Mi pero es en mi corazon

So last night I was having a bit of a cry. Abby, who was sleeping near my feet, got up and curled right next to me and let me hold her until I fell asleep. (When I woke up in the morning she was back down by my feet where she likes to sleep.) She kept trying to lick my face to make me feel better--even though dog kisses don't really make me feel that good, yuck! But anyway, this is why I love my dog.

Tagged

I've been tagged

I was tagged by: Janessa
I am: glad that I survived the week.
I think: that there's so much more I should be doing.
I know: that some things are just true.
I want: to enjoy this holiday season.
I have: no more finals!
I dislike: small, annoying sounds that I can't shut out, and that drive me CRAZY!
I miss: my innocence.
I fear: failure.
I feel: tired.
I hear: my dog breathing.
I smell: my "Welcome Home" Scentsy candle.
I crave: time spent with family.
I cry: only when I'm alone.
I search: google almost every day.
I wonder: how to do better.
I regret: the things that should have been said ... but weren't.
I wish: I was in England.
I love: my family--extended and immediate.
I care: about you.
I always: wait to buy my textbooks until I see the prof. show me the right one 'cause the bookstore always messes up.
I am not: sure what the future holds.
I remember: the good times.
I believe: what God tells me.
I sing: in the shower just about every morning.
I don't: do as many things I love as I used to.
I argue: to put my opinions into words.
I write: but wish I wrote more.
I win: the final hand of texas hold 'em every time.
I lose: just about every other hand of texas hold 'em that I play.
I listen: better when I'm doing something with my hands.
I don't understand: why people hurt other people.
I can usually be found: at work.
I forget: where I put my chapstick.
I am happy: when I'm surrounded by people I love.

I tag: whoever reads my blog but hasn't done this yet and has nothing better to do.

Temple Lights!

Last Saturday evening I went down to SLC with my sisters and various members of my branch to see the temple lights. The crowds were huge and we didn't get to actually see too many lights, but I still got to have fun with two of the most awesome ladies ever! Here's proof:

Jessica and Katie being all goofy--well, Jessica at least. We were just about to go into the Assembly Hall to listen to a choir sing and I made them pose for this picture really quick. Meanwhile, just out of frame, a senior missionary is checking bags for guns and knives.

Here I am on Trax as we're heading over to the Gateway for dinner. We had reservations with the branch at Z'Tejas, which was pretty good, if a little overpriced.

Jessica and Kate again. This was one of a few of their attempts to take a picture of themselves. Later on in the night, it turned into Katie in the front seat of the car trying to snap a picture of Jessica in the back seat of the car without turning around. I'll spare you those pictures, as they're mostly of the car door.

In the car on the way home we got really goofy. Katie says she snapped this picture of me as I was telling her to shut up, but I don't quite see it. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing here, but it still makes me laugh.

And to finish things off, a really great photo:

I had lots of fun with everyone, but what I really loved were those chances for a few moments of peace and stillness. I love being reminded what this season is really about, and taking a moment to be grateful for my Savior and his Atonement.




p.s. Yes, I did update my blog so I could avoid studying for my final tomorrow. Cause I know my co-workers were thinking it through the whole post.

Just Because I'm Bored and I Can

So it's been one of those days where no one wants to do anything, and ladies at work have told me I should update my blog. This seemed like something fun and goofy--good for passing the time. Here we go.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago...

1. Packing up the house in AZ.
2. Painting the house in AZ.
3. Finishing my last semester of high school.
4. Enjoying our last Christmas in AZ.
5. Prepping with the marching band for the Rose Bowl parade.

5 Things on today's "to do" list ...

1. Call the temple.
2. Buy a wedding gift for the reception tonight.
3. Attend the wedding reception tonight.
4. RSVP for the baby shower.
4. Maybe try to get some actual work done.

5 Snacks I enjoy ...

1. Hummus and veggies.
2. Glazed donuts (on occasion)
3. Veggie and fruit trays.
4. My mother's cheeseball.
5. Reece's Pieces and popcorn.

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire ...

