Wish You Were Here!

I decided what I'm giving up for Lent:

Until Easter, I will not use any plastic bags to carry my purchases from any sort of store. You may think this lame but.... whatever. I'm not really catholic anyway. Just for the record, I WAS considering giving up caffeine but I like to make goals I can actually achieve.

Completely unrelated:

I read a very interesting article entitled "Can You Hear Me Now?" by Sherry Turkle which discusses how technology today has made us more alienated from one another. Facebook, CrackBerrys, email, cell phones-- these these having seemingly made us more connected but at the same time they have changed the nature of relationships between people. Why talk when you can text or email? And how many of us have put a conversation with someone right in front of us on hold to answer a text or call? How many of us have had that done to us? There are certainly benefits to the information age, but I think that no technology can replace the fulfillment of human to human interaction. Maybe I should give up my cell phone for Lent.... Anyway, if you have a minute read the article. It will make you want to get rid of your Facebook account and throw your cell phone in the trash-- or maybe it will make you realize how dependent you are on these things. Let me know what you think....

Mardi Gras

translates to Fat Tuesday, which happens to be today. Sadly, New Orleans was not the site of our Mardi Gras activities, nor was the popular mammometer part of the festivities. However, thanks to Sars diligence, gumbo was on the menu along with a cake that had a little octopus hidden inside instead of a baby. Now that Fat Tuesday is over, I must think of something to give up for Lent that starts tomorrow. The obvious choice to no more junk food, but since I'm already off sugar, that doesn't seem to be good. I have tossed around the thought of no caffeine BUT......... let's be honest. Not gonna happen. So I'll sleep on it and figure it out tomorrow. Maybe I should give up procrastination....

Happy Mardi Gras!

Of Swings and Things

While walking to school this morning, I had a sudden urge to jump on a plane and go somewhere warm so I could read my book. Remember the Bill Bryson book I was so excited about? Yup. Pretty sure I'm on h-ing chapter 3 because I barely find time to breathe, let alone do some unassigned reading. Let me describe exactly where I wanted to be: sitting on a porch swing somewhere east of the Mississppi reading my book. It's about 7:00 in the evening-- the warm summer day has cooled to a pleasant temperature and dusk is just setting in. My dog is napping just next to me after a hard day of running through the fields, there is no sound of cars, and in the backyard, there's a large plot of garden ready to be harvested starting the next day. *sigh* A girl can dream, right? On second thought, I prefer not to call this a dream because how many times to dreams actually come to pass? Let me rephrase: A girl can plan, right?

I think I get this dreaming/planning tendency from Chuls. For the past 10 years, one of Chuls' favorite past times has been to look up real estate in western PA/upstate NY and try and convince my father, or any one else for that matter, to buy. But I always have to ask myself: would I really be happier if I had those things? Or do I think I would because it's not what I have right now? Whatever the answers to those question, I still like to plan for that day when I will have what I think I want.

Something like this would work...

H.W.

it seems that this weekend, i've been finding just about anything else to do besides my homework. this post is a case in point. and now it's 11:30 sunday night, i have class at 9, and i haven't done a lick of homework all weekend. go. me. but that's not to say that my weekend hasn't been productive. i saw byu's production of "tartuffe," bonded with rugby teammates at a part saturday night, and i bonded with my family today. that can't be a total waste of weekend, right? however, i am finding that my motivation to do my homework is dwindling just a month into the semester. i need to find it quickly.

for the month of February, i, along with some friends, decided that it is no sweets month. i am excited for this actually. it's time for a little detox. shall i try and be ambitious and go for no caffeine too? no. i think not.

i'm running out of things to say which means my time for procrastination is up. until next time...

p.s. watched part of the grammy's tonight and came to the following conclusions: p!ink is oh so sophisticated these days, lady gaga is insane (but talented), but above all: beyonce. is. amazing.

Call me (ir)responsible

I tend to think of myself as a fairly responsible person. I turn my homework in on time, I am fairly self-sufficient, I pay my taxes... all things responsible people do. But today, with a bestial test on Monday, a big project due on Tuesday, and numerous other home-work related things staring me in the face, what do I decide to do instead of spending the day in the library?

GO SNOWBOARDING OF COURSE!

I may kick myself for it later when I have to stay up till the wee hours of the morning studying, but as of right now, I have no regrets. Due to financial and time constraints (I still can't believe how expensive a ski pass is!) I don't go snowboarding that often. In fact, today was just my second time in my life. But with about 4 inches of fresh powder on the slopes, who could resist? I sure couldn't. So today, I may not have been the most responsible, but... who cares?

Dear __________ ,

Dear Hockey,
Where have you been all my life?

Dear French Linguistics,
If you left, I wouldn't miss you. Sorry.

Dear USPS,
Thank you for finally delivering my Bill Bryson book.

Dear Blues Brothers,
I wish I could have been an extra in your film. This is why:



Although, I do enjoy trying to recreate your choreography in my family room with the schwester.

P.S. Aretha: I. WANT. TO. BE. YOU.

Dear winter,
I'm finally starting to appreciate you and the opportunities for outdoor activities you provide.

Dear Tuesday weather,
Your 45 degrees was a tease. I know it was. But thank you just the same.

Dear Europe,
Can I come back?

Ramblings.

The first word that came out of my mouth this morning, about 10 seconds after I woke up, was "damn." A great start to the day, don't you think? Here's what constituted the usage of the "damn" word: I forgot to turn my phone/alarm off silent last night, and consequently woke up about 20 minutes before I had to leave for class. I know, I know, NBD (that's No Big Deal for those of you smart enough to not get caught up in jargon of America's public high schools). Upon reflection, the situation probably shouldn't have brought such a strong immediate reaction, buutttt... it did. Plus, isn't that the point of swearing? To verbally express your immediate emotion? At least that's how I usually use the choice 4 letter words (except the one that starts with the letter after e, of course. I do have SOME morals.) Why do you swear? Or don't...

It is the end of my first week of my 10th semester at BYU. Yes 10. Not counting my 2 spring terms. And no, I don't graduate in April. Thank you for rubbing it in. Will I ever get out of this place?! My classes are going to be pretty tough (yes, I'm including Physical Science 100 in the tough category), but I'm also taking Beginning Hockey and Weightlifting, which should be a real treats. On top of that, I am now working 20 hours a week at the good 'ol Harold B Lee Library and have taken over presidential duties for the rugby club. Life. is. good.

Christmas Break went by too quickly, but I feel guilty for complaining since September-December of 2009 was essentially a vacation. The Schwestis plus Erik piled into our Volkwagon Golf the day after Christmas (the real one) for an incredibly comfortable ride across the Sierras to my cousins house in California. Chuls followed us a couple days later. Time in California was spent in San Francisco, in local orchards picking pummelos, in front of the woodburning fireplace, in front of the movie screen, in the hills behind my uncle's house, in the hot tub, and in puzzling mode (can you tell I'm going to parallel structure here?) Our California trip was much too short, but it was fantastic while it lasted. AND! While I was there, I was able to wear CHACOS and SHORTS! Blessed day.

I am now in P-town west. P-town east continues to seem further and further away. But I won't go all nostalgic AGAIN on my readers. Life continues to roll forward and I'm trying not to get stuck with my head looking at those things that are behind me. I think a few glances an hour will suffice. In order to help me with this goal-- I just decided to make it a resolution of 2010-- I bought THIS book just a few minutes ago for a total of $6.08. Road trip anyone?

I'm noticing that I'm turning into a therapeutic book buyer. This could get dangerous.

Hope you all had a lovely holiday. Cheers!