Reminiscence

I'm in a bit of a nostalgic mood right now--packing will do that to me. It sets me thinking about all the different stuff that I've got, and just how cool some of my stuff is, and it makes me especially think about where it came from.

For example, I have a plant thats currently hanging in the corner of my room that I bought last year for two reasons. First, I really like plants, and thought it would cheer up our dreary dorm room. Second, I felt like having something to take care of--just to see if I could. It's alive and well and looks better than when I bought it. This could be because it's finally getting to keep it's dangling arms...since they're not getting shut into the fridge. :) I've also added three other plants to my collection-also all doing well. I really like them, and they're not even the flowering types of plants. They're all just green, with really great shaped leaves. I love some flowers. Poor Uffish gets the same line from me whenever we pass by them on campus. Tulips, Daisies, and Daffodils-all my favorites. If you should ever feel the need to leave me flowers for some reason, stick them by the reading girl in the library--the one who's breaking the honor code by not wearing shoes on campus--and send me a message or something...just make sure they're daisies or tulips, or daffodils. Or don't...no big deal. :D

I've got this great glass cup that my mom bought be when we both went to Gatlinburg for a regional forensics competition. I competed in 5 events- Original Oratory, Debate, Extempranious Speaking, Duo, and Impromptu Speaking. My mom came along as a judge. She was such a good judge too-the kind that actually paid attention and made suggestions for things that you should do in the future, instead of leaving dumb comments. I got a comment from one judge that said, "Hated the shirt." Weird. I also took 5th place overall in Impromptu Speaking at that event, and there were people from about 5 states there-something like 30 high schools...that felt really good...and it was really great to get to share it with my mom, it's always nice to share things that you love with the people you also love.

I also really love all my pictures. I've got pictures of my family, pictures of my friends, several pictures of my best friend, and a few of myself...mostly with those people. They're really probably the best part of everything that I've got in my room. I love stories. I love the why behind each what that there is. I love to find out who people are, and what they're about. I love to find out how things affect people. These are all reasons that I'm currently a History Teaching Major...because I love to study it, and then to tell people about what I find. That part is also one of the reasons that I like to be a Board writer--I love it when a question comes in that I actually know the answer to without further research. Sometimes, after researching some topic on my own, I'm tempted to ask a question...just so I can answer it and find a use for my new knowledge...that doesn't happen often...don't worry. :D

I'm in the mood right now to sit down with my family and just tell stories...not really the newer ones, but the old family stories--you know, the ones that you hear all the time...the ones that kind of explain who your family is. That's what I want to do--sit with some people and just tell stories from a long time ago. Right now, I know what it's like to feel old, because I just want to look at the past. I'm excited to get to have children, and then grandchildren...the ones that I get to tell my history to, and the ones whose future I get to help shape. Life is good, and it keeps moving, I'm just glad that I know where it's eventually going to end up.

Spandex- A Privilege, Not a Right

Uffish and I have been playing racquetball on a pretty regular basis lately, and my trips with her down to the RB have caused me to remember some previous reflections.

Why is it that the clothes that you're supposed to work out in only look good on people who are already skinny and athletic? Also, why do gyms cater really only to those who are physically fit?

For example, the advertisements for exercise clothes always seem to say, "If you put on these clothes, you will be happy, hunky, athletic and hot." People like the message they see, and so they buy them...only to put them on and realize they look nothing like the smiling hardened bodies found on the tags they wear. They feel more like a stuffed sausage...

Mmmmm....right?

Same thing happens with the gym. You go to the gym to work out right? To lose weight in some cases, and to get in shape in others. Why do they have so many mirrors around those places? Sure, those people who look really good while working out don't mind. But some people, who aren't at the height of their athletic abilities don't really feel like watching themselves look like a set of Venetian blinds opening and closing as they travail up the treadmill. Who wants the pick-up line they hear to be "Is your daddy a baker? 'Cause you got a nice set of rolls..."

All opposed?

So here's to figuring out some way to find work-out clothes that can actually flatter those who NEED them, and not just those who are already sporting abs that even Mighty Quinn could appreciate, because if people are ashamed of going outside in the clothes, the whole workout cycle is not going to get started...maybe that's why we're supposedly so obese.

