All About Me in ABCs

A
- Available: More or less
- Age: 22 (as of four days ago)
- Animal: I like cats
- Actor: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Wilson
- Actress: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Audrey Hepburn

B

- Birthday: December 25
- Best Friend: Hmm, that's tough
- Best feeling in the world: knowing everything will work out if you do the best you can
- Blind or Deaf: I'd rather be blind--I would miss music too much if I were deaf
- Best weather: Cool and sunny
- Been on stage?: Yes. I've been in orchestras since I was eleven.
- Believe in yourself?: I'm trying to
- Believe in life on other planets: It's possible
- Believe in miracles: yes
- Believe in Magic: not really
- Believe in Satan: Unfortunately, yes
- Believe in Santa: not since I was ten

C
- Car: I don't have one of those
- Candy: I don't really go for candy much, except for Skittles or Starburst flavored jelly beans. I also like expensive chocolate.
- Color: Purple, blue, burgundy, gray
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Mmm...chocolate
- Cake or pie: pie
- Countries to visit: Japan, France, England, Polynesian Islands, Australia...

D
- Day or Night: Either
- Danced: Eh, I took a social dance class
- Dance in the rain?: Yes, actually. I did it last summer with one of my roommates. It got so cold that we made hot chocolate when we went back inside. It was glorious.

E
- Eyes: brown
- Everyone has a: body
- Ever failed a class?: yeah, I have

F
- Full name: Laura Elizabeth Slack
- First thoughts waking up: Is it time already?
- Food: Tex-mex, Japanese, spaghetti, salmon

G
- Greatest Fear: Probably not being loved.
- Giver or taker: I've been a bit of a taker as of late, but I'm working on being more of a giver
- Gum: I hate gum.
- Get along with your parents?: Yes
- Good luck charm: I don't know if I have one of those.

H
- Hair Color: brown
- Height: 5' 4"
- Happy: Mostly
- Holiday: Christmas
- Hate: reptiles, rodents, dirty bathrooms, stinky fridges

I
- Ice Cream: Peanut Butter Chocolate
- Instrument: violin

J
- Jewelry: I love pearls. Just about anything classic.

K
- Kids: I want a big family.
- Kickboxing or karate: Karate, maybe.
- Keep a journal?: I'm not so good about it.

L
- Longest Car Ride: Probably from Houston to San Francisco when I was seven.
- Letter: Do I have a favorite letter? Maybe "L" for obvious reasons.
- Laughed so hard you cried: hmm...
- Love at first sight: I don't believe in it.

LAST PERSON WHO...
1. Slept in a bed beside you?: Maybe my mom. We had to share a bed because there were two beds and three people. Craig got his own bed.
2. Saw you cry?: One of my roommates.
3. Went to the movies with you?: Some of my relatives after Thanksgiving.
4. You went to the mall with?: My mom.
5. You went to dinner with?: My family.
6. You talked to on the phone?: Andrew, incidentally
7. Made you laugh?: I laugh a lot, so who knows?

M
- Milk flavor: I like chocolate milk occasionally. But I drink 1% milk. I refuse to drink skim.
- Mooned anyone?: Nope.
- Marriage?: Not married, but I would love to be married sometime in the not-too-distant future.
- Motion sickness?: I got a little dizzy once when we were driving down a mountain in West Virginia when I was twelve, but that's the closest I've gotten.
- McD's or BK?: Wendy's or Scoreboard Grill.

N
- Number of Siblings: 3
- Number of Piercings: One hole in each ear

O
- Overused Phrases: "Oh dear"
- One wish: Be married in the temple to someone wonderful.

P
- Place you'd like to live: I love Texas, but I'll go where I am supposed to go.
- Perfect Pizza: Lots of cheese.
- Pepsi/Coke: I don't drink soda.

Q
-Quail: What do they look like?

R
- Reason to cry: I have to go back to school soon...

S
- Song: I go through phases.
- Shoe size: 7 or 7 1/2 (depending on the shoe)
- Salad Dressing: Ceasar or Asian
- Sushi: I love sushi!
- Scent: A freshly bathed baby. Oh, and my Japanese Cherry Blossom body splash from B&BW
-Skipped school: It has happened
- Slept outside: Never done it, unless "slabs" count
- Seen a dead body?: You mean one besides the funeral home? I don't think so, unless you count road kill.
- Smoked?: No
- Skinny dipped?: No
- Shower Daily?: Yes
- Sing well?: So my roommates ay.
- In the shower?: Only when no one is around.
- Swear?: Try not to.
- Stuffed Animals?: yes
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Strawberries.
- Scientists need to invent: housekeeping robots

T
- Time for bed: usually by eleven
- Thunderstorms: I love them
- TV: The Office, House, What Not To Wear (when I had cable)
- Touch your tongue to your nose? no

U
- Unpredictable: Not really.

V
- Vegetable you love: steamed broccoli or roasted sweet potatoes
- Vacation spot: I want to visit France

W
- Weakness: Mexican food
- When you grow up: I want to be a mom, but I would also like to be a writer.
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: Stephan and I are kind of alike...it's weird.
- Who makes you laugh the most: my brother Craig or my roommates
- Worst feeling: guilt
- Wanted to be a model?: Maybe for a day
- Where do we go when we die: Ask the LDS (Mormon) missionaries. They'd explain it better than I could.
- Worst weather: Incessant snowing or oppressive heat

X
-X-Rays: My teeth at the dentist and one time on my left ring finger after I sprained it.

Y
-Year it is now: 2008... almost 2009
-Yellow: Not my favorite color.

Z
- Zoo animal: Cheetah
- Zodiac sign: Capricorn

finished!

As of 5:30 today, I finished finals! Hooray! I essentially took three finals today and wrote a paper. I finished my paper around 11 or so today, took my Music 201 exam online, did my final discussion for ELANG, turned in the paper then, and then took my Physical Science final. Next semester will be my last full semester at BYU. After that, I take my last two classes during spring and summer and I will graduate in August. Yikes! I will need to apply for graduation next semester, oh joy. I hope it won't be too bad.

So, I've been packing a little bit. My shuttle picks me up in between 8:30 and 9 tomorrow morning (uggh) and my plane leaves around noon. I hope it doesn't snow again tomorrow. The reason I'm leaving so early is because of snow and holiday traffic.

We had a snow storm this morning. It was amazing, and it made me decide that I wasn't going to leave the apartment until I HAD to. I'm not a huge fan of snow. It was so cold--I was grateful for my thermals, boots, socks, scarf, coat, and gloves! I don't like putting on so many layers, but it made walking outside more tolerable.

I'm thinking about signing up for an exercise class next semester. Not one for credit, but one through aerobics.byu.edu. I wanted Pilates, but the class times are inconvenient for me. However, KardioFusion caught my eye:

An intense cardiovascular workout with hi/lo and kick. Class includes toning and corework using Pilates and other methods.

My core could use some strengthening, since back problems do run in my family. And I could sure use some toning. But intense? Hmm, I dunno. But it would be good for me. I'll think about it. And the class is on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings, which wouldn't be bad for me because I don't have class on these days. There's also a class on Saturday mornings, and it would get me out of bed at a reasonable hour.

christmas survey

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

• I'm not that great at wrapping (I am improving), so gift bags have been very useful for me.
  

2. Real tree or Artificial?

• Artificial, thank you. They aren't as messy.
  

3. When do you put up the tree?

• Usually at the start of December, but my parents weren't able to get the tree out of the garage themselves, so they're waiting for my brothers to help.
  

4. When do you take the tree down?

• Around New Years or so.
  

5. Do you like eggnog?

• *gag* No.
  

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

• Hmm, that's hard. Probably the Simba stuffed animal that I got for my ninth birthday from a former Primary teacher. My birthday is Christmas Day, so that counts. I still have Simba. I got my first real CTR ring when I turned twelve. I don't wear it anymore because it only fits on my left hand...yeah. I plan to pass it down to future posterity.
  

7. Hardest person to buy for?

• My dad, probably. He buys all these gadgets for himself that I can't afford.
  

8. Easiest person to buy for?

• My brothers aren't too difficult.
  

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

• Yes, a very small one.
  

