"How Great It Is"

So I just finished my final project for my Interpersonal Communications class. I had to write about a huge life-changing event from my life. I wrote about a very dark time in my life when I was very sick. It is always difficult having to go back over those memories, due to how painful they are. Yet, I cannot get over how amazingly wonderful my life is, and how blessed I truly am. I have the Savior in my life, and knowledge of the true church. I have a testimony, and the knowledge that I am a daughter of God. Life is great! I have amazing friends who I adore, and have such a good time with. I have an awesome family who are so wonderful. Life is Great! I go to an awesome university, and am able to study Journalism. I have a temple in walking distance, and so many other spiritual resources. I get to laugh every day!! LIFE IS GREAT!!! I’m so grateful for opposition in all things, and for experiencing the bad so that I can more fully appreciate the good. I love my life, and am so happy! Sure, trials come, but How Great It Is!!! We get to live on this earth, and prove ourselves worthy!! We have agency!! We get to share the gospel, and build our father’s kingdom!! We get to have families, and learn new things every single day! How beautiful this life is, and how grateful I am for mine! Thank you, and goodnight!!!

Confession Session

Okay, so I do in fact have to confess. I heart kid movies, probably a little too much. Pretty sure that one of my favorite movies ever is Horton Hears a Who. For real life. Every time I see it I laugh the entire time. It's brilliant. Um, Steve Carell? Answer=Yes. I love it. And I can't wait to buy it on the 9th... that's all. I also love Pixar films. Yes, I know that I have a problem. Don't even worry about it. Kung Fu Panda? Skadoosh.

Last night just exacerbated the problem. I saw Bolt with my family. I went into it expecting it to be stupid, but I laughed the whole entire time. There were a few parts that I laughed so hard I cried. There was one random guy in the audience that laughed at all the same parts as I did, and kept laughing with me at those parts long after they had past. I was glad that I was not the lone freak who found way too much pleasure in a film about a dog who thinks he is a super hero. Yeah...

But here is the best part of this little eccentricity. I DON'T CARE!!! I love these movies so much, that you can mock me all you want. I don't car how many times I see the cat from Bolt get a frying pan chucked at it, I will still laugh for like eight minutes. I don't care how many times I hear Steve Carell say, "That happened..." I will laugh for another eight minutes. I don't care how many times I hear Jack Black say, "Skadoosh." It will still bring a smile into my heart and onto my face. So mock away. That's all I have to say. Thank you, and goodnight.

Dishwasher, My Lovely Dishwasher, I Cried for YOU!!

Stop. Right Now. And look at your dishwasher. Yes, that lovely little appliance that is so easily taken for granted. Now, with me, I want you to say, "Thank you." Yes, say it out loud. Why this seemingly ridiculous routine? Well dear readers, I am here to tell you about how the other half lives. Yes, there is a group of terribly unlucky people who have no dishwashers to speak of. And my heart weeps for them a little every day, as should yours.

Let's start at the beginning, a place that Julie Andrews believes is a very good place to start. So in the tradition of Ms. Andrews, I would like to take you with me to apartment 203, in a nice little apartment complex called Kensington Manor, and yes it does sound better if pronounced with a British accent. Apartment 203 is a nice place. It has many redeeming qualities, however, when I moved in there this past summer, the dishwasher was not one of them. Occasionally, it would leak, and that was just no good. But of course, being the slightly lazy students that we were, we just tried to live with it rather than take matters into our own hands. (This lazy attitude came into play only after the repairman supposedly fixed it, but amazingly, water still leaked...very strange.) So the Summer tenants carried on, and lived with the wretched leak.

Fall was a different story. The fall tenants would have none of that nonsense, thank you very much. And many a request was sent in to the new manager. After a series of unfortunate events, the final of which includes our kitchen being flooded, we decided to just stop using our dishwasher completely. And that was the worst day of my life...almost. For about three weeks we lived without a dishwasher, and let me tell you, I may or may not have wanted to cry myself to sleep. Luckily our manager ordered a new one for us, and all that we had to do was wait patiently for one. That whole "patiently" thing did not work out so well... But whatever. Sadly, our dishes began to pile up, and pile up, because let's face it, who really wants to do that many freakin' dishes by hand??? But then one day, it just became too much. So I spent three hours doing the dishes, which is awesome and all, but I had my fun, thanks, and never wish to do that again. EVER.

But then, something wonderful happened. I was sitting in my Psychology class generating more and more feeling of animosity towards Eysenck and his crap theories, when an unfamiliar numbers calls my phone and leaves a message. (Luckily my phone was on silent...we had already had THAT adventure in that class) This is always exciting when this happens. Maybe it was an attractive man that wanted to talk to me. Today, it was my manager, telling me that our dishwasher was coming tomorrow. There was much rejoicing in the land.

This is where the dirty deed happened. (No pun intended...) And as you can see, our dishes took a heavy toll. I promise we are never that messy, only when our dishwasher is well, crap. Or in this case, gone.

But low and behold!!! A joyous gift!! Our lives were saved that fateful day. I don't think I have ever seen six girls happier about a new appliance before in my life. It was a beautiful thing to behold.


And that's not just any dishwasher... It's MY dishwasher. Kinsey and I had a few moments of great rejoicing. Oh, happiness in a cardboard box, delivered right to our living room.

This is one for the scrapbook of my life. Happiness in 3-D. Indeed.

This was the alternative dishwasher, along with all of my other roommates... It's art? Yeah, I've got nothing.

This is pure, unabashed joy and affection. For life in general and of course, for dishwashers everywhere.

So now we have joy in Apartment 203 again, along with clean dishes. You heard it all. You know of the suffering, the heartache, the anticipation, and the joy when that new dishwasher enters your life. So count your blessings. Be grateful. And now, after hearing this tale, I have only one question left for you dear readers: Have you hugged your dishwasher today? Thank you, and goodnight.

