old, old pictures.

so i was looking at this old folder on my the computer at my parents' house.
and i found a million old pictures that made me crack the heck up.

opa and buddy at the fresno house pool.

buddy and the decoy garbage.

"uhh...daw-bij?"

and these made us really miss soph-tie.

and we picture that pops was super mad about this shenanigan.

just like when sophie always had leaves stuck to her bung and would bring them in and pops would get so mad and grumble "oh sophie" while vacuuming them up many times per day.

oh how i miss fresno and swimming and sophie and suitcases and tiny little james and all of those funny things of which photographs were taken and saved in this old file.

so, it has been snowing for two days. it is the grimmest of the grims indeed. i know that i live in the wrong state, considering how much i loathe the snow. (interestingly, provo got about 4 inches of snow from this storm. sugar house, where i plan to move in april, got about a foot. excellent.) but i can't fight it. snow is an inevitable part of living at the foot of the mountains. sad, indeed. but a price i must pay, i suppose.

but here are some things that counteract the grimness of the snow.

-i am officially done with my last fall semester ever!
-i am also done christmas shopping. and i found some pretty funny/awesome things. oh, and i'm the sneakiest shopper too. i bought like five things for someone who was with me! tricky...
-i bought some really fantastic christmas music on itunes/put the carpenters on my ipod, which is making it feel a bit more like christmas. (ps, thanks SO much for introducing me to the weepies, anji! i am 100% obsessed with that song on your blog. which you can listen to here)
-i am only ten days away from being able to run again! which is good, because i bought a bunch of under armour to wear when i start my training. injury-free!

so, it's supposed to snow like fifteen more feet in the next week. GREAT! can't wait to slide all the way to work tomorrow morning...

reasons why my life > any other.

i am a boring blogger.

1) i have two more weeks of my LAST FALL SEMESTER of college EVER. yeah.
2) i finished my 495 paper. "mark twain: not an anti-intellectual" (the title needs work) the paper that has been haunting my nightmares for the past three months. done.
3) my 365 paper is on one of the best books i have ever read. amazing.
4) i had the most fantastic week/weekend. it included delicious things such as: these cutest babies, downtown salt lake with bailey, not feeling like an idiot when i probably should have, rainy oregon beaches and 5k turkey trots, and 100 of the nicest compliments. :)
5) this saturday is the first one in awhile in which i do not have to work, and have no other plans. sleep in? yes please.
6) deron williams is back. oh yes.
7) it is december and was 50 degrees tonight. love.

other than that, i have the craziest week ever because of three papers being due all on the same day. woof. i probably will be in hiding for the remainder. i need some seriously good grades this semester so i can graduateeeee.

okay, well. sorry i only make lists all day long. it's what i do.

reasons i'm really excited to move to salt lake and live alone.

1) i really enjoy spending time alone. i know this probably makes me sound like kind of a weirdo, but much of my time is spent working or in school, both of which entail a lot of talking to other people. i LOVE being with my friends, of course, but i also really do like to be alone sometimes.
2) i am a creature of habit, a little bit to a fault. i plan out my whole day, and like to write in my planner what i need to do, what i want to do, etc. so if i am planning on coming home and chilling with a jazz game, and find that my roommates have fourteen friends over watching a movie, my day gets a little jumbled.
3) sometimes i just want to go to bed early. my roommates think i'm a 90 year-old for doing that sometimes. i hate it.
4) i am really kind of tired of having roommates. i like my current ones, but they are 18. so they're in the freshman lifestyle, which involves staying up all night because you can, and leaving your dishes in the sink for a month because no one is telling you to clean them up. also, they take thousands of pictures and post them on facebook and talk really loud and have friends over every minute of every day. like right now: it's 1107pm and there are at least twenty people yelling in the family room. also, they forget their keys every day and ring the doorbell fifty times at 230 in the morning.
5) i don't get scared like i used to. i spent the whole month of august in an empty apartment, and i don't remember being scared once.
6) i like to have friends over, but when the family room is always occupied and/or a giant mess, it is less fun.
7) whole closets. all to myself.
8) not writing my name on things in cupboards/fridges.
9) i just like to have my own space. whether for entertaining, sleeping, sporting event-watching, eating, or working, i like quiet, comfortable, and clean spaces. those who reside in my apartment do not feel the same.

that was basically my nine-point rant. sorry. but i am really really excited. i look at apartments in downtown slc and sugar house every day! (which i should probably stop, because i keep finding perfect apartments to which i can't move in yet. five more months!)

if i ever have another roommate, it will have to be a husband. that's all.

13.1 miles, take two.

it took some time to decide what to say about the snow canyon half marathon... but i'm ready for a recap.

