all kinds of weather, we stick together

Angela's home. It was wonderful to go to New York to pick her up. She's speaking in church on Sunday, August 31st at 1:00. It's nice to have her home and have our family be all together again. More details about NY to follow.

it's calling me

In less than 24 hours I will be in my home state. I feel it calling to me. I know that home is where your family is, and therefore home is now Salem, UT but I can't help but think of NY as home. When people ask me where I'm from I hesitate ever so slightly before saying "my family lives in Salem, Utah" (notice the phrasing- very carefully worded). I have a love for NY that won't go away. I love it- all of it. Yesterday at work I was putting pins in the map on the wall of where all the TAs and the people in our office are from. I ever so sneekily put my pin in Ithaca, NY. I think I'll end up moving it, just so people don't get confused when I tell them I'm from NY and yet somehow my dad is a professor on campus (it's happened many a time, and therefore I've reverted to the above phrase). But I look forward to a brief return to my home state, and even though we'll be six hours away from my town, I'm quite please to once again inhabit this lovely place, if only for a few days.

grateful

today as i walked up to campus i was impressed by the beauty that surrounds me and how much i have to be grateful for. here are a few of the things i'm grateful for today:

a lovely campus full of beauty

nice people who make my job easier

jamba juice

a good job

a fabulous new apartment complete with the best roommate ever (since my previous best roommate ever got married off to her hubby)

a dad who works on campus in the building next to me

my wonderful sister whom i get to see in less than 24 hours

the gospel and how i'm continually learning new things

the Beatles, who keep me company at work in the lonely basement of the SWKT

sign me up

It was recently pointed out to me by a friend that all the change taking place in my life is due to the growing up process. Something, may I just say, that I am not a fan of. As previously stated, I don't like change. Well, let me correct that. I don't like change that I'm not a part of. Many friends are getting significant others, thereby forcing me to make new friends. Which is really a blessing in disguise since making new friends is good and force is really the only way that I do it. As we were chatting I couldn't help but think of this interesting Op-Ed piece I read in the Times by Molly Ringwald entitled "The Neverland Club". It's about director John Hughes who just passed away, and how he never wanted to grow up- he was essentially Peter Pan in her eyes. Read it if you get the chance. And it made me realize that I don't really want to grow up either. I love my life right now. I LOVE college. I love most things associated with college. I love my independence. I love my friends. I love that I'm close to my family (but not too close). BUT I've come to accept the fact that no matter how much I fight it, I will grow up. And so will everyone around me, and that means change is a comin'. But that's ok. I'm now working on having a positive attitude and embracing life as it comes rather than hiding from it in my imaginary land of Neverland.

hello beautiful

Guess where I'm at. I'm sitting in the living room as I watch Gilmore Girls. That's right. I'm watching tv in the living room while simaltanously using my computer. My dreams have come true. I now have in my possession a laptop. Thanks to some help from my lovely parentals (who I am paying back just for the record) I went to Best Buy and made the purchase. I know nothing about computers but after some research I picked one out and I'm in love. I named her Scout but I'm still not sure about the name (ps- you get bonus points if you know where the name comes from).

And that is only the tip of the iceberg. Today was wonderful. I got off work early due to graduation which was a much needed break. AND my boss informed me that come fall I get a $1 raise! Booyah! That puts me at $9.50 which is really good for an on-campus job. And because it was such a wonderful day I had to celebrate. I stopped by Cafe Rio for a delicious dinner of pork salad. Lovely. Life is good my friends. Life is good.

my picks

two movies I'm dying to see.... (i'm addicted, i know)

I'm hoping my lovely mother will take me to see this one. It just looks so cute! Plus it's directed by Nora Ephron who is one of my favorites. (She did You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle).


