Say No to Cavities

i know why i hate the dentist. and it's not because of the drilling, yanking, filing, filling, tugging, stretching, pain...it's because of the incessant questioning of the workers about every detail of your life as soon as you walk in that front door. (doesn't he just look like he's full of annoying questions?)  

we've been going to the same dentist now for about 5 years. and they still don't feel like they know me. because apparently i have to tell them what my major is, what school i attend, and what i do for fun every time. the doctor doesn't do that. maybe if you get one of the silly nurses, but for the most part, i'd say the doctor is about 50% less annoying than the dentist. i'd rather sit in his waiting room for 30 minutes than to have to answer the same questions i've been asked by the same people, one question and one person at a time. i wish i could just walk in, sign the appointment sheet, and then say, "i'd like to make an announcement." then the entire office staff would gather around and i'd make one huge claim, "for the love of humanity, please take notes. i'm a psychology major at byu, yes i do ski a lot when i'm out there. yes, my family is fine. paul has a year left on his mission. any more questions can be mailed through snail mail only, or call up my parents. they would love to answer." or maybe i could skip the intro and just say, "don't dare ask me any questions. thank you." i thought today i could pretend that her instruments in my mouth could keep me from answering any dumb questions she might have for me today, but alas i was wrong again. she would take them out of my mouth so i could answer. which then meant i couldn't NOT address the fact she was waiting for me. i couldn't fake not hearing her, and i couldn't blame the utensils. man. i'm pretty sure if she hadn't taken so much time for me to answer so she could get back to business scraping my teeth, the whole cleaning session would have taken half the time. and yes, i tried one word answers. but for her, she just kept prodding. some people are really good at understanding the meaning behind one word answers, others...not so much. 

if you couldn't tell, i really can't stand the small talk. honestly, they are only applicable questions during speed dating, or a good conversation relating to a topic. otherwise, i feel like it's just meaningless chatter. it fills up the space, makes people comfortable - except me, clearly. and i actually had a discussion about this in one of my classes actually, personality 351. the point was "meaningless chatter" keeps people from connecting; truly addressing real issues. hasn't anyone else recognized why most blind dates are terrible? there was one date i went on where me and the guy actually had an amazing conversation. we talked about politics, philosophy, etc. and the little bits about where we were from, etc. came out during it. we skipped the chatter and went for the gold. i wish i could say we went on a second date, but apparently he was crushing pretty hard on another girl at the time, who he eventually became engaged to. 

so.

sometimes the chatter is necessary for social gatherings, such as parties where you don't know anyone, weddings and funerals usually, etc. that's tough. and i usually do pretty bad at these occasions. that's why i've decided i need to end up with someone who is really good at it. well, good at faking it at least, or we'll both be social outcasts.

moral of the story: don't get cavities.

Something More Conventional for Me Halloween '08

Let's be serious for just a second. 

Have you ever been in a situation where you have done something, said something, or to go further, admitted something you probably shouldn't have? In which case, the effect it had on other people was that of utter disgust or complete confusion to the point where you or the other party(ies) has either tried to forget it or will never ever let you forget it? And yes, you might be proud of whatever your action was, but somewhere inside, tucked away in a dark corner, you wish you could take it back? But of course, outwardly you would never deny the said decision? 

Yeah. 

A Look at Last Wednesday

I know you are all dying to know how Moulin Rouge went down. 

It ended up being Steph, Madison, Amy, Heather, Meg and I. We had the best spot in the whole amphitheater. Total girls night too. And the movie...wow, we are all swooning over Ewan McGregor by the end. So cheesy (literally) and so fulfilling (literally). If i ever crave a chic flick again, i will make sure to include that movie into my list of choices. 

Unfortunately we all forgot our cameras except heather, who we did not press to take more accurate photographs of the night's events. However, we did manage to get these photos taken:

This is actually a terrible picture of the stage. We were pretty high up, but hopefully you can tell how large this blowup screen really is. Also, not many people in the stands below us. Most everyone was on the hill with us. 

This is me failing miserably at trying to be sexy. I was suppose to be striking one of those can-can girl faces where you sort of pout your lips and give the "i'm sexy and i know you know it" stare downs, but alas, this is what happened instead:

 

 Doesn't that outfit rock though? With my coat and seven jeans, i killed it. I think i am starting to sound vain in my blog. ha! oh well. 

This is was suppose to be a shot of the french bread and the 3 different cheeses i brought: brie, laughing cow, and goat cheese. Madison, pictured here with me, made crepes, and brought all the delicious makings. She also happened to sport a gorgeous coral/salmon colored jersey-material dress with some nice black and gold heels, coupled with a thick belt around the waist and a leather jacket. She didn't exactly hit

 the Bridget Bardo look, but she also killed it. 