7pm, night before: i cannot carb load. literally, my stomach cannot take much more than about four bites of pasta. so...i was hungry in the morning. what a waste...
7am, race day: eating some oatmeal that i brought from home in the hotel's breakfast room. pretty sure the front desk girl thought i was sneaking in cocaine because she kept staring at me as i pulled my breakfast out of my bag. i just have a routine. lay off.
815am: woman with her daughter, pointing at those of us in the line to get on the bus: "those are the crazy people. they're running 13 miles today. by choice." thanks for the pep talk, lady.
9am: ready to go. race coordinators are not.
940am: race starts. finally. due in part (i think) to runners inching closer and closer until finally someone just started running. 40 minutes late.
miles 1-3: so great! my garmin told me i did them in 9 minutes each. much faster than my usual mile, therefore...
miles 4-7: veering off the downhill course onto an uphill, gravel bike trail. very uphill.
miles 8-10: eating shot blocks like candy in hopes that i will somehow finish this race.
miles 11-13: girl next to me - "are we going to be able to go three more miles?" me - "can you carry me on your back please?"
13.1: FINISH. awesome friends with sign, cheering louder than the announcer. i think people were jealous that i had my own fan club :)
emily: can you run through again? i missed the picture of you crossing the finish line.
me: (lying on the grass) "NO." :)

mmm yes. the second half marathon was 14x more brutal than the first. i'm not sure why exactly, but i'm thinking it had to do with the serious incline. the race packet says "bus to the top of the canyon and enjoy a beautiful run down" i feel that this is quite a misrepresentation of how much we were running up. :)
but i loved it. strangely, i would do it again.

after a checkup/x-ray with my sports med dr this week, i will be signing up for the salt lake marathon. wish me and my tibia good luck, okay? thanks.

halloween

so, i'm not the biggest fan of halloween. i think it's kind of weird, i don't love dressing up, and i hate being scared...
but.
this cake makes halloween so worthwhile.

yep. it's a cake.

amazing.

reactions at work:

dr cook was dying laughing. seriously. he kept bringing his patients into the kitchen to see it.

this girl got a texted picture of it and said: what the heck? is that a litterbox? why is it on the kitchen table?

this other girl said: we should put it in the corner of the waiting room with bowls and a sign that says help yourself.

oh man. it was pretty fantastic/disgusting.

life coach, please.

so, after much deliberation and searching of class schedules (100 times, minimum) i may have made some decisions.
obviously, these decisions are not certain, because i have no idea whether or not i will find a job, an apartment, etc... but i am interested in feedback. (bean: i promise i'm not just trying to get comments. i just want input from people who have been in a similar position :)

i have nine credits and five months left in my college experience. one class will be taken at the salt lake center in the winter. the other two are only available at the provo campus.
so, here are my options.
1) stay in provo until april, drive to salt lake for school one night a week. keep my current job, and keep going to salt lake frequently because it's the city i love here.
2) move to salt lake, find a job and an apartment there. drive to provo 1-2 days a week for classes. stay in salt lake once graduated, find a job there.

i don't know what's better. either way i'll be driving (or taking trax) semi-frequently to and from provo/salt lake. but part of me thinks that i belong in salt lake much more than i belong in provo. i've done provo for five years now, and i'm feeling anxious and a little stuck. i'm thrilled with the prospect of moving to a new city with new people and a new experience.
but at the same time, i am terrified. i am afraid of trying to find a job, of quitting my old job, of being a grown-up and living in my own place and paying rent (yikes.) and of everything that comes with change.
i tend to repel change by nature, so the thought of such a drastic change both frightens and thrills me.

i don't know what to do anymore.

pahdon?

so i was cleaning my room, while a disc of seinfeld was playing on my laptop...
i look up from folding laundry to see this:

(sorry about the low quality.)

but i literally started laughing. hysterically. because if you've ever heard kate try to say "pahhdon" you would understand.
or, if you are a member of my family.

so that was my night. also, i'm very very excited for sac this weekend. it will be amazing to get out of freezing provo for awhile. i ran in the canyon tonight and very nearly froze.
grim, indeed.

in other news, i'm starting to be over the debacle of thursday night. that's good. but it's bittersweet because the end result is still the same. poor cougs. they need to learn some new plays.

i can't think of anything interesting to say in blogs anymore. except that i applied for graduation yesterday, which is enormous news. awesome and terrifying at the same time. someone tell me what to do with my life after college. i'm not making decisions anymore, because i make bad ones. for real.

BYU Football, take two.

BYU v. Wyoming
BYU extended its nation-best winning streak to 14 games after another shutout, this time against Wyoming. Quarterback Max Hall had another great game, completing 16-of-27 passes for 189 yards with no interceptions. Wide receiver Austin Collie caught two touchdown passes before halftime, and running back Harvey Unga ran one in the third quarter. Most of the first string sat out the fourth quarter and backup quarterback Brenden Gaskins was able to play the final 15 minutes, completing 3-of-7 passes for 7 yards. Wyoming had six turnovers, two of which were returned for Cougar touchdowns.
BYU has a bye next week, and will return to play Utah State in Logan on October 3.

BYU v. Utah State
BYU has received some excellent press coverage in the week surrounding the move into Top 10 position. An article on Yahoo! News featured many of the players and went into depth on Coach Mendenhall’s coaching style and focus of the team. Mendenhall was also quoted in an article about NCAAF upsets in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated. While some critics maintain that BYU does not deserve the #8 spot in the AP Poll, the facts beg to differ. BYU has scored 172 points this season, and has had two back to back games in which they shut out their opponent. The Cougars boast the longest win streak in the country at 14 games. Max Hall has thrown only two interceptions this season, and has passed for more than 1200 yards.
BYU will take on the Utah State Aggies this Friday in Logan. Utah State is 1-3 this season, including a 58-10 loss to Utah on September 13.