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

• Oh, totally Christmas cards. Be traditional, show you care.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

• I think "most embarrassing" would be more accurate. My older brothers got me a razor for Christmas when I turned twelve. It was payback for when I got them razors.
  

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

• Definitely the animated feature "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
  

13. When do you start shopping?

• Around finals--I get most of my gifts at the BYU bookstore
  

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

• I don't think so
  

15. Favorite thing to eat or drink at Christmas?

• My mom used to make cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, but she doesn't anymore. Mommy, can you make them again?
  

16. Lights on the tree?

• Especially if the tree is pre-lit.
  

17. Favorite Christmas song?

• Handel's Messiah. I prefer the religious Christmas songs to the secular ones that are overplayed to an extreme. My song (according to my mom) is "I Saw Three Ships" because I was born "on Christmas Day in the morning".
  

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

• I travel home for Christmas. I leave in four days!!!
  

19. Can you name all of Santa 's reindeer?

• Nope.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

• We have a star, but I've come to love angels very much.
  

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

• Christmas morning. I open my birthday presents in the evening.
  

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

• The Christmas season starts WAY too early. Whatever happened to Thanksgiving people? I also get sick of the all the pop versions of Christmas songs that are played over and over and over again. I have come to dislike Christmas Carols. Yes, I know it sounds bad coming from someone who was born on Christmas Day.
  

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

• We have some ornaments of musical instruments. I like those.
  

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

• Cajun fried turkey, Mom's mashed potatoes, Mom's homemade rolls...do you see a theme?
  

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

• The Village...it's a great movie
  

before I explode...

I can't believe this is the last week of classes! Aggh! I have two tests this week, projects that are due during finals week, and finals to study for besides. Is it terrible of me to wish that there were one more week in the semester? *dodges flying projectiles*

So, what happened since I last wrote? I went country swing dancing with a guy who took a month to call me after getting my number. But he had a very good reason--he had the mother of all crazy jobs. He hasn't contacted me since the date, but it's not the end of the world. Perhaps he was put off by the fact that my uncle is his home stake president...ha ha.

Then there was Thanksgiving Break. I got to see my family and my mother's family. I went indoor skydiving. You read right. It was a wind tunnel that simulated skydiving. It was a lot of fun, and I think I might want to try the real thing one day. I ate far too much over a period of several days. Not only was there Thanksgiving dinner, but my family ate out a lot. We went to Music and the Spoken Word on Temple Square, and it was wonderful. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sounds so much better live. We walked around Temple Square for a while. We ran into my cousin Kerstin--she's a violinist with Orchestra at Temple Square. We had to take Paul and Scott to the airport so they could make their bus back to Idaho, and then we went to my Uncle Vernon's house in Alpine for dinner. A very full break indeed. I was actually kind of glad to get back to Provo because my vacation was so full! My parents were in Utah until Wednesday and were able to come to my orchestra concert on Tuesday. My cousin Anika invited us over for dinner before my concert, which was fun. My little cousin Luke had a lightsaber duel with my dad. I never thought I would live to see my dad play with a lightsaber, and make sound effects no less! By the way, Luke won.

What else? My roommate's boyfriend is visiting from Texas. I'm preparing a Sunday School lesson. I'm going home on December 17. My little brother FINALLY got a housing contract. He's going to be living pretty close to me. I seem to have a lunch date next week...yes, with a boy.

Why I'm a Republican

Why do I lean towards the right side of the political spectrum? For a long time, it was mostly because my parents did. Over time, I developed some opinions on gun control, abortion, marriage, etc. However, for a time I considered myself a moderate. That was during my disillusioned high school days in the IB programme. I supported gay marriage to a certain extent--I mean, my church didn't have to allow it, so why couldn't the U.S.? I changed my opinion by the time I got to college. I still hated gun control.

When I got to college, I sort of lost touch with the political arena. This was mostly because I was trying to focus on school and felt like I didn't have time to acquaint myself with politics.

Since this election, however, I have tried to become more knowledgeable about politics. I am still a Republican. Why? (this list is in no particular order)

1. I am against gun control

I think gun control is flat out the dumbest thing ever. Does anyone remember what happened during prohibition? That's right, the drinking problem got a lot worse! That's what will probably happen if the government decides to take away our right to own firearms. I stand by the mantra "It's not the gun that kills; it's the hand that pulls the trigger". I like having the right to defend myself, thank you very much. And think of it this way: would you try to rob someone if you knew that everyone had a gun? I think not. And having the right to weapons is in the Bill of Rights: the right to bear arms.

2. I am against abortion

I believe that everyone has a right to life. Sure, the woman has a choice to kill the baby inside of her, but does the baby have any say in the matter? No! If you don't want to get pregnant, there are ways to prevent pregnancy: birth control pills, condoms, etc. And there's the best way yet to not get pregnant: don't have sex in the first place. Now, I do support abortion in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is in jeopardy. My mother has a cousin who had to have an abortion because there was a problem that would not only kill the baby but would also kill her. Even in these cases, I don't think the decision to have an abortion is a decision to be made lightly. Abortion has always been legal in these instances. If it interests you, of all the abortions that are performed in this country, very few are for cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening conditions.

3. I am against gay marriage

I support the traditional family. Now, when I say that I am against gay marriage, I am not saying that I am against gays. Far from it. I know people who are gay and bisexual, but I do not hate them. The reason I am against gay marriage is on the basis that marriage should be exclusive to being between a man and a woman. If gay marriage is legalized, who says that a man cannot marry two women? Or a woman marry two men? "But they love each other" one may say. Well, two thirteen-year-olds can profess to be in love, but should they get married? No!
Since it seems that even those who voted for Obama voted for measures to keep marriage between men and women, I guess this is somewhat irrelevant.

4. I don't like socialist medicine

I was born in a country that had socialist medicine, and it stinks. When my mom was having babies, she and my dad had to pay for the epidural separately and the clinic had to call in an anesthesiologist to administer it. The anesthesiologist came when it was almost too late when my brother Craig was born, and he didn't come in time for me. I was born quickly, so that had something to do with it.
Now, the idea of everyone being able to have health insurance is a great idea, hypothetically. It would probably work in a small country with not very many people, but it would be disastrous in the United States. Who likes waiting in line at the DMV to get a license renewed? Well, that's what it would be like to go the doctor, only worse. In countries such as Japan and Canada that have government-sponsored health programs, people have to wait months for simple medical procedures and sometimes people die. Or if they have money, they'll come to the United States for quick healthcare. I have a friend who served his mission in Montreal but had to come home early because he had to have surgery. Recovering from the surgery he needed would already take months, but it would take even longer in Canada because he would have to wait longer (and he really needed the surgery). He chose to come home for that reason.


What it all boils down to is that I don't want the government to control every aspect of my life. That's what conservatism is all about: limited government. It's what our Founding Fathers fought for. I also want a goverment that supports morality and good values.

Thank you, that is all.

eight things..,

8 things I am passionate about:
1. The Church
2. My family
3. My friends
4. music
5. good grammar
6. literacy
7. the traditional family
8. the right to life

8 words or phrases I say often:
1. What?
2. What the heck!
3. Oh dear... (everyone I've lived with)
4. How was your day?
5. No!!!!
6. Woo-hoo!
7. Woot
8. Hey!

8 things I want to accomplish in the coming year:
1. Graduate from college
2. Start working on my book
3. Be a better cook
4. Speak better French
5. Perhaps...have a relationship?
6. Be a better person
7. Not be so anxious
8. Get in shape

8 places I would love to go or visit:
1. France
2. Quebec
3. Japan
4. New York
5. England
6. Ghana
7. Hawaii
8. The Polynesian Islands

8 things I need or want:
1. Well, I would like a boyfriend (a want, not a need)
2. more storage
3. to clean
4. sushi
5. to not have writer's block
6. to exercise
7. to get more sleep
8. fun fun!

all better!

I have made a full and complete recovery from food poisoning...yay! Where did I get it? I think I got it from a bridal shower I went to on Saturday. They had taco salad there...but no one else is sick as far as I can tell. But I've always had a slightly sensitive digestive tract, so there you go. It was a fun bridal shower! It was for Tia, one of my friends and my visiting teacher last winter. She's getting married the day before Thanksgiving in Salt Lake. I won a tiara in one of the games we played (I'll post pictures later). The game: you had to pass around a wrapped gift while music played (Michael Buble's "Everything"...lovely) and when the music stopped, whoever was holding it had to open a layer. Different little gifts came from various layers, and the last layer came to me...and it was a tiara. I asked if it meant that I'm next...ha ha.