Packing Up, Shipping Out

My room is in complete disarray at this point, owing to the fact that I am getting started on the whole packing thing. Last night Ms. Addison and I started it all...and it was a pretty great adventure.

first, there was the bed. It was up on stilts, and so, of course we had to clear everything out from under it, and then lower it. Well, it being all my stuff, I climbed under it and got it all out, and then we moved Oscar the Couch (my DI chair with high aspirations), and then we moved the fridge. Finally it was time to lower the bed. "What's the best way to do this?" Thought Novel. "Of course! I'll stand up and use my back as the means to hold the bed up while Ms. Addison pulls off the legs!"

Brilliant...

So maybe that wasn't the best of ideas. I mean, it DID work, but...ouch. The springs on our beds are what I had my back pressed to...silly silly Novel.

So after all that fun and excitement, we get to the REAL excitement for the evening-a moth flew into the open window. Now, neither Ms. Addison nor I are really terribly girly girls, and neither one of us was afraid of the moth--it just didn't belong in my room, so we had to get it out.

Well, first things first, all the lights go out, in hopes that he'll head out the open window. Well, THAT doesn't work, mostly because now we can't see where he is. So then there's the turning the light on and off for short periods of time so that we can see where the little bug is. At one point the light comes back on, and the bug flies into the cover of the fluorescent light above my desk...dumb bug. Then, I grab my flashlight, and we try to lead it out to the window by having it follow the light there, while tapping on the cover with a spoon. Well, he follows the light...right towards my hand. At this point, I'm disgusted to say, I squeak and toss the flashlight onto the bed. How utterly embarrassing and female. Ms. Addison is getting a good laugh at me, as I have "just made noises she's never heard from me before." so then we've lost the bug's location again, and we're trying to find it...not working. so then suddenly, he flies into my back-not allowed! Anyway, finally Ms. Addison thinks to use my bright little lamp so he'll fly towards that, and I decide to put it out the window so that he'll fly towards it, AND out the window. Novel efficiency Concept...that's my name. This sounds like a grand idea, until Ms. Addison points out that it might just attract another bug...

oh yeah.

We decide to do it anyway, and it works. The bug hovers closer to the light as we maneuver it over the desk, and then finally, he perches on a piece of paper right by the open window, causing the suspense to escalate. Finally, he flies out the window and starts to fly around the top of the light. I start to wiggle it around in circles because, probably, it'll make the bug dizzy and disoriented. Then, I quickly pull in the light and Ms. Addison shuts the window.

There's such a feeling of triumph when you've outsmarted a square inch insect.

On another note--I slept amazingly well last night, surrounded by boxes, with my bed closer to the floor and such. There's something kind of familiar about it all. All I'm missing is my family to play in them-forts in the garage with the book boxes...now there are some fun times.

I Hate Money

the end.

The Novelty is Wearing Out...

Friends, I'm starting to hit end of the semester burn-out...and this year, it's even worse than last year.

Last year I looked forward to finals. Finals week, sickening as it might be, is actually my favorite week of school...mostly because, once you've gotten there, you've basically "passed the point of no return" as it were. You should know almost everything, papers are done, and all that's left to do are tests...and lots of them. I love the completed feeling I get as a test is finished, because then, the class is done too-it's great!

Anyway, this year I'm just hitting tired. I'm still excited about finals, but I'm just tired...all the time. I sleep, I get full nights sometimes, and I'm still ALWAYS tired.

Mostly, it's my own fault. I've gotten myself sucked into a vicious cycle. This is what happens:

Spend time until all hours of the night playing with/talking to friends and finally crash into bed at an odd hour of the morning.

THEN

My alarm goes off at a reasonable hour the next morning, as I have class, but the hour seems entirely unreasonable because I stayed up until all hours the night before. Consequently, I drag myself to class ("at least I'm going" justifies my brain), and then take notes and struggle to participate with half of my mental capacities functioning.

OR

I sleep away half the morning in an attempt to catch up on sleep, and still feel like I need a nap that afternoon...causing myself to be utterly unproductive and lazy.

THEN

Because of the fact that I've been either a walking zombie or because I've napped in the afternoon, I can't seem to get myself to sleep before those odd hours of the morning again...and the cycle repeats itself. Over, and over, and over, and over...