Emmilie Told Me to Tell You Thanks

Today is a special day. Today is a day wherein you are publicly grateful for all of...pretty much everything. Today is Thanksgiving!!! Hooray!! And as such, I feel that it is important to give thanks. So dear readers, here is my thank you list. Read it well.

1. My Heavenly Father, and Savior Jesus Christ. This is first and foremost.
2. My amazing family who I love with all of my heart. I am grateful for them, and for the laughter that we share.
3. The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.
4. My stupendous friends- without which I could never get through a day!!
5. BYU-Idaho, where I have so many opportunities.
6. Cooper
7. Nate
8. McKenzie
9. Shampoo- I just have to get that out on the table.
10. Pumpkin Pie
11. The scriptures, because they make everything better.
12. The Prophet
13. A dishwasher
14. Shrimp
15. Cell phones
16. Warm blankets and beds- I heart them.
17. Orange Juice- it brings happiness to my soul
18. Hymns, and Stadium Singing
19. Love Shack, and dance parties with Kinsey
20. Long phone calls with my mom
21. Long phone calls with Will
22. Gospel chats with Mary
23. Laughter
24. Movies
25. Hugh Jackman
26. Roommates, for better of for worse
27. Temples, and the promise that I have to go there one day with the love of my life
28. Future children, and the perspective that comes with it
29. Fall
30. Rexburg
31. Cats
32. Missionaries
33. The mail, and the mailman
34. Ikea
35. Cafe Rio
36. Broadway Musicals
37. Blogs
38. Jason Mraz-um... have you heard him sing??
39. Harry Potter
40. Jane Austen
41. Joseph Smith
42. Emma Smith
43. My Aunt Mimi
44. Sara, and her hugs of joy
45. Disney World
46. Newspapers
47. The Internet
48. Jeans
49. Nature
50. Pretty music
51. Priceless works of Art
52. Watching Football with my brothers, not knowing a thing about it, and ending up enjoying the commercials more than the actual game, because they make more sense
53. New York City, and any city
54. Funny Professors
55. Funny Office episodes
56. Text messages
57. Peanut Butter
58. Cars that work
59. Hair cuts
60. Flowers!! I am a sucker for flowers...
61. The ability to major in what I want- and change it often...
62. Agency
63. Attractive Men
64. The Word of Wisdom
65. The Law of Chastity
66. Nice smelling Men
67. My red shoes
68. My red coat
69. The color red
70. Starbucks
71. Ice Cream
72. Hope
73. Faith
74. DVD Players
75. The moon
76. Razors
77. Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights
78. Mr. Darcy, Mr. Nightly, Colonel Brandon, and Heathcliff
79. Edward Cullen
80. Sushi
81. Temple Square, especially with Christmas Lights
82. Holidays
83. Journalism
84. Electricity
85. A kitchen
86. Memory Foam
87. Inside Jokes
88. Memories
89. Pictures
90. Repentance
91. Finger Nail Polish
92. New Running Shoes
93. General Conference
94. Theatre
95. Really good hugs
96. A sense of humor
97. Awkward moments that make great stories/blogs
98. Soccer players- have you seen one lately. ...........
99. The beauty of this earth
100. Learning new things every day!!

So in a nutshell, this is a start of what I am thankful for. Trust me, the list goes on and one, but on this particular Thursday, I am grateful for that. And I'm grateful for you faithful readers of my blog. You are great. I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!! THANK YOU!!! And goodnight.

When You Wish Upon a Star

For the record, I heart Disney. I just needed to share that in point of fact. Thank you very much. I do in fact have some very exciting news including me, and the Disney Company. We are to become one. In other words, I will be joining the Disney Company this next year. How you may ask? THEY OFFERED ME A JOB!!!!!!!!! That’s how!!! I’m so freakin’ excited. Yes, Freakin’ excited!!! It is going to be so amazing!!! I can’t even wait. I didn’t make character performer, but that is totally cool. I’m going to be working in Food/Beverage! Fun, huh? So if truth be told, I have absolutely no idea what that means. I didn’t actually read the letter that they sent me. Of course it comes on the day that I leave to start my Thanksgiving Break early… awesome. So I had my darling roommate Kinsey read it to me over the phone. Sadly, though, it was hard to hear everything that she said, because I was in fact still on the shuttle… more awesomeness. But from what I got out of our little conversation, I think I will be doing hostesses kinds of things which is awesome, because I loved doing that at Red Robin. It was so fun! So when I get back to the Burg of Rex, I will let you dear readers, (yes, all four of you) know more about my life. I know you are holding your breath in anticipation. I appreciate the dedication. Thank you, and goodnight.

20ish/20ish

Okay, so first and foremost, I would like to apologize...even though it's probably too late, thank you, Jordan Bowman. Anyways, my goal for the month of November was in fact to blog every single day, and well...that's just not going to happen. Whateve, whateve. But, I have a great excuse! I went to Arizona to visit the family for Thanksgiving. My family has just moved into a new home, and did not get the Internet set up until Monday night. So there. That is my brilliant excuse!! So I apologize from the bottom of my heart, and am terribly ashamed. Don't judge me harshly. Amen.

So today I went to the eye doctors. That was sorely needed considering I could only wear my glasses. All of my contacts are now dead. And it was sadness to my heart. But never fear. I got new ones. Hooray!! This is cause for rejoicing indeed. But as I was sitting there, waiting to read, "E-V-O-C-T-Z-2" to prove my 20/20ish vision, I decided to contemplate my life...yet again.

For one flitting moment, I envisioned myself in scrubs asking questions like, "How are you seeing out of your glasses?" or, "Do you remember what brand your glasses were?" But then I thought again. Personally, one of the most boring things in the world for me is a doctor's office. This includes an eye doctor's office. I think I would rather shove bamboo up my fingernails than have to be in an office from 9 to 5 every day!! For those of you who really know me, I'm sure you will agree. So that little fantasy was fun while it lasted, but I will let those who already wear the scrubs do what they do best. I'll just continue to blog about it. That is my contribution to the world of medicine. A few little chuckles along the way. Thank you, and goodnight.