After the bridal shower, I went home and got ready for my blind date. I was a little nervous. It was fun. It was a double date because Stephen was very nervous (can't say I blame him). First we went to the BYU Men's and Women's Chorus concert. After that, we went and got some gelato. I ended up doing most of the talking, but he did ask for my number at the end of the date, which is hopeful I suppose. We will see.

My roommates and I were going to have a fondue party on Sunday, but my sudden onset of food poisoning delayed it once again. Are we never going to have this fondue party? Seriously. Another week to figure out which guy I'm going to invite to this little affair. I really don't like inviting guys to things, I really don't. They should be inviting ME! But that was another post, several months ago.

blegh...

So, yesterday was pretty good. And my date was pretty good too. He was so nervous--I was the one doing most of the talking. But he asked for my number at the end, so I guess that's positive.

Why the title of my post? Well, I woke up at nearly six this morning feeling sick to my stomach. I decided to go to church anyway, since I had to give the lesson in Sunday School. I gave my part of the lesson in Sunday School and turned time over to my co-teacher to teach. At the beginning of his lesson, he talked about his soccer days in high school when they had post-summer conditioning and some players would throw up. Well, that started something. I ran to the ladies' room with my mouth covered and didn't quite make it to the toilet in time. Yep, I threw up. Two of my roommates came in, cleaned up, and offered to walk me home. Amy went back into the classroom and got my stuff and she walked me home. She even gave me some antiseptic to swish around in my mouth.

I think it was food poisoning. I'm feeling better now, but I don't have an appetite. I'm grateful for my roommates, who are taking good care of me. I'm also glad it's Sunday, that way I don't have to worry about school. And I'm grateful that we do co-teaching in my stake, that way my co-teacher could take over.

wow

McCain lost the election. I can't say I'm too surprised, since the media was so enamored with Obama. I wasn't happy with the results, nonetheless. In my facebook status, I even said that Texas should take advantage of its secession rights. But some good came from this election: Proposition 8 passed in California! When declaring my elation at this piece of news, a couple of "friends" called me a fascist on facebook. Needless to say, I deleted these friends. One guy got onto Chat and told me that I was intolerant and a terrible person; he also hoped that none of my future children would be gay because of their "intolerant" mother. I did not respond to him because I knew his motives were not to find out my point of view, just to trample my opinion and try to make me feel bad. The other guy responded to my status by saying: "Hooray for religious fascism!"

I wasn't particularly good friends with either of these guys, so deleting them wasn't hard. I'm not going to be friends with people who are going to compare me to the people who made the Holocaust happen.

I am not a bigot. I know people who are gay and I do not hate them. My brother's first cello teacher was gay. My hairdresser is gay. I have had friends who are gay. Someone asked: "What if you have a child who turns out gay?" My answer: I will not love them any less. I do not agree with homosexuality, but that does not mean I will hate my own child. I do, however, believe that homosexuality can be overcome, whether it is in this life or the next. The media likes to say that it can't be, but they do not focus on those who have overcome it but rather those who give in.

And Proposition 8 isn't as horrible as the media is making it out to be. Gay and lesbian couples will still be able to enjoy the same legal protections and rights they had before.

If anyone is going to write negative comments here, don't even bother. I have heard enough. I do not persecute you for believing the way you do, I think I have the right to not be persecuted for what I believe.

this week

Today is Election Day. I mailed in my absentee ballot on Saturday. I voted for McCain. I figure he's the lesser of two evils.

So, guess who's got a blind date this weekend? *raises hand* That's right, I do. It's kind of a funny story how it came about. A couple months ago, my roommate Jenny went to a single's ward activity with a guy she was dating at the time. She met this guy in his ward named Steven, and they both thought he'd be perfect for me because we both talk the same way (now there's a scary thought). They came back and told me that they wanted to set me up with him. I wasn't keen on the idea at the time because I was kind of dating someone else at the time, even though I didn't know where it was going. About a week later, Jenny broke up with the guy. And then two weeks after that, my "relationship" ended. I asked Jenny about Steven, and she told me that she was still friends with Andrew (the guy she had been dating) and promised to talk to him about it. Well, a few weeks later, I have a date. Steven has refused to call me because he's petrified about the whole thing. Apparently he hasn't been on many dates and he's fresh off his mission. Leave it to me to break a newly returned missionary into the dating scene...ha ha.

I don't know how I feel about it. Blind dates have never been my favorite. I do wish guys would actually ask me out. About a week before I stopped dating my ex, a guy from my complex kind of tried to ask me out (I think). He asked if we could go swimming sometime, but at the time I was kind of sick and I told him that. I was also on codeine for said illness, so I don't know if I sounded quite right when I told him. Now I regret turning him down...he's a really cool guy and I still do see him around on occasion and he's still very friendly to me whenever I see him. Eh, I read too much into things.

Yeah, that's been my week so far.

in recent events...

I haven't been giving too much updates lately

10/24--I go on my first date since my "break-up". It was all right--I was a backup date after a girl backed out on him. I was perfectly okay with that; I was doing a favor for a friend. But he initiated a DTR at the end...weird. Who initiates DTRs on a first date? We're just friends, if you want to know.

10/25--I go over to my cousin's house to do my laundry and watch her kids while she goes running. Not an unusual occurence in my daily life. But you see, her two-year-old is potty training and he had an accident of the worst kind. It got everywhere...the couch, the carpet, on the other kids, and on my white sweatshirt. Yes, I was upset. I cleaned up what I could and took Luke to the bathroom to clean him up. I put him in a diaper. Anika (my cousin) said that I didn't need to change him and clean him up. Trust me, I had to. If I didn't, I would have thrown up (which I almost did) and she would have had even more mess to clean up. And before these lovely events occured, I changed the baby and he had a gross diaper. He was also very fidgety. Oh the things to look forward to when I have kids...ha ha. But I'm told it's easier when they're your own kids. I sure hope so! Oh, and Anika promised to wash my sweatshirt. Now, I love my little cousins...even when they make gross messes.

10/26--Ward conference. It was also James (my co-teacher) and my turn to teach Sunday School. Stake President went way over time in Sacrament Meeting, so we didn't have much time to teach. Too bad because there were some parts I was really excited to teach, but didn't get to. Then I had an interview with my bishop after church (renewing my limited use recommend), visiting teaching, home teachers, and then visiting teachers. I had a busy day! Aren't Sundays supposed to be the day of rest?

So far, this week has been pretty good. I don't have any plans for Halloween, yet. Halloween for me just happens as it happens. Last year I got asked at the last minute on a double date to a comedy show, which was fun. It was also the first date I had been on in almost a year. Yes, you read right. I once went dateless for almost a year.

I registered for my Winter 2009 classes today. I can't believe that after this semester, I'll only have six more classes that I have to take until I'm done with college. I'm taking five classes this winter (a total of 13 credits):

ELANG 410R: Genre and Substantive Editing (I got into the Magazine Editing section, yay)
ELANG 495R: Senior Capstone Course
ELANG 527: Early Modern English
Music 202: Civilization Music 2 (my last GE)

And I'll be in University Orchestra again. I also signed up for the cooking class, but not for me. It's for my little brother, he wants to take it and this will (hopefully) guarantee that he'll get in. When he registers, I'll drop it and he'll add it. I've also been searching for a place for Scott to live when he gets here, and we think we may have a lead. I have a friend who's getting married and needs to sell his contract. His apartment is really close to where I live and in my stake, so it would be GREAT if Scott could get it. We just need to hear from the manager soon.

After Winter, I'll take my last two classes for my major and minor (one per term) and then I'll be done! Yikes! Then I need to decide how I'm going to get a job. I also need to decide whether I want to stay in Utah and look for a job or if I should just move back to Houston. Decisions, decisions. But I don't have to make them...yet.

Google Game

This looked like fun. It's a bit time consuming though!




My age:

Place I've been:

Place I want to visit:

Favorite place:
Favorite object:

Favorite animal:

Favorite color:

Favorite restaurant:

Birthplace:

Current place of residence:

Pets:
Best friend: Umm, I don't want to single anyone out.