1. Get myself and my parents out of debt.
2. Buy a new car.
3. Finish school.
4. Travel Europe.
5. Give the rest away.

5 Places I have lived ...

1. Clearfield, Utah.
2. Ogden, Utah.
3. Tempe, Arizona.
4. Warrensburg, Missouri.
5. Springville, Utah.
(This just covers most of the cities, not the several different apartments and houses in those cities.)

5 Jobs I have had ...

1. Volunteer at the Davis Hospital ER (that was fun)
2. Special Collections student assistant.
3. Office Specialist (in the library)
4. Special Collections hourly employee.
5. Special Collections Processor.
(Yes really. Most of my working life has revolved around the library and Special Collections in particular. What can I say? I work with great people.)

Well, I hope all my readers have as much reading this as I did writing it. Actually, here's hoping you have more fun, because mostly I was just trying not to fall asleep.

"We couldn't afford Disney Land, so we went to Smith and Edward's!"

Well, last weekend was Family Fun in the Fall weekend at the Johnson house, except we didn't do all that much. We were going to go to a movie on Thursday night, but instead we just stayed home, at pasta, and watched ... what did we watch? I can't remember. That's real sad.

Anyway, Friday was a lounge around day--I stayed in my pajamas and read all day, which I have not done in forever. So, even though I know my coworkers will probably be mad at me when they read this, I'm still glad I did it. :D

Saturday was the real fun day, unfortunately John Perry had to work :( We drove up to Morgan, and I'd say we got lost up there, but really it's Morgan. How lost can you get there? We had no idea how to get to the place we were looking for (and we never did find it), but we always knew where we were.


We discovered that Morgan has lots of weird signs. I've heard that cop-tipping is almost as fun as cow-tipping, and who knew that you could play giant-frisbee while parked in a handicapped spot?

After wandering all over the Morgan area, we hit Trapper's Loop, came down Ogden Canyon, then drove out towards Pleasant View. We found a roadside fruit/veggie stand, picked out pumpkins, tasted fresh apples, and bought fresh apples and other fruits. They were delicious.

Lots of pumpkins! (Sorry for the really crappy camera phone pics. They really don't do justice to the fantastic colors of the pumpkins, and they don't capture how beautiful a day it really was.

Our final stop for the day was Smith and Edward's. That place is truly one of the most unique places on earth (and I haven't decided yet if it's a good thing or a bad thing). We spent most our time in the army surplus section goofing off, as these pictures prove.



Well, until next year, that's it for Family Fun in the Fall!

Kansas City Gets a Temple!!

So I know most the excitement about the new temples announced today is centering around Rome, Italy, but I just have to say how excited I am that there will finally be a temple in Kansas City.

I was 12 when my family and I lived in Warrensburg, Missouri (which is about an hour and a half from Kansas City), and I had the opportunity to go to the temple for the first time. The summer before this, our ward had organized a temple trip for the adults to the Dallas, Texas, temple and we traveled with my parents so they could go and do several sessions. I remember one of my friends and her family also went to the temple to be sealed together, so it was quite the experience for everyone. But when I was 12, and had just started in Young Womens, the youth had the chance to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead in the Chicago temple.

This temple trip, as I understand it, was the first youth temple trip for our ward in about five years, meaning there were priests and laurels who had either never been, or had only been to the temple once before. As youth we had to earn and save as much money as we could to pay for our way to the temple--which for me was quite the experience and a story for another day. Our ward leaders asked all the ward members to give the youth any little odd jobs--yardwork, babysitting, etc.--so that we could earn our way, and after months of preparing, we were finally ready to go.

We left in the late afternoon and drove all night until we hit St. Louis. We got up early the next morning and drove all day until we hit Chicago. (The Chicago and Dallas temples are both about the same distance from Warrensburg, just in opposite directions, by the way.) Once in Chicago, we checked into our hotel, changed into Sunday clothes, and then drove over to the temple where we spent most of the rest of the night doing baptisms and then having a small testimony meeting in the temple. It was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

But the problem was, the temple was so far away, these kinds of experiences for the youth (and indeed for all the members) were few and far between. Then, shortly after we left Missouri, I heard that a temple was going to be built in St.Louis. I was so excited for that temple because I knew how many lives it would bless--how much easier it would be for the members in the area to go often to the temple--and many times I've said that the St. Louis temple is my favorite.