Both Utah State and BYU are coming off of bye weeks, so the teams are rested and ready to play. The teams have been playing each other since 1922, and the rivalry between the schools used to be quite fierce. Coach Mendenhall has tried to resurrect that fading rivalry by adding USU to the Cougar schedule for the next few years. The last meeting between the teams in Logan was in 2002, in which the Cougars scraped by with a 35-34 win. In 2006, the Aggies came to Provo to be shut out by BYU 38-0.
Several Cougars were resting injuries during the bye week, including running back Harvey Unga, center Dallas Reynolds, defensive back G Pittman and receivers Spencer Hafoka and Michael Reed. However, all plan to play in Friday's game, except for Reed, who is recovering from meniscus surgery on his right knee.

While BYU is ranked 8 in the AP Poll, the game against Utah State showed a different side to this team. The Cougars dominated in the first half; BYU went into halftime leading 24-0 after a quick first-possession score and converting three turnovers into two touchdowns. However, in fourth quarter Utah State was able to get into the Cougars' heads. Utah State scored on the first drive of the quarter, and BYU lost 83 yards in penalties during that quarter alone. Quarterback Max Hall was sacked for first time this season, and while he did throw for 303 yards, he also threw two interceptions and received a personal foul in the fourth quarter. It was clear that he was frustrated with this game. Receiver Austin Collie summed it up best in his postgame interview when he said, "we just struggled to get things going on offense." However, it was enough to win 34-14, and BYU prepares for New Mexico in Provo on October 11.

BYU v. New Mexico

BYU dropped only one spot in the AP Poll after a less-than stellar game against Utah State on October 3. But the Cougars are excited to play in front of their home crowd, and prepare to take on New Mexico on Saturday. New Mexico is 3-3 this season, and is 1-1 in the MWC (beat Wyoming, lost to TCU), but Coach Mendenhall “does think adversity is coming” in the remainder of this season’s schedule. New Mexico has strong running backs who have accumulated 614 yards in the past two games. BYU injuries are low; wide receiver Michael Reed has recovered from surgery quickly and is expected to return for Saturday’s game.

New Mexico will take on the Cougars in BYU's home stadium in Provo today. BYU is ranked #9 in the AP Poll this week, and have been the subject of many sports blogs and editorials since the less than stellar performance against Utah State last week. In Tuesday’s press conference, Coach Mendenhall indicated that he is “far from content” with the team, considering the “potential and capability.” New Mexico has struggled with injuries this season, and BYU is the highest-ranked team that the Lobos have played against since upsetting Utah in 1994. Running back Michael Reed is supposed to return to today’s game, as well as defensive back Scott Johnson who rested a bruised thigh this week, and linebacker David Nixon (ankle sprain).

BYU welcomed New Mexico to Provo on Saturday, and the Lobos were ready for a tough game. BYU appeared to be shaken by New Mexico’s defense, particularly in the first half, which ended with BYU leading 7-3. "They had a good strategy to keep us off the field. We didn't have as many chances as we'd like," said running back Harvey Unga who ran for 95 yards. Quarterback Max Hall threw for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns, and wide receiver Austin Collie had 9 receptions for 162 yards. BYU extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 games with this win, and prepares for TCU on Thursday October 16.

general wonderment.

so, i've realized a lot over the past month.

it's kind of ridiculous, because the event that brought on this period of self-awareness was the last thing i expected. and reaction to said event was even less expected. i have realized much. i know this is probably maddeningly vague, but i'm trying not to ever think about that one guy ever again. so it's best not to dwell. :)

just wanted to put an update out. i'm figuring it out. it's okay. or, it's getting to be.



in other news, i still love my internship. a lot. even though byu kind of sucked it up last night... yikes. out of the top 10 tomorrow for sure.



so i went seven last night and it was pretty fantastic. i ran at the track which was sort of weird, but it's like old blue carpet, which supposedly is better for my poor broken bones. countdown: five weeks to race. yikes. two of my friends at work are running st. george right now, which brings me to my next point. assuming no more injuries (i'm serious, tibia.) i am running a marathon next year! emy and have decided on nashville (april 09). looking at hal higdon's training schedule makes me kind of nauseated, but also kind of thrilled. a healthy balance.

i've figured out my school schedule for next semester. my LAST SEMESTER EVER of college. wow. how is it that i only will have 9 credits and yet be busier than any other semester? seems weird. college is weird.

i'm going to salt lake tonight. i seem to spend less and less time in provo.
i don't really mind.

sorry this is so ridiculously boring. look for more football this week.

