promised to bring to FHE . . .

Yeah . . . it was sad. So there were no refreshments for FHE that night. I brought the bag though with the glass shards and the bread remnants to FHE so I could prove that I really did make something. It was still warm . . . sigh.

Oh! I can't believe I didn't post about this as soon as I found out about it (blame it on the second round of midterms--good grief I feel like school is all I ever talk about). Anyway . . .

I'm going to London!!

A few weeks ago I completed an application for the London Theatre Study Abroad program and I had my interview last week and I heard back later that afternoon!! The London Theatre program is different from the regular London Spring program in that it focuses on the theater (go figure). I'll be taking Shakespeare and Modern British Drama, which both fill major requirements. I'm way excited!! The money thing is a bit of an issue I'll have to figure out and I'm not quite 100 percent sure I'm going to go, but I'll have it figured out here pretty quick. AH!!

Also last weekend, my friend from home Cheyne came out to visit his cousins and we got to hang out a bit. We had an Office marathon on Friday night (we watched 2 discs!!) and Saturday we went over to his cousins' apartment and played a bunch of games. (My crowning moment happened when I answered a guy question in Battle of the Sexes. Q: Who won the 1994 World Series?? And who knows where this came from, but I correctly answered: no one, because there wasn't a World Series because there was a strike. Dad was proud).

Well, after 4 midterms in the span of a week and 8 days (almost 7) until I go home, I'm exhausted and will retire now. It's time for a relaxing weekend.

10.28.2007

headbands

So my new favorite trend is the headband. I just love them! What I especially like about the wide headbands is that they don't squish my head and give me headaches--that was always my problem with headbands growing up and I hated them until recently when I borrow some of Emily's. When I discovered they didn't give me headaches I ran with it and seek to increase my collection whenever possible. Just recently I've bought about four more and I love them all. When Emily was here we went to Target and I got a way cute red patent leather one and I'm pretty much in love. Then about a week ago I realized that my Ann Taylor LOFT $25 savings card expired the next weekend and so of course I rush online to see what I can buy. With this particular promotion you had to spend $50 to get $25 off (which is never a problem with the LOFT) and so I indulged in some cyber shopping. The results were this:
  • a way cute denim jacket that was on sale
  • a red and tan plaid headband that was on sale
  • a camel corduroy headband with a gold embellishment that was on sale
  • a chocolate patent leather headband that was on sale
This is Katelyn and me at Riverwoods last night and that's my new denim jacket

Pretty much it was amazing and the package came on Friday. I'm wearing the chocolate patent leather one today and wore the camel corduroy one yesterday. I just love headbands--they make me feel happy and cute and trendy and I think they make my hair look cute. Here's a picture of my complete headband collection:


So I know it's blurry, but it's a closer shot than the previous

So on to a quick recap of my Saturday. I did homework all day and am still behind--it's so depressing when you work hard all day and don't feel like you've really accomplished anything because you're still behind. Anyway, our apartment went out to to dinner at Bajio's in the Riverwoods and then we headed over to the University Mall and shopped for a while. I didn't buy anything except for a cute hoodie sweater at Aeropostale (I've never bought anything there until now--they do have some cute sweaters). Then we went to DQ afterwards and got yummy twist cones. It was definitely a needed break because school has really been stressing me out and I have my second round of midterms this weekend. A night out was definitely what I needed.

So tonight our apartment is making spaghetti and then we have a ward fireside (I try to suppress a groan). I'm just not feeling it tonight--I just want to be a hermit and scrapbook.

10.23.2007

pot roast!

So since I've been living in my own apartment and not having Dining Plus anymore, I've found myself cooking real things. Every week I have at least one conversation with my mom about a recipe I want to make for my dinner night. (I've made homemade mac and cheese, parmesean chicken, sweet and sour chicken, spaghetti with homemade sauce and meatballs, and grilled cheese among other dishes). This past week I was feeling ambitious and decided to try a pot roast. So once again I call my mom and get specific directions for the roast, the mashed potatoes, and the gravy. And Sunday I tried it.

I think it was a success. Because my cooking utensils are somewhat limited (meaning I had no giant meat-poking fork) I had to improvise a little and browning the roast was an adventure complete with meat stabbing with a couple of eating forks and a couple small hot oil splashes. But I successfully browned the roast and then went home in between Sacrament Meeting and Sunday School (I always feel bad when I'm not disappointed, but excited I don't have to go to Sunday School . . . ) and finished up the meal after church. I made mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots, and Mom's dinner rolls. The meat turned out a little tougher than when Mom makes it and I don't know if that's because of my own novice pot roast roasting skills or that's how the meat was or what, but it was still good anyway. It finally felt like a real Sunday dinner! I love our staple Sunday dinner and that's one of the things I miss the most. So even though I can't have the relaxed family conversations about funny Applewood Ward happenings or the teamwork cleanup or the being home part, at least I can feel a little more connected with the pot roast. Here is my final spread (sans the rolls--I forgot to put them into the picture):

I think I'd attempt the roast again and I do like being able to cook (at least my own food doesn't make me gag). Last night for my dinner night I made a Rachael Ray recipe we loved over the summer: Chicken with Scallion Lime Sauce and Sweet Carrot Sauce. I thought it was a huge success--definitely one of my more favorite things I've made. I'm going to try and continue to develop these burgeoning cooking skills and see how it all turns out. I want to make pumpkin bread this weekend. (Hmm . . . maybe I'll make pumpkin bread for FHE on Monday . . . just thinking out loud).

