Under the Skin

For sacrament meeting today, we combined half of the Helaman Halls wards into one and just had testimony meeting because not enough people were back from Thanksgiving yet. The girl next to me was writing a list of 100 things she was thankful for as the meeting continued. So, I thought I'd follow suit right now. 100 Things I'm thankful for: (And don't feel compelled to read them all if you don't want to) 1. Mom 2. Dad 3. Carol 4. Sam 5. Marina 6. Beth 7. Caleb 8. Sarah (yes, family would have sufficed, but I'm grateful for the family unit as well as each individual person in it) 9. Jesus Christ 10. Heavenly Father 11. The Holy Ghost and the Gift thereof 12. my extended family (I'm grateful for them individually as well, but that'd take up WAY too much space) 13. heated rooms 14. blankets 15. computers 16. the internet 17. email 18. cell phones 19. modern medicine 20. BYU 21. The fact that I don't have to be a Ute 22. colors 23. language and communicatio...

On Tuesday, my classes ended earlier than most Tuesday, because what was known to the rest of the world as Tuesday was known as Friday here at BYU. Therefore, my last class ended at 1:00. I had said goodbye to my roommate before leaving for that, as she was leaving for California (her home). After the class ended, I then returned to my dorm, thinking I'd find Beth as that is what usually happens on Fridays. I'm done with class at 1 and she's done with work at 1, so we go on outings. However, she started work earlier, so she got off work at 12 instead of 1. I therefore walked to her apartment where we ate pasta, gingerbread families (father, mother and siblings), and hung around. Then, I returned to my dorm in order to pack, engage in a friendly game of Apples to Apples with ward members and then returned to Beth's apartment where I slept. At 10:03 AM, we boarded the bus for Orem. Unfortunately, we took the wrong direction and ended up in a different part of Provo....

So, I haven't written in awhile, and when I have written, it's not really that much about my life. So, I thought I'd let you all know that BYU is going well. My days are spent with classes, studying, goofing off with people in the dorms and volunteering. I love all the service opportunities around campus! And since it's November, I couldn't go a November without National Novel Writing Month. True, I'm somewhat behind, at 23,000 words. But I'm catching up, as I used to be even further behind. And still, I have not been as far behind at any point as I was at times last year. And I still made it last year. My dorm room has been decorated all nice and pretty for Christmas. We have a snowman figurine, Christmas lights, a tiny little tree and a nativity scene--those were all the decorations that I had, and Michelle (my roommate) had none at all. But we are well decked out for Christmas, and are complimented on the decorations everytime someone's in ou...

So, when my mom was at Walmart with me, buying laundry soap before I was left on my own, she also bought me some other laundry items. You know, Febreeze, stain pretreaters and the like. She also bought me a set of Stain-Be-Gone Mini Pens (a set because they come in twos). Anyways, I hadn't the chance to use these for awhile, because for some reason, I've ceased staining myself now that I'm equipped. So, today, I had the chance. Because I had gotten a nosebleed in Nursing 180 (I know, a great place to start bleeding), I had bloodspots on the sleeve of my jacket that had escaped the tissue. I thought, "Oh no, my jacket is ruined." But then I remembered the Stain-Be-Gone Mini Pens. And I thought: "no better time to try it. " Ladies and gentlemen, you can no longer tell that my jacket went through a sanguine episode. It is repaired! And the Stain-Be-Gone Mini Pen is now my friend. Who knows what next testimonial will be! Maybe Mr. Clean Magic Erasers,...

The Role of Women in Latter-day Saint Religion and Society I have had many questions, accusations and false-assumptions directed towards me in reference to my religion and my role as a woman in my religion. Sometimes these illocutions truly are questions—people just wanted to know. However, sometimes they are prejudgments or negatively charged sentiments that they have disguised as questions. In response to all of these illocutions, I have composed this treatise on the role of women in the Latter-day Saint, commonly known as Mormon, religion. Before we begin, I will let all know that this is an informal treatise, but all the same, an academic one. All my sources will be cited, but I will be sure to let you know the nature of the source at the same time. Not everything stated in this treatise is an official standing of the church. Some of it comes from members of the church, many of the well-learned and well-read. However, those coming from official chur...

Since leaving Seattle, I've begun to compile a list of words only people from Seattle seem to be able to pronounce. Most of these are proper nouns, but here we go. I haven't thought of them all, I'm sure (I've just been writing them down as they come to me), but here it is so far. Also, if you want to try saying them, transcribing the pronunciation and then checking your work, feel free. Sequim Puyallup Skoomuchuck Wynoochee Stillaguamish Skokomish Nisqually Snoqualmie Chamokane Klickitat Squillamish Snohomish Stillamish Issaquah Skykomish Willamette Enumclaw Spokane Kalaloch geoduck

I eat my words! BYU has beaten University of Oklahoma. This is unbelievable. And you should see Provo tonight. Crazy doesn't even BEGIN to describe tonight.