BYU Football (through Wyoming)

so, due to some requests by people who don't want to pay money to join si in order to read my articles...here they are! :) and for those who don't like football (lis), just skip :)
2008 Preview
BYU football has a long history of excellence. In 1984 the Cougars won a national championship, and have won 23 conference championships over the past fifty years. However, after Lavell Edwards retired as head coach, Cougar fans began to wonder if they would ever see another championship. But that has changed. In 2006 and 2007, the team won back-to-back Mountain West Conference Championships. The Cougars are undefeated in 22 conference games, and have made a turnaround that many fans never thought possible. The preseason AP poll shows BYU ranked 16 as of 16 August, the highest ranking in preseason since the Edwards era. Predictions have been made about BYU being a possible candidate for a BCS bowl game this season. Assuming no serious injuries or unforeseen struggles, the Cougars stand to be one of the upcoming leaders in NCAA football in 2008.

BYU v. Northern Iowa
Preview:
BYU prepares for Northern Iowa in its season opener on August 30. In a press conference Coach Bronco Mendenhall stated that the Cougars are “eager to play,” although he will not overlook Northern Iowa, and expects the game to be challenging. He expressed that the Cougars are doing well injury-wise, and expects a great season. Mendenhall also released the depth chart for the game, which included freshman wide receiver O’Neill Chambers and senior wide receiver Reed White as kick returners and punt returners. Max Hall will be the starting quarterback, with junior Brenden Gaskins as his backup. BYU enters this game with the longest active winning streak in the nation at 10 straight games. Northern Iowa went 12-1 last year, and running back Corey Lewis ran for 1,513 yards during the season.

Post-game:
BYU Football’s slogan this season is “The Quest for Perfection.” But after Saturday’s game against Northern Iowa, the quest is far from over. While the Cougars did win by 24 points, the second half was difficult and BYU had four turnovers, one of which led to a touchdown for Northern Iowa, while another led to a field goal. Offensively, Max Hall completed 34 of 41 passes for 486 yards, but fans were curious as to why running back Fui Vakapuna wasn’t playing. Luckily he is not injured; he sat out because he did not practice last week due to schoolwork.
Several Cougars took hard hits, including Hall and receiver Michael Reed, but both returned to play soon after the hits. Offensive lineman Ray Feinga sprained his ankle, but also returned in the second half. Austin Collie, who was injured with a stress fracture all summer, had seven receptions for 80 yards.

BYU v. Washington
Preview:
BYU tight end Dennis Pitta topped the national list in receiving with 11 receptions for 213 yards last Saturday against Northern Iowa. However, the Cougars can’t rest easy, because Washington is an excellent team who has Jake Locker as quarterback. In a press conference on Tuesday, BYU Head Coach Mendenhall praised Locker, saying “he certainly would be the fastest player on our team…which presents all kinds of problems.” The AP Poll 15-ranked Cougars have struggled on the road in the past, and several players are recovering from slight injuries. Defensive back David Tafuna has a sprained ankle, but plans to play, as do running back Harvey Unga (ankle) and quarterback Max Hall, who was shaken up after a hard hit on Saturday.

Post-game:
What was predicted to be a difficult game between BYU and Washington was certainly that for both teams. In the first possession, BYU quarterback Max Hall threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Austin Collie for the first points of the game. Washington did not wait to respond; quarterback Jake Locker rushed 14 yards to tie the game at 7. Each quarter ended with a tied score, and Washington appeared to be set to tie again in the fourth quarter. At 3rd and goal, Locker ran 3 yards for a touchdown, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called, resulting in the point after touchdown being kicked at the 18 yard line instead of the 3 yard line. BYU blocked the point after attempt, leaving the final score 28-27. The Cougars hadn’t won a non-conference game on the road in the last nine attempts, so this victory was a welcome change, giving them a 2-0 start to the season.
Washington had several injured players over the course of the game, including safety Darin Harris, who was taken to the hospital with a head injury at the beginning of the fourth quarter. BYU linebacker Vic So’oto injured his foot in the first half and did not return to the game.

BYU v. UCLA
Preview:
BYU prepares to take on UCLA on Saturday September 13, and this game will give insight into the season ahead for both teams. On September 7, the Cougars moved to spot 18 in the AP Poll, and UCLA was dropped from spot 23. Last season, the teams met twice: in the first regular season game, UCLA won 27-17, while the second meeting was in the Las Vegas Bowl, where BYU blocked a field goal in the final seconds of the game and won 17-16.
After the win against Washington last Saturday, the Cougars know that this will probably be one of the most difficult teams they will play until November. Mendenhall chooses to focus on the current game at hand. After the game at Washington, when asked about the possibility of a BCS game, he replied "I don't pay any attention to that stuff. Was this a huge step for us? No. Was it the next step? Yes."

BYU knows that the game against UCLA Saturday could potentially make or break the goal of a BCS bowl bid. In their last game, UCLA beat then-ranked 18 Tennessee in overtime. Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between BYU and UCLA in the last year, and because of the previous games, this meeting is something of a rivalry between the two. Adding to the rivalry is UCLA quarterback Ben Olson, who redshirted at BYU in 2002 before transferring to UCLA. However, Olson is out with a broken foot and will be replaced by quarterback Kevin Craft, who completed 18 of 25 passes in the second half against Tennessee for 193 yards.
BYU quarterback Max Hall completed 30 of 41 passes for 338 yards against Washington last Saturday. Running back Harvey Unga rushed 136 yards against the Huskies, and running back Fui Vakapuna appeared in his first game of the season with several great blocks and 15 yards. BYU enters this game with the longest win streak in the country at 12 games.

