Got to class practically on time.
Played the organ for a couple of hours.
Was all of the productive at work.
Played a wicked game of ultimate Frisbee.
Sat on the grass with my friends while talking about zoo animals.
Ate frozen yogurt.
Took a refreshing shower.
This was indeed a wonderful day.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
In which I go for a run, think some thoughts, and then type them up as soon as I get back.
I don't know why people say rainy days are gray. Have they ever been outside on a rainy day? The grass looks like it's about to start leaking green all over and even the houses are brighter. If nothing else, rainy days are brighter-colored than pale sunshiney days.
On my run today, I saw a boy just standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Maybe he was thinking or maybe he was waiting for someone, but I like to think that he was looking at how green Y mountain looked today, feeling the rain on his face, and listening to the birds. Anyway, once I was a little further away, I stood and looked too.
When I have a house I want it to be small but beautiful, with a lot of flowers and trees. I also want a porch with some latticework and a swing.
On my run today, I saw a boy just standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Maybe he was thinking or maybe he was waiting for someone, but I like to think that he was looking at how green Y mountain looked today, feeling the rain on his face, and listening to the birds. Anyway, once I was a little further away, I stood and looked too.
When I have a house I want it to be small but beautiful, with a lot of flowers and trees. I also want a porch with some latticework and a swing.
Monday, May 6, 2013
In which I am itching for an adventure
Things I would like to do this spring/summer, in no particular order:
Tube the Provo River
Climb Y Mountain
Climb Mount Nebo
Get a library card
Visit the Springville Arts Museum
Go to Llama Fest at the Krishna Temple
Visit the Living Planet Aquarium in SLC
Go to a fair, where I will ride the most vomit-inducing ride I can find, eat a funnel cake, and get a henna tattoo.
Go to the Sheepdog Festival (It sounds silly, guys, but this is one of the cooler events I've been to in Utah)
Rooftop Concert Series!
Go to Boise for Jenni's wedding! Hooray!
Meet Gail Carson Levine
Go to the rope swing in Mona
Go to the natural waterslides in Alpine
Actually make use of my Pass of all Passes at Seven Peaks
Sidewalk chalk!
Go hiking. A lot.
Rock climb. A lot.
Go camping and/or backpacking
Party at Disneyland
Swim in the ocean
Play with my brother (T minus 37 days!)
Buy produce at the Provo farmer's market
Go fishing on Free Fishing Day
Run through sprinklers
Eat a snow cone
Go to Canyonlands on August 25 for Fee Free Day
Run the Beat Beethoven 5k in Pleasant Grove
Get a Slurpee on 7/11
Get a Slurpee on 7/11
Go to the Utah Lake festival
Attend the Springville World Folkfest
Go see the Spiral Jetty
And of course....climb a lot of trees
Sunday, May 5, 2013
In which I fail to overcome my gag reflex
When I was little, I was a picky eater. I wouldn't touch zucchini, peppers, onions, tomatoes, spicy food, or any kind of fruit. I would throw tantrums at the dinner table, pretend to throw up, hide food under the edge of my plate, anything I could do to get out of eating the foods I hated.
Fast forward to now.
I consider myself a fairly adventurous eater. I've eaten goat, octopus, squid, and eel (warning to everyone: dried squid is nasty). I love spicy foods of all varieties and have learned to love squash, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. If I forget to ask for no tomato on my burger, I leave it on, and enjoy the juiciness. But there is one area where my tastes have apparently not matured.
I still hate fruit.
Usually when I tell people this, they look at me in horror, as if I'd just said that I drown kittens for fun on the weekend or I think Saddam Hussein was a pretty cool dude. They tell me fruit is the nectar of the gods, that I'm missing out on something amazing. And I believe them. I love fruit juices and I love the smell of fruit. I just can't handle actually eating it.
This makes for some interesting experiences. I'm all for being polite and eating things when offered, but sometimes I think it would be more polite to pass on an offer of fruit and spare my host the experience of watching me desperately fight my gag reflex. This was demonstrated on my study abroad in Austria, when my host mom served us apricots coated in brown sugar for dessert one night. I didn't have the German expertise to politely decline, so I choked a few down. Eventually, she was alarmed by the faces I was making, and in explanation, I could only say, "Ich fuhle mich krank heute (I'm feeling sick today)". Which got me out of eating the apricots, but also gave Frau Feest an excuse to insist that I drink chamomile tea and eat fruit compote (her cure for every illness).