Now, I do these things because I enjoy them. It's fun to go walking at night, to talk to people, to do things. I had an early bedtime until we moved to Fairfield CA, and then I started to stay up real late...like 11. The ability to stay up late and do things until like...2-that was a novel concept for me (please don't moan too loudly). I like my friends, I like talking to them, and I enjoy feeling a connection and doing fun stuff....

There was a but statement if ever one was coming...

BUT...Can't we do things during daylight hours? Is there any reason that we can't socialize while it's still actually that same day, and not the early hours of the next? I actually like the way that most of you look-I've had the rare occasion to see you in the daylight, and you're all perfectly acceptable to gaze upon...is there something about the sun that we hate? I understand that odd hours of the night often facilitate open communication blah blah blah...but can't we try and practice some of that while the sun shines? This isn't to say that I don't ever want to go out and do things later...but not EVERYTHING has to be done at night. I'm just afraid the novelty of it all is beginning to wear off, and the Novel is beginning to wear out.

One with the Refuse...

I've a confession to make...

I don't have the balance of an elephant on a beach ball...it's really very sad.

Today I was sitting on my bed and attempting to push the trash down, because it was getting kind of full. So I lean over like so:



And somehow, I end up completely in the trash can, like so:



Now, I'm not entirely sure how this happened, especially since I'd think that it'd be pretty difficult, what with my trashcan being just a regular, knee-high trash can. Oh well. It's too bad you guys can't flip-book the pictures...it's even funnier to watch as a pseudo cartoon.

What a nerd.

I Belong

Do you ever have moments where you finally catch some of the vision of the Church? Times where you seem to understand exactly where things are going? I got one of those today, and it makes me so happy...just ask Uffish, BAWB, BamaBeau, or Wafflewitz...they were all there.

I got to attend two sessions of conference today. It was really fun going to the morning one, though I was a bit tired. I'm running on 7 hours of sleep for the past two nights...not the best way to do conference. The Saturday afternoon session is the one that made me really excited though, and here's why.

I've always wanted to go to the Saturday Afternoon session, because that's the one that you sustain everyone in. I know you can sit at home and do it, and I always do, but it's exciting to think about doing it there, where they can actually see you, surrounded by thousands of other people doing the exact same thing. It's incredible! Sustaining is one of my favorite parts of church, especially when it's in general conference. For me, raising your right arm is almost poetic, in that you have the opportunity to say so much with a single action. It used to bother me that it was done so en masse...but you know what? It's not like we're voting on whether or not everything that's going on with callings is right-the Lord doesn't ever require our stamp of approval on anything. Sure, we can raise our hands in opposition if necessary, but that rarely happens. I think that raising your hand is really for you. It lets you say: "I have a testimony of this church, of the process of revelation and callings, of the fact that God speaks to us today, and I will support his choices of servants and do all I can to help them."

What power in a single action! Every time you raise your arm, you're throwing your support towards the side of the Lord (a.k.a. the winning side). You're standing with Nephi, Moroni, Alma, Peter, James, John the Baptist, Moses, Isaiah, all of the prophets and saints past and present, and even Christ himself.

Sounds like the best kind of company to be in.

And that's what makes me so excited about the Church. It's over 12 million people who, in theory, are united in a grand purpose, to bring the kingdom of God onto the earth. We are part of something amazing, something that is doing good, and working to do the will of God. Sure, people are imperfect, and bad things happen, but the Gospel itself is not the people who teach it. The Gospel is true, completely, totally, and amazingly. The Lord is at its head, and he's the one who guides it. It's incredible to see where we've come from, and what we've become. From 1830-now...it's amazing.

Joseph Smith said to a group of brethren in Zion's Camp: "Brethren I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I wan to say to you before the Lord that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother's lap. You don't comprehend it...It is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America--it will fill the world." (in Conference Report, Apr. 1891, 57)

Guys…that is US! We are the fulfillment of prophecy. THIS is THAT church, and I can't help but think that we now still can't comprehend what the Church may yet become. Take a second to look beyond the faults of the members, and just feel what exactly it is that you are a part of. Look past what people are at this moment, and love them for a second for what they can become because of what we have. If you do, perhaps you too will have some desire to sing hymns of praise for all that we have. This Gospel is true, and it's going to keep moving forward, with or without us. We are a part of something great, and I belong here...