Until today that is. Now this new Kansas City temple just might be my new favorite. I broke into tears when I heard President Monson announce that there would be a temple in the greater Kansas City area because I know how much the people in that area have wanted and needed a temple. I know that the Church has been growing and growing in this area, but now ... now I can't imagine the changes and blessings that will come to the members in this area! And it all just makes me so very excited!

Plus, this means the Saints will have a temple in Jackson Co., Missouri again. Think on that people. Think on that.

LOST DOG

I know most of my (very few) readers don't live anywhere near me, but since I hope for miracles I'm posting this here anyway.

This is a picture of my wonderful, stupid dog, Zach. He's been missing since Wednesday, September 3rd, and I'm starting to get a little frantic about him. We've checked with the local animal shelter and have posted/handed out flyers in our neighborhood and at local stores. We've e-mailed his picture to local vets asking if anyone has brought Zach in for any kind of treatment, and as soon as I finish this post I'll be heading over to a couple of websites that help find lost pets and posting an ad over there. All of this to no avail.

So here's hoping that this helps--it's better than doing nothing but worry anyway. Zach is a basset hound mix, copper-colored with a white chest and belly with white markings on his face. He was wearing a blue collar when he took off, and he has a microchip registered to (I believe) Wasatch Humane Society. If you know anything please let me know, and if you live near me and can spread the word I'd appreciate it tons!

Thanks!

Why (Some) Math Teachers Hate Me

My junior year of high school I took pre-calculus. I did not particularly like pre-calculus--or any math classes for the matter--and yet I took it. My teacher was a very nice woman who thought one thing, said another thing, and wrote an entirely different thing on the board. I liked her, but couldn't understand a word of what she said. Needless to say, it was very difficult for me to understand the concepts of calculus which we studied.

Finishing my homework each evening was, therefore, a struggle of near epic proportions. My father, who throughout my school years usually helped me with math homework, suddenly found himself helpless in the face of matrices, graphs of sine waves, and logarithms. I was equally helpless.

And then one week my uncle and his family came for a visit. This particular uncle engineers rocket boosters, which is quite impressive work. He had always been a bit of a math/science geek, so in desperation my father turned me and my calculus questions over to Uncle, even though Uncle was on vacation. Hope sprang in my bosom, (or somewhere in that general vicinity) and I spread my homework out in front of a kind and helpful Uncle.

Uncle began to peruse my homework with a look of studied concentration, and I'll never forget his next words to me: "Hmmm, I don't know. I haven't done any of this stuff in years." My father and I looked at each other incredulously: a man who builds rocket boosters doesn't regularly use calculus?! The hope in the general vicinity of my bosom began to fizzle out, and a righteous indignation began to build instead. The next day I walked into class and told my teacher, "Calculus is useless. My uncle is literally a rocket scientist, and not even he uses this stuff!"

And that's why (some) math teachers hate me.

Cats and Dogs

So I've decided my dog is a feminist. My feminist theories teacher used to say that a feminist recognizes that she has more in common with females not of her class than she does with the males of her same class, and this pretty well describes Abby: she reaches across barriers to form relationships with females not of her species, rather than form relationships exclusively with the male of her species. Let me explain.

Two years ago we adopted two dogs: Abby and Zach. Abby is a beagle mix, and Zach is a basset hound mix, but that's not important to the story. We adopted these two lovable muts from a local humane society, who had in turn rescued them from an animal shelter out in Tooelle. They had been abandoned and abused, and were both in such bad shape the humane society volunteers weren't sure if the dogs would survive. But they did, and they're the two closest animals that I've ever seen. When we adopted the two, the volunteers made it very clear that they were a pair and couldn't be broken up, which was fine with us because we had fallen in love with both of them.

And they are a pair. They sleep curled up next to each other, they groom each other, and they whine at the door if the other is outside. I really don't blame them, though, for being so close and dependent on each other. They've been through hell and back again, looking out for the other all the way; I don't care what species you are, experiences like that will keep you close.