Another time, I was meeting a boyfriend's parents for the first time, and at dinner, was given a dish full of watermelon, raspberries, and strawberries. I don't mind watermelon, and I was able to muscle down two of the raspberries, but strawberries were out of the questions. So every time his mom looked away, I would spoon some of my fruit onto my boyfriend's plate.
I'm not actually sure why I have such a hard time with fruit. Usually I tell people that it's a texture thing, which is true. But I'm still not sure why I can handle raw fish textures and tomato textures and octopus tentacle textures, and not bananas. It might be the intense sweetness combined with the bizarre textures. And fruit textures are bizarre. Bananas and raspberries are furry, oranges are stringy, melons are squishy...I don't know how people handle it.
And that is why I can eat raw fish twice in one week (ceviche at Se Llama Peru on Thursday and nigiri at Wild Ginger yesterday) but I almost threw up when I discovered a grape in a chicken salad sandwich last weekend.
Fast forward to now.
I consider myself a fairly adventurous eater. I've eaten goat, octopus, squid, and eel (warning to everyone: dried squid is nasty). I love spicy foods of all varieties and have learned to love squash, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. If I forget to ask for no tomato on my burger, I leave it on, and enjoy the juiciness. But there is one area where my tastes have apparently not matured.
I still hate fruit.
Usually when I tell people this, they look at me in horror, as if I'd just said that I drown kittens for fun on the weekend or I think Saddam Hussein was a pretty cool dude. They tell me fruit is the nectar of the gods, that I'm missing out on something amazing. And I believe them. I love fruit juices and I love the smell of fruit. I just can't handle actually eating it.
This makes for some interesting experiences. I'm all for being polite and eating things when offered, but sometimes I think it would be more polite to pass on an offer of fruit and spare my host the experience of watching me desperately fight my gag reflex. This was demonstrated on my study abroad in Austria, when my host mom served us apricots coated in brown sugar for dessert one night. I didn't have the German expertise to politely decline, so I choked a few down. Eventually, she was alarmed by the faces I was making, and in explanation, I could only say, "Ich fuhle mich krank heute (I'm feeling sick today)". Which got me out of eating the apricots, but also gave Frau Feest an excuse to insist that I drink chamomile tea and eat fruit compote (her cure for every illness).
Another time, I was meeting a boyfriend's parents for the first time, and at dinner, was given a dish full of watermelon, raspberries, and strawberries. I don't mind watermelon, and I was able to muscle down two of the raspberries, but strawberries were out of the questions. So every time his mom looked away, I would spoon some of my fruit onto my boyfriend's plate.
I'm not actually sure why I have such a hard time with fruit. Usually I tell people that it's a texture thing, which is true. But I'm still not sure why I can handle raw fish textures and tomato textures and octopus tentacle textures, and not bananas. It might be the intense sweetness combined with the bizarre textures. And fruit textures are bizarre. Bananas and raspberries are furry, oranges are stringy, melons are squishy...I don't know how people handle it.
And that is why I can eat raw fish twice in one week (ceviche at Se Llama Peru on Thursday and nigiri at Wild Ginger yesterday) but I almost threw up when I discovered a grape in a chicken salad sandwich last weekend.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
In which we mean intensely and we mean for good
Today was my last day of one of my favorite jobs. For the past year and a half, I've worked as a writing tutor for BYU's Writing Fellows program. While it has been wonderful being able to combine my love for writing with my passion for teaching, and increase my skills in both areas, I think the best part of this job was in the bizarre and wonderful Writing Fellows culture. I mean, how many people can say that their job has a theme song (with an official band to boot)? Or a never-empty cookie jar in the office?
Because of Writing Fellows, I've gotten paid to talk to new people, and to share my knowledge and experience. I've had many chances to improve my own writing and help others improve theirs. I've learned to treasure the moment when someone who has never considered herself a writer realizes how to express her thoughts in a clear, effective, and even beautiful way. There's just something kind of magical about seeing someone discover that beautiful writing isn't an ability reserved for an elite group; it's with their reach. And being able to clock in for that? I'll admit, that makes it even sweeter.
Yep, I'm going to miss this job. From hanging out at the Writing Fellows tables talking about tiger sharks to racing to the office after each test to see if the cookie jar's been refilled, it's been a great ride. To all my Writing Fellows friends, remember: Genius breathes in atmospheres of FREEDOM!!
