First Day in London

Hi everybody! I hope you all didn't think I'd died in the crossing or anything. Don't worry, I'm quite alive. Actually, right now I feel quite dead but spending my second nearly full day walking around London and having to climb four floors of stairs to even get to the bedroom will do that to you. But, on the up side, I am planning on having some nicer legs when I return to the States. AND I just saw Wicked for the first time. It was AMAZING! LOVED it! Any way, I'm still pretty jetlagged, but I'm forcing myself to stay awake for a little while longer.
Here's how this is going to work: I'll post the pic and then talk about it. If any of you have specific questions you want to ask me, comment and I'll answer!

Here's Eryn and I on the Heathrow Express. Please, forgive the disgusting appearance. It had been a looooong day and night, and we wouldn't sleep for a lot more hours.

The Taxi that took us to the Centre. It was SOOO COOL!

The view from my bedroom window and to the left.

Yes, I did. And it was FUN! That is an actual half of a trolley sticking out there.

Now THIS is where I should be hanging out...

WICKED!!!! And it was fabulous! I'm excited, can you tell?

Well, family and friends, I'd show you more, but frankly, this is long enough as it is, and I am EXHAUSTED. I'll have more fun stuff later in the week. I can no longer promise daily posts. Hope you can forgive me as you anxiously await more tales from me.

Whew!

It has been the craziest few days of my life! I graduated, then had the convocation where I got my diploma case (they don't trust us enough to give us the actual diploma) and then I was cleaning and moving and running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I am currently homeless, and taking up residence with various nearby family members. It's been an adventure.
And I leave for London tomorrow morning! So, I won't write again from the US until June. Hope that doesn't bother anyone. I am SOOOOO excited about London!!!! I know, you all are extremely jealous right now, and you should be! But I'll post pictures and stories and everything on here, so it'll be like you are there with me! Almost....ok, so not quite, but at least you can see the fun I am having! And I daresay I have earned a bit of a party!
So, farewell for another few days, and I will see you all from the other side of the Atlantic!
Cheerio!

Graduation day!!!

Well, it's happening today. My brother and I are graduating from college. I don't have much time to write, as commencement is occuring in the near future and I am STILL not done with packing. But, I just want you all to know that you have all helped me get here and for that I am profoundly grateful to you.

Thank you one and all, and I love you!

Packing...

It's a joy and a terror in one big swoop. I love that I get to pack up everything I own and move on to great adventures! It just makes the anticipation so much higher! And yet...packing up everything that I own in the safest and cheapest manner is the most stressful aggravating thing I know. Honestly, how did I end up with so much crap? It's absolutely AMAZING! And really really annoying.
But I need to get all of this packing done because my family is taking the stuff back to Indiana while I go traipsing off to Great Britain. And since we're all flying, suitcases and duffels are the thing. It's amazing how much you can fit into a suitcase...and how fast it fills up. But, never fear. I have become quite adept at estimating the 50 pound limit and I have not gone over it in the last 5 trips or so. I am that good.
Last time was scary, thoguh. I had two of the biggest duffels known to mankind going with Mom and Jenny after spring break and I had filled them as much as they could stand. I weighed them on my own bathroom scale, but who knows how accurate THOSE are, and they seemed to be just fine. Upon arriving at the airport check-in, however, I was not as sure. I watched in heavy anticipation as we loaded the first back onto the scale. My pulse was racing and my palms were sweating as those little red numbers shifted around and landed on...48.5 pounds. I barely restrained myself from whooping a victory cheer in the airport. Then the second bag was loaded on, and I waited again until it read...47.5 pounds. It was then that I realized that I had a gift.
Ok, so I don't really have a gift, don't ask me to pack your bags for you cuz I won't do it.
I'm really anxious to get these things done though because I have a lot of writing to do that I want to get done before I leave. So, the next few days should be fun, and hey! I graduate tomorrow! Yay! Technically, I guess that I graduate on Friday, but whatever. It's the principle of the thing.
Happy Wednesday!

Sorry!

We're going to be short again today, as I have a double-header and taking a friend to the airport, and packing, and etc.

But Happy Tuesday!

Words of wisdom: Life's short. Eat dessert first.

DONE!