Post-game:
What was expected to be a difficult match-up quickly turned into BYU handing UCLA its worst defeat in more than 75 years. A quick first possession touchdown by Max Hall’s pass to Dennis Pitta was only the start. Hall threw for five more touchdowns in the second quarter, giving the Cougars a 42-0 lead at the half. Hall then threw one more touchdown pass in the third quarter, his passing yards reaching 271 and throwing 27-for-35, before resting for the remainder of the game. Backup quarterback Brenden Gaskins took his place for the last 1 ½ quarters, and threw 4-of-5 for 66 yards. The final score was 59-0.
Running back Harvey Unga also had a great game, adding 17 carries for 71 yards to BYU’s total of 521 yards, as well as 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Austin Collie, whose performance wasn’t quite up to par against Washington, had 10 receptions for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns against UCLA. Wide receiver Michael Reed, tight end Dennis Pitta, and running back Wayne Latu all added touchdowns to BYU’s eight as well, and kicker Mitch Payne made a field goal toward the end of the fourth quarter. After the difficult game against Washington, particularly with the widely disputed ending call, the Cougars were ready to “make a statement,” explained Jan Jorgenson, who plays on the BYU defensive line. BYU will play its first Mountain West opponent next Saturday, Wyoming, at home, and will enter this game continuing the longest win streak in the country at 13 games.

BYU v. Wyoming
Preview:
While the Cougars had a great performance against UCLA, and a four-spot jump in the AP Poll, Coach Mendenhall assures fans that these facts will not turn the Cougars into an overconfident or cocky team. In fact, “it is interesting to talk about, but it does not affect me or how I view our team,” he explained at a press conference on Tuesday. His players agree. Defensive lineman Jan Jorgenson expressed simply that if they focus too much on polls, BYU will begin to suffer on the field. BYU will take on its first Mountain West Conference opponent, Wyoming, on Saturday afternoon, but never expect a game to be an easy win.
Center Dallas Reynolds has plantar fasciitis in his left foot and missed practice, but Mendenhall does not expect him to miss any games. Wyoming is 0-1 in the MWC having lost to Air Force on September 6.

BYU has been lucky so far this season in terms of injuries, as the best players on the team have avoided serious injury and have all been healthy for each of their difficult games thus far. However, Coach Mendenhall reported on Wednesday that senior receiver Michael Reed has a meniscus tear in his right knee and will be undergoing surgery this week. He reportedly injured the knee during the game against UCLA, but will be out 2-4 weeks following the surgery. Reed has 16 catches so far this season, which places him in a tie for third place on the team.
The Cougars will take on Wyoming Saturday at 1:00 pm in BYU’s home stadium. Max Hall was nominated the USA Today Player of the Week this week, and there has been talk of his being a Heisman candidate as well. The Cougars enter this game ranked 14 in the AP Poll and 11 in the USA Today Poll. Wyoming is 2-1 and ranked 7th in the MWC standings.

form vs. function

i love being an english major. seriously. it is pretty fantastic. mainly because i get to read amazing books and that's my homework! but also because english professors are hilarious. for example: in my grammar 325 class, my professor actually says things like "it feels adverb-y to me" or "functionally, this is an adjective, but i just think it's more verbish." yeah. i crack up all day long in that class. most people probably wouldn't find this as funny as i do? but it's hilarious.

also, my job is amazing. the one that i do for free. i lovelove researching football for a job. it makes me seriously want to work at espn or maybe just keep this job forever. i can write for basketball season too, guys! just a heads up.

and here are some things i think you should do right now:
-download the new joshua radin cd. i have been listening to it on repeat since i bought it on 8 september. amaaazing. only, don't buy the album version of "sky." instead, buy the single featuring ingrid michaelson, because it is 400% better.
-buy me a plane ticket to go to oregon for thanksgiving. they are too much money and it is seriously bumming me out. i may or may not have a credit with delta. but calling those people is absolutely the last thing i want to do. so, another thing you could do? call delta and book my flight :) with that credit. thanks.
-tell me how to not dwell on things. i like to meet people who don't care about things the way i do. so if you're one of those people, let's hang out. i need some tips, because my own ideas don't seem to be working.

i am really excited for a new season of the office. and for the football game today. go cougs. and for LONG BEACH. yes.

making lists is what keeps me sane.

on the agenda of my life:

-signed up for snow canyon half marathon on 8 november. post-run celebration will be had with emily in las vegas. training began monday, so far is good. my stupid leg is still aching, but i just don't care anymore.
-football season starts tomorrow. my saturdays will now be consumed with running, work, and football. the end.
-to do: stop being invested.
-going to salt lake tonight. and maybe saturday night. and hopefully moving there because i'm sick of provo.
-i bought 47 textbooks for this semester. that is crazy. oh, english major...
-i wish it was 25 september so i could be on my way to long beach right now.