On another quick note, I sluffed British Lit today and I loved it. For a quick explanation, my professor told us she wanted us to skip class just once in the Renaissance unit because when you skip class (for non-slacker reasons, but the occasional impulse) you come back to the next class more refreshed and ready to go. My inner Hermione Granger has been screaming "but you can't skive off British Literature Charlotte--what if Dr. Siegfried says something really important that you need to know for the exam next week?!" and then my inner Ron replies "I'll just copy the notes from you." (Meaning I'll borrow the notes from a couple friends in class whom I informed of my planned absence and who will gladly lend me their notes as they're ditching on Thursday and they will borrow mine). It was amazing. I slept in about an hour than usual, got ready, ate breakfast, stayed in my pajama bottoms all morning, did a bit of reading, caught up on my ironing, did some more homework, and then took a walk in the afternoon. I haven't been as motivated this evening, but I don't have so much to do so I think I'll be okay tonight.

Ditching was amazing and I do feel refreshed. I needed a small break like that. Too bad I have to go back to the "go to class and pay attention" life but it's not so bad. I feel much more motivated for my week!

10.19.2007

Cozy


So yesterday morning when I woke up (and Tuesdays and Thursdays are always great because I don't have class until 9:30) I was so warm and so cozy in my bed that I just expected to have snowed outside. It felt like one of those weekend mornings in the winter when you wake up and it's either snowing really hard or really bright and cold outside and you spend all day drinking hot chocolate, wearing warm sweaters, and snacking on pumpkin bread. Much to my disappointment I soon realized that I had to get up and go to class. I'm not sure why yesterday morning in particular felt that way, but it was great. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I wore my winter pajamas for the first time this season because it was cold in my room so I was extra warm and cozy without being hot or maybe because I slept really deeply and well. Who knows? But regardless of why, I slept amazingly and felt so good in the morning--if only I really could have slept in and had hot chocolate and if only it really had snowed and I was home (that's where I dreamed I was--it was one of those super realistic dreams that resulted in significant confusion when I woke up) and it was Christmas break. Ah well, Christmas break will come soon enough! School is good and Dad just bought my ticket home for Christmas and I'll be home for Thanksgiving in less than a month! Maybe if I'm lucky I can have a morning like that when I go home :).

10.16.2007

I'm not sure what to title this post . . .

So a quick note on the blog look change: I did like the dots better, however I needed a color change and the template editor for dummies feature on Blogger doesn't let me change the color of the dots. I had this whole vision of a black and white polka dotted blog. Alas . . . Anyway and I finally figured out how to post a profile picture. I took off the old one with the intentions of putting on a new one, but the link I kept pasting into the profile picture box never did anything. I went to the help screen and they recommended using the second of the two picture links and voila! I have a profile picture. (I would have been content with nothing for a while longer but your comment Jill pushed me to action!)

Anyway, the weekend was way fun. Emily came to visit me and we had a blast partying hard (well as hard as homework would allow). She flew in Thursday night and while she was here we watched movies, went out to dinner, browsed the bookstore, and just hung out. The night she flew in we both went over to Diana's for The Office which was so much fun because I haven't seen Diana and Lou since June and I haven't seen Robin and Mark since April--it was a fun Office reunion!

Apart from Emily being in town, my weekend was dominated with having to read "The Faerie Queen," for my British Lit class. It's kind of interesting but I just have no real idea what's going on. I work so hard just to get the gist of the plot that I can't really analyze it on any deeper level. I do love my British Lit class actually; it's really interesting, just really intense and I'm never sure what the tests are going to be like. Today was super cool--we talked all about Elizabeth Tudor and how she was a kick-butt monarch (not in those exact words . . . ) and that was super awesome. I have to read Hawthorne's "Blithedale Romance" for my American Lit class which isn't so bad, but a whole novel in one week is a little overwhelming. Fortunately though, the due date for our paper in that class was moved to next week! (I was pondering how I would be able to read an entire novel, write a paper, and do all my other readings and still sleep this week--now I don't have to worry about it!)

I can't really think of anything else of interest to post, but once I do I'll definitely post it.

10.10.2007

What do you think??

New blog look?? Yes?? No??

I tried another one first and it seemed too stretched--like hard to read stretched--but now I'm wondering if this one is too narrow . . . give me feedback guys.

Not a Weirdo

So last Thursday I actually went to ice cream with the boy who asked me out via scribbled note and a bit surprisingly, he's not a weirdo! I think he was just shy when he gave me the note and over ice cream he wasn't really flirty at all which was nice; that said to me he really did just want to get to know me a bit. Here are a few quick facts about the boy:
  • His name is Trevor Bowen
  • He's an English major, Tourism minor
  • He plans to go into the family insurance business when he graduates in April
  • He travels a lot
  • His dad was a mission president in Barcelona for 3 years. That's where Trevor graduated high school
  • His dad is currently an area authority in Argentina
So ice cream was only about an hour which was nice and didn't leave too much room for awkward moments and when we were talking, Conference came up and I mentioned how I'd never been before. Trevor said he could get me tickets to any session I wanted and so (as in the former post) I went. The one weird thing about it though was that I met most of his family, which wouldn't normally be a big deal, but I've only met Trevor once and the family was kind of thinking "oo la la." His dad is Shayne Bowen and so I met him and Trevor's mom. We sat with his sister and brother-in-law and the one weird thing about that was that his sister is my age and married . . .