Analysis

Today I officially decided that psychology people are insane. They have to psychoanalyze everyone they have ever met to give justification to their own neurotic behaviors. Pardon me, I suppose I should say that they are interesting rather than insane. But alas. They really are fascinating people. Sometimes I find that the people in my class are as interesting as the theorists themselves. But of course, that could just be because some of my dear class mates have the tendency to take upon them some of the theories that they learn about. Remember Existentialism?

In my class we have a test every other class on the chapter we are studying. It's a good method, just kind of hectic. But you know, whatever. But, pretty much ever test, the class revolts and argues to make it a group test by using theories from the chapter. It is always very interesting. Sadly, my mind does not in fact work that way, and I always wonder how in the crap these people come up with the stuff that they do. Well today, I was given a peek. Before class started, and our professor was in our room, one of the main instigators decides to practice his approach. Suddenly I was taken back to High School watching my freshmen practice their scenes. The seriousness, yet sly smirk that reads, "Look how freakin' awesome/cool/HOT/freakin' sweet I am right now," was clearly evident on this kids face. And rightly so, I can't come up with that. But when he started his rehearsal, I wanted to ask him how many times he practiced it, and how many of those times were in front of a mirror. It was rough trying to keep a straight face when he actually presented it to our teacher. But he did.

But I suppose that instead of this slight mockery, I should be publicly thanking him for allowing me to get a good grade on my test. Because oh yeah! I'm not smart in that class, and bomb the quiz if we don't do a group quiz!! So thank you dear boy in my psychology class whose name I shall probably never know. My grade is all thanks to you. Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! And now that I have given my analysis (more or less...) of you, you too can group me in the insane section of the psychology department. Thank you, and goodnight.

Dreams

So today's devotional was amazing. I loved it so much, and can't wait for that part of my life. Which part you may ask? Um... children. That may sound weird. Don't think by any stretch of the imagination that I am on the prowl for a man that can marry me, and help me with the whole kids thing. I'm just excited for what the future will hold. It is going to be amazing, and I can't wait. I am so excited to teach my children about the gospel, and their Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so excited to teach them Primary songs. I am so excited to teach them about the plan of salvation, and how to repent. I am so excited to teach them about the sacrament and the priesthood. I am so excited for their baptisms. I am so excited for girls camp. I am so excited to take them to tee-ball, and piano. I am so excited to play in the leaves with them, and tie their shoes. I am so excited for all of it. The good and the not so good. I am so excited to take them to their grandparents, and have dinner. I am so excited to meet, teach and raise my children. I really don't mean to sound crazy or anything. I just know that it will be great.

I don't know what exactly the future holds for me, but I can't wait. My dream is to marry the man I love for time and all eternity, and have lots and lots of kids!! I just think that sounds nice. So call me crazy. I know that I do indeed have a few years, and several tender mercies to happen first, but I know that it will. And how amazing that will be. Thank you, and goodnight.

That's What She Said

So today in my Psych class, we were taking about psychology. Weird, huh? And we were talking all about women, and how they are perceived, as well as the differences between men an women. The contrast between Relief Society and Priesthood. It was slightly fascinating to see how the guys talked about the women in Relief Society and how it freaks them out. I guess the flowers and the handouts are a little too much. And we just won't discuss the doilies. Then they heard about the "Good News Minute," and it almost set them off the edge. I just laughed heartily. This was entertaining, and I always enjoy hearing how the Priesthood meeting differs from the Relief Society. At least we prepare the lesson...

In my Communication class, we talked about conflict and gave some different examples. One of the guys was talking about his wife, and how glad he was that she cooked, cleaned, and did womanly things. Hold the phone! What does that even mean? (Here is the raging feminist in me coming out...) Just because I am in fact a woman does not mean that I have to do nothing but cook and clean for my husband, thank you very much. I am perfectly capable of cleaning, and I have been known to bake one mean brownie, but I mean really! Come on. Dear men, if your image of me ever includes me in an apron, heels and pearls for anything other than a good joke, think again. (Remember the raging feminist?) I just had to get this all out. It was slightly ticking me off. And if you happen to think I am wrong, just ask Sarah Palin if she ever wore heels, pearls and an apron. Thank you, and goodnight.

Eight

I've been tagged. It's all eights! So many!

8 favorite tv shows

1. The Office
2. What Not to Wear
3. Charlie Brown
4. MSNBC
5. American Idol
6. Pushing Daisies
7. Fox News
8. CNN

8 favorite restaurants

1. Red Robin
2. Cafe Rio
3. Noodles and Company
4. Jamba Juice
5. Subway
6. New York Burrito
7. Applebee's
8. Olive Garden

8 books I'd recommend

1. Pride and Prjudice
2. Wuthering Heights
3. Emma
5. Twilight
6. Green Eggs and Ham
7. The People Code
8. The Book of Mormon

8 things that happened yesterday

1. I didn't get a letter or an email from Disney!
2. I worked at the Testing Center of Doom
3. I wrote four pages of my 15 page paper
4. I almost was killed by an angry mob in the Online Testing Center
5. I went on a date that was made awkward by me.
6. I did laundry
7. I blogged
8. I started my "A Project"

8 things to look forward to

1. Thanksgiving Break
2. DISNEY!!!!
3. Going to Arizona to see my family
4. Submitting my Rep Profile on Friday
5. End of the semester
6. My second date
7. Staduim Singing
8. A sun tan

8 things on my wish list

1. A mac
2. DISNEY!!!!
3. A Passing grade in my COMM 100 class of death
4. An attractive husband
5. Shrimp
6. A trip to Europe
7. An internship back East
8. Flowers

8 things I love about fall
1. The colors
2. The coldness
3. The leaves, and how they crunch
4. Hot chocolate!
5. Sweaters and Uggs
6. The smell
7. Thanksgiving
8. School starts again

8 people I tag

1. Mary
2. Kristen
3. Sam
4. Courtney Vallem
5. Amanda Please
6. Marney
7. Jennifer
8. Sara

Awkward Emmilie

I wonder why I am such an awkward person... It's kind of annoying, and well, awkward. My life seems to be defined by these awkward moments... And that's just splendid. And not just my awkward moments, I seem to just attract awkward moments, because things around my turn into sheer awkwardness also. Let's examine this, shall we?