Nickname:

My name:
Grandmother's name:
Bad habit:

First job:

College degree:


What are you doing right now:

addiction

Whenever I check my e-mail, I can also read articles that are linked on my e-mail page. One of these links was entitled America's Most Unusual Addictions. The addictions they listed were tanning, popsicles, Blackberrys, iPods (or just listening to music in general)...you get the picture.

I can almost honestly say that I really don't have any addictions. I guess I can say that I used to be addicted to milk because I used to only eat cereal for breakfast, and you know that cereal must be eaten with milk. But now I've branched out in my breakfast eating. I still eat cereal, but I change up my breakfasts every few days--toast, yogurt, fruit, cream of wheat...etc. I've been trying to eat healthier, and I figure I'll continue eating right if I don't eat the same thing every single day! So far, so good.

Okay, I guess maybe I'm slightly too dependent on my cell phone. You see, if I realize I don't have my cell phone, I panic. I only panic because one of the reasons I even have a cell phone is for safety, like if I'm caught somewhere without a ride, I can call someone. That, and it's really the only way my family can get a hold of me (besides internet) since I don't have a phone in my apartment. If I know I left my cell phone at home, I feel a lot better. But if I think I've lost it, then I really panic. I'm not addicted to texting, in fact, I don't even LIKE text messaging. I am glad I have it because it has come in handy, such as when the AT&T tower in Provo wasn't working. I couldn't call my family, but I was so glad I could at least text! I found out through a text from my dad that the AT&T tower in Provo was down. So, I wouldn't do away with texting altogether, I just think that people shouldn't do it so much. Besides, it hinders human interaction.

Unlike many people I see on the BYU campus, I don't think I'm addicted to my iPod. To be sure, I love listening to music. I hate seeing so many people with their iPods stuck in their ears--it makes them look so unapproachable. And really, how many songs can you listen to in ten minutes between classes? I really only listen to my iPod when I go walking in the mornings--it makes the workout more fun. Sometimes I'll listen to some Enya when I'm having trouble falling asleep. And I've found that listening to Celine Dion in French when I'm walking to the MTC on Wednesdays helps me with my French when I'm playing investigator to the missionaries. So nope, I'm not addicted to my iPod.

I've learned to live with limited internet--last winter, I couldn't get a decent wireless connection in my apartment. I've also learned to live on very little TV. Now I only really watch House (when it's good), The Office, and maybe the news once in a while.

I'm not even addicted to chocolate...and I'm a girl! I do enjoy chocolate, but only the really good kinds.

lah-ruh vs. loh-ruh

So, my name is Laura. Sounds simple, right? I mean, there are only two syllables and it's not too hard to spell. But people mispronounce my name ALL THE TIME. I prefer "lah-ruh" personally. However, people keep telling me that the particular spelling of my name dictates that my name should be "loh-ruh", because of the "au" in the name.

Allow me to give you a few "au" words that have an "ah" sound in them:

August
augment
autistic
audio
audit
audition
bauble
baulk
caucasian
caucus
caught
cauldron
cause
flaunt
haul
jaundice
laud
laundry
launch


The list goes on. So, there is no reason that I cannot be "lah-ruh" because there are many words in the English language that defy this supposed rule that I should be "loh-ruh"; just people's opinions, which is what the rules of the English language were originally based on anyway.

My mom's family has always called me "lah-ruh". My dad's...well, it's kind of half-in-half. It's ironic because my dad and his siblings have the unique names that people have a hard time pronouncing. That, and my dad was the one who chose my full name, long before he was married. To him, it was "lah-ruh". It's kind of funny how at Slack family reunions, I have two different identities. Now, I do answer to "loh-ruh". I kind of have to because of my Texas upbringing. I mostly don't correct people, but I do correct my friends. I probably should start correcting relatives, but a lot of them don't see me very often so I guess I shouldn't make a big deal out of it. And some of them I have corrected, but they forget.

So, for those who read this, it is "lah-ruh". I think I said it in my About Me, but now I have proof that it can be "lah-ruh" as well as "loh-ruh", but I prefer the former.

That is all.

My Immortal

This is one of my current favorite songs. I recently got into Evanescence, even though they've been around for a while...yeah, it just takes me that long to get into current artists. But this song really describes how I've been feeling about my somewhat recent "break up". I mean, yeah the guy and I are still friends, but this kind of describes some of the emotions I've been experiencing:

"My Immortal"

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

[Chorus:]
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

[Chorus]

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

[Chorus]

At the moment I am not keen on sharing the details of the break up itself, but I can say that it wasn't the best of situations even though we both tried to keep a good face on it. But this song describes some of the things I faced with him...except the hand-holding and wiping tears part. I did invest a pretty good bit emotionally though, but what should you expect? We were seeing a lot of each other those few months and I was starting to think that we were dating and that there was a possible future. Which isn't to say that there absolutely isn't a future, but I'm not betting on it.

Yeah, this is my late night thought...I should go to bed.

Laura

So, I loved General Conference. I watched all the sessions in different places. I watched the Saturday Morning session at my cousin's house; I watched the afternoon session at my apartment. On Sunday, my roommates and I watched the morning session at our roommate's house in South Jordan and then we went up to Salt Lake to watch the afternoon session at the conference center. We were so lucky we got in! We got in on standby. It was an adventure indeed!

I did this name thing...I don't know if it sounds like me:

What Laura Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic “Type A” personality. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

feeling better

I am recovering...and I feel much better today than I have all week.

I have come to some decisions...for now. Nothing is set in stone.

I've been looking at the requirements to receive a TESOL minor. I have already taken two of the classes necessary for this minor. There are eighteen total credits, but I will only need to finish twelve. This minor isn't far off from my major and current minor. In fact, this will only make me a stronger candidate for employment. Online, it says that the combination of the English Language major and the editing and/or TESOL minors is very strong. If I get all three, maybe I'll be irresistable to employers...haha.

The only drawback to the TESOL minor is that I have to essentially student teach for 450 hours total. I don't know how many semesters that is...probably an entire school year. I do have the option of possibly going overseas to finish this, which would be a wonderful opportunity. Maybe I could teach in France! Just thinking of it makes me want to study my French more! And it would give me the opportunity to become fluent, which has been my dream since I was fourteen. But the problem....money. And I don't know if I would get to come home for any holidays...that would make me sad.

I most likely wouldn't graduate for some time, but I would only be more marketable, right? I don't know how happy my dad will be to hear that I'm going to be in school for a while longer...ha ha. But hey, Paul's graduating soon; the Border Patrol is going to pay for Craig's education; Scott's going on a mission this summer...so what's the big deal? And besides, I may become fluent in the language I've been studying for seven years (if all goes according to plan).

Happy conference weekend!

What to do...

Since my "break-up" of sorts, I've been doing a lot of thinking.

I am wondering what I want to do with my life.

Yes, I know I'm in college, have a major, and that I am supposed to graduate in not too long. If I go the way I'm going now, I could be done next June. I am wondering whether I should try to find a job in Utah and stay here or whether I should go back to Houston. The problem with staying in Utah is that there are not a lot of editing jobs here, so the editors' job market is extremely competitive. Honestly, I don't think I have much of a chance of getting a job here. However, if I can stay in Utah, I have a fighting chance at something resembling a social life. If I go back to Houston, I'll have a better chance at getting a job...but my social life looks pretty bleak. To be honest, I don't have very many friends back in Houston. I know there's a single's ward that meets in my building, but ugh...

There has been some thought at my picking up another minor or certification in another area. As I have said, I am an editing minor but there has been talk of getting another minor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or becoming certified in Family History. I don't know if I want to teach...I'm not a teachy type. Yes, I know I'm a Gospel Doctrine teacher and that I've been a Relief Society Teacher as well, but I don't know if I could be a teacher. And Family History...I don't know how I could get any kind of an income from that.

So, yes I am kind of at a crossroads. It doesn't look like I'll be getting married anytime in the near future, as much as I would like to. I'm not serving a mission. So, I have to find out what I need to do to support myself. Oh, why did my interests have to be in the low income sector?!

back in the dating arena *groan*

Those who are reading the title line are probably thinking: "Wait, you were dating someone?!"