Now, enter Della, and here's where it gets fun--or rather, funny. Della is a stray cat who followed my sister home one day. (No, literally, she just followed Kate home and has stayed ever since. Animals tend to that to us a lot in our family.) Once it became clear that Della was staying put and had decided to become a member of our family, we started letting her into the house. She and Abby hit it off right away. They sniffed each other's private parts, then curled up next to each other and went to sleep. Easy-peasy.

Della and Abby have continued to stay "friends" I guess you could say. Della is a bit of a tease (she's a cat after all) but things stay amiable between them--no spitting, scratching, and biting matches yet. Abby is never perturbed by Della prancing around in front of her, and Della isn't bothered by Abby's unnatural propensity to sniff every rear end that passes by. It's not unusual for one to curl up next to the other on the couch and fall asleep.

Which all got me thinking. I started thinking about human beings, and women in particular. Sometimes we feel like there are barriers between us and other women: she doesn't like me, I don't like her, how could she say those things, why does she have so many kids, why doesn't she have kids, she's too pretty/skinny/fat/stupid/smart, we don't have anything in common. I've been one of the guilty ones myself, assuming that I "get" somebody when really I don't get her at all.

That's why I'm grateful for a big, fat dog like Abby. She was already very selfless in her relationship with Zach, and obviously got a lot of fulfillment out of their friendship (as much as dogs can be fulfilled, I suppose). Yet when Della came along I like to think Abby recognized her own need for female companionship, and that transcended the barriers that should have existed between them. They should have been fighting like, well, cats and dogs. But instead Abby decided to just go with it and have a good time. No matter how fulfilling our relationships with men might be, and no matter what we might think of other women, the fact is that sometimes women need other women.

So, maybe it's all a bit silly, and maybe I'm reading a bit too much into canine/feline relations, but thanks anyway to Abby for reminding me how important my relationships with other women are, and for reminding me that I've got some pretty great girlfriends. We don't sniff each other's rear ends, but we still manage to have a good time.

Moving is Bittersweet ... and Painful

I am officially moved out of my apartment, and this is my first morning living at my parents' house again. I've woken up this morning with aches and pains all over my body, and I can barely walk. I've got to try to unpack and arrange all my crap, but this house is in such a major state of chaos, I don't know where to begin. So I decided to blog about yesterday. :D

The move yesterday was an all day affair. We got up to the apartment around 9:00 or 9:30, and Jessica and I didn't leave the apartment until after 10:00 last night. My parents were particularly awesome yesterday, carrying boxes and furniture up and down stairs at their advanced age ;) No, actually it was really hard for them, but they kept going, and really helped out. Some neighbors of ours also helped--they brought a truck and took down a bunch of my furniture, and helped load a bunch of other odds and ends. I really appreciated them.

Then Jessica and I were left to clean the apartment. We had to make a stop at Wal-Mart to pick up a few things--light bulbs, drip pans for the stove, etc.--so we also picked up a little something to eat, went back to the apt., and had a little picnic. It was our last meal together in our apartment, and we started talking about all the memories we'd made in this place, and all that had happened over the last year. We snapped a few silly shots of each other with our cell phones, then got back to work. And work we did! That apartment has never been so spotless--even when we first moved in. I had better get my security deposit back, that's all I can say!

Finally it was time to load all our cleaning supplies in the car, turn out all the lights, and leave. I stood there for a minute by myself in the dark before I walked out. As much as I have hated this apartment, I've loved the memories that Jessica and I created there. There were hours of talking and laughing, cooking dinner, and watching countless movies. And even the not-so-pleasant events are morphed by the magic of memory into silly things only to be laughed at. That's what I love about my sister and our relationship: that even when we're mad at each other, we're not really mad at each other; and even when we think the other is asking too much of us, we don't really think that. Because the truth is, I'd do anything for Jessica, and I know she'd do the same for me.

I walked out of the apartment last night, and Jess stood next to me as I put the key into the lock and locked the door for the last time. She went downstairs, and I looked at the door to apartment #19 one last time. Behind the the door was a dark, empty apartment, but in my head I imagined that the apartment was the same as we'd always left it before. I think that's the way I'd rather remember it.