i'm very tired.

addendum.

here are some new things to add to the things that are cool list:
1) i got an internship as a sportswriter! i am SO stoked. i mean, it's not paid...but i can keep my current job and do this on the side. i am covering byu football for the season, and i'll have 3-4 articles every week with my very own byline! i can't even believe it.
a direct quote from my new boss: "did you know you were the only girl who applied for this job?" haha!
2) my long beach trip does not coincide with a football game, so i am going! and i get to eat the most amazing veggie burger. yesss.
3) i now have a sports blog. yes, i am a bit obsessive...but hey, if i can get writing exposure and maybe some money? i'll take that. and the jazz blog may get me one step closer to my ultimate life goal. (hint: it involves deron williams.) so check it out, click on an ad, make me some money? thanks :) www.utahjazznews.com/jazzgirl/weblog
4) i made lasagna! which means that i can cook. which rocks. score.

so yeah. good things seriously outweigh less good things. oh, and i started reading some of my books for next semester, and they are awesome. read libra by don delillo. so interesting.


until next month.

synopsis.

i am a terrible blogger. for that, i apologize.
i just never remember to do it. that, or nothing all that interesting happens to me?
you decide.

but i'm here, and ready to report on my life.
things that are cool:
1) i have an interview on thursday for an internship as a sportswriter. hello, best job ever.
meet deron williams? don't mind if i do.
2) i bought some new running shoes today, in hopes that they will inspire me to actually run again.
3) i have still two more weeks of summer, while my u and uvu-going friends start on MONDAY. yes, monday. very unfortunate.
4) i found a ticket to long beach for a ridiculously low price. best news? it's not on delta.
5) THE HILLS. enough said.

things that are less cool:
1) one of my very favorite places to visit is long beach. mainly because of the company (e&j, n,j&kg) but also because it is a very cheap airport to fly into (see good things #4) and because it is a fantastic place. the beach is amazing, lucilles bbq makes the most delicious veggie burger i have EVER eaten, etc. annnnd emily and jeff are moving back to fresno. so, no more long beach visits. boo.
2) i worked 45hrs last week. although, this may seem to semi-qualify in things that are cool, because of the overtime factor, i still don't like to be at work for that long. woof.
3) i am not running in hobble creek half marathon. injuries prevail. anyone know of a good half marathon in oct/nov?

so that's life right now.
cool things > less cool things.
seems pretty good.

tahoe makes me think of mark twain and nostalgia.

this house we are staying in is very funny. it appears that the owner made some additions without really foreseeing what they would cause. example: there is a room on the very top level that has a slanted floor with carpet on it. oh, and there is also a sliding glass door that leads to, uh, the side of the house. like, you walk outside and drop two straight floors to the ground.

very strange. i was up there with my nephews, literally on edge that one of them would open the door. i had to bring them downstairs because of the stress it was causing, in fact.

but tahoe is lovely, and it's under 80 degrees, and i'm not at work. so life is good for me :)

flying < everything else.

so this is the story of my LIFE.

booked the wrong date for my flight to vegas... so that awesome deal that i got on my flight has now cost me over $500 to fix. yes, delta charged me an additional $200.00 for a flight that i DID NOT ASK FOR. oh, and the freaking people at customer service DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. and DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING.

hey delta. i'm never flying on your stupid airline again.

viva.

so for $88, today i will be flying here:



to hang out with this girl for her 22nd birthday.

how awesome is that?
oh, i know.
oh, and we'll be residing here for the next three nights.


i love my life.


anyway, in other news, i am officially running again. which is good because the hobble creek half is in approximately 44 days and i am only to about 4miles so far... yikes. my stupid leg is being very dumb and decides to start aching at mile 2, which is quite annoying. but maybe when i get back, it will have healed itself. :)

also, i'm going river rafting/camping on 24 july, which is pretty awesome/terrifying. i have never really been camping before, as i was raised in a household where hotels were always the way to go. but i think it will be fun, partly because of the presence of this one boy...

well, i'm at work so i should probably actually do some work.
okay, peace out.

tagged.

A- Attached or single: singy.
B- Best Friend: sisters, emily, yan.
C-Cake or Pie: pie. mmm especially banana cream.
D-Day: friday.
E- Essential Item: phone, chapstick.
F-Favorite Color: pink.
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: i do love both.
H-Home town: the 'no.
I-Indulgences: shopping, tanning (i know...), diet coke sometimes.
J- January or July?: ehhh july is killing me right now. but how about july when i have a/c in my car?
K-Kids: zero.
L-Life is incomplete without: family, friends.
M- Marriage Date: ...
N-Number of Siblings: 3 sisters and 1 brother.
O- Oranges or Apples: apples if they're super crisp and tart, oranges if they're sweet and juicy :)
P- Phobias or Fears: being alone, failure, change.
Q- Quote: "he pulled a beyonce move: to the left to the left" (HAHAHAHA this old man sportscaster said that on espn and i still crack uppppp when i read it)
R- Reason To Smile: going to vegas on 10 july, that quote.
S- Season: spring (shorts, running outside, hoodies at night)
T- Tag Four: lis, bean, jess, kels.
U- Unknown fact about me: i would choose watching sports over most other things.
V- Very Favorite Store: i really like targ haha.
W- Worst Habit: obsessing.
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: i've had about 3847492 x-rays lately, and they aren't so bad. ultrasounds hurt.
Y-Your favorite food: thai curry, pizza, ice cream.
Z: Zodiac Sign: pisces.