Well, sort of. I had been spending a lot of time with a guy for the last three months, and I thought that meant we were dating. I finally brought it up with him on Friday, and well...we're just friends. It turns out our expectations were different...I'm kind of in the market for something more serious and he doesn't feel ready for that.

I am grateful that there was no physicality involved or else this would be much harder. He and I are going to stay friends. I know that sounds cliche, but I think we really will. We've managed to stay friends for a good while, we just won't see each other as much.

So, this means I'm really back in the dating arena. I guess I never really left, but I wasn't really sure until a few days ago. To be honest, I'm not exactly happy to be back. I really dislike the dating scene, especially since no one has expressed any interest. What the heck is wrong with me that no one expresses interest, eh? Flirting...I hate flirting. Every time I come from trying flirt, I'm exhausted. I guess I'm not a flirtatious person. Asking guys out...puh-leeze. I really hate doing the asking...even though it's one of the very few ways I've ever gone on dates. That, and getting set up. I have yet to go on a good blind date.

Actually, I'm not quite telling the truth about no one showing interest. It appears that I have a secret admirer in my ward. Either that, or someone told some guy to write an anonymous "love note" to me last night. What I speak of when I say "love note" is a ward thing. At ward social after church on Sundays, you can write a "love note" to someone. It's not a romantic thing (unless you want it to be), it's mostly if you want to say something nice to someone. Well, last night, they came by with the love notes after ward social, and I got one. All mine said was: "Hi Laura! You're pretty!" It was signed with a *wink*. It was definitely a guy's handwriting too. Now I'm wondering who wrote it...

But back in the dating arena...when can I get out of it please?! I really don't like it at all! If you have any cliches to say, spare me. I've heard them all.

cows?

So, I'm reading up on the Pennsylvania Dutch variety of English for my ELANG 468 class, and I came across this piece of Pennsylvania Dutch superstition:

"Cows are given the power of speech on the night of Christmas Eve and anyone born on Christmas Day can understand what cows say."

This made me laugh because, for those of you who don't know, I was born on Christmas Day. Hmm, I don't think I can understand what cows say. But then again, I *was* born in Japan. Maybe I can understand what Japanese cows say, hah! Are there cows in Japan? Hmm...

I also found this other piece of folklore:

"When a woman sleeps with her foot sticking out from under the cover, it is warm enough to plant corn."

I do have a tendency to stick my foot out from under the covers when I sleep--I do it when I'm hot. A former roommate said that that was my personal cooling system.

Maybe I've got some Pennsylvanian Dutch in me after all...no wonder one of my friends insists that I sound Pennsylvania Dutch. He must see something in me no one else can...ha ha.

eleven days?

Has it been that long since I posted an entry? Gee. Well, I hope no one has been too depressed that I haven't updated as much lately :)

So, I finally printed out my cover letter and resume for the editing job, only to find out that they had closed submissions four days before. Darn. I guess it's for the best--I was worried about how I was going to work 20 hours a week and do school at the same time. I mean, I cut back on my credit hours when I had a 10 hour a week internship last year! At least I can still go volunteer at the MTC and have a fighting chance at a social life.

I gave my talk on September 14 and it was well-received, even though I stayed up until one a.m. finishing it. I was going to finish it sooner, but I was baby-sitting my little cousins and it was a challenging night. I still love them, don't worry.

I suppose most of you heard that Houston was hit by Hurricane Ike last weekend. My parents were in the storm surge area, but they didn't suffer too much damage. The back fence was blown down and there was a little bit of roof damage, but nothing too serious. My parents were without power for about four days. Thankfully, they were not in any of those long lines for food and gas because our food storage is well-stocked. I am now grateful for those many Family Home Evenings of restocking the 72-hour kits and those many summer days we spent canning food. I have a strong testimony of food storage :)

This last Friday, I got to go to my freshman ward reunion! It was pretty exciting, seeing all of those guys after two years. And they hadn't changed a bit, ha ha.

I got sick this last weekend :( I started exhibiting allergy symptoms earlier last week, but it's normal for me to have allergies at this time of year. But on Saturday, I woke up with chest pains and terrible congestion. I had one of my roommates take me to urgent care, where I was given codeine and a pain reliever of sorts. It turns out it was just allergies, they just got really bad. The medicine is helping and I feel much better, though I have to be careful when I take the codeine because it makes me very sleepy.

So with being sick, I didn't get a whole lot done so I'm going to be spending the rest of the day in the library, trying to get as much done as possible.

Oh by the way, I have a new calling. I'm a Gospel Doctrine teacher....woot.

what's been going on

So, it's been nearly two weeks since I moved in and I just finished my second week of school.

So far, I still like my roommates. My apartment is still pretty clean. We all had really messy roommates last year (I didn't over the spring/summer) so we are all pretty determined that this apartment stay clean. It's pretty easy with just four girls. We now have internet and tonight we are getting an entertainment system (a TV at last!). My ward is great! Everyone is really nice and friendly.

School is good, but now it's starting to get a little overwhelming. I still haven't applied for that job--I keep forgetting to print out my resume. But I think I'll submit it on Monday. I still don't know if I actually want the job, with how busy my schedule is about to get. But I can always turn down the job if it is offered to me. I still volunteer at the MTC, but only an hour a week because that's all I have time for.

My parents are currently surviving a hurricane, and thankfully they are not in the worst part of the storm. I'm not particularly worried about them because we have a strong house and good food storage.

I saw the "World Trade Center" movie last night with my friend. I thought it was going to be extremely depressing, but it actually wasn't. It's not a movie I would watch repeatedly, but I'm glad I saw it. My friend and I both enjoyed it, and it made us think.

I should get back to work. I've got homework to finish and a talk to write. I'm giving a talk in church this Sunday, woot.

random

3 joys
-My family
-My best friend :)
-The Gospel

3 fears
-Losing loved ones
-Not being loved
-Marrying the wrong person

3 current goals
-Be better at scripture study
-Doing well at school
-Being good all around

3 current obsessions
-Dating dilemmas of sorts (working on it)
-School
-Writing a talk

3 random facts about myself
-My CTR ring has diamonds in it (and was once mistaken for an engagement ring even though it is on my RIGHT hand)
-I'm related to famous people in the Church
-I like crocheting

settling in

I flew back to Utah on Friday evening. My mom's aunt and uncle picked me up at the airport, took me to dinner at Chuckarama (big buffet place, it was pretty good), and took me to Draper. They actually drove me to the grounds where the Draper Temple is being built. It's going to be a beautiful temple, I can already tell. I hope I'll get to go through the open house in January. They finally took me back to their house, and I watched TV with them for a while. They seem to like "Murder, She Wrote". I stayed up kind of late, but I guess it's not the end of the world.

Yesterday, I moved into my new apartment. And so far, I'm enjoying it. There are only four of us in the apartment, and there's so much storage space! It's crazy! We don't have desks in our bedrooms, which is kind of a bummer. No bookshelves either, which is bad for me. I have a lot of books. I'll figure it out somehow. There isn't a dishwasher in the apartment either, but that could be a blessing. It forces us to do dishes after we use them instead of fighting over whose turn it is to load/unload the dishwasher.

So far, I love my roommates. We're consolidating our dishes and silverware, so we can use each other's stuff as long as we take good care of it. It's so nice especially after last fall when I had roommates who were completely against sharing dishes. That caused a lot of overcrowding in the kitchen. I guess I am being blessed for all the difficult roommate situations I've been in. I don't regret living in Glenwood for as long as I did. I made some wonderful friends who I still keep in touch with and I grew a lot, spiritually and emotionally. I also had two wonderful bishoprics while I lived there.

I went to church in my new ward today, and I already love my new ward! Everyone is so friendly and so nice! And it isn't just my ward that's friendly, it's my entire complex. That's the nice thing about living in a small apartment complex. As it turns out, I'm in the same apartment that my cousin Rachel lived in last year! No, it wasn't planned. Well, it brought her good luck so maybe I'll have good luck :-) I've met some people who remember her too.

So, life is treating me well. I got to hang out with a very good friend last night, so that was good too :)

quiz results...yeah

I wonder if these really do sound like me...

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

See?  I'm not a pessimist!