 

Last but certainly not least: the guests of honor! Meg and Heather made it out :) I was happy new people could join our entourage. 

So as sad as I am that I could not make it out to see Harold & Maude this evening, i did have a pretty awesome time with my Pete and Lora and the 'rents here in KY. Dad BBQ'd some filet minon's and we partied it up with Jones sodas and the Olympics. Woot. I am going to try my hardest to remember to take some pics, but I can't make any promises. 

Typing Away Insomnia

Of course it is 2:46 AM and of course, i am wide awake.

I am luckily on the tail end of my cold, but my body really hates listening to me breathing, and therefore my heavy breathing is keeping me awake. I figure i have 2 options: take drugs to make me passout, or stay up until i'm so tired that i pass out when i finally give sleeping another go. I don't have any drugs. Therefore i chose blogging.

Any exciting news?
I met the owners of my apt today. They are really nice people from michigan. the daughter moving in, danielle, is a sophomore who seems pretty chill. They are getting us a new stove (!), painting our kitchen and my bathroom green, and installed updated light fixtures. Danielle also is supplying a brand new 32" flat screen TV complete with a modern entertainment center, which i'm sure will look fabulous next to our leather couches. i suggested we keep the african theme going, and therefore all my decor that i bought while i was in namibia will be finally making its debut. Stop by and have a look! I'm pretty excited about the whole bit.

It occurred to me as i was staring at my window in the dark trying to catch some Z's that i have a pretty fabulous life. I mean really. I have an awesome apartment, awesome friends, family, school, outlook for the future...yeah. I felt so satisfied. Feel satisfied. This fall is going to rock in more ways than one, that's for sure. First, i have friends in tons of neighboring wards. I am taking some really amazing classes, and i am going to make some serious cash once i am made manager of the booting company. I guess trevor and dave have landed some fatty accounts, and therefore i will be training soon. Until then, i will be making even more considering we don't have to split the amount in 4...just 3. Doesn't that sound like everything a girl could ever ask for? I mean, minus Edward Cullen. But he is fictional after all.

Tomorrow i fly home to KY for a week. (That's a picture of downtown Louisville at night from Indiana's side. My house is roughly 20 min. from here. And that's a picture of our temple, just in case you ever wondered. My ward met in the church building which shared the parking lot.) I am pretty sure i'll be bored most of the time, but i'll be bored in KY, which is not provo, UT. So that'll be nice. i will be lounging in my pool for most of it, i'm sure. And maybe a trip to King's Island if i'm lucky.

Today at FHE we played sand volleyball again. i really enjoy playing with the ward, as i don't feel like i suck as bad as usual, lol. Last time we played, Austin spiked the ball right into my face. Tonight, Travis spiked the ball right in my face. That's 2 for 2. I don't know what it is, but games that involve balls have it out for me. I don't think it's much of an exaggeration to say that 7 out of 10 times, whatever ball it is will somehow come in contact with my face. It is a wonder how my nose hasn't broken, bled, or been bent out of shape due to this fact, because have you seen my nose? It's not like it's inconspicuous or something. Then again, it's not horrendously huge either. Like i said: a wonder.

Kyle Paiser came to visit tonight too. He drove us up there to Helaman after i got home from yoga. He gives really good hugs. And he bought me and Tiff slurpies afterwards which was also really nice. Thanks Kyle :)

Also noteworthy: the yoga instructor i have a slight crush on talked to me again today. Today i saw him go from a head stand straight into a dolphin stand - where you are inverted resting on your forearms only. I know it doesn't sound like much, but believe me, there is no way i could ever even dream of doing that. It takes SO much upper body and core strength to push up onto your forearms after you are already inverted like that. Also, he can practically keep his body horizontal to the ground with only his hands on the ground. That is a little easier to picture, and equally if not harder to do. Gosh. He doesn't even look ripped either, just normal and fit, you know? Amazing.He has to be in his mid 30's, but he can do amazing things with his body, lol. I don't know if that last qualifier has anything to do with his age, but it's true. I have to admit, if he asked me out, which i'm 95% sure would never happen, i would say yes. That mildly creeps me out, as he is the only man in his mid 30's i would ever consider. This last pose is one that i just learned how to do not too long ago. Along with the head stand, this is my favorite pose to do. I feel cool doing it. And yes, he taught me how to do it in one of his classes, haha. Did i ever mention that my other favorite teacher is my alter-ego? She's pretty much the biggest hippie in happy valley. There you have it folks: if i were not me, i would be her. profound.