Well, folks, it's happened. No, I didn't get engaged. No, I didn't get a boyfriend. NO, I didn't get a positive response from a literary agent (Gosh, you guys are horrible guessers!). I have completed my last exam at BYU, which means that I am DONE. I have completed all of the requirements to graduate from this institution! I am going to be a college graduate as soon as they tell me to move that tassel in three days. It's such a relief!
Ok, now I suppose I ought to reflect on what I have learned over the last four years (yes, I did it in four. Crazy, I know). So, these are my perceptions:

1. Don't take GE classes your last semester of college. Senioritis makes it hard enough to take the classes you DO want to. Don't torture yourself with further crap.
2. You do not need your own personal 2 year supply food storage when you are a single college student. You will regret your over purchasing. I went through some food the other day that EXPIRED two years ago. Don't worry, it was still sealed, so I won't die of some freak disease.
3. Being active is a really good thing. Energy can come in all forms, but a regular exercise routine will be the most helpful. Don't live on caffiene and sugar rushes. It only lasts so long.
4. Have FUN! Take pointless classes every once in a while. It doesn't matter if it relates to your major or not. Just have a laugh! College only comes once, so enjoy it!
5. Befriend the nerds. They are really useful when it comes to exams, and besides, they can be a lot cooler than you think!
6. Don't worry about sitting in the front of the class. I never did. Just make sure you focus in class, and be respectful to the teacher and they'll appreciate you anyway. And thank them at the end of the semester. They love that. BE A SUCK-UP!
And finally, 7. College is a hard time, but it can also be the best time of your life. Take the stress, the lectures, the exams, the 27-page papers, and just run with it. There is so much more to it than that. You'll make friends you will keep for a lifetime and have unforgettable experiences. College is preparation for life, and if you waste that time, you will regret it. It's the time of your life, so live it well.

Farewell, BYU. It was nice knowin' ya!

Finals...

Ah, finals. I hate them. "Let's take a test to see if you can remember everything that I have taught you over the past semester." Yeah, that would work...if I were LISTENING THE FIRST TIME! Boring classes are the WORST, because then you have a test over stuff you never learned because you couldn't stay awake with a monotonous teacher droning on and on and on and on.... For crying out loud, just get me out of here!

Ok, I'm fine, really. I graduate in four/five days, and my last finals are tomorrow, so it will all be over soon. It's just the getting there that I hate.

Much luck with your week, and enjoy the Sabbath!

Writing time

Long day today and I'm smack dab in the middle of it. But here's a taste of something new for you. It's a selection from my upcoming novel (should it ever be published....)
Happy Saturday!


Yet another evening was doomed to pass in which Andrew Birkham proved his devotion to Abigail Handover and his complete and utter lack of interest toward Rebecca Dumate. Rebecca just knew it. He had danced every dance with Abigail save one, and the exception had been with Gillian Buchanan, Isabella’s younger sister. Honestly, the man ought to show some restraint, people were beginning to talk.
She began picking at invisible threads on her dress as she indulged in cloudy thoughts. She had danced a few times with various gentlemen, not that it mattered. He wasn’t even looking at her tonight. All that work and she might as well have been a Grecian urn for all the attention she was receiving. He had to be blind or immune. Maybe he was immune. Or ill. Or out of his mind. Or drunk. Or all of them together.
She cast a glance up at him, dancing again with his favorite. He seemed to be sober enough, both in body and mind. In fact, he looked as though he were enjoying himself. Quite a lot.
She didn’t try to hide her glower. No one had talked to her in a long while, so she didn’t see why she couldn’t make whatever faces she desired to. She wanted to go home. This minute. She needed a good cry and some of Lucy’s special strong tea.
Rebecca was jostled a bit as someone sat roughly in the seat next to her. She managed to keep a scowl in check, but only just.
“I say, Rebecca, are you quite all right? You look a bit out of sorts.”
She closed her eyes in dejection. Of course it would be him. It was always him. She opened her eyes wearily. “Yes, I am well, Andrew. Slight headache, but it’ll pass. They always do.”
“I certainly hope so. You look so lovely dancing out there, it would be a shame for you to remain so incapacitated.”
“I do not look lovely. Stop being nice to me.”
“I told you, Rebecca, I am rarely nice. I am, however, nothing if not honest. You are a marvelous dancer, and seem to enjoy it so, it is a true pleasure to witness.”
She turned to look at him severely, but found he was much closer than she thought he’d be, and in his eyes she saw honesty and earnestness. What an irritating man, to say such things and look so handsome without any effort.
“Thank you, Andrew,” she said with a smile, feeling her heart lifting slightly. Perhaps he was not so infuriating after all. He was just being nice to Abigail, same as he was with her. She held no advantage over Rebecca. They were on equal footing.
She straightened up and turned her smile as attractive as she could. “It is more enjoyable by far to dance with me than around me.”
His eyes twinkled merrily. “Is it? Well, then, as soon as my feet recover feeling, I shall test your theory.”
Before she could respond again, the devil’s female form appeared before them in all her deceiving beauty. “My lord, I wonder if it might be possible to return to Benbridge now. I am feeling rather fatigued, and think an early to bed would be most beneficial.”
“Certainly, Miss Handover, if you wish it,” Andrew said, standing swiftly and offering his arm. He turned to Rebecca with only a slight amount of regret being evident in his eyes. “I fear we shall have to save our dance for another time, Rebecca. You understand, I hope?”
A horrible bitter taste swarmed her mouth as she nodded as serenely as possible. “Of course, Andrew. Another time I’ll hold you to it.”
He smiled playfully. “I shall count on it.” Winking at her again, he walked away with Miss Hand-over-your-love, who did not look fatigued at all.
“Bloody tramp,” she muttered as she glared after them. How could Andrew be so blind as to not see her for what she was? Pure and undeniable evil wrapped in flawless beauty.
Rebecca stood slowly and moved to find one of her stupid besotted brothers to beg to return home. Her bed was looking more attractive by the minute.