You Are A Realistic Romantic

It's easy for you to get swept away by romance... But you've done a pretty good job keeping perspective. You're still taken in by love poems and sunsets You just don't fall for every dreamy pick up line!

Are You Romantic or Realistic?

At least I try to be... Men See You As Choosy

Men notice you light years before you notice them You take a selective approach to dating, and you can afford to be picky You aren't looking for a quick flirt - but a memorable encounter It may take men a while to ask you out, but it's worth the wait

How Do Men See You?

No wonder I had trouble getting dates

You Are Ready to Get Married

You've done more than dream about the dress and the honeymoon In fact, you spend a good deal of your time thinking about what makes a relationship work And from your answers, it looks like you have the skills to say "I Do" and mean it You've dated enough, learned your fair share, and you're ready to settle down.

Are You Ready To Be A Wife?

*ahem* YIKES!!!!!  And no, I am not announcing anything.

You Probably Look Younger Than Your Age

You live a healthy lifestyle and know how to take care of yourself. You'll probably have a youthful glow for many years.

Do You Look Your Age?

Yeah, I know I look young for my age.  Sometimes it annoys me, but I'll probably enjoy it later on.

You Are A Woman!

Congratulations, you've made it to adulthood. You're emotionally mature, responsible, and unlikely to act out. You accept that life is hard - and do your best to keep things upbeat. This makes you the perfect girlfriend... or even wife!

Are You A Girl Or a Woman?

Still home...

I'm still home, until Friday.  So far, I've been clothes and shoe shopping.  I got a haircut yesterday.  It's about shoulder length now and so much easier to comb and such!  It was getting so tangly.  The length is similar to that of the Elizabeth Bennett in the LDS version of Pride and Prejudice.  I've eaten out probably way too much and have probably gained weight.  I'm going to exercise and eat better when I get back to school, I swear!  I've gone to Barnes and Noble.  I've done lots of sleeping.  I've watched a lot of Frasier reruns.  I've talked to a good-looking guy on the phone...heh heh.  No more on that subject.

Pretty good week, I suppose.

the adventures of Laura

I moved out of my apartment on Friday. It was a little sad, but I felt like it was the right thing. I'm pretty excited to be moving on to other things. I flew back to Houston that same afternoon and landed at almost nine in the evening.

On Saturday, I went grocery shopping with my mom for Scott's court of honor. Then my older brother needed to go to Academy to get some athletic shoes with good support. That was a hard venture, since it seems that Craig is bigfoot. But they managed to get good shoes for him. It was a crazy day, and we had the court of honor in the evening. It was short and sweet, which is what we wanted. After the court of honor, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant: Don Carlos. It was so good. I ate so much. I had a lot of chips and queso, three fajitas, and two sopapillas for dessert. Usually when I eat that much, I feel sick. But I was fine. Pregnant woman appetite, except I am NOT pregnant. Ha ha.

The next day was church. And after church, I went with my mom and my older brother to drive to Del Rio, Texas. I mentioned in my last post that Craig made the Border Patrol. Well, Craig had to report to the station in Del Rio to be sworn in and for orientation. He was to report on August 18, so that meant driving on Sunday. Originally, my mom was going to be the only one going besides Craig, but my dad said he would feel better if she took another person with her. She chose me. Del Rio is on the very border of Texas. It's kind of a small town, but it wasn't so bad. We stayed at a Hampton Inn, which was SO nice. The woman who checked us in thought I was under eighteen. She said: "So, two adults and one child?" I told her that I was 21. Yeah, I know I look young for my age. We got really with this hotel--it was across the street from the border patrol headquarters!!! We didn't know that until we saw it.

Yesterday, Craig reported. My mom and I were ready to leave when we saw that we had one flat tire and another that had a bulge! It was hours before we found a place that stocked tires for mini vans. Ugh. But everyone was really friendly and helpful, and we were grateful. We left around noon-ish after eating lunch. I learned how to pump gas in Del Rio. I also got to drive about 100 miles. Cool.

So yeah, that was my adventure. I'm home and loving it.

pray I don't go crazy...

My head is swimming with all I have to do in the next few days. I have to finish a paper for my Literature class, I have to study for two finals, I need to pack, I need to call the Cleaning Check supervisor, I have to move out all before Friday! I still don't know when exactly I'm moving out--either Thursday night or Friday morning. And I still don't know where I'm going to store my stuff or how I'm getting to the airport! Aggh!!!! This is why I hate moving. I still need some boxes--big ones.

My weekend was pretty good. Went to Wal-Mart with roommates on Saturday, prepared my Relief Society lesson, and then had a date to a luau. My friend invited me to a 9-ward luau. And as usual, he called me about 45 minutes before he's supposed to come pick me up, asking if he can come over early so we can upload new CDs to my computer. Yeah, that's his excuse to see me early...ha ha. I had just finished getting ready and let him over. We uploaded one CD and went to the party. It was pretty fun. The food was tasty and I got to meet some people from his ward...including his bishop. After the food, there was something resembling a dance. We stuck around to see if it was any good, but we hated the music so we left. We checked the dollar theater but there weren't any movies we were particularly interested in seeing, so we went back to his house and watched Hidalgo. It was actually a pretty good movie. Then he had to get me home because it was late. A long date, but neither of us seemed to mind. Neither of us said "date", but we were sure as heck thinkin' it I'm sure.

Sunday, I gave my final Relief Society lesson (sad). It was actually my last Sunday in my ward, which makes me kind of sad. I've lived in the ward for two years. I'm going to miss it. I'm kind of scared about moving to Park Plaza because I'm not going to know ANYONE. It's almost like freshman year all over again. I'll still have friends around Provo, but it won't be the same. But I feel like I'm doing the right thing, but still. I'm not a fan of change, which is why I've stayed in the same apartment complex for two years. Ha ha. And hopefully a certain someone won't forget about me during the two weeks I'm gone ;)

In other news: my brother Craig is joining the Border Patrol. He's reporting to the training academy next Monday. My brother Scott is supposed to have his Eagle Scout Court of Honor this Saturday (Mom is still working on that). He also had his wisdom teeth out last Thursday, and is still recovering. My brother Paul is having shoulder surgery this week as well. My mom has been pretty darn busy. I'm pretty darn busy too, got to get back to work!

80 things you might not know about me...some time to kill for me

Whats your middle name? Elizabeth

How big is your bed? Twin

What are you listening to right now? Just the computers around me and people making small talk

What are the last 4 digits in your cellphone number? -- 6351

What was the last thing you ate? – Today was the Magnificent Meal lab in my cooking class. Lasagna, salad, roll, and strawberries...yum

Last person you hugged? – Andrea

How is the weather right now? – Hot and sunny

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? – Mom

What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? -- face and shoulders (for some odd reason)

Favorite type of Food? -- Japanese, Chinese, Italian

Do you want children? -- Yes.

Do you drink? – nope

Ever get so drunk you don't remember the entire night? -- I don't drink

Hair color? -- brown

Eye color? --brown

Do you wear contacts/glasses? – yes

Favorite holiday? -- Christmas (it's also my birthday!)

Favorite Season? -- the best parts of every one of them

Have you ever cried over a girl/boy? -- Not really, no

Last Movie you Watched? -- Ironman

What books are you reading? – Ha ha, several at once

Piercings? -- one in each ear

Favorite Movie? it depends on what mood I'm in

Favorite college football Team? I don't do football

What were you doing before filling this out? – checking stuff on the internet

Any pets? – no

Dogs or cats? -- cats

Favorite Flower? -- lilies, roses, tulips

Have you ever loved someone? – I love my family. I love my friends. Have I ever been in love? I'm not sure yet.

Who would you like to see right now? – I'd like to see my family. But I'd like to see a certain someone really soon...

Have you ever fired a gun? – Of course I have! I'm a Pedersen and a Texan.

Do you like to travel by plane? -- it's better than spending days in a car with annoying younger siblings

Right-handed or Left-handed? -- right

If you could go to any place right now where would you go? – To Houston--I'd love to see my family. But I'm going to see them next Friday!

Are you missing someone? -- A little bit.

Do you have a tattoo? -- No

Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings? -- they stink these days

Are you hiding something from someone? – Maybe, maybe not

Are you 18? -- Thank heavens no.

