Time

This is how I'm feeling right now with finals approaching and so much to get done.

Time
by Chantal Kreviazuk

Time, where did you go?
Why did you leave me here alone?
Wait, don’t go so fast
I’m missing the moments as they pass
Now I’ve looked in the mirror and the worlds getting clearer
So wait for me this time
I’m down I’m down on my knees I’m begging for all your sympathy
But you (I’m just an illusion) you don’t seem to care (I wish that I could)
You humble people everywhere (I don’t mean to hurt you)
Now I’ve looked in the mirror and the worlds getting clearer
I’ll take what you give me, please know that I’m learning
So wait for me this time
I should’ve know better I shouldn’t have wasted those days
And afternoons and mornings I threw them all away
Now this is my time I’m going to make this moment mine.
(I shouldn’t have wasted those days)
I’ll take what you give me, please know that I’m learning
I’ve looked in the mirror
My world’s getting clearer
So wait for me this time

Choose Something Like a Star

Choose Something Like a Star

~By Robert Frost

O Star (the fairest one in sight),

We grant your loftiness the right

To some obscurity of cloud--

It will not do to say of night,

Since dark is what brings out your light.

Some mystery becomes the proud.

But to be wholly taciturn

In your reserve is not allowed.

Say something to us we can learn

By heart and when alone repeat.

Say something! And it says, 'I burn.'

But say with what degree of heat.

Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade.

Use language we can comprehend.

Tell us what elements you blend.

It gives us strangely little aid,

But does tell something in the end.

And steadfast as Keats' Eremite,

Not even stooping from its sphere,

It asks a little of us here.

It asks of us a certain height,

So when at times the mob is swayed

To carry praise or blame too far,

We may choose something like a star

To stay our minds on and be staid.

Hedwig's Theme

The Bell Tower on the North end of BYU campus played the theme from Harry Potter today, in honor of part 1 of the 7th movie, which comes out in theaters tonight at midnight..
My friend was with me and as we listened to it, she exclaimed fervently "My life is now complete!"

Winter Halloween

A bit outdated post, this. But I've been a bit sad that my fall went so quickly. Here's an optimistic way of using the snow in October.



Hehe.

Why October is the Best

Perhaps it's a bit because the birthstone is an opal- best ever! But mostly it's because of autumn. There is gorgeous color everywhere, the air is brisk, the sun is out, the wind blows, you snuggle up in a jacket and scarf, and it's the best feeling ever. Included are a few pictures I took to show my devotion to this most blessed of seasons.






"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
~Albert Camus

Dear...

There is this site that a dear friend introduced to me, which shares some letters that really should have been written. Here are some of my favorites.

Dear Twilight Fans,
Thank you for making us look sane and well-adjusted.
Sincerely, Trekkies

Dear Rubik's Cube,
Done!
Sincerely, Colorblind

Dear Gangster,
Pardon me, sir? Your trousers are descending.
Sincerely, a disturbed and unwilling observer

Dear People of the world,
We have finally developed a car that can run on water. But the water has to come from the Gulf of Mexico. Sincerely,
the Scientists at BP

Dear Dora,
You're bilingual at age 4, and you seriously can't see the stupid orange tree?!
Sincerely, It's right there

Dear Duck,
My advice? Do not cross the road. You will never hear the end of it...
Sincerely, Chicken

Dear Chicken,
I don't get why you're so popular for crossing the road...
Sincerely, The Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon

Dear Yahoo,
Talk to me when you're a verb... Then maybe I'll listen.
Sincerely, Google

Dear Nazis,
You did what?!?! I said I hate juice!
Sincerely, Hitler

Dear Mathematicians,
Here's a hint: X will always equal 10.
Sincerely, The Romans

Miss Clumsia

I think I have a talent. My ward has a talent show coming up soon, and I was considering singing. But perhaps I should change to my newly discovered superiority.
I trip. For no good reason.
Just within the last couple days I have: fallen out of a chair I was sitting on, literally walked into a wall, fallen flat on my face while talking to someone, did a Miss Congeniality in heels, nearly fell over taking a simple side-step in dance, and most amazingly tripped while standing still on a flat surface.
Honestly, I'm not sure you can beat that. There weren't even any stairs, dizzy spells, holes, or evil-5th-graders trying to trip me up.
I just have skill.