...and that's a wonderful feeling.

Drippy

So many things to tell you
Such important news to share
Of things like trees, and tests and mud
But right now, you can’t be there

So many things to do with you
Like walking along the street
And holding hands and getting a hug
After a day that’s left us beat

So many events you’re missing
Like that time I curled my hair
And then it rained, and all went straight
Wet and drippy, it just hung there

So many things I’m missing
Like the smile you put on my face
So many parts and bits of me
I didn’t realize you’d put into place

I’m missing the big picture
And the fact that you’ll be home soon
I know you’re doing the things that are right
Just right now, I’m missing you.

Keep the Change...

I'm a person who is pretty adaptable at this point when changes come around. My family has moved tons of times in my life (we're talking over 30), and so it's something that I've become well accustomed to doing, but the idea of it is still something that intrigues me.

I just looked at a picture of my dogs-both of whom are now grown-where one was a puppy. Isn't it strange? Puppies become dogs, children grow into adults, and things that are new will eventually become old. Life moves forward.

I can't say that I've ever really comprehended change before it happened. When I was in Elementary School, I always knew that I was going to be going to middle school. I talked about how excited I was about it, yadda yadda yadda...but I didn't really understand that it would actually happen (same with college, moving, changing relationships etc.).

Everything changes, but its ok. Each time I've come to a new change, I've adjusted, and learned to live within it. Darwin's evolution has nothing on me. ;)

See, I think that being born in the time that I was has had some effect on this thinking. I have to say that growing up learning about the second coming, and the fact that it was going to happen sometime soon-ish caused me to plant the idea in my head that it's always the other possibility whenever I make plans. Wow, this is probably sounding really weird. Oh well.

This is how it goes. I think in these terms: I'll do ______ as long as the second coming doesn't come first. I'll definitely be _______ as long as the second coming doesn't happen first. These blanks get filled with things like "go to high school," "get married," "move into a house of my own," "have a family," etc.

I don't just do it with the second coming though. That's kind of my running thing for long term goals, but I think in the same terms on short term goals as well. I've also realized that I spend a lot of time not spending time in my own time. Thoroughly confused? Good!

I think a lot about the past-both my personal past, and history...as it is my major. I also think a lot about the future-later that week, later that month, later that year, 20 years from now-I think I spend very little time in the here, and now.

I'm not sure yet if this is a bad thing. I think I could focus a little more on the importance of some things now, but so far, focusing on the future and on the past has helped me to keep a good perspective on life in general. The only problem is that I focus on the future, and future goals, and future improvements to myself, and my potential and such, and often forget to stop and look at where I am at the moment. This leads us back to the whole "I'll do it if the second coming doesn't happen first" thing.

Intentions are good things. Everyone has to have SOME intent for doing things, or nothing of purpose gets done. But intentions aren't enough. You have to actually act on those good intentions without putting it off forever.

And now we're back to change. See, I've been kind of a passive changer-I've changed what I needed to adapt to different situations, but unless it seemed really necessary, I don't know that I've made too many changes of my own accord. This is because change is scary-it's something that happens to us, that we try to avoid bringing on our own heads. But, I think I need to be more actively changing-not a total revamp of who I am...as I'm actually kind of fond of who I am in general. This is a changing of the little things that I need to. The "sanding" phase, if you will (because I will).

So, that's about where my thoughts end. Basically, there are two types of change. There's the kind that just happens to you-growing up, seasons, weather, sometimes friends, moving with family etc. and it's really good to learn to adapt to those. Then there are changes that you instigate in yourself-a better attitude towards life, being kinder, loving people like Christ does, holding firm to your beliefs, smiling more, learning to like things that you didn't think you did...

That list could go on forever. Here's to change, and learning to actively instigate it, and not just go with it when it happens to come along.

Miracle Umbrella

Sometime between last year and this year, I managed to lose my umbrella. I'm pretty sure this means that I've left it at my family's house, but I'm not entirely sure. Either way, until this morning, I was without umbrella.

