Ever Wonder...

... what the world starts to look like for me after being AWAKE for 24 hours straight then only getting 2 HOURS of sleep? Something like:

Today... shall be... an adventure. 

Hello World!

Remember me? No? I was that girl that used to have a life. 

I used to read fiction instead of textbooks...

There was even a time I used to sleep, but then that might have all been a daydream.

This semester has been pretty crazy and is testing the edge of my limits, though I've set up some gear to keep me from falling completely off the cliff!

And if that weren't fun enough, last week I slipped in mud and knocked my shin pretty good on a stepping stone. Good enough, in fact, to warrant a visit to the student health center. Wanna see?

Lovely? No? My accident prone brother Matt would be proud. Of course, he would have one-upped me and actually broken it, but I think I'll let him win the being hurt in stupid ways contest. :)

On the Road Again

I enjoy traveling, but sometimes the drives are just so LONG! This weekend I'm helping with something in Las Vegas so I headed that way today. Having made myself wake up at 5 am (yes, you can call me crazy) and doing a Zumba class, I was rather tired. One thing that sometimes helps me is to stop along the way--as I feel inspired--and take pictures. Like these ones:

Thanks to the rain it was a rather beautiful scenery as I came down. Still, it didn't quite do the trick and I had to take a nap at a Cedar City Maverick station parking lot. Oh well. Caffeine will be on the menu next time.

The Greatest Antidepressant in the world

This whole week I've been quite a crab. Seriously. Red face, pincers, little beady eyes, and all. It's not that I've been trying to be that way. In fact, I've worked very hard at trying to make sure I don't come across crabby to every person I meet. I've been trying to be more social and find it helped for the most part, but then I'd be alone and suddenly the crab would return, irritated even by the slightest annoyance.


So yesterday after working a full 8 hours (having covered someone else's shift as well as my own) and being hungry all day, when a friend from my Italy adventures asked if I could help her with a paper and she'd take me out to dinner in return, I snatched it up. Part of this was definitely selfish (or shellfish, I guess if you want to continue the analogy)-- I was definitely hungry, have little that's truly appetizing in my fridge and really... there's no better person than Jen to cheer you up when you're ready to just find a hole and hide in it for the next semester just to avoid the schedule that's about to be heaped upon you.

We laughed and had fun and after  full belly, I was glad to come back to the school and start helping her with the editing and last minute things she needed to have put into the paper.

At a computer kitty corner from ours was a woman who was going back to school and told us she hadn't touched a computer in about 30 years. We helped get her set up with the document and she started typing, which she said was painfully slow after years out of practice.

Jen and I worked and worked on her paper until (yay!) it was complete. She planned to stay to add a last few citations and I grabbed my bag to go home and crash for the night.

Then I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the woman we'd helped earlier had everything handwritten already. She was having to type with just her index finger, trying to make it go as fast as she could and I had an idea. "How about I type for you?" I asked her.

She seemed amazed. She told me she was about to cry (a feeling I remember well at the greater generosity of some donors that allowed me to go to Italy). I sat there and typed for the next hour as we got through two of her assignments then I helped her submit them.

Was I tired by the end? Exhausted. But it was worth it. Even this morning I feel happier and brighter. Finding a simple opportunity to serve in that way has practically vanished all the selfish, bitter, mean feelings I've harbored all week that have been weighing me down. In a little way and with little effort and time I was able to help her, but I was also able to remind myself how to get out of these funks--by service.

It's a tried and true method and I hope that next time I remember it sooner! That way I won't have people ready to throw me into a pot of boiling water!

Independence Day

July 4th was practically sandwiched this year with Patriotism! Because it was on a Sunday, Stadium of Fire was held Saturday night and the City of Provo did their big parade Monday morning. It was great good fun!  I went with Chessie Saturday night up to the park where we had a mini picnic and then went to see the new Robin Hood at the dollar theater (gotta love Provo) before finding a cozy spot on the hill to watch the big show.

The fireworks were fun, but the normal 10 minutes it would have taken to drop her back off at her house took an hour and a half!!!

Monday morning instead of fighting the traffic, My roommate and I took our bikes and headed down to Lance's for breakfast and to watch the parade. Being early, I almost forgot my camera, but luckily it was a three minute bike ride to remedy! Here's what we saw:

Here's the Gang: Trent, Taylor, Liz (the roomie), Levi, Lance and DK. We had pancakes while we were waiting!

Marching Bands have a tendency to make me nostalgic. The other day I was driving while Provo High was marching the streets practicing and I had the ridiculous urge to go find a flag and start doing drop spins! 

 Besides the Marching bands we got to see:

The Boyscouts

Some serious Viking-ness

Provo's cutest baby!

Great Old Fashioned Cars

Bag Pipers

 Cheerleaders and Dancers

You know... just in case someone dies of heat stroke during the parade.

Lady Liberty and our Founding Fathers

Cinderella (Of COURSE! What's more patriotic than Disney?)

Remember Harry and the Henderson's? This is Harry's son... Harley.

And just because it's Utah:

 Moses, Joseph and Nephi...

The Missionaries (The sister's were the most photogenic... sorry!)

And the #1 reason to be an AP is... 

And these... these were just fun!

Hope everyone had a great Independence Day!

Eye Candy Crush

The other night I met some friends for dinner. One of these friends just got back from her year and a half mission in Japan. Our other friend brought her hubby. My new RM friend brought her brother who was visiting from Hawaii.

Her brother is (not going to lie) VERY attractive. Yes, I had an eye candy crush in about ten seconds. THEN he spoke.

See my friend is originally from Australia. So is her brother! In case you've been living in a cave somewhere, you need to know that Australian accents are pretty much the hottest thing out there.

Even in Italy whenever I saw some very attractive guy, nine times out of ten when he opened his mouth it became very clear he was from Australia. I definitely know where my next big trip will be to!

Breakfast dilemma

You know how when you're going to be gone for longer than your milk's expiration date you  make sure to get rid of all your perishables?

So when you're back that first morning and go to have some breakfast you realize... you got nothing.

You can't have toast, because you need bread for that.

Eggs--zilch... so no omlet.

No milk, so while you have plenty of cereal, that's out of the questions because, face it, only heathens and babies eat cereal dry.

And just as you're about to resign yourself to ramen noodles for breakfast, you move aside a bag of flour and there is the Holy Grail of breakfast items: Pop Tarts.

Your mouth starts to water and you're singing Hallelujah as you wait for them to warm up and then you realize... life is good again!