Magic Trips

So I've decided that I'm not meant to be a magician 'when I grow up'.
I've been remembering back to this summer and some of the interesting experiences I had. One of them resulted in this decision I previously mentioned. I was downstairs with my Aunt Nonnie and her adorable little (now 3 year old) daughter, Boo. And, to entertain her, i decided to do a 'magic trick.'
You know, the first time, it actually turned out really well. I had some strange little water-glitter-pillow-tube thing and I told Boo that I would count to three, lift it over my head, and it would disappear. So I shook it in my hands as I counted, and on three, I easily tossed it over my shoulder into the next room. She was very surprised and had no clue where it had gone. I then managed to pick it back up without her seeing. I stuck it in under the hat my brother was wearing and, after she'd searched around for some time (in both my hands, my pockets, etc.), told her to look there. She lifted the cap off and was thoroughly impressed with my skills. It was some sweet moves on my part.
Unfortunately, I didn't stop there. I should've learned by now that, if something actually does happen to go right for me once, I shouldn't push my luck- just be happy with it. But Boo thought it was so cool, she wanted me to do it again.
I tried.
But the second time, I threw the stupid thing too high and it whacked into the low ceiling and thumped onto the floor directly behind me. Boo raced under my legs and picked it up, smirking in triumph. The little devil.
She then told me that she wanted to show me a magic trick. She held the toy, waved it around for a bit, chanted some string of kid-babble and threw it across the room.
"Where'd it go? Magic!" she proclaimed like a true entertainer, as my aunt laughed uproariously at my expense.
Hmph. So yes. I've decided that I'm not going to be a magician... ever.

Dr. Do-Less

Carsten, pops and I were reminiscing on some of our attempts at raising animals. These included the mauling of our poor bunnies and their babies. What kind of animal can skin a rabbit and never actually get it out of the cage?
We talked about the various chickens we've owned. Some we hatched and raised from their incubated eggs. Others we bought at Big R as little fuzzy, newborn chicks. They all produce very few eggs (total of 5 or so a week, from a dozen chickens) and have had rather traumatizing lives/deaths. One batch was attacked and eaten/scattered by a bear. Some would get out of the pen, wander into the woods and most assuredly were eaten before the next morning. One poor chick got caught in between the netting and the covering that were pressed against each other, when it was already sleeping at the bottom of the yard-deep box (we haven't a single clue how in this wide earthit managed that Houdini act). The rest ... well, they eventually ended up in the freezer.
I believe the oddest thing we ever produced was Clara's duck. We all went to Big R and picked out a chick. But the super-random 6yr old had to insist on the ugly duckling. As the only non-chicken we didn't really give it any special care. It ended up thinking that it was a chicken. It made the strangest, most pathetic quack. It wanted to walk like a chicken, with a duck's anatomy and ended up shuffling around on its stomach, constantly tripping and face-planting. It would get attacked by the actual chickens, so we had to separate it and then it would pace up and down by the separator and rub the tip of its feet raw.
I felt bad for the poor, confused thing.
You know, I think the only animal we've actually had any luck with are goldfish. We had a batch of 10 goldfish about 5 years ago that are still alive. How did that even happen? I didn't even know they could live that long! Don't goldfish usually die after only a few days?

Father's Day Tribute

Some Quotes:
"I am indebted to my mother for living, but to my father for living well."

"I talk and talk and talk, and I haven't taught people in 50 years what my father taught by example in one week." -- Mario Cuomo

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be."

"When I was a kid, I said to my father one afternoon, 'Daddy, will you take me to the zoo?' He answered, 'If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.'" -- Jerry Lewis

"A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty."

History of Father's Day
Sonora Dodd, of Washington, first had the idea of a "father's day." She thought of this idea while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state.
After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, WA on the 19th of June, 1910.
After the support and efforts of several presidents, Father's Day became an official national holiday on the 3rd Sunday of June, in 1966.

Why not to rock your desk chair

Talking on my phone. Rocking back and forth in my chair. Got carried away, apparently.
Next thing I know I'm on the ground the phone half-way across the room, having knocked things (including the chair) everywhere from the fall. I picked the phone up and the person was still talking! lol

Perspective

So if you think about it, you're pretty small. But at the same time, pretty unique.
In the entire universe, only 4% is actual physical matter of some kind. Of that 4%, 99.999% is plasma. Of the part that isn't plasma, 75% is hydrogen, 23% helium, and only 2% of all the other materials. You're just a tiny, tiny percentage of that last 2%. And that's in the entire universe.
Perspective.