Another short little thought

Hope you won't mind, I have finals today and need to study a bit more, but I wanted to leave you with this quote that hasn't left mind since I read it. It comes from one of my favorite new finds and it's not as astute as it sounds in context, but out of it, it's pretty profound.

"Can one appreciate perfection when it is a constant in one's life?"

I read that and I just sat there for almost two mintues going "Whoa.... can you?" I realized that it is true. If we only know one thing, how can we appreciate it? Then I started thinking about our weaknesses, which make us appreciate our strengths more. Then I thought about our trials, which make us appreciate the times when we don't have them. Would we truly appreciate our strengths and our good times if we didn't have weakness and trial? I don't think so. Therefore, (nice thesis, I am a soon-to-be college graduate) we should embrace the bad times, for without them, we would not know any good.
Marinate on that for a while. Happy Friday!

Here's a thought

I got my daily e-mail from Foundation for a Better Life with an inspirational quote like I always do, but this one was really good and kinda hit me.

“Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there's love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.” —Ella Jane Fitzgerald (1917-1996), jazz vocalist

Don't forget that. I'm currently chasing my dreams and doing what I want to do, and you're never too old to begin!

Reading day

That's an ironic name. Reading day... I don't know anybody who actually does reading (for school, that is) on reading day. For most students, it's the first day off and therefore a goof off day. Tomorrow is when the panic sets in and they begin to go crazy with the studying. I, of course, am I responsible student and will begin my studies today (at least, that is what I have been telling myself....) so that I can finally finish school and get out of here.
But I love reading days. I get to sleep in and stay in my jammies all day if I want to because where am I going to go? Honestly.... I just want these finals to be over so that I can be done. I wish that life had a remote control so that I could just fast forward all of these things and get to the good stuff like graduation and England. Who can settle for tests when those things are on the horizon???
And because I am a glutton for punishment, I promised a friend of mine her very own short story before I leave, and so now I have to do that as well. But with finals and crap, I have no idea how it will get done. But I will do it, because I am me and I am AMAZING!!! Or so I tell myself. It's a self-boost thing. I'm really not that arrogant.
Happy Wednesday!