I'm walking along in the rain, and getting wet, and not minding it too terribly, though it is cold, and I have the following train of thought:

Gee, it's raining, I should get an umbrella sometime. Oh, wait, I can't get it now, because I don't have any money with me...I guess I left my card at home. Wait, I left all my cards at home. Darn. That means I have to go home to get my ID to take my test. Guess I won't be taking it right after this class. Darn, I'm late to class. Ooh...sprinklers-and it's raining, that's funny, I kind of wish I had my camera right now, the sprinklers kind of make the grass look moor-ish....

At this point, a young man who has an umbrella walks up to me and pulls another one out of his pocket. He holds it out to me and asks if I'd like it. The interesting thing is that I don't know this young man at all, and I don't know that I'd be able to recognize him if I saw him again, but I sure do appreciate him. I love the seeming randomness of it-who walks around with a spare umbrella in their pocked to give to dripping damsels? Either way, I've had my faith in the kindness of strangers restored, and I now own my very own umbrella.

Hooray for rain.

Misery

You know the saying, "Misery loves company?" I used to think that it meant simply that people who were miserable wanted people around them to be miserable too, and so they worked to make everyone miserable blah blah blah. Today I think I've discovered that misery often likes it's own company.

I had a really early morning, with quite a bit of stress, and I've been acting miserable all day. I'm sleep deprived, irritable, and not a whole lot of fun to be around at the moment. What have I been doing? Instead of pulling myself out of it, moving on, working to be more fun to be around, and smiling more, I've been, instead, wallowing in it. I've been a complete nerd all day, hoping for someone else to somehow magically make me feel better. I've mired myself in the muck of self-pity, and instead of bucking up and working my way out, I'm standing there with my arms up waiting for some soul to yank me out. It's like I've punched myself in the face a few times, scratched myself up, and then went and laid on the side of the road moaning hoping for some good Samaritan to come down the road and not pass on the other side.

With my attitude, I deserve to be passed by.

And so, dear friends, wherever you may be, please forgive my current mucky state. I've changed tactics, and am now pulling myself up, and working my way out of the mire. Please be patient, sympathize, empathize if you wish, but know that I'm working my way out, and feeling rather sheepish for it all.

Shoes

Anyone who knows me in real life will not tell you that I am a fashion diva. My poor sister had to deal with me all through high school, and her good taste was offended by what is obviously a lesser sense of fashion in her older sister. Now, I don't dress disgustingly, and I like to look nice, but I am far from being "fashionable."

I was cleaning my room the other day, and organizing my shoes, when I realized that I seemed to have a large amount of them. I decided to count them today, and found that I have 52 shoes...

That's 26 pairs!! If I were to wear a different pair of shoes every single day, I could go nearly a month before I wore the same shoes twice.

WHY? An individual with as limited a fashion sense as mine has no business owning 26 pairs of shoes...it's just excessive!

The nice thing though is, that I haven't paid more than $15.00 for any pair of shoes in my closet. In fact, the majority of them cost me less than $10.00, and I've had some of them since 9th grade, so this is a collection that's been building over the past few years, but still...26 pairs?

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder...

I walked around campus today with really...umm...interesting hair...

OK, so really, it was pretty ugly. It's really short, and it was twisted in all sorts of "artistic" ways to begin with and held with bobby pins. One section of hair was wrapped around some tweezers, and then several different silk flower budlets were placed all over. These flower budlets happen to come from a little flower pot thing that I got from the YW leaders on my birthday...

it was pretty bad folks.

Now, I don't really have to do a challenge when I don't want to, but I'll do things because I think that they're funny. This hairstyle, and the possible reactions to it struck me as something that could be funny, so I left it in.

I have to say that I didn't get as many reactions as I would have expected. I got a few funny looks from people, especially ones that I didn't know, and I turned a few heads...which doesn't usually happen. I did get a couple of compliments...which makes me laugh. I think sometimes people feel the need to say something about an outfit when they notice it's different from usual, even if it looks terrible.

I was thinking about the way I looked, and what other people might have thought as they passed by, and I wondered how many people that I've looked at and thought, "woah...that's...interesting" were really doing it just because it was something that they thought would be funny too...

So from now on, when I see people whose hair, make-up, or clothing I wonder about, I think I'll just look briefly, and appreciate their sense of humor...because I sure hope that that's what people where doing for me.