Quotes from BYU

My Astronomy Professor, Dr. Moody, said that "Scientists are really just kids with big toys."
.
He told us about the cores of a white dwarf, low-mass stars at the end of the lives. The cores are, basically, diamonds. "Like a diamond in the sky."
.
In lecture on day we learned about Zwicky, "very quirky guy. He was once frustrated with a man and called him a 'spherical idiot.' The man, curious, asked "I just have to know. What do you mean by spherical idiot?" To which Zwicky replied, without a twinge of chagrin, "because, spheres are the same in every direction and perspective. Just like you're an idiot in every way and situation."

Some of my favorites that I found on "Overheard at BYU" (a facebook page) are:
"Our professor gave a powerpoint presentation which she said was "done by my insane former TA, whom, if I see, I will slug."
.
" My roommate talking about how many girls are in his classes: 'But one of the girls is engaged, so she practically counts as a dude.'"
.
"While in Washington, D.C. for an internship:
Lady1: You're from Utah? Really? Do you sing and dance and play the piano?
Me: Um, well....actually yes.
Lady1 to Lady2: See?! See?! I told you everyone from Utah sings and dances and plays the piano."
.
"Psychology teacher to student after class:
No, zombies have no frontal lobe- that's why they lack compound reasoning..."
.
American literature professor: "There are certain things that would just cause the space-time continuum to implode, and one of those would be me putting on pleather [pants]."

Courtesy of my D&C Prof, Bro Walsh:
"Bro. Walsh- So, you know that game where one person comes up with a phrase and then it's passed down from one person to the next? What do you call it...?
Student1-Telephone?
Student2- I bet you call it telegraph."
.
"If God thinks you're pretty spiffy, who cares what anyone else thinks (including you)?"
.
"God's capacity to love and forgive exceeds our capacity to sin."
.
"The difference between men and women can be shown simply by how they each would define 'Ward Ball'."
.
"Wickedness cannibalizes itself."
.
"In many burnt offerings, only that which could not be used was burned (entrails, hooves, etc.), leaving the meat and edible parts for the Israelites. When King Lamoni's father wanted to know the Lord, he went passed giving up half, or even all, of his kingdom and said 'I will give up all my sins to know thee.' Just like the Israelites and the Lamanite King, the Lord doesn't want your things. He wants you to go to him, give up everything bad, and keep the good things, to which he will add more."
.

Fun with Roommates

Honestly, my roommates are pretty much the best. Meet:
Kaia- the friendly, passionate, artistic redhead. We have some of the best conversations.
Tara- the smart, musical, fantastic cook who is occasionally alarmingly hyper!
Brooke- the tall, beautiful, blond with a gentle nature and the best sayings and 'voices.'
They are supremely awesome.

For Tara's birthday, on Memorial Day, we had a party, in which Kaia was the decorator queen, Brooke made the coolest Tie-Die Cake, and I took tons of pictures of our adventures.
Our adventures included drawing an enormous, effective welcome 'mat' on the sidewalk in front of our apartment, with chalk. We also drew (most likely) the World's Largest Hopscotch- each square was the size of a cement slab and it went clear down the side walk. We took turns trying to make it all the way through, even filmed our endeavors. But no, the videos are not going to be released. :)
After it got too dark to draw on the sidewalk anymore, we went inside and proceeded to make fools of ourselves with glow-in-the-dark swords. Yes. We are awesome. We danced around in the dark, took crazy evil-pictures in front of the bathroom mirror. We even dressed up and recorded ourselves having sword-fights and etc.