I'm a Sap

No really, it's true. I make a full confession here in this very blog. I, Rebecca Lynne Connolly, am a hopeless romantic. And when I say hopeless, I mean hope-less. There is absolutely no cure for it. I have been this way since I was young and I certainly do not forsee myself changing any time soon. I believe in true love, in fidelity in marriage, in all-consuming passion for one person that can never be fully quenched, and in pure and untarnished happiness for all eternity. I read romance novels, surprise surprise, and will sigh, cry, squeal, or make other girly noises when something romantic or cute happens or is said. Fiction though it may be, I believe it is real and happens in life. Dunno how, per se. After all, I am certainly not the voice of experience here. And I've never really seen it, but I don't pay that much attention and all the people that I have watched were pretty sedate about it around us. Which is perfectly fine, it's not like I'm expecting a full-on performance involving bold and noble declarations that make every body go "Awwwww". I've never been privvy to a proposal as a witness (and obviously not as a participant), but it doesn't matter. I have romantic dreams and I have been around long enough and learned enough to know what marriage and love should be like. I write love stories. This is one of the great delights of my life. Taking two people and watching them go through various trials, usually of their own making, and seeing how they grow together and develop a relationship that I envy with all my heart. That is the beauty of it. I try to make the situations as realistic as possible, because that makes it more applicable, and I want the people who read my books to believe in love. It seems love is not a factor in the world anymore. Lust is the only thing some people care about. And while I have no problem with a husband feeling that physical desire for his wife, and vice versa, the beauty of true love is that there is so much more to it. Being willing to hold someone and to just hold them. Caring more about their welfare and well-being than your own. Wanting to be a better person for them because you feel they deserve more than just you. Devoting your life to making them happy and making a life with them. Forgetting yourself and your pride for the good of your relationship and for the sake of happiness. Never wanting to hurt them and being so quick to forgive that people wonder if you ever fight. These things are love, and there is more! As much as we females would like to admit it, even chocolate cannot fulfill what love can give us.
Does this make me unrealistic? An idealist? Slightly naive? A little bit crazy but in a really cute way? Perhaps. But I refuse to live any other way. Let me keep my little romantic. If it means that I view life through rose-colored glasses, then so be it! I may never find this for myself, I know I am not a beauty and not your average female. But I will never give up this hope that someday, some man will find me beautiful and will want me for enternity. Every person deserves someone like that, deserves the kind of love that transcends our mortal capacity. Love, my friends, true love gives us a little sliver of heaven, and makes us just a bit immortal. And I believe that is what makes it so amazing. I love love. I can't wait to find it. And if I never do, I'll always have my writing!
Happy Tuesday, friends. Make it special.

What if?

Do you ever wonder what the world would be like if you were different? I tend to. Not that I made any huge decisions in my life that would alter the situation in China or affect the military action in Iraq, but I wonder about my own world. For example, what if I had decided to indulge in my musical love instead of swimming in high school? Would I now be a music major or in the theatre department? Or what if I had told my first love how I felt? Would I be less defiantly single? Would I still be VL?
There are so many little decisions that we make that don't seem to change anything in our lives, but in reality every single choice that we make (ok, maybe not what set of underwear to put on) has an effect on the course of our lives. I have always wanted to have a "It's A Wonderful Life" moment, where I get to see what things would be like if I'd never been born. Not because I don't think I should have been born, but because I am curious about what I have done in my life. What sort of a difference have I made?
It's probably one of those things that I will never know, which I don't like very much because, as you know, I like to be informed. The very idea that I don't know something is irritating. But I suppose I'll have to get used to it, as from here on out, I cannot plan anything. SCARY!!!!
Have a great Monday. Later.

ABC Tag

Apparently, I was tagged by Erin. Cool. So here are my answers, and as I have no idea who actually reads this thing, I tagged the audience, whoever you may be. Enjoy, and Happy Sunday!

A- Attached or single: Very much single. Open for set ups. But not desperate

B- Best Friends: Steph, Whit, Brittany, my characters…

C- Cake or Pie: Yes please

D- Day of choice: Saturday. I don’t have to get up on Saturdays

E- Essential item: My imagination. I’d be lost without it…heck, half of the time I’m lost BECAUSE of it. But it makes my life exciting.

F- Favorite color: pale yellow. And dark green. But I might change my mind tomorrow.

G- Gummy bears or worms: worms. They stretch easier.

H- Hometown: Lafayette, IN

I- Indulgences: Romance novels, burgers, ice cream, comfy clothes, iTunes, sandalwood, Amazon.com, and impulse purchases

J- January or July: Where am I? Most likely July, but you never know.

K- Kids: See question number 1. But don’t worry, I have them all planned out. Ask me sometime and I’ll tell you. And besides, all of my characters are my kids. Therefore, I have….a lot.

L- Life is not complete without: musicals. And love. And laughter. And Swedish fish. And carbonation. And Jane Austen. And popcorn. And chapstick. And lotion. And blankets!

M- Marriage Date: TBA. Thanks for reminding me!