St. Patrick's Day, Relief Society, and the Great Debate

OK, first, Happy St. Patrick's Day, and Happy Birthday to the Relief Society!

Moving on...

The great debate. For me, this usually falls between two things, and in the afternoons. Allow me to set up the situation for you.

It's midterm week, and you've just studied for 2 tests, and taken 1, you got 3 hours of sleep the night before, and went to all your classes. Because you did so, you've now gotten nothing to eat all day...and it's 3:00 in the afternoon. You've got a class at 5...and you could really use a nap.

So what do you do? Do you take the nap, or do you get something to eat?

At this point, I usually sit in my chair and think for a little while...and the nap usually wins. I mean, sure, it's kind of nice to take a nap right after eating, but sleep...it's so now, so precious, and so much easier than getting something to eat...

The same thing happens to me when I run into a problem of hygiene v. sleeping or eating...I dislike going out anywhere though if I've not showered, and so showering generally wins out, at least when my hair is incapable of being placed in a ponytail. Honestly, that's one of the reasons that I keep it so short-apart from the fact that I like it this way, it's far to easy for me to get lazy when my hair gets long enough for it to get into a ponytail...

And lazy is just gross...at least for me...my hair gets nasty, and there's no way to justify that.

These "what do you do?" questions remind me of the first book that I ever read out loud. It's called What do you do with a Kangaroo? by Mercer Mayer. Try reading it sometime, it's still one of my favorites. Also, The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch...it's just a great book, and as a Board writer, I never realized the great impact that such a book would have on my personal life...ok, so that's a lie.

I don't think that anyone who knows me personally, and knows that I'm on the Board doesn't know that I'm Novel Concept...first off, I'm not too hard to figure out, and secondly, once you figure it out...I'm really ok with some people knowing, as long as I've actually met you in person, and spent SOME time with you...I guess I'm not as guarded about my anonymity as most other writers...well, at least not with this 'nym. There aren't too many people who know my other ones...at least not all of them. Oh well, that's enough on that stuff.

Again, Happy Holidays friends, and have an excellent day...week...however long it is until you check back here to read more about the Daring Adventures of Novel....

Changing of the Blog

So, I've finally figured out how to play with technology...

Only a little though.

Poor Fractile has been trying to patiently walk me through some things...like making the pictures repeat, and letting it load quickly...or more quickly. Sadly, I don't think I'm catching on as he would hope.

Anyway, if the blog looks different several times during the day...that's why. It's because I'm so excited about being able to do this. :)

Ugh...

You ever wake up feeling like it's a bad day already, and nothing bad has happened yet? I woke up this morning with a bad attitude, and in order to help change it and have it run it's course, I'm going to whine a bit.

• whine
• moan
• complain
• groan
• whimper
• rant
• rave
• mutter incoherently
• snivel
• cry
• bemoan
• yell
• laugh nervously
• sigh heavily
• whine whine whine
• sigh determinedly
• move on

Yeah...I think it's time for a shower now.

WWF...Dorm Style

Wow, my head still hurts some from laughing about this one...hopefully you find it half as funny, because I'm still sitting here chuckling about it.

I have this great friend we'll call Madam Manatee (not for any physical reasons, because she's NOT a sea cow in any way, she just likes them a whole lot :). She and Ms. Addison and I all watched My Fair Lady tonight (yes Phoenix, again), and afterwards, Madam Manatee totally started to attack me...completely unprovoked *cough*lie*cough*.

Let's go back to the beginning...

So earlier today, Madam Manatee and Ms. Addison and I were walking to get some dinner, and discussing Berkley, whom I learned about in my philosophy class on Friday. He says that everything is made up of ideas, and that matter is merely an idea that we have. It goes a lot further than that, but I was attempting to be intellectual, and explain things. OK, I really wasn't. I'd already had the conversation with Ms. Addison, and so I was really catching Madam Manatee up on things, when I told her that we were both ideas. Then I said, "And this is us, having a debate!" Then I did a really mature thing, and bumped into her so she tripped out of the crosswalk. Really, it was funny, and so she came back and bumped into me, and I bumped into Ms. Addison, and we "debated" all the way to the MORC. At one point, I told Madam Manatee that I rebutted her argument, and I kicked her in the tush...yeah, I know, more REAL maturity...but it was still really funny.