Another time in which our splendid originality and personalities were manifested was just last Saturday night. At my insistence, we had thought to go together and roll down the hill by the Periodicals section of the library, on campus. But there was a couple making out there, and it would have been slightly awkward... So, instead, we went back to the apartment and ran around in the sprinklers like hyper chipmunks.
Kaia was quite (overly) excited that she could see the constellations and would randomly scream out things like "Ah! Look! I found Cassiopeia! Yes! Look!" At one point, we had moved on in our conversation, while she was still admiring the stars. Realizing that she didn't have our attention, she turned to me, grabbed at my arm, and in a somewhat stern voice informed us "Hey! That's Draco the Dragon!"
We ended the night after we had been playing around on the Wyview playground structures, claiming different 'kingdoms,' declaring war between the wood chips and the grass, cajoling the more tentative Tara to join us by saying that she could be "MY adviser" or "I'll name a STAR after you" or "Well, she's MY favorite counselor and I've given her a large estate!" and such. At some point we decided that we must be at least partially insane because of the late hour and finally retired to our apartment.

So there you have it. We've had many an exciting and interesting time/conversation. Like when we almost installed a 'Whoopie Alert!' security system against creepers because we don't have a chain for our apt door. Or our almost constant teasing Tara of her 'Coccasion' (yes, I know that's not a word. It's actually a mixture of 3 different ones, including a boy's name, Caucasian and occasion).

As I mentioned earlier- We're the best.

True dat

-Phyllis Diller said:
"Cleaning house before your children quit growing is like shoveling the walk before it quits snowing."
"Raising teens is like trying to nail jello to a tree."

-Oxymorons
Microsoft Works
Sanitary Landfill
Military Intelligence

-Denial
"I am in shape. ROUND is a shape."
"Who did what? Oh, that? I don't know who did that. It surely could not be me. I blame my brother."

Carsten's Crazy Voicemail Message

Carsten's voicemail was hilarious. I'm not even sure it was him. Sounded more like dad. It was all "Uh... yeah... So, you missed Carsten. You know, some days are lucky days, and other days aren't so lucky days..." It didn't make any sense and was really goofy and had lots of background noise. Then, the annoying operator lady's voice came on with a sort of 'disclaimer' that I've never heard before! She was all "If you would like to disconnect, press one. If you still wish to leave a message for this person, press two."
HAHA!

Useful Animals

Two neighbors, Bill and Jerry, had each recently gotten dogs. Bill bought a German Shepherd and Jerry had decided on a Chihuahua. As they were walking their dogs together one day, they decided to stop for a drink. Bill steered them over to his favorite bar, but Jerry protested.
"They won't let us in with the dogs!"
But Bill just grinned. "Sure they will, just follow my lead."
He walked into the bar and gave an order.
"We don't allow dogs in here." The bartender said.
"Not even seeing-eye-dogs?"
"Oh! Sorry. Of course- here you are." He said, and handed Bill his drink.
Impressed, Jerry also entered and placed an order. The bartender sighed.
"We don't allow dogs!"
"Not even seeing-eye-dogs?"
"But that's a chihuahua!" The bartender protested.
"What?! They gave me a chihuahua?!"

Sharing humor

I have a ton of different quotes, jokes, experiences, etc. I want to share. Mostly from my religion (D&C) class, but also because I just haven't gotten around to posting anything much, lately.
My D&C Professor- Bro. Walsh- is hilarious. He tells a lot of random stories and jokes, but still manages to teach something with it, even if it doesn't exactly apply to the previous subject matter.

The first thing he said to us, told us to write it down and he got this serious look on his face, was "There is more to life than school. Chill!" But a few minutes later he did say, "Everyday is a class period- we need to take notes. This life is an education experience."

He likes to share jokes or funny stories at the beginning of each class. He's shown us 'The truth according to 7yr olds' stories, Darwin Awards, Memorable Epitaphs, and You know you're old when... (everything hurts, and what doesn't hurt doesn't work, etc.).

One he said is- "My son was having a hard time getting up when he was a teenager. My wife put a mousetrap on top of his snooze button. I don't recall her ever complaining about it after that."

Another time he said, "There are three kinds of people- Optimists, pessimists, and improvers. And while that's true, sometimes there are days when enduring well just means you got out of bed."

Here's one- "Would the ocean be deeper if there weren't sponges in it?"

Or- "Our Father in Heaven is a God of humor. He's said, men are that they might have joy! Will the Gods tell jokes to each other? Sure!... But they probably don't laugh, because they already know the punchlines."

He quoted Pres. Hinckley who, speaking to the missionaries at the MTC, said, "Well, you're not much to look at, but you're all we've got. I guess we'll use you."