N- Number of Siblings: 2 crazy insane sisters, one goofy sister-in-law, and 3 moderately tolerable brothers.

O-Oranges or apples: on what? Straight up? Oranges. In a pie? Apples.

P- Phobias or fears: Small furry critters. Creepy men. Not being able to defend myself. Getting fat. Developing an intolerance for ice cream, beef, or carbonation. Dying alone.

Q- Quotes: “Around here… we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
–Walt Disney
"I'm forever in pursuit and I don't even know what it is I'm chasing."
--Harold Abrahams in Chariots of Fire
"No matter how clever or sophisticated a man may appear, he is merely clay waiting to be shaped by the hand of a superior woman. It is, however, best not to let him know this." --Helena Pennington

R- Reason to smile: My BOC exam is over, I’m graduating, and England is on the horizon. And I just saved a bunch of money on car insurance by switching to Geico.

S- Season: One without snow.

T- Tag four friends: You and you and you and you.

U- Unknown fact about me: I cannot sit still for anything. Seriously, ask my sisters. I have permanent scarring from their slaps and slugs to keep still.

V- Very favorite store: Borders. And Kohl’s.

W- Worst habit: I don’t put things away. And I make smart aleck comments. Aloud.

X- X-ray or Ultrasound: I’ve never had an ultrasound, and X-rays are boring, so ultrasound.

Y- Your favorite food: Right now….death by chocolate cake, steak, Ryan’s mom’s fruit salad, Weesa rolls with butter and raspberry jam, mint chocolate chip ice cream, miggyshakes, popcorn.

Z- Zodiac: Sagittarius. Go me.

Best feeling ever

I'M ALL DONE!!!! TEST OVER, STRESS GONE!!!!
Seriously, I feel wonderful. No idea if I passed or how well I did, but I feel satisfied. Hope that's a good sign, but then, you never know. I'm really not functioning on all cynliders right now, so I'm just going to cut to the part where I paste in some writing for you all. I love you all, and thanks for the prayers and thoughts!

Ok, here are three snippets I had to write for my creative writing class that involved showing emotion rather than telling. I promise you all that next Saturday you will have better things to read. But these are good. I am proud of them as they are.

Laura stroked the faded portrait softly as tears rolled their familiar way down her alabaster cheeks. Kyle’s teasing smile reflected back up at her, laughing at her, but comforting her still. She tried to smile back, but felt it wobble dangerously, the portrait now shaking as her hand trembled. Pain swelled within her chest until she was sure she could no longer bear it. She closed her eyes and put the portrait back on her desk facedown. With a shuddering sob, she buried her face in her hands and released all of the agony of the last three days in this one moment of privacy. She pulled his old sweatshirt from behind her in the chair and clutched it to her face, sending her cries into its depths, letting the lingering scent of Kyle invade her.

Greg floated back up to his dorm room in a haze, not quite sure what he should do next. His cheek still tingled from the sweet pressure of Hallie’s lips, and his tongue was still swollen from being in her presence. Had he said anything stupid? Had he said anything at all? He couldn’t remember. The flowery smell of her hair still penetrated his brain and muddled his thoughts. With a sigh that was probably out of place for a 19-year-old man, he flopped onto his unmade bed and fought to hide the stupid grin that he felt spreading across his face. Did he call her now? Did he call her later? Did he wait for her to call? These were pressing questions, and ones he couldn’t ask the guys.

Books flew across the room as Andrew hurled them in every direction. Grabbing them by the spines or the pages, any part of them he could hold, he threw them against the walls, the doors, the floor. He did not care where they landed, what they broke, or if they were damaged. Any object on his desk was not safe from his attack. Priceless vases lay in shattered pieces on the floor, the bottle of wine lay demolished to one side of his desk, the deep red liquid slowly leaking onward. An animalistic cry burst from his throat as he cleared an entire stack of books from his desk in one last motion. Exhausted, he collapsed into his chair, put his elbows on his desk, and sank his face into his hands, shaking as if he had been retrieved from a freezing lake. How could Rebecca entangle herself with another man? Wasn’t he enough?

Happy Weekend!!! Later.

Short

I hope no one will be offended, but I'm not going to say much today. Test tomorrow, you know, and I really can't focus on much else than that. Tomorrow I won't write until after the test, so you all can sleep in. All I can say is that Les Miserables music is very relaxing....