I finally got to see one of my best friends from college!! Heather is back! :) She stayed with me a couple days. I warned all my male friends that everyone falls in love with her, and it became a reality when i gave 2 of my guy friends her number after they asked for it. Let the dating begin! I do have to say though, if i had to narrow my friends down to one person i look up to the most, it would be her. She has so many qualities that i hope i can develop. Heather, i love you. Oh, and her family lives in New Zealand right now. And she invited me to go home with her for christmas, the sweetheart, and if my parents agree to pay for it, i am going! How amazing is that?! After i spoke with my mother, she said that her and dad were talking about taking our 2 weeks in our time share and using them in Australia/New Zealand over Christmas anyway. What are the odds? This is a picture of one of Auckland, New Zealand's beaches. Her parents live in a complex literally on the beach and yes, it will be summer there over Christmas. I can't imagine a better Christmas, honestly. Heather's family is amazing, and i would love to spend it with hers and mine. *Sigh*. I told her that if she ends up dating someone and brings them back with them to visit the parents, she still has to agree to bring me too, lol. She said of course. YES.

It's been and hour and half and i think i'm ready for bed. G'nite friends :)

"All we can do is keep breathing..."

Colds have to be one of the most annoying sicknesses. They are just bad enough to put a damper on your normal life so you feel like death, but not enough to get any sympathy from people. And let's face it, the latter is the best part about getting sick.

Call this what you may, but i remember as a kid i would relish whenever i got sick. i milked every opportunity i got, usually by getting my parents to feed me in bed, rent my favorite movies for me, stay home from school, my dad came home from work on his lunch break to check up on me, they let me sleep and NEVER WOKE ME UP...not to mention i got to skip school. It was the freakin' life when i got sick. 100% attention from my parents, every desire fulfilled, and my brothers couldn't ruin it for me because hello, i was ill.

The 2 movies i would always have my dad rent for me was A League of Their Own, and For Love or Money. Both of which, for whatever reason, remain 2 of my favorite movies to this day. Maybe it's the sentimentality, maybe it's the great acting, the love story, or not, but i now own both of them and will be watching at least one tomorrow.

Yes, i am sick. I have caught a terrible cold which has prevented me from being able to breathe properly, and i am now under the influence of nyquil and ingrid michaelson currently. "All we can do is keep breathing..." how ironic. i love this song by the way. I'm pretty sure it's due to our soaking wet carpet that is now breeding mold due to a very finicky air conditioner. That, or taking a sip of jim's slurpy the night before.

Unfortunately, i don't have my parents here to feed me in bed.
Any takers?

And can i please just say YYYYEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!! to the men's Olympic swim team. YES. Jason Lezak is my hero. Take that, "Frenchies..." LOL i loved how that one guy on our team called them "Frenchies." i almost peed in my pants.

Let the good times roll

I am only on page 200 of Breaking Dawn because i can't bring myself to finish it. But i will be reading my next chapter after i post. Such a bittersweet existence that i live.

This week has been incredible. I got to see Motab and the some other famous LDS artists such as kenneth cope, hillary weeks, michael mcclean, elder oak's daughter who plays the violin like no one else, and a few others. My evening with jim went very well to say the least. Our outfits matched that night, like strangely perfect, and i wish we had taken a picture because we didn't even plan it at all. Let's just say we were stylin' :)

I also learned how to wakeboard!!!! it is a lot easier than i thought it was going to be, and if i had had enough guts and had my back not been KILLING me, i would have tried to carve. but baby steps i find is often the best way to go. my back is just now getting over it 3 days later.

I also find that getting everything out at once is also a good idea, like ripping a bandaid off. it stings for a little while but it's nice to know you don't have to worry about it anymore.

wednesday was Tootsie up at Sundance. and i must admit, i almost like dustin hoffman more as a woman than a man. (yes those 2 pics below are definitely BOTH him.) no wonder people love him - he was so good in that movie. and bill murray!! no wonder he became the star of his own movies after that role. Sundance hasn't let me down yet...well, minus my first encounter. but you can't always trust a first impression.


Next week is Moulin Rouge, like i mentioned before, and i am dead serious about
sporting corsets with berets. steph madison and i are definitely doing it, and we're going to get loaves of french bread and that good spreadable cheese, and madison is bringing crepes and all the toppings. it will be a french soiree never to be forgotten. :) If i had no morals about the way i looked in public and were it not so cold in the mountains, i would definitely want to come dressed like one of these girls. but no worries, i will be classy.
oh, and here's a shout out to grant, who is now gone back to oklahoma. sad day. and for mike, who will shortly be getting a bike of his own, which he will then teach me how to ride :) for when i get my own bike in april.