Because of Writing Fellows, I've gotten paid to talk to new people, and to share my knowledge and experience. I've had many chances to improve my own writing and help others improve theirs. I've learned to treasure the moment when someone who has never considered herself a writer realizes how to express her thoughts in a clear, effective, and even beautiful way. There's just something kind of magical about seeing someone discover that beautiful writing isn't an ability reserved for an elite group; it's with their reach. And being able to clock in for that? I'll admit, that makes it even sweeter.
Yep, I'm going to miss this job. From hanging out at the Writing Fellows tables talking about tiger sharks to racing to the office after each test to see if the cookie jar's been refilled, it's been a great ride. To all my Writing Fellows friends, remember: Genius breathes in atmospheres of FREEDOM!!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
In which two heads are, surprisingly, better than one
Today, I worked on a group project and didn't hate every second of it! In fact, throughout our meeting I continuously found myself thinking, "Man, I'm so glad I have a partner for this assignment. This is way better than working alone."
If you know me at all, you know that this is a very rare experience for me. I hate group work. When it comes to academics, I prefer to work at my own pace, with my own ideas. But today, my partner and I were on fire, bouncing ideas off of each other, and working with much more speed and quality than we could have managed on our own. Maybe it's just a matter of finding the right partner?
All I know is, that is one less project I need to worry about as finals approach. Success.
If you know me at all, you know that this is a very rare experience for me. I hate group work. When it comes to academics, I prefer to work at my own pace, with my own ideas. But today, my partner and I were on fire, bouncing ideas off of each other, and working with much more speed and quality than we could have managed on our own. Maybe it's just a matter of finding the right partner?
All I know is, that is one less project I need to worry about as finals approach. Success.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
In which I take whatever excuse I can to write about myself
So...Andria at Is this Awesome? Y/N nominated my blog for a Liebster award! I'll be honest with you, I'm not really sure what that is (are there prizes if I win? or do I just get warm fuzzies for being nominated?), but I like German words and I like friends, and I like having other people give me ideas of what to write about, so I'ma roll with this.
So, conditions for the Liebster award require me to post 11 things about myself. Thus, in no particular order:
11 facts about me:
1. I have an inordinate fondness for reptiles. Especially turtles and snakes. I would love an albino corn snake (they're so pretttyyyyy) but barring that, I would be happy with a box turtle.
2. I once peed my pants while on a date with a boy I really liked.
3. This one time I went scuba diving in the Caribbean and threw up. On my sister's head. She didn't notice though, because we were underwater so the vomit just kinda...dissipated. Honestly, I'm just glad I remembered to remove my regulator first, because nothing sounds worse than inhaling your own puke.
4. I don't like fruit. The textures make me gag. Except apples. And pineapple. Pineapple is wonderful.
5. When I was 14, I had the lead in my junior high's production of Annie Get Your Gun. This marked the apex of both my acting career and my popularity.
6. I have a thing for beards. I will readily admit that not every man can pull off a beard, but those that can...holy cow.
7. I sort of have an obsession with webcomics. Here are some of my favorites: Wondermark, Dinosaur Comics, Hark! A Vagrant!, and Nimona.
8. I love Chacos. My Chacos have accompanied me to 7 different countries, 6 castles (if I'm counting right), several mountaintops, a few church meetings and both an LDS temple and a Hare Krishna temple.
9. I once climbed a bookshelf in my sleep.
10. I play the ukulele. It is my antidepressant. (Well, actually Zoloft is my antidepressant...but the ukulele is my other, slightly more effective antidepressant).
11. When I acted up as a small child, my parents had to ground me from books instead of from friends, because I didn't care enough about friends for that to be much of a reinforcer.
My 11 answers to Dria's questions:
1. What is your favorite type of book to read? All of them. All the books in the world. Or anything with really beautiful prose. Even if the story is nonexistent, give me some pretty words and I'm happy.
2. What is your dream job? Professional napper. Oh wait, a real job? Elementary music specialist.
3. If you could visit any country, which would you visit? Just one country? Well, I think the next one on my list is the United Kingdom. Specifically, I would like to backpack the entire British Isles for a few weeks. Maybe I'll do that next year, after graduation.
4. Where do you think you'll be in ten years? Earth, probably. I mean, I guess there's a chance that there will be colonies on Mars by that point, but Mars seems kinda...barren. And far from my family.
5. If your 16-year-old self could see you now, what would he or she think of you? She would be surprised that I am planning on teaching elementary school, disappointed in how little I practice the piano, ecstatic about how much I've traveled, and slightly scandalized by how much I like kissing (my 16 year-old self was seriously considering not kissing anyone until she was engaged).