Thursday again

Well, it's that day again. The one that is almost Friday but not quite. The one that you simply have to live through. But I think this Thursday will be ok. I have lunch with one of my favorite people today, which will be a nice respite from my crazy studying, which is going ok, I will have you know. I am feeling pretty good about it right now, but that may change. I know that I have studied hard (and will continue to do so) and so I feel that the Lord will help me out. There is so much in store for me after this, I can feel it.
Tonight is also the last night of my creative writing class. It's a sad day. This was a fantastic class. I learned so much about how to write and how to be a writer, and he said at the beginning of the class that he was going to try and dissuade us all from becoming writers, but that if he could do so, then shame on us. Well, it's the end, and I still want to be a writer, so BOOYAH!!! If anything, this has been a boost for my self-esteem and my faith in my abilities as a writer. By the way, no one has picked up my book yet, but I have faith that it will happen. There has been too much given to me for it not to be something special, and those that have read it really like it, so I know that it will work. Besides, there's a bazillion and seven more to come! Amazing how I started off so sure of wanting to do one thing, and I end up wanting to do two different things. Good thing I can!
Well, obviously today is a good day. I feel happy and calm, and I watched part of the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert last night so I have fantastic music in my head as I go about the day. (I cannot WAIT to see that show in London!!!!!) Hope all the rest of you have a good day too, but if not, tomorrow IS Friday, which is surely a God-given blessing. Later!

Wow

I just realized I haven't posted today. I am so sorry. It's this blasted test thing. I can't think straight, talk right, or sleep comfortably right now. For example, I just tried to say 472 and I said 742. I'm losing my mind. But it's a good life lesson for me, I suppose. Everyone I have talked to that would know says that I'll be fine and that I should stop worrying so much. I just want to shout, "Easy for YOU to say! You passed!" but that would be rude, so I won't. How do you stop worrying without slacking? I have no idea. I have never been able to. It'll just make me more nervous. What if I get to the testing center and I forget everything I studied? That has happened to me before. And no test of my life has ever mattered more than this one.
OK, now I'm panicking again. Time for a distraction. Later.

Marriage

I know, I know, why talk about this when I am most obviously single and not about to change that status for qutie some time. But I've done a lot of thinking lately and I have some thoughts. I was in my mission prep class yesterday and we were talking about marriage, and Brother Bott said, "I want you to know that marriage is not one big erotic fantasy after another. Sex is fun, but that will not make a marriage." And then we talked about the trilateral marriage with God, husband, and wife, and how if a husband and wife will grow closer to God, they cannot help but to grow closer together. I was touched when Elder Christofferson this weekend said that his wife was the light of his life, and when President Monson talked about his wife so tenderly. It makes me have hope in this disgusting world of divorce and adultery and immorality. I know a man who had been living with his girlfriend for some time, and they decided to get married, more for her than anything else. But when talking with him, he said that his life hadn't changed much, that he didn't care that much, and that he wasn't even sure he loved his new wife, only that it seemed the thing to do. I was so disappointed. Why tie yourself to someone you are not even sure that you love? I worry for their marriage, and for many other marriages when they are not founded on the right things. I remember something that my dad told me, and it was somethign that a former mission president's wife in Indiana would say to the missionaries during their last interview. They would talk about marriage, and then she would say something like this: "Make sure that you marry someone that you like. Genuinely, honestly like them. You should want to spend time with them and be around with them, because if you don't, when you have disagreements, it will be hard to get along with someone you don't even like." Love is of course important, and I am the world's biggest believed in true love and romance and passion, etc, etc, etc. But the foundation must be there, and the relationship is so much more important than living in a dreamland.
And those are my thoughts. Now I just need to find the guy....so off I go. See ya!

General Conference

Just a quick note this morning about General Conference yesterday. Wasn't it amazing? I think it was the best conference I have ever been privileged to witness. If I had any doubts ever about the new president, his counsellors, or the new apostle, they were completely obliterated by the talks that were given, the Spirit that I felt, and the testimonies that were shared. I literally saw the mantle fall onto President Monson's shoulders, and there is no doubt in my mind that he is the prophet of the Lord. I am so excited for his era as prophet and president, and I love his counsellors. I think we are entering a fantastic time in our church. I LOVE Elder Christofferson. I think he is a wonderful addition to the Twelve. Isn't it amazing how the Lord knows exactly what we need before we do? I wondered what conference would be like without President Hinckley, and I was a litle worried about it. But my worrying was for nothing because it was so spiritual and testimony strengthening. As you all know, I am stressed out about this test coming up, but I took the time to listen to conference and not study during those times, and I am so glad that I did. I hope that I will be blessed for it with my scores, but if not, I have been richly blessed by the Spirit of the Lord, and that is more important to me than all of the certification exams in the world.
Happy Monday, guys!