So, yesterday I was at the library trying to kill some time before Kinsey's concert. I was on the computer, as was this boy sitting next to me. He looked like he often spent his Friday nights at the library, but he was certainly content with that. Well, there I was minding my own business, and looking at books for my Psych class, when suddenly, I hear this really bizarre sound. As the strange sound continues, it becomes slightly more discernible, and the low moaning turns into The Christmas Shoe Song. I looked over at the boy in incredulous disbelief. Alas, he was singing the Christmas Shoe song with surprising gusto. He just kept going with unabashed shame; he was singing about those shoes with every ounce of his being. And at a time like this, all I could do was laugh. A lot. It was rather enjoyable too, because the other two girls in nearby me looked at the awkward musical boy, and then at me. I gave her what was undoubtedly an awkward face, because that is what I do.... and then we shared a nice little laugh together as the song continued to be sung. It was by far, one of my favorite trips to the library.

Another awkward chapter in my life was in the Hinckley Building. All of these people were walking by, saying "Hi!" So I got in a mood to say hi to people. However, the flock of people had already passed and my only option left was a guy sitting on the end of the bench that I was sitting at. So I waved at him and said hi, thinking that as a normal person, he would return the gesture, and say Hi back to me. Instead, he smiled, didn't say anything, and turned his head away, resulting in one of the most awkward moments of the day. What does one say in a situation like that?! Luckily I was with Kinsey, and we could both bask in the awkward moment, and laugh. However, she was quick to inform me that he was really attractive, and how unfortunate it was that I was so awkward. Sadly, this man is in my ward, and every time I see him, my awkward reflexes kick in. It's awesome.

Indeed, awkward moments define my life. And it has become sort of a defining aspect of my life. How awkward can Emmilie be today? Let's find out!! Even my conversations are awkward... It's great. So I have decided that the man who marries me has to have a great deal of patience for awkwardness. Thank you, and goodnight.

Are We Done YET?!

Okay, so don't think that I am a bad person or anything... but I am so sick of school!!! I love it as a whole, but I'm ready to be done. Amen. I realized that this is my second consecutive semester, so it's like a full year in high school, and I'm going insane!! All I ever want to do is procrastinate and play and blog. So the first two are not so great, but alas. What can you do? I just want to play in Orlando. I don't know if that is going to happen, but I'm hopeful!! I think it will all be good. I only have a month left... so that is good. And one of the weeks is all for me! Well, all for me to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family. That's even better! But I really am going crazy. Please pray for me. Thank you, and goodnight.

Dear Men of the World, This One's For You

Alright all you men out there. I am going to give you some help. Granted, it is selfishly done because I am sick of the craptastic advances that always end in me turning my head and rolling my eyes. It's basically, well...crap. And it has gone on long enough. So here you go. Some of the Do Not's when it comes to dating. So take some notes, and prepare for change.

1. Don't show me how smart you are. Don't tell me how smart you were as a four-year-old, and how you are far superior to most normal four-year-old's. All it could possibly make me do is mock you into oblivion for you lack of smartness. I mean, really.
2. Don't try to impress me by calculating the total amount of edible venison that a deer would provide. Especially when we are watching a movie. I may have to punch you in the neck. I don't care that you know how to do that. I don't care that you know how to kill sweet woodland creatures and figure out how much you gained by their death. I mean, really.
3. Don't ever flex for me. Unless I ask you to, please refrain. And don't sit where you know I can see you in the gym, and work your butt off. It's not doing anything for me. I promise. I don't get any kicks from seeing your rippling muscles. I mean, really.
4. Don't ever tell me how much more superior you are than me because God blessed you as a man, and scorned me as a woman. I will kill you. I mean, really.
5. Don't ever show off how manly you are by how fast and how powerfully you accelerate. It's so stupid, and all it will really make me do is laugh at you. You look like a moron. I mean, really.
6. Don't correct my grammar. I can speak English just fine, thank you very much. And, when I don't just know that more than likely, it is for comedic purposes. Don't make me look like a moron. I mean, really.
7. Don't answer questions for me. I'll bash your face in. I mean, really.
8. Don't play your music insanely loud to show off your new and improved stereo system. I probably don't even care. As long as it's loud, that's all that matters. I'll be impressed if you like to listen to it as loud as I do. That's right. I mean really.
9. Don't stalk me. Creeper. I mean, really.
10. Don't think that you are funny when you joke about inappropriate things. You are not funny, and I don't admire you for it at all. I mean, really.

Okay men. This should help. Just don't be stupid. I should add that to the list. That will be your bonus one. Don't be stupid. Now, sadly enough, all of these things really did happen to me. All of this advice is based off of real life experience. For real life. Oh, and don't roll your eyes, and disregard everything I say! I forgot how much that ticks me off too!! Okay- had to get that one out. But really guys. Come on. Let's get with the program here. I mean, really. Thank you, and goodnight.

Pain in the...

So let's contemplate the universe, shall we. Only in my universe could I have more weird and obnoxious problems within an almost three week time frame. I mean what the crap. For real life. You have read all of my other blogs, commenting on all of the weird medical crap that has been going on. Okay, so not really medical...but I have had so many weird things involving pain happen to me lately. I don't even know, but this is my life. I really am not bitter about it, just slightly incredulous.