I met his parents after the morning session and then it took us all a while to make it out of the Conference Center because so many people were stopping Elder Bowen to talk to him. (He has quite the entourage with people hailing from both Spain and Argentina). Most of these encounters included whoever knew Elder Bowen wanting to be introduced to the family so those situations went something like this: "This is my daughter Brecca, her husband Chris, our son Trevor, and his . . . friend Charlotte." "Friend" was then interchangable with date and even girlfriend once. I don't think there would have been a way to make those introductions any less awkward so I just smiled and shook hands and tried to make conversation when I could. Another thing that was pretty funny was that they all spoke Spanish (the Bowens and the people who knew them). Probably 90 percent of the people Elder Bowen stopped to talk to were Spaniards or Argentines and so I just stood there totally lost as everyone spoke in rapid Spanish (this included Trevor, Brecca, and Chris). Good grief . . .

We got to eat lunch in the basement cafeteria of the Church Office Building--it was kind of cool. I felt like I had VIP access, plus we parked in the General Authority parking lot. After the last session we drove up to his parents' Salt Lake house where he picked up his car and drove me back to Provo, (which car ride wasn't awkward so that was good). So overall, it was fun and Conference was definitely a way cool experience. With Trevor's family and all, mostly it was fine, but I did feel the daughter-in-law radar on; however I think I can take that as a compliment. Overall consensus: He's really nice but I'm not really attracted right now. I would go out with Trevor again, but probably not super soon because right now I'm indifferent, but I am leaving the door open for maybe swinging the other way. We'll see. If anything, at least I have a new friend!

So that's my story of the boy who asked me out with a note and if there are any updates later, I will most certainly apprise you!

**Addendum: Sunday night I realized I gave a Relief Society lesson last year on the talk his dad gave in last October's Conference . . . weird! (His dad gave the talk about the Atonement and the landfill--"The Atonement Can Clean, Reclaim, and Sanctify Our Lives" Yeah--that's his dad . . . )

10.08.2007

I love the Church!!!

I love the Church. All weekend long, all throughout Conference, that thought just kept running over and over in my mind: I LOVE the Gospel!! Conference, as always, was just amazing and I felt so uplifted and strengthened and grounded. Saturday was way fun with our apartment; we went to Kneader's for breakfast around 8 and until Conference started, we watched this movie we rented at the library called "Where the Boys Are," (made in 1960 . . . it's a winner!) I love it that our apartment likes to do things together and we all sat around the TV and watched Conference together and the weather was gloomy and cloudy and misty and cold and it was all just amazing! I especially loved the Saturday afternoon session with all the talks about what the Church is, what we believe, and how we need to live what we believe. SO GOOD! (I couldn't help but think of the Hate Messager . . . ) It was all just so good (and I cried when Elder Nelson help up Elder Wirthlin--talk about object lesson).

Besides the awesomeness of Conference in general, I actually got to go to both Sunday sessions!! I've never been to Conference before so that was such an amazing experience. The note-ask-outer (I'll do another post on the ice cream outing soon) got me tickets because his dad is an area authority in Argentina, so Trevor's parents were in town for Conference and he said he could get me a ticket to Conference; all I had to do was pick a session and get a ride up there! Then when I got there, he asked if I would want to stay for the afternoon session and seriously--who can turn down sweet seats at General Conference?? So I stayed.

Anyway, actually going to Conference was so amazing and we had super stellar seats--20 rows from the podium sweet--so I didn't really have to look at the screens at all. I could just look directly at the speaker!! One of the coolest moments for me was when I got to stand and sing "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet" with President Hinckley in the room--it was indescribable. Just being to able go to Conference and feel the unity with people from all over the world, and to see our prophet with his counselors and apostles was incredible.

And I'm so excited about the new First Presidency! I love President Eyring!! I love Elder Cook and I was just so excited about everything all weekend. Mom and I texted throughout Conference (I love it that my parents text message me--it definitely gives them extra coolness points) and really wrote the same things over and over about how exciting the Gospel is and how much we love President Hinckley. I don't know if it was this conference in particular or I'm just getting older so I can appreciate it more or each conference session really is more exciting than the last, but I felt so much more excited this time and I really felt the testimonies of our authorities and the whole weekend I felt like the Spirit was testifying of its truthfulness. There's no other way to put it: I love General Conference!!

It was definitely a reality check when I realized I had to go to school this morning . . . At least though after Conference I feel more ready for life--I think "Hey I can do this!!"