Montana Continued

OK, so where did we leave off? ... Oh yes, we had just picked up the car rental.

After we picked up the van, I dropped my cousin off at her house so she could pack, then I drove down to Provo to pick up my aunt. She had to run to the store to pick up some things, then we loaded her and her tons of crap (just kidding, she actually had the least crap of any of us) in the van, and headed back to Draper.

The orgininal plan was to get up at 3:00 to load up, then get on the road by 4:00 am. But by the time we got back to my cousin's house it was after 1:00 am, so we just decided to load up and take off right then. So we did.

We left the house around 2 am, and drove all night long. We stopped twice to sleep because both of us were having a hard time keeping our eyes open. The drive through Idaho was fairly uneventful, except for the snow that hit around the ID/MT border. It was sticking to the ground, slush was everywhere, and it really slowed us down. After we crossed into Montana, the weather got a little better, but still not great.

Montana was an interesting place to drive through. There was beautiful scenery, but every little outpost along the way had the same bar/saloon in it--and none of them would let you use their bathrooms unless you bought something from them, which we had to learn the hard way. We pulled off at several of them, only to get back on the freeway as fast as we could, until we reached a desperate situation. Our bladders were full and our gas tank was empty, so we stopped in Clinton, home of a unique and legendary celebration: The Testicle Festival, aka The Testy Festy. Their slogan is, "Have a ball!" and we had to take pictures of all their advertisements, and so forth. I'll share them as soon as I can. The gas station was also the same type of bar we had seen in every other town, and I can now tell you all that I have been in a bar. It was thrilling. Gas was over $4 a gallon there, though, so we only bought a couple until we found a larger town with cheaper gas.

Around 3:00 pm we hit Kalispell and found ourselves in the middle of some kind of freak traffic jam. It was really weird, because I couldn't figure out what so many people were doing on a Thursday afternoon in a town like Kalispell. Oh, and every Kalispell driver (except my cousin) drives at like five miles per hour. It was frustrating in the extreme! My poor cousin got really car sick because I was driving, and trying to pass stupid drivers as fast as I could. I got a little crazy, I admit, but I had reached the end of my traveling rope long before we hit Kalispell, and this traffic jam was like being kicked when down. It was a cheap shot citizens of Kalispell, a cheap shot I say!

Anyway, we finally arrived, and spent the evening catching up, showering, and taking naps. It was good to be out of that van! Well, I'll close for now; in the next post I'll tell you all about the trip to the temple, and what a nice but weird town Cardston, Alberta is.

Fun Adventures

Good evening (or morning, or afternoon as the case may be). I write to all my devotees from almost the tippy-tip-top of the U.S. of A. I'm in Kalispell, Montana, to be specific, and what, you may ask, am I doing here? Well, tomorrow morning, bright and early, we drive across the U.S./Canada border to attend the temple with my cousin, who will be going through for the first time. It's an exciting time, and we're very proud of her, but we've had quite an adventure getting up here. Let me begin at the beginning ...

Yesterday, I spent the day in Logan with my coworkers. We completed our disaster training by destroying things--books, fur, photos, maps, newspapers, etc. We dumped them in tubs of water and practiced drying them to get some hands on experience in what might happen after a disaster. It was all kinds of fun throwing our trainer for a loop with the odd things we brought to play with. After the requisite visits to Pepperidge Farm and Gossner's Cheese factory, we returned to Ogden, and I returned to my apartment for last minute getting-ready-ness. By about seven we were on our way to Draper to begin our trip to Montana.

