25 things...

What it's like to be me...

1. I am barefoot any chance I get
2. I sing "Alouette" to myself while waterskiing. It started when I was learning and trying to keep myself concentrated on staying tucked in a ball and leaning back on the rope.
3. I rarely call Sophie (our cat) "Sophie" except for when I am calling for her. The usuals are: kitty, animal, pet, "cheeky bull" (See Australia the movie), and little cat.
4. I like to think I'm always right, and Alex plays along.
5. I think and talk in analogies. I am not always good at putting my thoughts into words or explaining things, so I turn to analogies. The make sense most of the time.
6. I have kept most of my textbooks. Alex thinks i'm crazy, but I actually use them!
7. I cut Alex's hair. Not because I want to, but because he is cheap.
8. Ways I'm like my dad: I let the gas in my car get pretty much empty before I fill it back up; I love eating fish, waterskiing, being in the water, and figuring out how things work; I am good with my hands; I need people to like me; Del Taco is my idea of cooking
9. Ways I'm like my mom: I don't like scary movies, unhappy endings, of anything to do with death; I like shopping; I am a good listener; I love finding new music; I love sales; I get cold easy and like being warm; we love talking to each other, even if we don't have anything to say
10. My feet are a mix between both my mom and my dad.
11. I can pack lighter than Alex for vacations.
12. I could live off Del Taco. Right now the favorites are chicken soft tacos or spicy jack quesadillas
13. My mom asked me whether my major (Marriage, Family, and Human Development) and the things I've studied have made me more or less patient with people. I think I am more understanding of a person's behavior based on their background, but generally speaking I think i've become less patient with adults and more patient with kids.
14. Soprano is too high but I struggle singing Alto. Dang.
15. I can shower, wash my hair, dry my hair, and be totally ready in 30 minutes...when I have to.
16. I have a hard time voicing any emotion without crying. I can be happy, sad, or even just frustrated...especially when there is confrontation involved. It is both embarrassing and annoying. Thank heavens for Alex. He's learned to just laugh at it.
17. I love the fast-forward button on remotes. I fast forward through painful parts of movies and TV shows. Sometimes I wish I had a remote for real life.
18. This one has to do with 16 & 17. When someone is doing something painfully embarrassing or awkward my eyes start to tear up. Sympathetic-embarrassment maybe?
19. I have crazy dreams. I used to always be a "victim" in them; running, hiding, escaping from people. Now they are all about doing things with people I know. What would Freud say?
20. I live for the familiar. I enjoy restaurants I know I like better than experimenting, and I almost always get the same things. I like going to vacation spots I've been to and enjoy and where I know my way around a little. I do things my way, the way I've always done things, even if Alex shows me a better way.
21. My bacon has to be crispy and my eggs fried over easy.
22. Alex and I love slow dancing
23. I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to electronics and computers
24. One of the top 5 reasons I love Alex is because of his height.
25. Favorite thing about Michael: his example, Joel: his humor, Rae: her friendship

Right back where I started from

A couple weeks ago Alex found some AMAZING jetblue tickets! So one week from today I will be in sunny CA! I am only there from Tuesday morning to Friday morning, so it'll be short, but so fun. I anticipate a lot of hang time with the mom...reunited at last. We haven't really made any plans, but that's how I prefer it. Oh and Joel wants me to take him to lunch.

Old photo, but one of my favorites.

You know, when I am away long enough I start to think, "ok, maybe I could eventually cope with living somewhere other than California...." But then I go home, and I am reminded
"There's no place like home."

Home Sweet Home

Things I'm looking forward to:
Hanging out with my family
Beach
In-n-out
Quality girl time with my mom
Playing my piano
Maybe Confessions of a Shopaholic
Maybe some shopping myself
Ditching school
Getting out of Utah
Driving the Jetta
Seeing how Joel and Rae have changed

Wearing shorts and rainbows
My mom's cooking
Get out of the dry-ness
BerrySwirl/Golden Spoon

Things I will miss:
Alex
Maybe Sophie the cat

Thanks for sending me home Alex! I love you!!!!!