Just today he said "Here's a joke I made up- If Lot's wife was trembling as she looked back, does that make her the first salt shaker?" And after we all chuckled, "Okay, okay. Stop it!"

Whenever someone else in the class says something funny, or people laugh, he gets all mock-upset and insists "You're not funny- I'm funny!" or "Stop being happy- this is a religion class. You're not supposed to have fun!"

On a more spiritual side, his greatest point that he emphasizes the most is that "There is a lot more hope in this plan than we give it credit. God is all powerful, and we underestimate how much he is going to help us, how great his mercy is."

He said defined the different answers you get from asking the Lord a question. He said that a 'right' answer is that you feel peaceful. No anxiety or anything. It just feels right. Whereas the other, rather than just being a 'stupor of thought' ("sometimes not thinking is peaceful!"), it's the opposite of peace- confusion, anxiety, frustration, indecision. And that helped me a lot. Because I've been confused a lot on how to tell the difference between peace and 'stupid thoughts' (which I have all the time).

I'll probably post other quotes or stories from him. He says a lot of good ones. But I think this post is already long enough.

---
A short note on my Astronomy teacher- Prof. Moody. He's also pretty great. Not quite as funny, but still quite a good teacher and he tends to throw in random comments that just crack me up. Like yesterday, he said he was quite tired and, with about a half hour left in our 2hr period, he began going off on this tangent about science movies he really doesn't like (namely Armageddon), and how, if he wasn't an astronomer or geologist, he'd be a movie critic. lol It was great.
---

Mother's Day

"A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie."

“I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.”

"A good mother lets her children lick cake batter off the beater. A great mother turns it off first."

"Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young."

"It would seem that something which means poverty, disorder and violence every single day should be avoided entirely, but the desire to beget children is a natural urge."

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back."

Thank you mum!

No One

I am moving through the crowd
Trying to find myself
Feel like a guitar that's never played
Will someone strum away?

And I ask myself
Who do I wanna be?
Do I wanna throw away the key?
and invent a whole new me
and I tell myself
No One, No One
Don't wanna be
No One
But me...

You are moving through the crowd
Trying to find yourself
Feelin' like a doll left on a shelf
Will someone take you down?

And you ask yourself
Who do I wanna be?
Do I wanna throw away the key?
and invent a whole new me
Gotta tell yourself
No One, No One
Don't wanna be
No One
But me
-
No One, Aly&AJ

Garfield 9.18.09

Cue crazy laugh

You know those days when you just have to give up and accept that it's going to be pointless and miserable and just hope you can get through it with limited damage? I had one of those. I'm sore from yesterday, and I just keep making a fool of myself. I mean, more than normal, that is. :)
As just a small part of this fantastic day, I went to Macey's to get a movie from Red Box and perhaps pick up some bread. But the movie wasn't there and I ended up getting a whole bunch of heavy stuff that wouldn't fit in my backpack because I already had it filled with books, dance shoes, and Mel's computer. On the way back the wind was blowing just short of 1,500mph in my face. I had to get off my bike and walk it because, with all my extra baggage and trying to ride uphill into that wind- well. I was too sore from yesterday and it just wasn't worth it.
I'm pretty sure I looked like a complete goof. But that's alright. Because it's getting later and soon it will be tomorrow and I can focus on doing homework and getting Mel's computer fixed and move past this 'epic fail' of a day.
*Mwahahahahah! ~Crazy laugh* -because it somehow makes things better. And sometimes it's the only option.

Things...

So, I feel I need to jot down a few things so I don't forget.

1. Tanya and my efforts in transporting my bike via her car to Wyview was... quite the experience. We first tried the trunk. Silly idea. Then we tried shoving it into the backseat handles first. Again, silly idea. We had to move around to the other side of the car so it was 'downhill' and finally got the bike in. But it was too long. So we stuck one handle out the rolled-down-window, didn't quite get the other door to latch properly and shoved the driver seat so far forward that... well. To save dignity, I will end there. In any case. I laughed quite hard about how ridiculous it must have looked. My hands were black, Tanya had grease marks on her face, and the top-inside of the car was marked up from the handles.
2. I rode to school this morning. In 40° -something weather, with a plastic sack over my ripped-up, water-logged bike seat, and while it was hailing (sort of). Note to self -and anyone wise enough to learn from my experiences- DON'T DO THAT! Bad for you!
3. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to take Astronomy, first half D&C, Dance 380, and Weight Lifting. But who knows, honestly. I'm hoping to get a job Ushering in the HFAC (I turned in an application yesterday), but I'm thinking that might not happen.
4. I'm mostly unpacked. Yup, already. In 2 days. A record for me.
5. My friends Yuri, Grant, and Ben (probably others as well) made Spring team. I almost tried out, but I didn't want to have to get up so early every day. I'm beginning to regret not giving it a go though, it would have been fun. Oh wells.