Not in the mood

It's not your fault, I am just not feeling especially eloquent today. Maybe it's due to the fact that I am starting to reach new stress levels. Maybe it's because I am realizing how much I have to do in the next few days and weeks. Or maybe it's because I have no hot water in my apartment and therefore am feeling rather dirty, smelly, and disgusting, and the only bright spots are that the crock-pot of salsa chicken smells amazing and that conference is spectacular. You know what, I think it is the lack of shower. And, cowardly though it may be, I refuse to take a cold shower. It's one thing to be in the shower and have the water go cold, but quite another to willingly venture in to the arctic for a few moments of cleanliness that leaves your teeth chattering for three hours. And it's Sunday, so the manager's phone is off. Lovely. I may just boil water on the stove and play it like Regency-era England. Except there is no maid to wash my hair for me. Alas for the modern age and equal rights.
At least Mary Poppins is on in the front room. There's SOMETHING to smile about. May your Sabbath be less aggravating than mine.

Why must everything have a title?

It's Saturday!!! I slept in! It was amazing! And it's conference weekend, which makes me happy. For all of you readers that are not LDS, it's the weekend where the leaders of our Church speak from Salt Lake City on broadcast and give us guidance. It's a two day thing, very exhausting for them and very invigorating for us.
Anywho, I decided that Saturdays are going to be my writing days. The days where I share with you all tiny snippets from my collections. They will be however long or short I decide, and you may insult, comment, or praise at your leisure.
Today's selection is another short story for my creative writing class, in which I got high score for this piece, thank you very much. It's more light hearted than my last, so no worrirs about tears, Erin, though you may still hate me. And so, without any further ado, I present, for your reading and entertainment pleasure, Truth Or Dare.

“I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I CANNOT do this!”
Callie trudged her way through the four inches of snow that were steadily deepening and somehow managing to find a way through her boots, through her pink and green striped toe socks, and simultaneously drenching and freezing her toes, wishing she could turn back and forget this whole dare. What had she been thinking?
Truth or Dare. The one game her mother had always ALWAYS ALWAYS told her not to play, especially not in her house. But her mother and father were out tonight, and didn’t know that her “sleepover” with a few friends was actually an excuse to rout out her mom’s “secret” stash of Reese’s Cups and Snickers and Mint Milano Cookies as they chatted about how horrible and yet incredibly cute the boys at school were, all the while watching movies that they all knew their moms would not have allowed, had they any idea.
Ugh, if only she hadn’t invited Danica over. The little weasel. Danica, the popular one, who had only been invited to up Callie’s own social status, had suggested this horrible game. And who did she think should go first? Why, the hostess, of course. Callie wished that she had poked out those flashing green eyes when she’d had the chance. But no. She had to go along with it like a stupid lemming, following the leader blindly until they all fell off of a cliff.
And died on the jagged rocks below.
And then, to top it off, when asked the ever-important “Truth or Dare” question, Callie had lifted her chin and bravely said, “Dare.”
Stupid, stupid, stupid. You ALWAYS say truth! So much safer. But she hadn’t wanted to look like a scaredy cat in front of everybody. These were the High School Gossip elite! There was no way to salvage a reputation when they were through with it.
Well, she looked really cool now! Her silky red pajama pants stuffed deep into the faded gray polyester of her 15-year-old hand-me-down snow boots with the scuffings on the toes, her thick gray cardigan buttoned up to her chin, and a bright yellow scarf wrapped at least seven times around her neck, compliments of her ex-best friends. Oh, and one mustn’t forget the hat she was wearing. It was a penguin. Literally. The ball on top of the hat was the head, complete with a little yellow beak protrusion.
Callie sighed in frustration and stepped quickly around the strange puddle of yellow snow that she had almost missed.
“Lovely. Compliments of his dog,” she muttered. The only dog in four blocks and it had to do that in her path.
She stopped dead in her tracks and swallowed hard as she realized that meant she was there…here…at the end. This was his house. That was his horribly ugly wreath on the front door. Those were his Christmas lights that he probably put up with his father.
Waves of panic washed over her and her stomach turned into swarms of angry bees. Oh, why did Tracie have to tell Danica that she was in love with Troy? Why oh why oh why? What kind of friend was she?
It had been a horrible moment. Probably the worst in her life, and she didn’t foresee any future moment surpassing it. Danica and her posse of preps had put their heads together to come up with a truly horrendous dare, when Tracie, probably too chock-full of sugar to notice what came out of her mouth, said, “Well, Callie’s been in love with Troy Francisco since eighth grade!” And from the looks on those girls’ faces, Callie thought the devil himself had possessed them.
And now here she was. A veritable freak show standing in front of the home of the single most attractive guy to ever grace a high school’s hallowed walls.
Callie looked around anxiously. No one was around, no one would know. She didn’t have to go through with this. She could lie. She was a rather good liar.
Then she heard giggling and whispering from somewhere in the street behind her.
She closed her eyes in anguish. Of course they’d followed her.
She heard the rather loud whirl of a camera zooming in.
Of course.
Taking a deep breath, and finally understanding that whole ‘lamb going to the slaughter’ thing, she walked up the neatly shoveled path.
Stepped onto the porch.
To the front door.
And rang the doorbell.