So Madam Manatee warned me at dinner that she was going to be deconstructing my idea later that night. Madam Manatee told me that she'd taken self-defense, and that I was going down!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

So we watch the movie in peace, and then Madam Manatee starts attacking me. She hits me with a pillow to the head, and then gets taken down something fierce by me hitting her back with pillows. The entire time I'm hitting her back, she's yelling "HELP!" Over and over and over again...

Is that what they teach you in self defense?

So then, she finally gets on her feet, standing on solid ground, and she says, whilest being battered with pillows, "I'll show you self-defense, now just stand still!"

Have I mentioned how much I love Madam Manatee?

So then she's trying to get it so that she's pinned me, and somehow, I end up sitting on top of her, without even trying. She says, "Hold on, that's not how it's supposed to happen..."

Maybe she took self-offense.

Our scuffle spills out into the hallway and Madam Manatee and I stand facing each other. I'm laughing really hard at this point, and then I say, "Manatee, you've given me a real headache." At which point, Madam Manatee looks hopeful and pleased with herself, until I say, "From all the laughing I've been doing."

Ouch.

Anyway, Madam Manatee decided to leave me the remainder of my dignity, and told me that she'd deconstruct my idea later.

Wow...somebody really should save the manatees of this world, because this one is absolutely hilarious.

Thank You Internet...

Your Seduction Style: The Natural

You don't really try to seduce people... it just seems to happen. Fun loving and free spirited, you bring out the inner child in people. You are spontaneous, sincere, and unpretentious - a hard combo to find! People drop their guard around you, and find themselves falling fast.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

Haha! Ok, so that picture was two people kissing...and that was risque for me...so it's not anymore. (Not really, but that looks a lot funnier)

Novel Concept the seductress...yeah right.

Sun, Sons, and Paradox

So, today I got a sunburn...and it excited me. Granted, it's not a real dark sunburn, or bad in the least, in fact, it just kind of looks like I'm blushing across my nose and cheeks, and my arms are a little red.

Friends, it's still technically winter.

I had a test to take this evening, so I studied outside for about 3 hours today, and then "took a break" by going into the library.

Is there something wrong with this picture?

I also heard three freshman guys talking about what they wanted to name their kids someday. Apparently their names of choice are Albert and Alton.

Did the whole world go backwards today?

Girls Girls Girls!!!

Don't worry friends, I got that title from a billboard in Vegas...but the post is nothing like the scantily-clad individuals who adorned it. Nope, none of those wel- placed sequins here-just plain clothes...with sleeves, and "hemlines down to the boottops, and necklines up to the necks." (Have you seen that movie? I know YOU have ;)

OK, so...girls. You know what, I think we all think we're atypical. I don't really want to go into that right now, but it's kind of like what my favorite manatee lover was saying tonight, about how rebellion and conformity are the same thing...not going there either. Anyway...back to the feminines.

I attended Enrichment tonight, that was scheduled to go for 3.5 hours. Ever since Women's Conference last summer when I worked the MORC, I have been convinced that women should never be alone in a large group for any extended period of time without male contact. I wittnessed the true pioneer spirit as women refused to follow authority, blazed their own trails to food, and took all matters into their own hands. No good. Males help us to behave, to interact, and to come back to reality. When males are bad, they provide a common enemy for girl-hood to unite against. Sure, this girl you know may have been a complete jerk to you and stole the guy you liked, but if he turns out to be an even bigger jerk, girl jerk becomes your best friend because she saved you from pain, and you commiserate the male gender in general. Girl thinking just doesn't make sense sometimes.

I think that guys get the short end of the stick in a lot of lessons in church. Women are great, and womenhood is something to be honored and supported, because women do a good job of belittling themselves while the rest of the world does the same, but that doesn't mean that men are scum. Men provide a good tempering to women, and women help to nurture guys...etc. etc. etc. The whole point is to balance each other, not belittle.

Anyway, I guess the point is that I don't understand the way that girls work a lot of times. Guys always talk about how they don't understand females...but they're probably so confused because, well, so are we. We don't understand ourselves, we don't understand guys, and we definitely don't understand how we're supposed to interact. We just do a better job of pretending that we do than a lot of guys.