Oh Hugh Dancy how do I love thee? This movie looks amazing. Hugh Dancy plays a man with Asperger's Syndrome, and from the looks of it he does a great job. I love original movies with good insights (see post below about 500 Days of Summer). It's kind of an independent film so I don't know if it'll be playing around here anytime soon, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

If anyone gets the chance to see these before I do- let me know how they are. There's nothing worse than getting your hopes up and having the movie disappoint you.

tis true

I finally saw the movie I've been dying to see for months. (500) Days of Summer. It was amazing. Everything I dreamed of and more. I highly recommend it. However- I'd like to give a warning. It is not your typical romantic comedy at all. Boy does not end up with girl (I'm not giving anything away- it tells you this at the very beginning of the movie). And that's what makes it so perfectly wonderful. It's real. At first as I was sitting in the theater I was heartbroken, because I love happy endings. I wanted Summer and Tom to be together. I felt gypped and robbed of the happiness that these movies are supposed to provide me. But then I realized- this is how it really goes. You don't always end up with the person you wish you could. And ya know what? That's ok, life goes on. There's some heartache, sure, but it's not the end of the world. That's what this movie showed. So, combine a fantastic soundtrack, an adorable (well dressed) boy and a cute girl with a fantastic style and you get one original, creative movie- which is how I think it should be.

my favorite things

People sprinting across campus. Does it get much better than this? I submit that it does not. They're desperately trying to gain control of the giant pack on their back which is weighing them down while dashing frantically to their unknown desitnation. In essence, they end up in a semi-waddle. It's hilarious. As I was on my lunch break yesterday, a boy was running at full speed with a paper in his hands (it was 2:34 and I assumed the paper was due at 2:30- but I could be wrong) towards the south end of campus. I couldn't help but smile.

(sadly, there are no pictures I could find that do such an event justice)

highlights

I thought I'd share some of the highlights of the past few weeks with you

1. Shot gun shooting with Sean- my last two shot I hit my targets right on. It was fabulous.
2. Cooking myself an amazing meal. I never cook real food so it was a big deal. Thank you food network
3. Visiting Jamie in Ogden for the weekend

We ate breakfast at Jeremiah's and got caramel pecan french toast- so good.

4. Going to my first drive in movie! (My dad claims I've been to one when I was little- but I have no recollection)
5. Going to the Sherwood concert at the Velour- one of the places I've always wanted to go to in Provo but never have always wanted to. The music was great- I love discovering new bands to listen to.
6. Going to Zupa's for dinner with my best friend Misty from high school who I haven't seen in about a year and eating a delicious salad and reminiscing on the good ol' days and catching up on the present.
7. Debating with the American Heritage TAs about school vouchers (and mom and Marshall)
8. Seeing Parker advance in the priesthood to the office of priest- he's growing up so fast!
9. Finally seeing UP (it's SO cute ps- go see it if you haven't. You'll love it)
10. Playing Mario Kart Wii for the first time. I got my trash kicked but it was way fun.

11. And lastly- buying my all sports pass- football season is just around the corner. Season opener against OU is September 5!

welcome august

These two buildings are my second home- the SWKT and the JFSB.

August is officially here and it is with mixed emotions that I enter into this month. Fall semester begins in less than a month. I have to be honest and say I am excited. I love the new semester and new classes and new adventures. I love the return of students to campus and the constant buzz and flurry of excitement between classes. I love that I'm going to be a senior and that I know campus like the back of my hand. I love that I'm going to begin my education program. I love that my friends who moved away for the summer will be back. I love that I get to move into a new apartment with my best friend and meet new people. I love that all the TAs I work with will be back. I love that football season begins. I love the cooler weather. But I do not like all the reading, tests and homework. But I guess they balance each other out. I love learning. I like going to classes and coming away with a deeper insight into a piece of literature than I could have had on my own.
August also brings the return of Angela. This is probably the most exciting thing. In three weeks (August 18th to be exact) I will be on a red eye with my parents on our way to the city that never sleeps to pick her up from her mission. I can't believe it's been 18 months. Time flew by. We've grown closer since she left, as weird as that may sound. But through our weekly e-mails I've told her everything about my life and I can't wait to have my best friend back. Although, I'm sure things won't always be as peachy keen as I'm envisioning I'm looking forward to the adventures we'll have together.