So this morning started out like any other morning. I crawl out of bed as The Flight of the Conchords wake me up with their gangsta rap cross-over. I pour myself a bowl of cereal, and check the New York Times, just to make sure that nothing catastrophic with the world happened. Then I check my facebook to make sure that nothing catastrophic with my social life happened. All was well this morning. So I take a shower, and fight against fate and cold water. Then, as I am putting on my sweater, I get the weirdest, and most excruciating pain in my neck! For real! It was awful! I couldn't move my head to the right at all. So in a state of panic, I call my mom. In Arizona. She was like, okay... take something. (Yeah, I'm dumb before 8:15 in the morning. Thanks.) So I popped some pills, and attempted to try to get ready again. That was...fun. I was putting on my make-up, when all of the sudden, the pain spiked, and I literally had to hold up my head with my hands. I couldn't hold it up normally! For real life! I started crying because the pain was so bad! It was crazy! So I stumble out of the bathroom, and go try and lay down on my bed. It was slightly more difficult than I had anticipated. Than any normal person would anticipate. I couldn't use the muscles in my neck to put my head on my bed!!!! I had to do this weird acrobatic thing which eventually got my horizontal. However, I was literally paralyzed because the pain was so bad. I couldn't even move for like three minutes. It was kind of crazy. Not even gonna lie.

So as I lay there, I realize that my Mission Prep class starts soon... God told me to be better about going to that class, so I was determined to go. I said about eight prayers, and tried to get up. That was also fun. I had to swing my legs around, and try to build up some momentum to get myself off the bed. This was going to be an AWEsome day. I could already tell. It was the kind of thing that could and would only happen to me. And it did.

Well, all I can say is prayer works, because I was able to finish getting ready. Slowly, I might add, but I was ready. And only three minutes late for Mission Prep. So not so bad... considering. So that was my adventure this morning, which has become my all-day adventure. My neck hurts so freakin' bad!!! I just laugh about it, because it is so typical me. I mean really, who else? Thank you, and goodnight.

Waiting for Godot...

Okay, so Waiting for Godot is one of my favorite plays; thank you Samuel Beckett. It is a very existential play, and as such is not as nearly as appreciated as it should be. It is about two men who wait for a man who never comes. (More or less... there is a lot of brilliancy in between) It's been called the play where nothing happens twice. Basically it is a play all about waiting.

Why am I offering a review? Well... my life has become all about waiting. I'm waiting for a little email from the Disney Company to tell me how my life is going to go for the next few months. It's completely out of my hands, and in the Lord's. Which really, is a far better place to be, wouldn't you say? But the anticipation is killing me. I really want to know what is going to happen. And yet, I am experiencing a surprising amount of patience, considering that it is me. I know that it is all going to be okay no matter what the outcome is. I guess you could say that I am more excited to find out than impatient. I know that as soon as they can, they will let me know. And Holy St. Francis, having patience makes life so much easier. I never thought that I would be able to say that, but it does. Thank goodness! Now not by any stretch of the imagination am I saying that I am a patient person. But I will say that I am slightly more patient than I was about six months ago. It's amazing what can happen when you have to be patient!!!

I think that I really just needed to get that out. There was really no order to this blog, so I hope dear readers that you enjoyed the inner-workings of my mind just then. That's right. Just relish in it. Thank you, and goodnight.

Procrastination=Bondage

Right, so last week, apart from some pretty sweet blogs, I accomplished nothing of importance. For real. However, I now am paying for it, and it is oh so craptastic. While still waiting to keep my goal of blogging everyday, I am offering this little disclaimer right now. I have a 10 page Representative Profile due in 11 days. And it's a lot of freakin' work. So this is me, telling you that my procrastination has put me into extreme bondage, and now have no choice but to do homework either until Thanksgiving Break, or death. Whichever one comes first. So dear readers, I will keep you informed, but I hope that you will forgive me for any lack of wit that may come as a result of not having any bloody time. Thank you, and goodnight.

Shuttle Me

So yesterday I rode the shuttle to Sandy. It was a party and a half, I can tell you that much right now. I get on, and the driver is none other than one of my friends named Sterling. (They are everywhere!!) But this particular friend named Sterling is more of an acquaintance named Sterling. We have never actually hung out or anything, which is fine, but it could make things awkward when he is your driver for five hours. I was really worried that he would want me to sit in the front with him... More than most things, I hate making small talk on a trip. I can do small talk, but I absolutely detest it on a trip with the stranger who is giving you a ride. This was a little different, but the concept and the feeling was the same. So that was no good. Luckily, I was able to sit in the back. Which was awesome until he still started talking. Now don't get me wrong. I love talking to Sterling, because he is so nice, and you know, we are pretty good acquaintances. It was just weird, because there was a row of seats in between us, and I could barely hear him because of the distance and the shuttle. (That thing is loud!) But I told him all about my major, and what I've been doing, and Disney auditions, and blah, blah, blah.

We stopped at a hotel in Rexburg to pick up some other passengers. There was this kind looking old man who had everything in little plastic bags. It was kind of funny though, because when Sterling asked what was in the bags, the old man just hugged them to himself, and tried to hide them. Sterling just backed away. We get back on the shuttle, and Sterling goes back to driving. But the old man keeps switching seats that are closer and closer to mine! And I was a little concerned, but that's just the paranoia in me coming out. Don't worry. It was a little weird until we got to Idaho Falls, but it was only going to get better because Idaho Falls brought a story of its own.