10.03.2007

Happily on the Treadmill

So the title of this post has a few applications to my life right now. Probably the obvious one is that yes, I do run on the treadmill. About a month ago Katelyn and I joined 24 Hour Fitness gym and we've been going diligently 3-4 times a week to work out. As a part of our initial sign up fees, we got 5 sessions with a trainer which is proving to actually be really helpful. We know what exercises to do to tone and such and we know how to use the machines. The training sessions can be a bit awkward, but if you can look past that and not be self conscious it's not so bad. So 3 times a week we head to the gym and lift weights, do ab work, and run. It feels really good actually to be getting into shape and going to the gym gives me an opportunity to cool down and relieve a bit of stress. It's like the sweat on my face and in my hair is the unnecessary stress finally leaving for a bit (okay, so gross analogy, but you get it). I stopped running a couple months into the summer and so I was pleasantly surprised that when I started it up again I was still able to run for extended amounts of time--I guess my body doesn't atrophy as quickly as I thought! Last night I even ran for 20 minutes straight which I've never done before! I think I owe that to the notes I was studying that covered the timer. I'm going to take notes with me to the gym all the time now I think--last night's run was one of the easiest I've had!

In the other sense of "on the treadmill," school is kicking my trash this semester. I'm always busy (and I always feel dumb saying that because seriously what college student isn't busy?? but there you have it) and especially these past couple of weeks I've felt like I'm on the treadmill and it's going so fast and I can hardly keep up but I have to, otherwise I'll fall off and possibly break a limb. I think after I make it through this week I'll have a slight respite for a week or two; I have three midterms this weekend, two of which are pretty big and I have to study like crazy. I have my bio midterm next week, but I'm not nearly as worried about that one as I am for the three coming up. One of them--my usage exam--is in class on Friday, so that will be nice to have that done and I'd like to take my British Lit midterm tomorrow, but I'm thinking I'll put it off until Friday evening because I just don't have time to study everything. AH! Anyway, enough complaining; the point I want to make with my post title is that I am on a constant treadmill, but life is good and I'm enjoying it!


Here are a few other funny bits about my life of late that you'll hopefully find a bit humorous:
  • The football jock in my biology group voiced the concern: "Wait--we have to go to lecture to do well??" and he was serious . . .
  • I was asked out by a random guy with a note. He waited for me to leave my study spot at the top of the JFSB and got into the elevator with me and as I was leaving, handed me a note with his number on it and a quickly jotted note. Out of curiosity I texted him later and I think we're having ice cream on campus sometime this week. We'll see . . . he could be a creeper, but it's a good story anyway.
  • On Monday at a physics birthday party, after the candles were blown out, one of the professors started talking about how it's magnesium that makes trick candles work and then another professor excitedly pipes up and exclaims "Magnesium?! That's my favorite metal!!" Only in the physics department . . .

9.21.2007

The Not-So-New-Anymore Semester

So I started classes and I'm officially settled into the apartment. I'm still trying to find the right groove for everything I'm doing this semester, but it's coming slowly. Here's a quick summarization of my opinions regarding my classes:

  • ELang 322 Modern American Usage: This class is actually really cool and deals with the English language and how it's used. It's for my Editing minor and I really like it. I always think of Grandma and her love of semantics--she'd love this class! I'll definitely have to tell her all about the cool things I'm learning. One of my textbooks for this class is the Webster's Usage Dictionary and I love it! This class definitely takes work, but it's not overload.
  • Bio100 Biology: Um, I think I'll pretty much hate this class. Believe it or not actually, I do think biology is an interesting science and probably my favorite out of the sciences, but the way the Bio 100 class is set up and taught, I feel like we're being treated like middle or high schoolers. (Not that there's anything wrong with middle or high schoolers, but I'm done with that). We have weekly TA labs (like in most large GE classes) but they call them "Small Discussion Group Sections" which sounds like a bunch of fluff to me and almost all of our assignments are done in teams. We have to write this huge research paper in teams and I feel like I'm back in high school. I've decided though to stop complaining and just stick it out. (However, can I just vent for a moment about the fact that in my textbook, which we couldn't buy used and can't sell back by the way, had a paragraph that started like this: "One of the final things to mention about evolution." That's it. Who edited this book anyway?? Anyone in their right English mind would know that's not a complete sentence. Sorry, just had to get that out there).
  • RelC431 Doctrines of the Gospel: I really like this class. It basically takes doctrines of the church and puts them into context of the Plan of Salvation and we use all four standard works to understand concepts like The Nature of the Godhead, The Nature of Truth, etc. It's really good and I feel the Spirit so strongly in that class. It's easy, but so rewarding!
  • Engl291 British Literary History 1: I really like this class too. It deals with British literature up until the 1500s, so we cover a lot, but I like it. It's one of those survey classes so we barely touch the surface of things, but I still like it. Right now we're in the middle of medieval literature so that's kind of weird and it's a lot of reading, but I like the class.
  • Engl293 American Literary History: I like this class too. It's a night class, so it's only once a week, but it's pretty good. It's a smaller class (unlike my British Lit lecture class) so there's a lot more discussion. If I space out the readings over the week, it's not so bad, however the 2 1/2 hour block on Thursdays can get kind of long sometimes. (Note: it gets out at 7:40, so that's perfect for making it back to my apartment in time for "The Office" which premiers on Thursday!!!)
  • Music321R: This is just the non-audition, non-major orchestra and I love it! We don't sound good now, but hopefully that will change as the semseter goes on. I really just love playing and especially in such a laid back atmosphere. I'm taking it with my friend Erica, so that also makes it more fun as well.
So apart from class, I'm volunteering in the Publication Lab in the library because I want to and because I need a semester project for my usage class, I'm volunteering again at the Slate Canyon Youth Detention Center, I'm an FHE mom this year, Katelyn and I go to the gym 3-4 times a week, and I'm working, so I'm pretty busy all around. I'm slowly finding ways to make it all work. I'm actually really enjoying the gym; Katelyn and I joined 24 Hour Fitness and so far we're quite please with everything. It's cheap, there are no contracts, and the facilities are nice. I don't feel like a moron when I go to work out, which for me is huge. We started weights this week and put in some cardio as well, so I feel pretty accomplished and gross when I'm done!