I think that's all for now...

Pudding pie, sunburns, & ice cubes

Wow. I don't think I've laughed that hard in... well, quite a long time. Months, definitely. Ben literally was crying, he was laughing so hard. I couldn't stand up.
"Why did you... squeal?"
"Well, I think one of them said 'ow!'"
Oooh, boy. Still chuckling.
She came out of the bathroom and gave us a 'look.' Said, she really did need to go to sleep, so... And I was still laughing. I almost just told her- then go to bed already, you're not getting any closer standing out here in the hall.
It was only 10pm, honestly. :p

If at first...

If at first you don't succeed...

... skydiving is not for you.
... read the instructions.
... it might be because General Custer is your great uncle.
...Failure could be your style.

Hmm... That last one certainly seems like me, with this Greek class. Perhaps I should just accept it?

Strange Dreams

I usually never remember my dreams. Sometimes I wake up with a few images or something, but they usually fade. Last night I had some pretty interesting, lasting dreams that I thought I would share. They actually have to do with a few things in my life, so I'll gives a short preface (if I can manage to keep it short).

Yesterday, during one of my short breaks from studying, I watched a couple Britain's Got Talent performances. I saw someone sing, a couple of kids dance, and a dog perform.
Also, yesterday, I was worrying a lot about having time to study and take all my finals, and still be able to pick up my sister (Donalee) from the airport and take her to the MTC. I thought the testing center closed at 5pm on Wednesday (my lovely roommate informed me this morning that it doesn't, fortunately) and I wouldn't have had time to pick her up and take that final.

So, on to my dreams. I had two. The first was that I was on Britain's Got Talent (even though I'm American, I know). But instead of several rounds (semi, finals, etc.) We had to perform three different things in a row, and I couldn't just sing three times. I hadn't known this ahead of time so, panicking backstage right before I went on, I decided to sing an opera piece, then dance the polka in a Tango outfit with my 7 foot tall turtle. Yeah. lol It was crazy. They showed this whole clip of me with my turtle and how I raised it from a little egg and etc. Then I went onstage to perform and some director dude rushed after me and started fixing my dress and telling someone to 'fix up her nose.' What was wrong with me nose? I think I sort of woke up after that or something, because I don't remember how I did, or what my third act would have been.

My second dream, has to do with seeing Donalee and finals and all. I dreamed that I was with Donalee, but we were somewhere... else, where she was living, by the ocean. And I was visiting her because she was going to be leaving. So we were hanging out, taking boats out on the water looking at starfish mounds (I don't those actually exist, tho) and she was super excited to go see this aquarium, but it was like a 5 hour drive, and I told her that I couldn't because I had a final scheduled at 2:30 and it was already 11 and, really, I should probably do some studying. lol Basically, I was just all stressed in my dream that I wouldn't get to spend time with her and do my finals. Ridiculous how obsessed I am with things...

D&C Readings

Elder Orson F. Whitney said in reference to section 122:

"It is for our development, our purification, our growth, our education and advancement, that we buffet the fierce waves of sorrow and misfortune; and we shall be all the stronger and better when we have swum the flood and stand upon the farther shore.”

Sunday Thoughts

Today it was really nice out, so Emily and I walked over to Kiwana's park and layed about on the grass for a bit. Walking back, I was smelling a couple flowers I picked, listening to When the Love Falls by Yiruma, and loving the beautiful day. But then a stupid, loud, smelly truck drove by and I just thought- "Now why did people have to go and ruin this awesome world by making those nasty things?"
I'm not an environmentalist, and I like air conditioning and dishwashers and motorcycles same as the next person. But they're loud and rather annoying, actually. And you know, for a while, all technology really made me miffed.