Why Draper you ask? Well, Jess and I aren't the only ones on this trip. We've traveled with a cousin, her son, and an aunt, and we had to head down to Draper to run errands, pick people up, and ultimately, pick up our car rental. At 10 p.m. we got to the airport where our car rental was waiting for us. Only we hit a small snag. Turns out the company we rented from requires proof of insurance if you don't purchase theirs, and we were completely unprepared for that. My cousin had purchased some insurance online when she reserved the car, but was planning on using her personal auto insurance to cover the liability on the rental. When the lady asked for her insurance card we almost panicked. We were exhausted, we still had a full night ahead of us, we had never heard of a rental agency asking for proof of insurance, and now we were facing the real possibility of returning to Draper to pick up her insurance card, then coming back to get the rental. Fortunately, the rental lady offered us a complimentary upgrade to a minivan to make up for the unexpected expense of purchasing their insurance. In the end, I'm completely glad we got the van, because I don't know how we would have made this trip with the five of us and all our crap in car--even a full size one.

I must pause the story telling for the time being, as there are preparations I must make for tomorrow, and this post is already long enough. Coming up, look for tales of sleep deprivation, gasoline woes, an excess of bars and saloons, and an interesting local festival where one can "Have a ball!" All in the next installment of MELISSA'S MONTANA MEANDERINGS!

Moving Out

Cupcake, my co-worker, has been after me for a while now to update my blog. I guess she just finds it that fascinating ;) There hasn't been a great deal for me to comment on lately, but I'll try to find something to write about because I'm the only one at work and am really, really bored right now.

First off, the school semester: it's over, I passed both classes, I rejoiced. Summer school is in session, however I am not attending. I just didn't want to, ok? I will be back in school this fall taking a history class and another class called Museum Methods. We'll be studying how to work in museums, which will be all kinds of fun and excitement. Plus, I'm taking the class with cupcake, and we both like the teacher. She's nice--the teacher, I mean, but cupcake's nice too.

Second, as the title of this blog entry states, my sister and I are moving out of our apartment. Where are we moving to, you ask? Back home with our parents. I know it would appear that I'm regressing, but actually I think this will be the best thing for all of us right now. There are some possible changes for our family on the horizon, and I think Jess and I need to be home. Plus, I just miss everyone, and I hate our apartment.

----------

OK, I started this a few days ago, but didn't finish it. I don't remember where I was going with all of this, but I have lots of new things to talk about, so I'm going to post this, then create a new post to update you on all my fun adventures.

Jane Austen Presentation

I gave a presentation in class today about Jane Austen and her development as a writer, and I proved myself to be a very great geek. :) Of course, my friends and family all know about my obsessive geekiness when it comes to Austen, but my class didn't really know the extent of it. Now they do.

I was going to try posting the PowerPoint presentation I used today, but I think that will be far more complicated than I really feel like dealing with now. Instead, here's a link (I hope) to a scanned copy of Jane Austen's brilliant satire of British history, written when she was about 15 or 16 years old. (Once you click on the link below, click on "Jane Austen's Early Work" and the window with the scans will pop up.) Enjoy!

A Brief History of England

The Best Star Wars Video Ever

Seriously, this thing is hilarious. It will make you pee your pants.

Midweek Girls' Night Out (and Other Updates)

I was just looking over my last posting and that was a pretty complain-ey post! My apologies. Blame it on the drugs.

Things are pretty much the same. You'd think that with as much time as I let pass between postings I'd have lots to talk about, but I'm just not that interesting I guess. I'm enjoying my classes: I've started writing again, which is always a good thing, and I'm learning a bit about music history. Nothing overly taxing, but I'm still learning.

I got to visit some cousins and aunts last weekend when I went down to Salem for my cousin's son's baby blessing. He's a real cutie-pie and loved by lots of people. All the cousins, aunts, my sisters, my grandma, and I gathered around the baby and took turns holding him. The poor guy was out like a light, though! He'd wake up a little, look up at the faces, roll his eyes and fall back asleep. My dad was in the circle and said he was a little fussy, but not too much. (For my friends who are not Mormon, and have no idea what I'm talking about, a baby blessing is like a christening, but without the water. The guys gather in a circle holding the baby and give him/her a blessing of health, guidance, etc. Then, per tradition, the family gathers to eat food and coo over the new baby. Good times.) I love family gatherings, especially when it includes cute new babies. :D

Tonight I stayed at work late to make up hours, then my Aunt Liz and Jessica picked me up. They had been hanging out together and visiting another friend. Once they picked me up, we went to McDonald's to get me a burger (they had already eaten dinner), then we went to Bistro 258 because we had a craving for really nice desserts. Jess and Liz got the chocolate soufflés and I got their desert called Fuzzy Peaches: battered peach halves flash fried then served with cinnamon caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and peach sorbet. Yeah, it was as good as it sounds.