What is the wallpaper on your cell phone? a clock tower

Did you get enough sleep last night? – eh. I had to get up earlier than usual today...

First thing you thought about this morning? - Do I have to get out of bed?

What do you have on your nightstand? – well, it's my dresser actually. My alarm clock, various odds and ends

Grilled or fried? – that depends

What makes you unique? -- Hmm...I was born Christmas Day. I have a freakishly good memory. I am good at remembering birthdays. I play the violin. And I'm me, doesn't that make me unique?

Are you afraid of the dark? – No.

Favorite Hangout? – Hmm, good question.

3 things you can't live without? – family, books, music

Favorite Song? – That depends on the day.

What are you afraid of? – Losing those closest to me.

Are you a giver or a taker? – giver

What are your nicknames? – Umm...none that are official.

What is your father's middle name? -- Rasmuson

What is your mother's middle name? -- Kay

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what one item would you want? Another very good question. My mom!!!!

Favorite TV Commercial? -- eh

Cell phone provider? -- AT&T

First thing you would save during a fire? my violin, probably. Or my laptop.

Whats your favorite color? -- purple, burgundy, blue, gray...strong colors, mostly

What are things you always take with you? -- phone, purse, wallet...etc.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? – a teacher

What do you usually do when the clock turns to 11:11? -- Oh dear, I probably should be in bed

The color of your bed sheets? -- cream colored with flowers on them

What do you think about before you go to bed? – I need to go to bed earlier...

it's the end of the term already?!

Yeah, pretty freaky. This term has gone by so fast! Spring term was the same way. I guess it's because I've had so much fun. Don't worry Mom, I've been studying. I'm moving out next Thursday; my uncle is making arrangements to get me moved since he's going to be out of town. Then I fly to Houston on August 15, spend a couple of weeks there, and then come back to Provo and move into Park Plaza.


So, last Friday, my friend had a Batman Begins party of sorts at his house. It was kind of a mission reunion, I suppose. The plan was to watch the movie in French since everyone there spoke French to a certain degree (French-speaking missionaries...duh). Or should I say...ben lo-lo!

It was pretty fun. I got to meet some of my friend's old mission buddies and that was pretty cool. I had them try to guess where I'm from just by the way I talk. One of them is a linguistics major, and had me say a sentence that would supposedly pinpoint where I am from. Well, after I said the sentence, he guessed that I was from somewhere in Utah. Boy was he wrong! One of the guys there was named Austin, so I pointed to him and said: "His name is the capitol of the state I'm from." One of the guys yelled: "Texas!!! I remember my state capitols!" I have to say, my friend has some hilarious mission buddies. And as it turns out, I wasn't the only girl in the end. Another guy came late and he brought a date...a French girl no less.

it's alive again!

I got my new AC adapter yesterday and I have a full functioning laptop once more! Hooray!

So, next week is the last full week of the term. I cannot believe it! This term went faster than the last one. Crazy. I'm going home two weeks from tomorrow and I need to make arrangements so I can move out on August 14. Ack. I'll miss Glenwood, but it is time to move on.

reporting from a campus computer

Because the AC adapter on my computer broke. What a bummer. It happened on Saturday night. It's really annoying because I just replaced it last November! I ordered a new one (hopefully it's compatible) and paid for two-day shipping. Then the company called today asking me to confirm my shipping and billing addresses (they're different). I thought I might be getting the power cord tomorrow, but instead I'll be getting it on Wednesday instead. Darn. So now I'm using my laptop very sparingly and making good use of the campus computers until it comes. I'm not too upset, but it's annoying. I'm just glad it's summer term and therefore no lines for the campus computers. It would be even more of a hassle if this happened during fall/winter.

long weekend...

I'm having a four-day weekend now. Well, I'm on the third day of it. On the first day, I had stayed up very late the night before talking to one of my roommates. I did not sleep well, and then the next day, I really did not feel well. It was hot, my body decided that it hated me, and then I was foolish enough to buy a frozen pizza and consume it in its entirety in the course of a day. I did not get sick or anything, but I'm not eating pizza again anytime soon. I felt absolutely rotten.

Classes resumed on Friday, but I don't have classes on Friday. When I got to campus, I bought myself a very nutritious lunch. Nothing like burning the candle at both ends to motivate you to be healthy again. Then, I spent time studying. I actually got stuff done. Yay. Last night, I visited my neighbors and told them about my date....yeah.

Today, I really haven't left my apartment, except to go get a package from the office. You see, it's deathly hot outside and I am not a fan of the heat. My roommate and I are trying to watch North and South online right now.

Maybe I'll get out one of these days.

an evening of new things

I finally got a chance to see Wall*E last night and I enjoyed it! I had heard reviews of both kinds. Most people I knew who had seen it really liked it. However, my mom's family kept saying it was awful. My friend who took me said that he was sure I would like it--he knows me pretty well (so he thinks). After seeing the movie, I realize it's one of those movies you are either going to love or hate. My friend (who had seen it before) said that it was "cute". He uses that word very sparingly, ha ha.

Pixar has got to be one of the most creative film companies around! Where on earth do they get their ideas? Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., etc. Where do they get their ideas? I sure hope it doesn't go down the drain like Disney has in the last several years.

After the movie, my friend and I went to the Creamery and he convinced me to try the Graham Canyon ice cream. I had avoided trying it the last few years because I just didn't like the sound of it. Boy what I've been missing the last two years!!! It's AMAZING ice cream. I had no idea that graham crackers could make such delicious ice cream. This friend has converted me to a few things since I've known him...ha ha.

I know what you're thinking...was this a date? Well, he paid for everything, so I guess it was. But we never said anything about it being a date, I guess we both felt too awkward about saying it. I'm sure we were thinking it.

my weekend

I had a good, though hurried weekend. My mom and brother got into Provo late Friday night. My mom picked me up Saturday morning, and we made a quick trip to the mall. I got a couple of cute tops at Maurice's that I'm pretty excited about.

After going to the mall, we went back to where my mom and brother were staying and checked out and drove up to my grandfather's house in Willard. We were supposed to go shooting in the early afternoon, but my cousin had the mother of all nosebleeds and had to go to the emergency room to have his nostrils cauterized (ick). That took about three hours. And after that, it seemed like everything that could go wrong...did. We finally got about an hour of shotgun shooting in, when it was 100 degrees outside. The reason for the time limit was because we had reservations at one of our favorite restaurants that evening: Maddox. My aunt's family owns the place. So we went to dinner, and it was all right. I had the nerve to order a steak, and I can honestly say that I'm not much of a steak person. I should have ordered the salmon. I love salmon.

Sunday, we went to church with my grandpa. I was a bit woozy during church. I took some sleeping medicine that my mom uses the night before, and I don't think I agreed with it. It was a diuretic, so I guess it made me pretty dehydrated. After church, we cooked a simple spaghetti dinner for grandpa, packed our bags, and headed down to Provo. We visited a friend for a couple of hours and then my mom took me back to my apartment.

feelin' hot hot hot

So, my friend is a meter reader for Provo--electric and water meters to be exact. Well today, he called me while I was studying in the library and asked if I would accompany him on today's route. It was really hot and he was a little lonely and wanted company, so he called me. I was getting close to being done on campus, so I said I'd go. He told me that I needed to dress like I'm going on a hike. I was wearing a skirt when he told me this, so obviously I had to change. First I changed into jeans and a t-shirt, but changed into a dirty pair of capris when he told me that it would be too hot. I also wore athletic shoes, was wearing glasses (the transition lens kind), and had my hair pulled back in a ponytail.

It was really hot, but I had fun. I was so glad I had a bottle water and that I had changed into capris! My friend was afraid that I would be bored and that I would slow him down. But neither happened. He and I had great conversation that made things a lot more fun. Apparently whenever his dad accompanies him, his dad slows him down because he likes to point out the architecture on buildings. Well, his dad is an artist, so I guess he really likes that kind of thing.

To think I had fun accompanying a guy on meter reading! Ha ha!

I get to see my mom and brother this weekend. They're going to be in Provo tonight, and then I'll spend tomorrow morning doing girl stuff with my mom, then we'll go up to my grandfather's in Willard and spend the day and evening there, go to church with him on Sunday, and I'll come back to Provo.

two missed messages and an unexpected visit

I normally don't get a lot of phone calls, so when my phone was silent yesterday, I didn't think that much of it. But when I went to dinner group, one of the guys asked me if I had received a phone call from the library that day, and I told him that I hadn't. Apparently, something I returned was missing a part and they were calling to tell me. Again, I didn't think that much of it. I assumed that they just hadn't called me yet.