Later, I was in the kitchen trying to find something to eat. I finally decided to open a can of something, but most things I had were just sides, (beets, tomato juice, etc.). I found the can of freshwater shrimp that dad left for me when my family came to visit last month. It's funny, because, I remember him holding them out to me and saying "These are really good."
And apparently I wasn't paying attention, because I thought they were tuna. I said "Oh, I know. And I just got some baby dill pickles- which is perfect, because they're way good together."
He gave me an odd look. "Pickles?"
"Yeah, nothing better. SO good. I can't wait. Thanks Pops."
And he just half grinned like he thought I was super weird but he'd go along with me. I love him for that. I feel so silly now. Pickles and shrimp? Eh!

Encore!

The Ballroom Dance Company's 50th Anniversary Performance was amazing! There were a few that I've seen before, but they were still good. My favorites were Kaboom (Cha Cha), which had Toffer and Whitney, Caleb and Amy, and Tia and Katie.
I also really like Micgalaxy- the glow in the dark alien dance thing by the Tour Team. It was just super entertaining.
And the back-up tour team did a Samba to a song called Lollipop. That was a ton of fun. My favorite part was when... I'm not even sure how to describe it. They guys were on the floor in push-up position, and the end guy rolled underneath all of them in a row as they 'popped' themselves up in time to the music. It just looked really sweet.
I also enjoyed Sean Moe's 10:00 team. They did a foxtrot to "Mahna Mahna." It was cute and unique. I love Sean. Miss him teaching...
Anyhow. That's my rant about the performance.
It was quite good.

My Manifesto

We had to write a personal manifesto for my History of Civ through Theater class. Here is mine. Still dunno how I feel about it...

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive, who is youer than you.” ~Dr. Seuss

My Life is My own

*- “Men are that they might have joy.” ~2 Nephi 2:25

• “While in the pursuit of happiness, one should stop and just be happy.”
• "Most of us are about as happy as we make our minds up to be." ~Abraham Lincoln
• “Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.”
• "It was when I was happiest that I longed most...The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing...to find the place where all the beauty came from." ~C. S. Lewis
• “When things go wrong, you can either laugh or cry. I choose to laugh, because crying gives me a headache.” ~Marjorie Hinckley
• “Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.” ~L. Frank Baum
• “Don’t take life too seriously. No one gets out alive anyway.”
• “Go on, enjoy yourself, call the life you live today your own… get rid of this too-much grief… for those solemn people and those people who scowl, life is not really life, but catastrophe.”
• ~Euripides
• "The best way to cheer yourself up: cheer everybody else up." ~ Mark Twain
• “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” ~C. S. Lewis

*- “But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.” ~Jacob 2:18

• “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.” ~Albert Schweitzer
• “If you are rich, and you die, you still die.”
• “Spend your life on something that will outlast it.” ~ William James
• “The best things in life aren’t things.”
• “Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.” ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
• “There are two ways to be rich; make more or desire less.”
• "Try not to be a person of success, but rather a person of virtue." ~Albert Einstein
• "But if I feel like just a teardrop in the rain when I meant to be a river- God sees the ocean in me.” ~Cherie Call

*- “All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good... therefore, hold on thy way.” ~ D&C 122:7,9

• "Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults." ~Socrates
• “Don’t say ‘why me?’ say ‘try me!’”
• “You don't have to move the sky, but you can chase the clouds away. You don't have to change the world, but you might do it anyway.” ~Cherie Call
• “Always expect the worst, then when good things happen you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” ~Marjorie Pay Hinckley
• “You fell? Well, get up.”
• "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." ~Lao-Tzu
• “This day we sailed on.” ~Christopher Columbus
• “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail better.” ~Samuel Beckett
• “When life hands you lemons- smile. How often do you get free stuff?”
• "Whether you think that you can or that you can't, you are usually right." ~Henry Ford
• “Our problems are opportunities to discover God’s solutions.”

Stick to your task till it sticks to you.
Beginners are many, but enders are few.
Honor, power, place and praise
Will always come to the one who stays.
Stick to your task till it sticks to you;
Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too—
For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile
Will come life’s victories after awhile

The Rose

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God's design,
Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day.
I will look to him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me,
Only my Heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.

Grecian Urn