Writing

I am taking a Language Development class this semester. I don't really enjoy it, but it was one of the few major classes offered at the Salt Lake extension. Today while I was reading my text book, I found an explanation for my hatred of English and writing. It says, "Writing offers a different challenge [than reading]. The writer begins with ideas, morsels of meaning, and must decide which symbols in which combination will best represent those ideas." A-Ha! THAT is my problem. Not only with writing, but with speaking. It feels like I have ideas and images in my head, but have a hard time trying to decide and construct a way that clearly depicts what I am actually thinking. Sometimes I wish I was an artist and could just draw what I "see" mentally instead of trying to find the right words.

Isn't it crazy how much is involved in writing? Forming your ideas and message, considering different word choices, deciding what words to use, constructing sentences with these words, etc... It's crazy how many different ways there are to say one thing, by using different words and combination of words. What's even crazier is that we can do this automatically in a conversation, without effortful thinking or analyzing! Amazing. It is because of this that I am amazed I get myself to blog!

I salute you English majors.

Value

In my psychology class tonight, my old and quirky professor was talking about finding a companion and getting married. He said that choosing a spouse is like saying, "I value my association with you." Haha. So simple! So for the record, Alex, I value my association with you!

Where am I?

These last couple of days, it has been hard to believe I am living in Utah. For example, right now weather.com says


Partly Cloudy

58°F

Yes ladies and gentlemen, 58 degrees. So it has been sunny, warmish (no heavy jackets) and even windy! I'm talking like Santa Ana winds! It feels like a true California winter, hand delivered to Bountiful Utah just for me.

Lamp project

This semester, all my classes are at the BYU Salt Lake Extension center which is conveniently across the street from Gateway Shopping Center. So in between classes when I have some free time, I go over and window shop, mostly at Urban Outfitters and ZGallerie. While in ZGallerie I have become obsessed with anything glass or mirrored. I have seen the glassey thing in Domino magazine too. Then a couple of weeks ago, I was in TJMaxx and found these very very pretty glass lamps for at least half the price of a normal glass lamp. So I talked Alex into letting me buy one. It sits on our nightstand and I love it!!!!

But, like all good outfits, the nightstand needed an accessory, so I went to DI to find a glass dish to put Alex's eyedrops and chapstick that he keeps by the bed. Mission accomplished. After I found one, I walked around the furniture and looked for fun. There was a metal cart with random electronics and stuff, and sitting on the top was this sad lonely lamp. It had a glass figure like an upside-down vase, a shiny gold base and a gold rod up through the center of the glass. It looked dirty and broken down like most things at DI, but I couldn't help but ignore it. SOO I took it home, hoping it would work or that I could make it work. I took it apart, painted all the gold white, bought a new cord and socket at Lowe's and fixed it up like new. It is beautiful!!!! Other than Alex, it might be one of my favorite things in the apartment!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before picture. But if you ask Alex, he'll say he was scared when he saw the before lamp on the table when he got home. Here are the during and after pictures! Enjoy! Hopefully more projects to come!!!!

Little Lamp: TJMaxx

Lovely or what?!

My work in progress...

My masterpiece

January

This month went by fast! Alex and I started our new semesters and got settled into the routine. Alex started MCAT prep classes and has also been studying for it with his friend Matt. Alex probably devotes in 12-20 hours a week to MCAT, on top of his normal school workload. It's hard and tiring, but he's staying strong. He also took a certification test to be a Medical Lab technition and passed! He'll hopefully get a job in the lab this summer!

We've also started hanging out with friends more often! We have one group: Cory, Chelsea, Duncan, and Kallee. Alex grew up with those guys. Then we have other friends Alex grew up with Matt and Kristen, and Jeff and Julie. Matt, again is studying for the MCAT with Alex. Jeff and Julie live in the same apartments as we do. It's been really fun! We also went over to Lo and Mckay's the other night for dinner and games! I've missed them!

I have just been working and going to school. I have also gotten to hang out with my own friends. Nicole came up and hung out with me on my birthday while Alex worked at the hospital. Also... Kelsey is back in Utah!!!! If we're not too busy, we try to do something at least once a week.

Oh and the sun has been out and there isn't snow in our parking lot. Life is good.