6. If you could donate one million dollars to any charity, which would it be? I think I would first put it all into Kiva loans. Once they were repaid, I would donate the money to the United Way, the Liz Shropshire Foundation, the Beverly Taylor Sorensen Foundation, and Water for Life.
7. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths? Passion. For my life work, for the people I care about, and for life itself. Also, I'm pretty hot.
8. If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which would you choose? An otter. Because they're adorable, and smart enough to use tools, and playful, and awesome swimmers. And also they are rather fierce when provoked.
9. What is your favorite type of music? The kind that makes me remember what I love about life and opens me up to experiences and feelings beyond my own.
10. How old were you when you had your first kiss, and how did it happen? I was 19, and had been exclusive with my first boyfriend for just about 24 hours. I was terrified of kissing, and told him I wanted to wait like, a week. That night, we were watching Beauty and the Beast and I was reminding myself over and over that I wasn't going to kiss him that night, because he was sick and I didn't want to catch it. After the movie, we both fell asleep on his parents' couch. We woke up around 3:00 am and were talking. I was only half-conscious and saying a lot of thing that didn't quite make sense. He asked if he could kiss me. I tried really hard to remember why I didn't want to kiss him, but I was too sleepy, so I let him kiss me. The next day I woke up coughing, and remembered why I wasn't supposed to kiss him. Thankfully, it was just a cold, not mono or anything.
11. Who is your favorite figure from history? Hmm... Hildegard von Bingen was pretty rad. I would pick either Hildegard or Abe Lincoln.
11 blogs I'm nominating for the liebster award:
Andy's blog: the joy of life
Bekah's blog: From the Mixed-up Files of Ms. Rebekah E. Westrup
Callie's blog: sunshine
Matt's blog: matt's blog
Meilina's blog: Good Things to Come
Emilia's blog: In Which I Start a Blog
Whitney's blog: Hypaethral
Ellie's blog: life is beautiful
Todd's blog: Fritter and Waste the Hours in an Off-hand Way
Jenni's blog: the breadbox
Jacob's blog: A Thomas or a Paul?
Questions I want the nominees to answer:
1. What is the most impulsive thing you've ever done?
2. What is your favorite breakfast food?
3. If you had to choose one holiday to repeat every day for a year, what would it be?
4. What is your favorite type of weather?
5. Why do you blog?
6. Cats or dogs?
7. If you had to choose one, would you rather spend the rest of your life on a vegetarian diet or a gluten-free diet?
8. Would you rather backpack Europe staying in cheap hostels along the way, or take a Mediterranean cruise?
9. What is your favorite national park?
10. If you had to live in the world of one science fiction or fantasy book, which would you choose?
11. What song is stuck in your head right now? (bonus points if you include a video of yourself singing along).
note the first: if you don't feel like doing a liebster post in response to being nominated, no pressure. Though I would love to hear what all y'all have to say. Also, I'm way too lazy to go through and comment on all 11 of these blogs to inform you that you were nominated. So...hopefully you see it on here? Maybe I'll tag you on facebook or something, too.
note the second: there are a lot of other people whose blogs I love. way more than eleven. if Dria picked you in her post, you were automatically disqualified for mine. sorry, friends.
So, conditions for the Liebster award require me to post 11 things about myself. Thus, in no particular order:
11 facts about me:
1. I have an inordinate fondness for reptiles. Especially turtles and snakes. I would love an albino corn snake (they're so pretttyyyyy) but barring that, I would be happy with a box turtle.
2. I once peed my pants while on a date with a boy I really liked.
3. This one time I went scuba diving in the Caribbean and threw up. On my sister's head. She didn't notice though, because we were underwater so the vomit just kinda...dissipated. Honestly, I'm just glad I remembered to remove my regulator first, because nothing sounds worse than inhaling your own puke.
4. I don't like fruit. The textures make me gag. Except apples. And pineapple. Pineapple is wonderful.
5. When I was 14, I had the lead in my junior high's production of Annie Get Your Gun. This marked the apex of both my acting career and my popularity.
6. I have a thing for beards. I will readily admit that not every man can pull off a beard, but those that can...holy cow.
7. I sort of have an obsession with webcomics. Here are some of my favorites: Wondermark, Dinosaur Comics, Hark! A Vagrant!, and Nimona.
8. I love Chacos. My Chacos have accompanied me to 7 different countries, 6 castles (if I'm counting right), several mountaintops, a few church meetings and both an LDS temple and a Hare Krishna temple.