babies are difficult to shop for.

so yesterday i went to buy a present for eli, a new baby that i know. and let me tell you, buying boy baby clothes is so not as fun as buying girl baby clothes. (unless it's these, which i bought for boozie) but i ended up buying something really fantastic for kate, instead of eli, because there just was nothing for a boy baby. he would've been forced to wear some kind of strange romper with no sleeves (yikes.) that said "dad's construction worker" or something equally as ridiculous (double yikes.)

so, sorry eli. it's just not fair for you boy babies.

anyway. there is a nest of birds that live outside of my window, and every single morning at 5:30 or earlier, they think it is a very fun idea to scratch their little feet against the window and also crash into it. i am considering hiring a bounty hunter to alleviate the problem, as i haven't slept past 5:30 in three weeks. and that is extremely grim.


does anyone have advice on how to quell caffeine-addiction headaches? i'm quitting coke and have had a perpetual headache for three days.

being a juror?

so this happened.
i have lived in utah for four years. and so far, in the last month i have been summoned three times for jury duty. three! but the trials kept getting cancelled, so then i was still on the list. apparently. so today was a real trial that i actually had to show up for! i'll admit it, i'm a nerd; i was a little excited. i mean, it seems a tiny bit cool, no? but then there were like fifty people there and i was pretty sure i wouldn't get picked...
but i did.

weird.

and the whole trial (even though i'm not supposed to talk about it...i'm not saying names or details though...) is about someone who may or may not have shoplifted a thing. which is weird, also, because this trial shenanigan seems like a lot of work for two packs of batteries.


so anyway. that's my experience with being a juror. i get to go back tomorrow for lots more sitting around fun! the trial parts are sort of cool, i think, but today i learned that lawyers take some seriouslyyyy long recesses.

i've been told that my blogs are depressing?

sad.

so i'm cheering it up today.

i registered for the hobble creek half marathon on 23 august. :) that should be... awesome. i just need to start running again. after the last race, i kind of took an inadvertant break from running, and haven't really been able to get back to my routine. it's not good. but i wrote down the mileage for each day on my calendar and i have 13 weeks from today to train. so it'll be good. going four today, so we'll see how that goes. :)

i miss my friends! for awhile i was hanging out with them like every day, and this week has been so boring! (except that i rediscovered the sims, so that rocked.)

speaking of... lasik was so crazy. seriously, everyone should get it. it's soso cool. it takes only like 5min per eye, and i was 20/20 within 24 hours of having it. it was kind of terrifying at first, because this dude was all, "okay i'm going to cut your eye..." but once it got started, i kind of forgot what was going on because it all goes black and then reallyyyyy fuzzy. so i didn't really know what he was doing. but then it worked apparently, because i can seeee :)

anyway, i'm at work again. working saturdays would be lame, except that today i get to work with gillian and brittany, so basically it'll be an awesome saturday. except that i woke up at 715am, which is not that fun.

oh, the season-ending miss.

why didn't korver take that shot?
can anyone answer this question?

it is so hard to be a fan. the wins are great, but the losses (particularly the season-ending 3-point losses) just make me feel sad and sick. i hate being so invested, because i feel kind of stupid for caring so much. particularly when, in professional sports, one must wonder if the game is pre-determined, based on which team would sell the most tickets should they go to the playoffs. (lakers/celtics? both top-seeded teams?) but alas.

i'm trying not to rewatch the last three minutes of that game, because it's just too sad.


i'm having lasik surgery on monday. part of me is horribly afraid that i'll be that one person who spends all that money to no avail. but most of me is ridiculously ecstatic to never have to put in another pair of contacts. (oh, except for those green ones i got with no prescription. i'm quite vain.) but it will be kind of amazing to wake up in the morning and be able to see the clock without putting contacts in. or to fall asleep in front of the tv and not worry about dry eyes or broken glasses.

i'm at work right now, so this is kind of disjointed because i keep stopping to help patients and forgetting what else i want to say on these subjects.

i always invest way too much into things (see first paragraph).

i'm ready to be done at work.

jealous?

so this is who i get to hang out with this weekend.

jealous?

:)

peace out, provo.

13.1 miles

so this morning, i ran my very first half-marathon. it was pretty much the hardest/most awesome thing i've ever done. i don't have any pictures of it yet, but in 72 hours some [really really ugly, i'm sure] photos will be on marathonfoto.com, and i will share. until then, a detailed log of my day will follow.