I like my ward a lot. They're nice and older, but still fun. One of the things I actually really like is that we don't have ward prayer on Sunday nights; instead we have Tuesday Night Dessert Night which is pretty fun and doesn't take up your Sunday nights. I'm still getting to know people, but I'm starting to feel like I fit in so that's always a good feeling.

Tonight I'm playing the hermit card and staying in. I just got back from work about 45 minutes ago (it's about 8:10 now) because we had the Physics Homecoming Alumni dinner so we all had to stay late. Katelyn is going to hang out with her friend Viktoria, and Stacy and Julie went to the Spectacular, so it's just me and I'm more than okay with that. I've been sick with a cold all week and I have some around-the-house things I need to do, so I think I'll pop in a movie and relax a bit while still be semi-productive. I want to get to bed a bit earlier than usual tonight because I want to officially squash this cold and I haven't been getting too much sleep this week. I'm hoping all my weeks won't be as crazy as this one, so we'll see. I did have a lot of meetings for various reasons all week and normally it won't be like that so I'll see how next week goes. It kind of freaks me out that midterms start in only a couple of weeks--I don't feel ready to take tests yet!!

Well, I'm off to do some ironing and winding down, but before I sign off, here are some pictures for your enjoyment!


Okay, so this is our "desk" where we put stuff including a printer, lamp, and file holders. There are also a couple of shelves below where we put our textbooks.


This is the view of our room from the bathroom door and it pretty much includes everything. To the right of the picture is our closet and to the left is the door. Pretty much that's it.


This is our vanity area. The mirror I found at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and we each have a drawer in which we keep our makeup and hair things. I love the lamp there and it's a nice little place to get ready in the morning. (I hope you enjoy my own tired self in the mirror ;) )


This is part of our bathroom.


These are the wall stickers Katelyn found that we think look like bubbles on our wall. We like it for our bathroom.


This is our kitchen. To the right of the picture is our washer and dryer.


This is our living room. We want to get a floor lamp to give the place a bit more ambiance and we're going to paint and hang that mirror someday soon. The footlocker is an excellent coffee table and storage area!


This is probably one of my favorite parts of the whole apartment: the minutiae wall. Mom made the memo board for my birthday and we arranged everything on our first day here. I love the whole wall because it's a great place to put pictures, reminders, flyers, and everything really. I also love "minutiae" above everything--it makes me happy. :)

9.19.2007

The Hate Text Message

Okay, so I know it's been a while since I've posted and I'll do a separate post of my assessment of the semester, but I just have to tell this story. So yesterday I got this text message from a number I didn't recognize and all it said was "Revelations 22:18." So, Katelyn had her Bible with her and looked up the reference and thinking that maybe it was some inspirational verse to edify my day, I was sorely mistaken when Katelyn read aloud: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book." Whoa. Putting this into some kind of context, it seemed to be a very condemning verse I'm assuming based on the fact that I'm LDS and that this person (whoever it is) is referring to the Book of Mormon.

When I got home that afternoon I loooked up the area code, hoping to find something enlightening about who it could be (I texted them back and just asked who it was, but I never heard back) and the area code (505) was from New Mexico. This didn't help me in the slightest. I was online a little later messaging Rachelle and recounting my tale of the Hate Text and she provided me with something very illuminating (normally I'd just let something like this slide and not worry about it, but after this bit of information my curiosity about it all was piqued), but in order for this to make sense, here's a bit of history.

***
Over the summer, I dated this guy Jon (the guy in the Little Mermaid pictures) and he's not LDS, but at the end of the summer we agreed to not keep dating and I gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. We're pretty similar in our basic beliefs of Christ and such, so that was a nice way in which we could relate and we'd had a few in depth conversations about what I believe etc. This school year, he was accepted to this school called 24/7 which sounds like a fundamentalist type of institution, one which I wouldn't be surprised if (and almost expect) anti-Mormon propaganda to be taught. This is not good.

Back to the story...
***

The first thing I thought of when I received that text message (and the first thing Katelyn, Rachelle, my mom, and Emily thought) was this school. When you look at it, it would be pretty bizarre for someone to just randomly text a phone number this reference and have that person be LDS. Probably not a coincidence, right? Anyway, I was messaging Rachelle and she mentioned that Jon's new friend at this school is from New Mexico. Ah...now it all seems to be falling into place. The connections just seem too odd to be purely coincidential now. So I called the number. Surprisingly someone answered, but I was really confused because whoever answered was speaking in a very affected Texas accent and rambling on and on about something and then ended by saying "I must have the wrong number" (he must have the wrong number?!?! I was the one who called!!) and hung up. Weird. I called again about 45 minutes and was able to leave a voice message (by the way, the voice on the answering machine had a slight Texas twang, but nothing like he was talking when he answered) and all I said was "Hi, my name is Charlotte and I received a text message from this number a little while ago and was just wondering who this is. Obviously you have my number, so you can just text or call. Thanks, bye!" I kept my voice very casual and polite, but I probably won't hear back.