9. I once climbed a bookshelf in my sleep.
10. I play the ukulele. It is my antidepressant. (Well, actually Zoloft is my antidepressant...but the ukulele is my other, slightly more effective antidepressant).
11. When I acted up as a small child, my parents had to ground me from books instead of from friends, because I didn't care enough about friends for that to be much of a reinforcer.
My 11 answers to Dria's questions:
1. What is your favorite type of book to read? All of them. All the books in the world. Or anything with really beautiful prose. Even if the story is nonexistent, give me some pretty words and I'm happy.
2. What is your dream job? Professional napper. Oh wait, a real job? Elementary music specialist.
3. If you could visit any country, which would you visit? Just one country? Well, I think the next one on my list is the United Kingdom. Specifically, I would like to backpack the entire British Isles for a few weeks. Maybe I'll do that next year, after graduation.
4. Where do you think you'll be in ten years? Earth, probably. I mean, I guess there's a chance that there will be colonies on Mars by that point, but Mars seems kinda...barren. And far from my family.
5. If your 16-year-old self could see you now, what would he or she think of you? She would be surprised that I am planning on teaching elementary school, disappointed in how little I practice the piano, ecstatic about how much I've traveled, and slightly scandalized by how much I like kissing (my 16 year-old self was seriously considering not kissing anyone until she was engaged).
6. If you could donate one million dollars to any charity, which would it be? I think I would first put it all into Kiva loans. Once they were repaid, I would donate the money to the United Way, the Liz Shropshire Foundation, the Beverly Taylor Sorensen Foundation, and Water for Life.
7. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths? Passion. For my life work, for the people I care about, and for life itself. Also, I'm pretty hot.
8. If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which would you choose? An otter. Because they're adorable, and smart enough to use tools, and playful, and awesome swimmers. And also they are rather fierce when provoked.
9. What is your favorite type of music? The kind that makes me remember what I love about life and opens me up to experiences and feelings beyond my own.
10. How old were you when you had your first kiss, and how did it happen? I was 19, and had been exclusive with my first boyfriend for just about 24 hours. I was terrified of kissing, and told him I wanted to wait like, a week. That night, we were watching Beauty and the Beast and I was reminding myself over and over that I wasn't going to kiss him that night, because he was sick and I didn't want to catch it. After the movie, we both fell asleep on his parents' couch. We woke up around 3:00 am and were talking. I was only half-conscious and saying a lot of thing that didn't quite make sense. He asked if he could kiss me. I tried really hard to remember why I didn't want to kiss him, but I was too sleepy, so I let him kiss me. The next day I woke up coughing, and remembered why I wasn't supposed to kiss him. Thankfully, it was just a cold, not mono or anything.
11. Who is your favorite figure from history? Hmm... Hildegard von Bingen was pretty rad. I would pick either Hildegard or Abe Lincoln.
11 blogs I'm nominating for the liebster award:
Andy's blog: the joy of life
Bekah's blog: From the Mixed-up Files of Ms. Rebekah E. Westrup
Callie's blog: sunshine
Matt's blog: matt's blog
Meilina's blog: Good Things to Come
Emilia's blog: In Which I Start a Blog
Whitney's blog: Hypaethral
Ellie's blog: life is beautiful
Todd's blog: Fritter and Waste the Hours in an Off-hand Way
Jenni's blog: the breadbox
Jacob's blog: A Thomas or a Paul?
Questions I want the nominees to answer:
1. What is the most impulsive thing you've ever done?
2. What is your favorite breakfast food?
3. If you had to choose one holiday to repeat every day for a year, what would it be?
4. What is your favorite type of weather?
5. Why do you blog?
6. Cats or dogs?
7. If you had to choose one, would you rather spend the rest of your life on a vegetarian diet or a gluten-free diet?
8. Would you rather backpack Europe staying in cheap hostels along the way, or take a Mediterranean cruise?
9. What is your favorite national park?
10. If you had to live in the world of one science fiction or fantasy book, which would you choose?
11. What song is stuck in your head right now? (bonus points if you include a video of yourself singing along).
note the first: if you don't feel like doing a liebster post in response to being nominated, no pressure. Though I would love to hear what all y'all have to say. Also, I'm way too lazy to go through and comment on all 11 of these blogs to inform you that you were nominated. So...hopefully you see it on here? Maybe I'll tag you on facebook or something, too.
note the second: there are a lot of other people whose blogs I love. way more than eleven. if Dria picked you in her post, you were automatically disqualified for mine. sorry, friends.
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