A few hours later, I was watching some TV and playing with my laptop when I hear a knock at my door. It was one of my friends, and he usually calls before coming over because he has to drive. I was pleasantly surprised. He told me that he tried to call me, and it kept going straight to voicemail...no ringing. My phone appeared to be working fine, except it didn't say anything about messages. Strange! We visited for about an hour or so. He brought some CDs for me to look at and upload onto my iTunes, and I converted him to Hayley Westenra (hee hee hee). I was very happy to see him because I hadn't seen or heard from him in over a week. He had been on vacation.

After he left, I discovered that my phone wasn't getting any service! I nearly freaked out because my other roommates had service. But then I turned off my phone and restarted it, and sure enough, I had two voicemails: one from the library and one from my friend. I was so relieved! It's sad how dependent we are on cell phones, but hey!

Back to studying...

Hayley Westenra

So, I discovered the singer Hayley Westenra through pandora.com and fell in love with her voice.. I forgot about her for a while, until I did a youtube search and watched some of her videos. Oh my goodness! Hayley Westenra is a singer from New Zealand. She's a lot like Charlotte Church in some ways. She got her start fairly young and does classical. However, unlike Charlotte Church, she did not sing opera stuff when she was barely starting puberty. Therefore, she has not ruined her voice.

Here's one of her videos:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kQQSW35PrEY

She's singing "Ave Maria". I just downloaded her rendition of "May It Be" from Lord of the Rings. Wow, just wow. She's amazing. Everyone should hear her.

amusingly awkward statement by English professor

My last post probably sounds a bit...harried. As to the state of that particular situation, I'm still slightly confused. I'm doing okay, though. He's on vacation with his family this week and will be gone until Sunday, I think. That sort of rhymed, ha ha. I miss him...ever so slightly *laughs*. I'm just fine without him--it's not like my world has come crashing down because he's gone for a week. However, I look forward to seeing him when he gets back...hopefully he won't forget I exist :)

So, I shall explain the meaning of the title of this post.

As you know, I am in Masterpieces of English Literature this term. My professor is a visiting professor from the University of California at Santa Barbara. We are reading Twelfth Night by Shakespeare right now, and we were reading it aloud today. At one point, he was having difficulty in getting volunteers and he started talking about how if he were in our spot, he wouldn't raise his hand either. So then he said something to the lines of: "So, let's come out of our closets now..." He stopped himself and he said: "Whoa! I didn't mean it that way! I'm married and have three kids! I'm from California!" It was amusingly awkward. He is a member of the Church--he joined when he was in his mid-twenties. I'm sure he meant that we should get out of our shells.

I guess you had to have been there.

My old roommate Alyce got her mission call yesterday! She's going to the Knoxville Tennessee Mission and will report on September 3. I'm excited for her!

life is getting pretty confusing

I am reaping the "rewards" for complaining about my lackluster dating life.

Maybe I shouldn't have complained so much, now I'm confused!!!

I'd rather not give too many details here. It's complicated. Why did it have to be a holiday weekend when everyone seems to be gone?! And why does it have to be so late?

I need someone to talk to...

life has gotten a little weirder

My life has been relatively strange lately. For the longest time, I was complaining about my lacking in a dating life. It looks like it is or is about to take off. Oh joy.

I was supposed to have something of a blind date this weekend, but I guess my "matchmaker" got busy and didn't get around to it. He told me that both his friend and I are "highly skeptical" of this whole set-up. Maybe this means we're perfect for each other? Ha ha.

But on Saturday, I spent a good three or four hours with a guy friend of mine. It was bizarre. He came by to give me some CDs he had burned for me and he stayed so he could give me the track names for the music on them. We took a trip out because his dad was at Lowe's and needed the truck and then we stopped at his house after Lowe's so we could pick up his 160 MB iPod. There was some stuff on it he wanted me to listen to. We came back to my apartment, uploaded and listened to some more music, and talked about random things. Then he had to leave. But he called me a few hours later because his former zone leader (kind of a mutual friend of ours, long story) called and he wanted a phone number for a missionary they both knew that I knew from my freshman ward, but I didn't have it. I've got it now, thanks to facebook messaging.

So yeah, this guy has called me about six times in the last 11 days and I've called him maybe three times. And he's talked about things we could do together. I still say we're just friends, but my roommates and my little brother think otherwise. Honestly, I don't know how I feel.

Maybe I shouldn't have complained so much about my dating life after all.

I don't have classes on Fridays...

So, I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie today! There were only about four or five people in the theater. My verdict on the movie? It's really good. I could hardly take my eyes off of it, except for a couple of gruesome parts. The casting was good. The acting wasn't bad. I loved that they brought back Karen Allen in the role of Marion. Marion is one of my favorite characters--she's my kind of woman. Well, almost. I'm not rugged like she is, but I can be pretty feisty.

I don't have classes on Fridays this term. I believe this day will be for study, going to matinées, perhaps go do baptisms at the temple. Don't worry Mom, I'll make good use of my time! Plus, I only had to pay five bucks for a movie ticket. Score.

I also might get a job this fall. I wasn't originally planning on working, but a friend of mine told me of an editing job at the University Press Building. It would be such a great opportunity--I will definitely apply, at the very least. If I get it, I'll probably drop a class. I'm still thinking about getting certified in Family History, but we will have to see.

summer term

So, now I am taking summer classes. I'm taking a cooking class and a Masterpieces of English Literature class. I think I'm going to enjoy both. In my cooking class today, my group made gingersnaps, which were pretty good. I'm not a huge fan of ginger snaps. One of the other groups made cherry jam tarts, and they were SO good! I am definitely downloading that recipe. And there's a girl who lived on my floor freshman year in my class, so that's pretty fun. She just got married. You know what's funny? There are four people in my group (all girls) and I'm the only one who isn't married. Amusing. I suppose I'll be more prepared to cook for my future husband after taking this class, ha ha!

My literature class should also be fun. I've already read a lot of the stuff we're reading when I was an English major, and I am counting my blessings that we are not going to be talking about deep, abstract concepts. All we're doing is discussing why these pieces are considered masterpieces and such. I like that. When I did IB English and the English major, we had to analyze all these ridiculous things. I called it: "analyzing what doesn't exist". I love to read, but I don't like analyzing. I already do enough of that in my regular life with regards to the opposite sex *laughs*. Actually, I'm getting better.

I've been invited to be part of a dinner group in my ward, hooray! This will give me a chance to practice my newly learned cooking skills. This will also make it so I don't have to cook for myself every night. Last night, I made a stir fry, but I don't think I made quite enough. It was fine though--not many people came. I have a lot of leftover rice. And I must say, I'm getting pretty good at this Japanese rice thing :)

Oh, and this is a video of my cousin Luke singing "We Will Rock You". This was the last time I saw him and my other Busby relatives before they left for Keith's internship in New York. I miss them. I also miss their washer and dryer, but that's beside the point. I'm excited to see them in just a few months. I hope my mom will be able to see this.

4 things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. finishing fifth grade
2. worrying about starting junior high
3. playing my violin
4. probably reading some too

4 things I was doing 5 years ago:
1. getting my wisdom teeth out (good heavens, was it that long ago?)
2. Paul came home from his mission
3. Sending Craig off on his mission
4. getting a nasty throat virus right before girl's camp

4 things I did yesterday:
1. went to class
2. talked on the phone
3. traded CDs with one of my friends
4. played ultimate frisbee for FHE

4 shows that I like: (these are just the shows I watch right now, I love many shows but have already seen them many times over so I had to find new shows to watch)
1. What Not to Wear
2. Golden Girls
3. Seinfeld
4. .....

4 Biggest Joys of My Life Right Now:
1. my family
2. my friends
3. developing more talents
4. the Gospel

4 things that you might not know about me:
1. I don't really like mixing fruit and dairy together
2. I like kitties
3. I love Star Wars and fantasy films
4. I want to have five or six kids

4 people I tag:
If you want to do it, go ahead