Two of the passengers had service dogs with them. They were really cute dogs. However, I don't know how trained they were as service animals, because you would occasionally hear this woman screaming at the top of her lungs, "Princess!! Get DOWN!!!" Apparently the dog had tried to steal her seat. It was really funny, because she just kept freaking out. I probably should not laugh at blind people, (just a thought,) but you do what you can. So the woman finally got her seat back from her service dog, and settled in. The other passengers began to find their seats, while steering clear of the dogs that were sprawled out on the floor in the back. And every time a person would enter the shuttle, the woman would rather loudly announce that it was all okay, because they were service dogs. Oh, good. Then, this poor woman admitted that she had horrible allergies to dogs, and would be sitting up front. "Don't worry, honey! We shampooed these dogs last night! And we used hypo-allergenic stuff! It's all okay, these are service dogs." She repeated this about 8 times.

She then began to announce to everyone how much the dogs love to travel. It was kind of weird. But apparently the pilots love the dogs, so it's all okay. She then went into this big whole story about how there was some Japanese woman who owned a convenience store who would not let them into the store. She was still a little bitter about it, and started talking about how Japanese people hate blind people, and how they just kill them because they can't tolerate them. At this point I almost lost it. The old man behind me, and right next to this woman is Asian. I don't know exactly where he was from, but we will all just say a little prayer that he is not from Japan. That could have gotten awkward. But I was trying so hard not to make too much noise. It was awesome. This is why I take the shuttle.

Meanwhile, the old man behind us, whose ethnicity is still in question kept pulling out these nasty moon pies. (You know, the Little Debbie's Cakes that are secretly fake food.) That's what was in the bag that Sterling tried to take!! His moon pies!!! I would randomly hear the crinkling of the plastic wrapper, which was always followed by the over-powering smell of fake chocolate. He had about six of them in the space of four hours!!! At first it was a nasty smell that did not agree with my gag reflexes, but as it got later and later, that nasty chocolate smell started to smell heavenly. He was a really nice old man though. So that was good. He just kind of scared me at first.

So, all in all, it was a very eventful trip to Utah. I really hate taking the shuttle, but at the same time, it is so entertaining that I don't really know if there is any other way to travel. Try it some time. And then look for my play on Broadway. Shuttle Me. Thank you, and goodnight.

Note To Self

Note to Self:

Write a play, or at least a blog about all of your awkward shuttle moments.

Note to Self:

Make Hugh Jackman fall in love with me.

Note to Self:

Become as well cultured as my aunt in regards to music.

Note to Self:

Don't eat peaches...ever.

Note to Self:

Work on your Rep Profile.

Note to Self:

Pay your tithing.

Note to Self:

Stop accidentally convincing creepy boys that you like them, because they only fall in love with you, and it is oh, so awkward.

Note to Self:

Learn how to cook.

Thank you, and goodnight.

Spontaneity

So today, I decided to go to Utah for my good friend Bryan's Homecoming. It was pretty exciting, and I was really happy to be somewhat spontaneous. I know that going to Utah doesn't equal extreme spontaneity, but I was really happy about it. This, as my mother is so great to remind me, is what college is all about! Doing all of this random stuff, just because I can. So what did I do today? I spent $47.50 on a ticket for a shuttle. And I feel great about it. Thank you, and goodnight. 

Charlotte Lucas

All I have to say tonight, is that I am starting to see similarities between myself and Charlotte Lucas. Worry much? Please bless that I don't marry a Mr. Collins. Thank you, and goodnight.

Thriller

1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the "next" button to get your answer.
3. You MUST write that song name down no matter how silly it sounds!

If someone says, "Is this okay?" You say:

Mad About You

How would you describe your personality?

Bride's Lament

What do you like in a guy/girl?

Stand Up and Be Strong

How do you feel today?

Say Anything

What is your life's purpose?

Chasing Cars

What is your motto?

Window in the Sky

What do you friends think of you?

Put Your Dreams Away

What do you think of your parents?

Cruel to Be Kind

What makes you cry?

Little House

How is your love life?

Wish You Were Here

What do you think about very often?

Yesterday

What is 2+2?

All Fall Down

What do you think of your bestie?

Hey You

What do you think of the person you like?

Twist in My Sobriety

What is your life story?

I Can't Say I Love You

What do you want to be when you grow up?

The Sun

What do you think when you see the person you like?

It Had Better Be Tonight

What do your parents think of you?

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

What will you dance to at your wedding?

Makes Me Wonder

What will they play at your funeral?

Fever

What is your hobby/interest?

Take Me Out

What is your biggest fear?

New Soul

What is your biggest secret?

Twisted

What do you think of your friends?

Stormy Weather

What song will be the subject when you repost?

Thriller

It's Been a Day and a Half

So today is one of those days that you wish would never creep back into your life ever again. It's the kind of day that just all around sucks. It's that kind of day where everything likes to go wrong at least three times for you. It's the kind of day where you look down at your shirt six hour after you put it on and realize that it has tiny little bits of crap all over it. (And you pray that it's not really crap...) It's the kind of day where you look like death warmed over, and you run into every attractive man on camps. And it's awkward. Just relish it. I personally blame Obama. It's the kind of day where your professor checks you out. It's the kind of day where someone can tell you that you are pretty and you think that it has a secret meaning attached to it that means you are a beast. It's the kind of day where you say stupid things to your roommates, but they still love you anyways, because they know it's that kind of day. (I love you, Mary!) It's the kind of day where you avoid talking to anyone and everyone in you second home, the library, for fear of what may or may not come out of your mouth. It's the kind of day where you hope that the Legacy people call you asking for money, just so you can curtly say no. It's the kind of day where even after you work out, you are a little ticked off. It's the kind of day where you fail a Psych test and feel like a total moron because Allport was just too boring for you. It's the kind of day when your spell check conviently decides to stop working. It's the kind of day where your goldfish drowns. It's an awesome day all around. And so dear readers, it's been a day. And we'll just leave it at that. If you ever have one yourself, I would love to hear all about it. We can compare. Thank you and goodnight.