Liz gets camera happy whenever we go out, and tonight was no exception. She was snapping pictures of the desserts, each of us at the restaurant, and she even made us (well, me) go into the bathroom to take pictures of the decor. She's funny like that, and it's why we love her. After dessert we went down to my parents' house to visit a bit with them, but only my mom and Kate were home. We still had nice visits. It's now almost 1 a.m.; I got home about a half hour ago, but I'm not all that sleepy.

While we were driving to McDonald's, I got a call from my friend, Joey. It was really good to hear from him and catch up a bit on each other's lives. He told me he found a librarian action figure that he's going to send me and I'm totally excited about it. It was originally my Christmas present, but apparently, one of the postal workers at his local post office was stealing people's mail, so we're assuming that's where the original package went since I never got it. But YEAH for librarian action figures!

This weekend we're having another family get-together. More aunts and cousins are coming in from out of town, and one of my cousins is bringing her new fiance. We all get to meet him and see if he passes muster, and is worthy to enter our family ;) I'm sure he is worthy, but it will still be fun to mess with his head a bit.

Well, this blog ended up much longer than I intended so, goodnight!

I hate being sick!

Wow, this has been a crazy weekend! On Thursday I went to the doctor because of some back pain I have been having. He gave me drugs and sent me to physical therapy. Turns out (according to my physical therapist) that my hips were out of alignment so we started working on that. Later that evening I started getting the sniffles. No big deal, I thought. A little congestion won't be so bad---boy was I wrong!

Friday was a normal day at work, except my sniffles started getting worse. By the end of the day I knew I was completely sick. All I wanted to do was to go home and sleep--and by home I mean my mom and dad's. So that's what we did. I was still hoping, though, that this cold wouldn't be too bad. The next day I took a dose of sudafed and headed off to Ikea with my sisters. We bought lamps, a rug, storage boxes, a mini ironing board, and throw blanket, and a wall shelf to hang in Jessica's room. Oh, and some Swedish goodies. I really like the stuff we got (especially my lamp) but shopping was stressful and exhausting. We decided to get some dinner after our shopping trip, then we headed home. By this point I had taken multiple doses of sudafed but they had stopped working. This was the beginning of hell.

Sunday I was too sick to go to church. I spent the day in bed reading, but I could feel the congestion moving into my chest. A few years ago I had a nasty case of bronchitis, and my lungs have never been quite the same, so feeling that cough coming on was not something I was too happy about. The coughing started, and that combined with the sneezing, and the tossing and turning in bed started to wreak havoc on my back. By Sunday evening I was completely immobile. I was lying flat on the floor and I couldn't even roll over. It was brutal.

Monday was more of the same, but worse. The cough had definitely settled in, and I felt yicky all over. I was stressed because I knew I had a physical therapy appointment the next morning, and I had work the next evening--I didn't know how I was going to do either. In the end I decided to skip on the physical therapy, but I was going to try to make it in to work.

Tuesday morning was awful--major coughing and congestion, but I got myself ready for work. When I got in I could hardly stand, but I didn't know what else to do because I needed the work hours. Fortunately, I work with great people. They told me to go home and we'd trade weekend shifts around so I could still get my hours. Jess came and picked me up, and after a stop for some food, I went home and slept for about 4 hours. I'm heavily medicated (Dayquil is my friend) but I'm doing much better today. I can't wait for this stupid cold to be over with! 

Wasting Time at Work

I'm really bored at work right now, so I'm posting this just to pass some time. (I stole it from a girl I work with--from her blog. Thanks Cupcake.)