Point of this whole story being 1) that's just weird and 2) it's scary to me how strongly the Adversary can deceive and distort. I'm hoping that Jon wasn't involved in this happening, but I just don't know. He's been weird to me on the phone ever since he got there and I just hope that the Spirit can touch him in a way so that he's not deceived. The actual message itself doesn't really bother me and I laugh at that part of it (I do enjoy calling it a Hate Text), but what bothers me is that one of my good friends is probably involved and obviously deceived. That's what's sad and disturbing. I don't feel threatened myself, but I hate to see Satan work in those I care about. It's frightening yet unsurprising to see how far he'll go to discount truth.

9.02.2007

feeling chaotic and disconnected (translation: this post will be long and potentially disconnected like my mind)

So I realized I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks, but honestly this last week was one of the craziest of my life. Here's a quick recap to be followed immediately by short anecdotes and moving sagas.
  • My last day of work was the 22nd
  • The next day (Thursday) I went to the zoo with Rachelle, Ben, and Jon followed by a picnic in the park, and seeing "Hairspray"
  • My birthday was awesome! (Thank you notes should be winging their way toward their intended recipients this week)
  • I packed
  • I moved
  • I'm still unpacking and trying to make order of complete moving chaos
So after I finished work, I was able to take a couple of days and relax and hang out with friends and I started hardcore packing on Tuesday (mind that's only 2 days before I left--I cut it kind of short). The first order of update business: my birthday. My birthday was on a Sunday this year and normally I go on some kind of shopping trip for the occasion, so this year the shopping excursion happened on the preceding Friday. It was a little more low key than in previous years; I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and treated myself to a dock for my iPod, went to the Sketcher's store and bought the pair of shoes I've been coveting for months and months, and went to Forever 21, leaving that store with 3 new items of cute clothing. It was most successful!

My actual birthday day was pretty mellow and laid back. I slept in a little bit, had my signature Froot Loops for my birthday breakfast, and then the day got a little more interesting. Rachelle was asked by a lady in our stake to come and ask questions as an investigator to the Relief Society (which I thought overall the whole situation was weird), but it went over okay--better than I thought! Then I headed over to my friend Chris's house because it was his farewell and such so I stopped by to say bye and to chat for a while. We had my birthday dinner, cake, and just hung out for the rest of the day. I received many exciting presents, a few of which came from fellow bloggers! Thanks so much! I'll be sending out thank you cards this week. One of the funny things though was Grandma made the wrong cake; I always have yellow cake with white fluffy frosting but much to my surprise when Mom passed me my piece of cake it was chocolate! I love chocolate cake so it wasn't a big deal and I didn't say anything, but I did think it was funny. :)

I started packing only a few days before I left so it was a busy few days but I got most of it (after making my new bed last night, I realized I left my blanket at home--I expect a package to be coming soon with odds and ends I left behind). We drove out to Provo on Thursday and settled into the hotel and then headed over to my new apartment and boy was I in for a surprise. I honestly don't know what I was thinking six months ago. We really didn't look too closely on anything--this is probably the smallest room ever and the smallest apartment. Good grief. The only way to have the beds in the room is to have them bunked and the bunk beds that were there when I first brought in my stuff were completely dysfunctional. The lower bunk (the one I'm sleeping on) had only about 2 feet in between the mattress and the top bunk so it was like a cave and I would probably have gotten a concussion getting in and out everyday. Fortunately Mom, being the concerned parent, called the landlord and voiced her concerns, so last night they brought in a new bed so now I will no longer have to dwell in a cave. I wish I would have taken a picture because I don't know if I can convey the retardedness of this bed.

The past couple of days have been so busy and so chaotic I've almost lost my mind a few times. I've woken up early and then proceeded to run errands, unpack, try and figure out how to fit everything in the room, and start things off with the new roommates on a good note. I wasn't sure how things would pan out with the new roommates (Julie and Stacy, both juniors), but after a good dinner and conversation with them tonight, I don't think we'll have any major problems. I just want to get settled enough to start normal life. Katelyn and I still have a lot to do with the room, but we'll work on it tomorrow and hopefully it will be fully functional by the time classes start.

In regards to my work schedule, I only wanted to work 15 hours this week, because working 20 last year was just too hard, but Nan (my boss) said that she needed everyone to work 20. My thoughts after that were to keep this job until I could find another one that would let me work less. However when Nan started plugging in my hours according to when she needed me and my own school schedule, it ended up I'm only working 17, so that's a good hour compromise and I have Tuesdays and Thursdays completely off. We'll see how it goes when I actually start, but it's looking good and I definitely didn't want to look for a new job.

So today I found out I left my camera cord at home, so that should be back to me with my blanket hopefully later this week. Point being, I can't upload pictures right now, but I'll do that ASAP!

P.S.--An additional housesitting compensation update: when I got my check in the mail a couple days later, she gave me $150 instead of the $50 I asked for--score! With that extra (I called again just to make sure she didn't misunderstand), I feel like she wasn't offended or anything by my phone call--all is well!