MARK YOUR CALENDERS!!
Perseid's Meteor Shower starts Monday night. However, I believe the best night will be Tuesday, as it ends Wednesday. A group of us will be getting together up at Sundance around 9, probably at the amphitheater to watch it. Bring blankets and good company, and definitely dress warm :) call me with questions!!

I love ya...tomorrow...

Tomorrow i get to go boating with grant's family, lol. i am pretty dang excited. i haven't been on a boat in ages, at least since 10th grade, which was the last time i went with my neighbors the Palmers...i think. i can't even remember. i do know that ever summer, they used to take me and paul with them camping down to Nolan lake. it was so awesome. we'd spend all day out on the boat for like 3 days straight. that was the life. tomorrow will be all day out on the lake and then jim and i are going to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform their new album in the tabernacle in salt lake. i'm really excited for that too. basically, i have a pretty rockin' day tomorrow.

i have to say, i am baffled by "awkward" situations. tell me, what is it about awkward that makes people cringe like hearing nails on a chalkboard? what is the exact definition? people will do whatever they can to avoid those situations, or to get out of them as soon as possible, to the point of lying, running away, pretending, etc. People will do awkward things to get out of awkward situations. And i'll tell you what...i say we all just calm down a little bit and let reality set it. we're all just people, are we not?

split personality

Am i immature? mildly.
Am i ok with that? i'm dealing with it.
Did i down a 32 oz. big gulp of dr. pepper at 2 AM this morning with the rest of my now n' laters? most certainly did.
When i just brushed my teeth, it looked like i was spitting out blood.
Do i think that's cool? definitely.

here's my dilemma: i love wearing business woman suits, including hot pencil skirts, expensive pearls and collared shirts with sexy black heels. I also want to work at the store DP who specializes in selling Volcom, skiis, snowboards, and other relics of that style. in fact, i want the job for the discount.

i like to go to work, pay my bills, work out, and eat healthy. I also enjoy staying up late, watching movies, eating candy and icecream, and spending my money recklessly.

does one of these sides eventually win? i hope not.

Breaking Dawn

Today was the opening day of Breaking Dawn, and yes, i like millions of teenie boppers around the US waited in line tonight at midnight to purchase my own copy. Why i'm blogging tonight instead of reading intensely, is because during my hour long wait, i happened to meet an upcoming 8th grader and her mom who was right behind me. That girl was so cute, she kept giving me high fives, and asking me questions about my life. I felt like a wise sage for a brief second, and i have to say...it felt nice, lol. nice to realize i might actually KNOW something about this crazy world we live in. Granted, we didn't exactly talk about anything grand, but the fact i knew she was looking at me as an "adult figure" made me feel pretty important. As we finally approached the counter, i also mentioned to them that Borders members got a 40% discount. They said they weren't members, so i slipped her mother my card when the register guy wasn't looking, and after they paid, she slipped it back to me. Of course, they were very grateful, and then we parted ways. I was definitely grateful myself to have the company, and to be able to help someone. It felt good to be there with hundreds of people, to bond over this one book. I definitely got to meet some nice strangers tonight. I wish we had more community gatherings like that. In any case, pay it forward, friends, pay it forward.

New skill i acquired today: Japanese art of folding t-shirts
And yes, in case you were wondering, i did have my 5th banana split tonight with the same toppings as yesterday, which i'm convinced might be the best combination ever. Sorry Janey, we will go next week :)

i love the...list.

There are only a few things that really blow my mind.

1) the 80's. for real. i watched I <3 the 80's episodes today 1984 and 1987, and i just can't get over the...horrendousness...that was allowed to come from this decade. wow.

2) people who take pictures to make it look like they're having tons of fun. it's one thing to document your trip, quite another to take a trillion pics of big-grin-right-in-the-lens. get over yourself.

3) danny devito.

Yeah, this list is longer; however, i can't get past these 3 for now.

As for the positives of today's adventures:
1) michael ian black might be one of the funniest people on tv.

2) I am on my 4th banana split for the week. today's toppings: hot fudge, caramel, and reese's blast topping. YES!

3) thank you joel for going with me, and trying to teach me The General on guitar. If I had to learn one song on guitar, that would be the one. The General by Dispatch.

4) jim and i played scrabble today and i know...i know. it is the most boring game ever, but i looooveeeee it.5) i think i am acquiring a mild crush on my yoga instructor.

6) today at work, i ran Hugh Hefner's 2nd cousin's credit. what. turns out he lives in Fort Lauderdale. and his name is Jay. legally, i'm pretty sure that's all i'm allowed to say.