1. What is your occupation?
Manuscript processor
2. What color are your socks right now?
Orange and tan striped
3. What are you listening to right now?
I just plugged my iPod in, put it on shuffle, and Mika's Big Girls (You Are Beautiful) just came on.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Hershey's kiss.
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
No, and my attempts to do so have been ... adventures.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I hate questions like this.
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My sister.
8. How old are you today?
26 years, 6 months, 25 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes old. Approximately.
9. Favorite drink?
Rootbeer.
10. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Tennis. I can't wait for Wimbledon!
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes.
12. Favorite reality TV show?
1900 House from PBS. Some of the other "House" shows were good, but this was the best.
15. Favorite day of the year?
Any day spent in laughter with people I love.
16. What do you do to vent anger?
Throw pillows. Pout.
17. What was your favorite toy as a child?
There was some doll that "grew" hair if you cranked on her arm. That one was fun for a while. My Barbie dolls (*blushing*) and my marbles also provided much fun.
18. What is your favorite fall or spring?
Fall is my favorite. Spring is too artificial: it promises more than it can deliver.
19. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs from people; kisses from Hershey's.
20. Cherries or Blueberry?
Fresh I prefer cherries, in pies I prefer neither, and in artificial flavorings I prefer cherries. In other words, I don't like blueberries.
21. Living arrangement?
I share an apartment with my sister.
22. When was the last time you cried?
I don't know, and even if I did I wouldn't tell you.
23. What is on the floor of your closet?
Shoes and storage containers.
24. What did you do last night?
Went to the store to buy dinner, ate dinner, watched t.v., then read my new annotated copy of Pride and Prejudice.
25. Favorite smells?
Fresh baked bread, homecooked meals, and so forth.
26. What inspires you?
People who change their lives for the better; Jane Austen.
27. What are you afraid of?
Being wrong.
28. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
The cheesier the better.
29. Favorite dog breed?
My two mutts.
30. How many years at your current job?
Almost a year and a half in this position; six years in other positions at the same place.
31. Favorite day of the week?
During the school semester it's Tuesdays because I get to sleep in; during breaks it's Saturdays for the same reason.
32. How many states have you lived in?
3
33. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery?
No, although I got a ride on a motorcycle once when I was little--from my grandpa or uncle, I don't remember which. I was really little.
34. Who's your favorite NFL team?
I have no patience with professional football.
35. Do you have a house phone that is NOT cordless?
No. I only have cell phones. My parents have three non-cordless phones, though.
36. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather?
100 degree weather because then I'd be in the desert. I love the desert.
37. Oldest thing in your freezer?
That container of kidney beans I've been too afraid to go near.
38. What makes you laugh out loud?
My family when they're just being themselves.
39. What is one thing you are REALLY good at?
Learning things, analyzing literature, loving people.
40. What would be TWO things you would like to do before you die?
Travel England; finish college.
41. Hardwood or carpet?
Depends on the room, but generally I prefer hardwood floors.
42. What do you plan on doing when you finish answering these questions?
Go to the bathroom.
43. Are you a morning or night person?
I'm a night person all the way. Mornings suck.

Snow Snow & More Snow

Yesterday a huge snow storm hit northern Utah and we got about 14 inches of snow dumped on us (more and less in some areas). Here's some pictures taken from my back porch.






In the second picture you can't really tell, but there's a bird in the tree. Jessica and I threw down some food for the birds and soon had about four little birds hanging out around our porch and munching on the goodies. It was cute.

School had started up again, and I'm not so glad. I think the spring semester is harder than the fall because you jump into the spring semester right after the holidays when you're still feeling fat and lazy. Fall semester is after a long summer break (unless you're stupid enough to take summer classes) so you're pretty well rested and ready for school to start. There is nothing restful about the holiday break.

I'm taking two classes this semester: Introduction to Music, to satisfy my creative arts requirement, and a writing class. The music class meets for the first time tonight so I'll post later about that one. My writing class is on notebooks, journals, and creativity; I'm hoping it will help me be more creative because I really don't feel all that creative right now. In fact, class has been somewhat discouraging and intimidating because most of the people in the class are creative writers and have all these great ideas (one guy has even published a novel already and is working on the second). I, on the other hand, am crap at creative writing, and (lately) all writing. I've felt like quite the idiot in class so far, but the professor is a really good one so I'm hoping in the end I'll feel better about my writing.

Well, that's all for now.