8.21.2007

An Evening Out Under the Sea



For my birthday, my friends Rachelle, Jon, and Ben took me to see the new Broadway musical, "The Little Mermaid" last Thursday. It was so good! There were still a few kinks they were working out before because this is its trial run before it hits New York, but I thought it was awesome! The sets were amazing: the water looked like shimmering water and they shifted from under the sea to the ship above the water and it all looked so realistic. The mermaids and sea creatures glided around the stage on skates so it looked smoother and the costumes in general were amazing! The kid who played Flounder was absolutely incredible; he was this little black kid who could belt like I've never heard a 10 year old! Ursula's costume was also so cool--everything was so cool!


We went out to the Cheesecake Factory before and I got herb grilled salmon with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes--it was so good! We were running a bit late though so we had to literally run to the theater. We left the restaurant at 7:45 (the show started at 8) and sped our way to the DCPA (Denver Center of the Performing Arts--it includes a few different stages), almost lost out at the $8 cash or check parking garage where no one had cash, but luckily Jon had his check book (what kind of establishment accepts checks but not a debit card?!), and then ran down three or four flights of stairs to the opera house. Phew! On my way down the stairs though my shoe came untied so I had to run barefoot. It was quite the adventure to get there, but once we sat down and the music started, I knew it was so worth it! I bought a pretty new outfit for the occasion from Ann Taylor Loft the night before and so I felt especially dressed up and I also bought a Mermaid t-shirt which is also pretty awesome. The CD isn't out yet (I guess because it's not officially on Broadway yet), but I do plan on buying it when it's available.

It was a most excellent evening and a most excellent birthday present--yay!

Housesitting Compensation Update: Last night I called the people I housesat for and just asked if there was a miscommunication on their end or a misunderstanding on mine and they didn't plan on paying me more, but were very kind and asked how much more I'd like. While it's not the answer I wanted, I just asked for $50 to cover what I had to put into the car. (I factored out the gas I had to buy to go up to Vail). It was kind of an awkward conversation, but this woman is a very direct woman and so I felt I could be direct in turn. I hope she's not affronted by my audacious phone call, but I do feel slightly gratified.

8.15.2007

everything's better in the morning


Regardless of what's bothering you, I think it all seems better in the morning after a good night's sleep. Yesterday was not such a hot day. I had to drive back to the house sitting house after work, which is an hour's drive in itself, and then you add to that the fact that the light at a major intersection went out resulting in stop and go traffic for a few miles while that intersection turned into a 4 way stop--ew. Then I had to wait at their house for 45 more minutes until Janice (the mom) got home so Dean (the dad) could take me home without having to bring the kids. This was hard enough because I just wanted so bad to go home. Then when Dean drove me home there was no mention of paying me; Janice said I would be paid in addition to the gas and groceries money (even with that I had to put $70-80 of my own for gas), but I just don't know. With nothing said, I don't know what to think. If I don't get paid I'll be livid; I totally would NOT have done this if I didn't think I'd be compensated. I missed out on Vail and everything all because I thought I'd be paid, so if not . . . There's nothing I can do about it now, but that was the cherry on top yesterday. I had a breakdown last night and was just so tired and so frustrated with that whole situation and I got out a good cry. I went to bed with a cold pack on my eyes and with a few tears leaking out, fell into a deep sleep for the night.

I woke up this morning with my eyes still a bit puffy, but I definitely felt better because in the first place, I didn't have to wake up at 6--I got to sleep until 6:30!! Half an hour made a big difference for me :) It was just what I needed, to wake up in my own bed and see my family before I left for the day. While I still don't know if I'll be paid or how much, I'm feeling way better than last night; exhaustion exacerbates everything. Tonight Mom and I are going to Ann Taylor Loft so I can find a new outfit for seeing "The Little Mermaid" tomorrow night (it's turned into a Broadway musical that is opening in Denver!!--Rachelle is taking me for my birthday) and then I plan on watching the "So You Think You Can Dance" finale (I'm rooting for Sabra and Neil--Lacey's trampy and Danny's arrogant) and just soaking in the amazing feeling of being home.

Everything looks better in the morning :)

8.14.2007

just so tired

I am SO incredibly ready to be finished with this house sitting thing. It was fun for the first week but now I'm closing in on my second I'm so sick of it. It's so far away from home and work and I feel like I really have been out of town even though I've spent a little bit of time at home almost everyday. What really got me was that I couldn't go up to Vail with my family last weekend. We've all been so busy the past month and I really haven't just hung out with with my family much and Vail would have been the perfect opportunity. I drove up there on Sunday for the day, but it just wasn't the same. And then just when I was so excited that Sunday was my last night, the people's flight was delayed out of Glasgow and so they missed all their connecting flights back into Denver. One more night. I know it may not seem like that big of a deal, but I'm just so tired: so tired of the long drives everywhere, so tired of having to bring clothes back and forth, so tired of that stupid dog, so tired of not being home and not seeing my family. I leave in just over two weeks and this house sitting thing makes me feel cheated out of some of the precious time I have left. I think I'd be more okay with the whole thing had I not missed out on vacation and I really just need to get over it, but it's hard to not dwell on the unfairness of it all. Then again, life wasn't meant to be fair.

I'll be home for sure this evening. I drove their car to work again this morning (I'm growing to deeply resent that hour long drive because I'm so tired every morning) and I'll drive it back there when they'll take me home. I mean it's a nice house and they're so generous with everything, but it's not home with my family. Yeah, they do have air conditioning, but I'd rather spend my time in an oven house with my parents and brother and sisters than in a cool house by myself.