Obama and Me

Today is an epic day. Today is November 4, 2008. Today is the day that will decide how the next four, possibly eight years will be. Today is historic. Today is Election Day. And guess what?! I voted!! It was so exciting! And no, I didn't vote for Obama. My dad says that it seems like the cool thing to do- but he lives in California... so you know... But alas. I voted for Nader. Okay, so not really. I supported the McCain/Palin ticket. Don't even worry. The sad thing is, I don't really even like McCain. I just hate him less. I do like Sarah Palin. She can shoot me. Have you seen the covers of Newsweek? She is the real deal. And a half. I was seriously considering voting for Obama around February. I was all for him. But then all of this really suspicious crap came out about him, and McCain started looking a little bit better. I just don't trust him... and I just have this weird feeling, like Satan will be my best friend if I vote for Obama. That is probably a bad thing. So I voted McCain. Also I prayed about it a couple of times, and really felt better about McCain. So, we'll see what happens. But as I sit here and watch the polls close, and the votes start to count, I am getting a little nervous. Right now Obama has 175 and McCain only has 70. Awesome. Hang in there old man.

So I have a bad confession too. All day I have wanted to vote for Obama!! It's this thing called Obama is an awesome public speaker, and is more charismatic than the Manhattan, so therefore, when he speaks I really like what he says. I start thinking that all of these ideas about hope and change sound really great. And then I realize that my buddy Obama never backs those ideas up. So I'm on this new kick where I try to say nice things about people. So Obama and I share the dream of Hope and Change. We are bonded together by that. And if he becomes president, I'll just have to hold to that. But don't worry. I still voted for McCain. Thank you, and goodnight.

The Audition That Almost Killed Me

What's in a title? A lot of hidden meaning. Just like this one. This was one of the coolest things I have ever done, auditioning for The Disney Company, but I swear I almost died in the process. It was pretty intense. Oh, and it wasn't even just the audition itself. That was the easiest/best part. It was everything leading up to it. I have kept pretty up to date coverage for the whole thing in all of my other blogs, so I won't bore you with all of the details, but I will try to entertain you with my ride situation, as well as the actual auditions itself. Ready, GO.

So one of the tender mercies of the Lord last week was that I was able to get a ride with someone who was also auditioning, and she even had a seat for Courtney in her car. Happy day!! No problems, right? Everything was going smoothly. Well, it was until an hour an hour before we were supposed to leave. At four-fifteen ish on Thursday afternoon, I get a phone call from my ride, Lakesha. I had just gotten out of he shower, and was not even dressed yet, as I get her message asking me to call her back ASAP. "Okay, I thought. Maybe she wants to leave earlier. That kind of sucks, but whatever. We can deal with that." Such were the thoughts that were running through my head. So I give her a little ring back. Did she want to leave early you may ask? Um, no. She was calling to tell me that her car had broken down last night, and we had no way of getting there. Awesome. So. Awesome. I didn't even know what to think. I asked her if she was serious, (stuttered that part is more like it, actually) and indeed she was. More awesomeness my way. She told me I could take the 5:00 shuttle. At this point it is 4:15. And the awesomeness continues. So I fight back the tears that are inevitably coming, and tell her I will call her back. I begin the string of silent prayers that flow quite regularly over the next two hours, and pray for a way for everything to work out. I call my mom, because that is what you do when your life comes crashing down along with your dreams. She told me to calm down, and schedule a shuttle. I panicked slightly because Courtney was in a lab until 5:15... but I still called, and figured we could meet in Salt Lake. So I call the shuttle company and ask them if there is anyway that I can get a seat on the 5:00 shuttle. The voice on the other line informs me that there is no 5:00 shuttle. There is one at 4:30, but considering that I would need to be there right then, she would not even sell me a ticket. It was one of those times in life where you see all of your options rapidly dwindling before you, and try and try as you may, you can't seem to grasp at any of them. Not fun, I don't recommend it. So in a state of desperation I ask the voice when the next possible shuttle leaving Rexburg is. 2:00 AM. Yes. You read that right. That would mean that I would not even arrive in Sandy until 6 AM. Yeah, my audition started at 9:30. That was great. I found out that I had until 9 that night to book the shuttle, so that gave me a few hours to come with any other plan I could possible think of. The 2 AM thing would work- but I have done that before, and it equals no sleep. So I would have been completely shot for the audition. So that was plan Z. I just had to figure out plans A-Y.

Meanwhile, I am trying desperately to get a hold of Courtney, who is still completely unaware, and is rifling through rocks happily thinking that we would be leaving within the next hour. Indeed not. She calls me back, and I drop the news on her. She handles it much better than I did. I starred bawling as I explained everything to her, and she like the good person that she is tried to calm me down. Thanks pal! We decided what our next steps were going to be, and took action. I called Lakesha and told her about the shuttle and that we would be trying to figure something else out, thanks anyways. That was fun. Then I call my dad, and tearfully ask him to help me to pay for the shuttle if we have to resort to the wretched plan Z. He was great, and told me that he would help out no matter what. Thanks Dad! Then I called my mom, and told her the latest bit of news. She told my to bribe anyone with a car with $50 to drive me. All of my roommates were crazy busy the next day and could not. All of my guy friends either didn't have a car, were out of town, had class, or had work. It was awesome. I literally had no idea of what to do. Courtney called Mary to beg her to borrow her car for the weekend. We waited in anticipation for her to call us back. While all of this was happening, I was frantically checking my email to see if anyone else going to auditions had room in their car. However, since it was 5:00 the night before the audition, that was not too helpful. It looked like Mary was our only hope. I called my aunt Marney and told her my bleak situation. I begged her for a car if we had to take a shuttle, oh, and to pick us up at 6 AM at the local Village Inn. Being the amazing woman that she indeed is, she agreed, and allowed me to crash at her place if by some miracle Mary let me borrow her car. So that was good because if nothing else, we had a way to get to Orem from the 2 AM shuttle. It was awful sounding, but it pretty much seemed to fit with the rest of my week.