5:15am-alarm ringing, dad coughing lots. my thoughts: i want to go home, why did i sign up for this?
6:45am-waiting in the longest line i have ever seen for disgusting bathroom.
7:00am-starting gun goes off.
7:10am-cross the starting line. [i was toward the back of the 16,000 runners]
7:15-8:30am-miles 1-7, rockin to my new playlist on my pod.
8:30-9:00am-miles 8-9, stopped to eat some sport jelly beans and drink some water, didn't want to start running again. walked for awhile.
9:00-9:25am-miles 10-11, mostly running with some intermittant walking when i got too tired.
9:25-9:45am-mile 12-13, wanted to kill myself, seriously contemplated riding trax to the finish line, first marathon finishers passing me. awesome.
9:45-9:50am-last .1 of race, lots of people, felt like it was at least 3 miles long.
9:55-10:15am-they made me walk a longgg way to turn in my chip, then i cut through the barrier and found parents, took more pictures [even uglier, i imagine], legs felt like they were on fire.

so that was my first half-marathon experience. it really was quite spectacular though. i can say that, now that it's over :) but i could see myself doing another one. and probably going through the exact same emotions the morning of the race.

dating? no thanks.

forewarning: this may or may not turn into a bit of a rant.

in time magazine in 2005, an article was printed about people age 18-25. it has become "a distinct and separate life stage, a strange, transitional never-never land between adolescence and adulthood in which people stall for a few extra years, [postponing] . . . adult responsibility."

i have never really felt like this was the stage of life i was in. i have always felt like i am older than i really am, and i'm not sure why. perhaps because i have older siblings, with whom i always want to fit in, so i maybe i adapt my personality to fit the stage they are in. or maybe it's because i've always worked directly with people who are much older than i am, so i feel like i have to be more mature, so that they would take me more seriously.

but whatever the reason may be, i never have felt like i fit perfectly with people my own age. at my current job, i have been told many times that i seem so much older than 22, and several guesses have been made about my age, ranging from 26-29. i'm never sure whether i should be flattered or bothered by this. but that article makes me think that maybe i'm doing something right.

i have been thinking about this lately, because in my class we discussed this article and it brought up a particular issue that is bothering me right now. i see no need to go into a lot of detail as to why this particular talk struck home for me (my sisters will call me for details in the next week anyway... :) but it did. i completely agree with this speaker. the boys with whom i am in contact seem to be so afraid of commitment, or really of anything that could potentially lead to having to commit. and yet, most of the boys i refer to do harbor a desire to ultimately get married. so why are they so afraid?

i often have dinner with my cousin, who i feel is an impartial and nonthreatening male partisan and can help me decipher the mysterious habits of boys. if i put good food in front of him, he lets me ask him lots of questions about the male mindset, and i think this has helped me some. mainly what it has done for me, however, is realize just how different boys and girls are, and how we will probably never understand what the other is thinking.

i'm sorry that this post is probably vague and cryptic and maybe a little feminist, but i promise i'm not trying to attack. just thinking...

snow? really?

today is a gray and very snowy day in utah. which makes me infinitely sad, because my best friends live in southern california and have taken this moment to tell me that there, it is currently 64 degrees. and also it makes me sad because last week, it was 68 degrees on wednesday and i didn't even wear a jacket to my night class.

utah it very teasing. it is almost april and it is snowing. that is so terribly grim.

so instead of dwelling on the gray-ness of today, or on texas getting wasted by memphis, i (on a recommendation from another blog) have decided to make a list of things i really like about today. maybe that will help today to be better.

-psycho-t owning the second half of that game last night.
-a new 12-pack of diet coke in my fridge.
-whole seasons of 24.
-keeping up with ashley for almost the whole eight miles yesterday.
-learning about punctuation in usage and finally knowing (somewhat) how to use a dash (em, en, or otherwise)
-these awesome new shoes i bought. (http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k195/allienormous/shoes_iaec1046535.jpg)
-new roommates in three weeks.
-skype chats with long beach.

so it is a pretty good day, regardless of the snow.

i've jumped on the bandwagon.

i'm a religious user of all things internet related. to date, i am a member of xanga, facebook, myspace, linkedin, and nearly every other networking site on the internet (in my defense, the only ones i actually use are myspace [occasionally] and facebook [not so occasionally], and i am not on any of the dating sites either). but my family has all recently joined blogspot, and nearly everyone i work with is always talking blogs, so i feel like maybe it's time for me to do so as well. mostly just so i can comment on their blogs as a registered user.

the reason i never started a blog is not because i am never on blogspot. on the contrary, in fact. i log on quite frequently to see new pics of cb or kate and read about bean's love for march madness, or just to read some of my favorite prose i've ever found on the internet here. but the real reason is that i'm afraid my writing won't be interesting. i live in a quite boring town in utah, and the most exciting things in my life are a half-marathon in four weeks, and a boy that i'm not even dating. alitris has a way of taking ordinary events and transforming them into hilarious musings, and i am not so quick-witted. i have no babies to post photographs of, nor do i create green-friendly merchandise. so i am somewhat afraid that my blog will not be interesting.

but then i remember that they are my family. and they will (i hope) think the stories i post will be interesting, the way i love to read about why bean's television was on for the entire day after selection sunday, or see the photo of our house from google earth. i think it becomes interesting.

i hope, anyway.