Sorry for the complaining; I'm just in that mode where I'm feeling almost panicky and stretched so far I can't do it anymore. I know I'm a freakish homebody and am totally fine with watching movies with my parents instead of going out with someone, so I don't know how many others experience that panicky "I NEED HOME!!" feeling. Today I feel like I'm constantly on the brink of tears just because I'm so tired and want so bad to just be home. I'm just so tired--of everything.

8.08.2007

Profile Picture



So I've tried this profile picture thing a million times--let's hope this one works.

Nellie the Neurotic Licker


Starting about a week ago I've been house/dog sitting for one of Mom's good friends and so far it's been a success. The biggest downside is that the house is about 40 minutes away from mine and an hour away from work, however the fringe benefits by far outweigh the cons. I get to drive their new, cute little Honda Accord (complete with a 6 disc CD changer, AC, power everything, and a sunroof--all features a treat for me!), have anyone over I want, and they gave me $140 for gas and groceries plus they're paying me. This is a totally sweet set up! Their dog Nellie (we're not sure what kind of dog she is--they got her from some Mexican pound) is cute and sweet but completely neurotic and she's a licker. She'll lick your feet, legs, jeans, arms, whatever and it's about to drive me insane! She wouldn't be so obnoxious if she would just sit still. You can usually show her who's boss by doing this bizarre sound (a rough, growling kind of Baa! and not the sheep sound) which makes you feel stupid at first but once you realize it works, you use it all the time. The house is really nice and it's fun to come and just crash. Here are a couple of pictures of the "great room" (this is a huge area that includes the family room, dining room, and kitchen--it's really cool!)



In other happenings, this morning my contact broke at work, necessitating a drive back home to put in my spare lens, however this meant a drive with only one contact in. At the time it wasn't so bad (thank goodness--talk about tender mercies), but almost as soon as I got back to work, I started getting this huge migraine. I pressed on until about 2:45 and then I couldn't take it anymore. I explained my malady to my supervisor and promptly drove home. This was the kind of migraine where it's not just on your head, but it goes down your neck and the pain seeps into your eye on the side where it's all happening. I felt sick to my stomach and experienced waves of nausea when I thought I just might throw up--good thing I didn't eat much this morning. After I got home, Mom got me some Furocet and Excedrin combination because I had nothing with me at work and I hung out there for about an hour after which I began my drive back to the house sitting house, which took an hour because of traffic. Ew. I'm feeling much better now though. When I got back I took a shower and got into my pajamas which is always a good combination for comfort and I plan on an early bedtime. Migraine, you're going down!

Also today, I received a Good Mail early birthday package from blogger Anne! I've never met her or read her blog before today, but the note was so cute and just said that she saw my birthday was the day after hers and thought that merited a little bit of Good Mail. Thanks Anne!


It's such a cute card! Not much else going on in my life right now besides putting off repacking all my stuff and a family weekend up in Vail without me due to Neurotic Nellie. Blast.

8.03.2007

Slacker

For basically the whole month of July I've been a slacker of a runner. I ran only a few times and haven't been running at all in two or three weeks. At first I didn't notice much of a difference, but now I do. This isn't good. One reason for this lapse (that I believe legitmate anyway), is the fact that during the time it works for me to go running (around 5:30 because I have to leave for work earlier than I used to) it's dark outside. The sun comes up later, but I don't like starting out when it's dark out (not winter dark, but there's no distinct sunlight). Running in the dark is disconcerting for me. I should probably figure out another plan so I can get back on track, but it's hard! (Especially when I've become accustomed to the extra 45 minutes of sleep). I'll try and recommit next week and figure out a new plan for my exercise. I did so well for a couple of months. Blast.

7.30.2007

Too busy

So I realized I haven't blogged in almost 4 weeks, but in my defense, most of my blogging was done at my laid back, nothing-to-do job and the job I currently have keeps me busy all day. So I work 8 hours, come home and usually have to write 5 or 6 articles; throw in quality friend time a few times a week and you get no new post in 3 weeks. Anyway, here's a bullet list of what I've been up to all month (besides work):

  • the midnight showing of Harry Potter 5--a most excellent movie
  • an ice blocking outing (ice blocking: sliding down a hill on a block of ice a.k.a. sledding for summer) in which the ice block flies and gouges out a chunk of my chin. I had a chin crater and now a sweet scar
  • transition from writing about beauty to writing about money. I now know all about financing a car, payday loan companies, and bridge loans.
  • a disco themed birthday party complete with dancing and costumes
  • dinner with some old friends from church I haven't seen in a couple of years
  • THE 7TH HARRY POTTER BOOK!!!!!!!!! It was most amazing--I laughed, I cried, I read for 6 hours straight. The perfect end to the epic Harry Potter tale.
  • The purchase of the 7th HP audio CDs. Now I can listen to it all I want!
  • Boating at Chatfield Reservoir
  • Jessie, Timm, and Bella driving through on their way to NC--I was a bit blue.
  • Unbearably hot house--average temperature upstairs: 87 degrees. Ew.
So, as you can see I've been busy this July, but then again who isn't? The heat is by far the most disgusting part of the summer. This is what the butter looks like in our kitchen (it's just sitting there):
How sick is that?
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