By this time I was pretty much a nervous wreck. My poor roommate Jennifer had witnessed the whole scene, wrenching sobs and all. Sorry Jenn!! I was sitting on the couch watching my phone waiting for someone to call with what I hoped would be great news. I was going crazy, so I decided to visit my dear friend, Sara. All I needed was for her to give me a hug, and tell me that everything was going to work out. She's really good at that. Gratefully she was home, and gave me a hug, and assured me that everything was going to be alright. Then I told her the news. She was perfectly sympathetic for me, and was just her wonderful self. I then proceeded to pour my soul out to her telling her that I knew that it would all work out. With everything else I had been thorough that week, I was so determined to go I would walk if I had to. So help me. So help me. And what to do you know? The phone rang.

It was Lakesha, and I was a little worried. But guess what?! SHE HAD A RIDE FOR US!!!! Her amazing friend let her borrow her car! And she had space for me and Courtney. I almost started crying right then and there. I was so grateful, I couldn't even think straight. It was one of the happiest and best feelings ever!! I had about a million phone calls to then make, so laughing, I ran out of Sara's apartment. I called Courtney and told her the great news. She was so happy. I then called everyone else that I had ever met and told them the happy news. It was great. All that was left to do was wait. And as I did so I just imagined all of the other things that could go wrong between then and 9:30 the next morning. I don't recommend this either. Let's just say that as I sat with my roommate Kinsey, she laughed at the maniacal look in my eye, and told me what a mess I was. (Emotionally that is...) But it was all okay, because Lakesha came, we got on the freeway, listened to Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," about five hundred times, and arrived at my Aunt's house around 11:30. And we didn't even get stranded on the side of the road. That's a good thing. I may or may not have been worried about that one. So after my aunt's graciously opened her house and her kitchen to us, we had a nice little chat about the Disney Company, and each in turn marveled at the fact that they have 63,000 employees. my opinion on that is, "Hey, I'm bound to get lucky, right?" I hope so. Then it was time for bed. It was going to be a long day.

So the day of the audition came. And it went so smoothly. I was worried that all Hell would break loose the night before, but as I sat and ate breakfast with my Aunt and Uncle, and we were able to joke and laugh about everything, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. And I knew that everything was going to be okay. I wasn't nervous. I wanted to know what it was going to be like, but there were no real nerves. That was an amazing tender mercy from a loving Heavenly Father. I am so blessed. So Courtney, Lakesha and I piled in the car. This time we had a new song to jam to. Pink's "So What," I highly recommend it. That's all. We practiced our rock moves, and it was great. It got me pumped, and I felt like I was going to kill the audition. It was great. As soon as we found the studio I just tried to focus, and have a great time. And it worked. It was the funnest audition I have ever been to.

It started by seeing my old high school buddy, Alina, as well as half the students from BYU-Idaho. Then we went down and got our measurements and pictures taken. I tried desperately to charm and gain the approval/attention of everyone who wore a little Disney name tag. We'll have to see if it worked. Then we went and figured out our animations. We had to pretend to see our favorite Disney Character, ten we had to pretend to be hungry and get food. It was a lot of fun, and was not so intimidating seeing everyone else make a fool of themselves too. Then we learned the combination...of death. Just kidding. It was actually not that bad. It started out really easy and got progressively harder. It was fun though, and I just had really strong facial expressions the entire time to make up for my sucking. It's fine.

I waited until the called numbers 71-75, and tried to make friends with some very perky people. It was great. Number 73 was finally called, and I went into the room. I said a little silent prayer, and stuck my pose. I danced it out, and felt like I did a really good job. Even though my dancing was...interesting...for lack of a better word, my face was so happy and Disney like that it went well. I loved it, and feel so optimistic about the whole thing. I will find out in 2-3 weeks what happens and I'll be sure to let you know. I know that if it is supposed to happen it will, and if not I'll be happy hanging out in the Burg of Rex. It will be great.

And so this was indeed the audition that killed me. More like, the week before the audition that almost killed me. But hey, it made for some great blogging. And if you are still reading this insanely long post, you are probably waiting for the magic words that mean we are finished. Well I wouldn't want to you to be left waiting any longer, so- Thank you, and goodnight.

Singing Under the Stadium

So God created this wonderful little thing called Stadium Singing. Oh, and I love it. Amen. It is the best part of my week, and I always look forward to it. I loving going and sharing my testimony through song with so many other faithful members of the Lord's true church and sing praises unto him. The spirit is always so strong, and the hymns that are selected always touch my heart. There is always at least one hymn that stays with me all week, and gives me the strength to make it through. One of the most powerful things that I have ever heard is the EFY Medley. It is so amazing, and gives me the chills every time we sing it. It is the sisters singing "As Sisters in Zion," and the brothers singing "We'll Bring the World His Truth." We then combine and sing "We'll Bring the World Hist Truth," together. It is so amazing, and it is such a testimony builder to me. I know that probably sounded just like a cheesy "I heart EFY statement," but alas. That's how it goes sometimes folks. Thank you, and goodnight.

This Will Probably Have to Be Continued...

So my goal for November is to blog every single day. That shouldn't be too hard, because that's pretty much what I do now. But you know...I wouldn't want to strain myself in my goal setting or anything... that would be tragic. Oh, and happy November dear readers. I can't even believe it! Crazy pants!!!

You are probably wondering about auditions, huh? Because pretty much every single thing in my life felt like it was leading up to that. But never fear. I shall leave you in suspense no longer. THEY WENT GREAT!!!!!!!!!! It was so much fun, and I feel so good about the whole experience. But I will have to tell you about the awesomeness tomorrow. I am so tired from such an emotional/stressful/crazy pants/I want to gouge my eyes out week, and a really intense dance audition yesterday that I can't even type properly. So this is to be continued dear readers. Just hang in there. I promise to deliver tomorrow. Thank you, and goodnight.