Bwah hahaha. I am mean, I know. Well, back to my studies. Test in 1 WEEK!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!

Holy Hannah, what a day

I have to eat my words, apparently. Here it is 4:05 in the afternoon and this is the first opportunity I have had to even think about this. I am so sorry for all of you who read my blog with your morning coffee or tea or Cheerios. Blame it on...me. I overslept and it has thrown my entire day off. It has been nuts, and it ain't over yet. I have another double-header with the BYU softball team(we had one last night) and I am writing this from the Athletic Training office at the softball park in between warm-ups. Feel privileged, my faithful audience. This is all for you. Who am I kidding, it's all for me because, let's face facts, it's my teeny distraction from upcoming almost certain doom. I had a special thought all prepared thanks to my creative writing teacher, who is truly a wealth of motivational quotes and life lessons. Honestly, I have learned more about life and success from him than from any other professor.
Anywho, here we go.
"Life is not about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself." --George Bernard Shaw
I truly feel that that is a truth, friends. Think about it. So don't worry about finding out who you are. Just be who you are. Create the person you want to be. We are more powerful than we think we are and have so much potential. Here's one from my teacher that will be my closing thought. "The reason to create anything is because you love it enough to see it exist." --Neil K. Newell
Es la verdad. Good evening, y'all. Be good.

A whole lotta rambles

I don't know why I always write these things first thing in the morning. You'd think I'd wait until I was semi-lucid to put down something so profound. But I think that my sense of humor is just a teeny bit more dry in the morning, and that could actually be quite funny, depending on the sort of mood that I am in. Today is Thursday, which of course, means that tomorrow is Friday, and the next day is Saturday, which is a blessing every single week. Saturdays mean sleeping in. Sleeping in is one of my most favoritest hobbies, probably because I never get to do it. My entire college career I have taken classes in the morning because my schedule requires that I leave my afternoons for the teams that I work with. It's annoying, it's hard, and I hate it, but there it is. And I have discovered that when I leave this fine institution, I will have to still get up early so that I can make the money that I need to be a grown up. Crap. Life's not fair, people. Oh well, at least I have this summer to catch up on my four years--wait a tick, high school was rough too...make that eight years--of sleep deprivation. Sorry family, I guess that means I will be sleeping the entire six weeks that I am home. And when I am awake, I will be writing. I have missed writing SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! It's like someone cut of my opposable thumbs and now I am just like the other animals. If I stop thinking about my exam material for longer than 10 minutes, my writer's brain kicks in and I start getting ideas and new scenes and lines and I have to literally get up and do something, otherwise I will be distracted for hours. I hope these lovely things I have been 'seeing' won't disappear because they really are fantastic, I just have to be responsible for once. Are you confused about my 'seeing'? Let me explain...no there is too much, let me sum up. I have the ability to literally watch a scene in my head like a movie, and it tends to take over my eyesight sometimes so that all of my focus is on what my brain is showing me. I am not kidding either. A song is usually the trigger, and then an entire scene unfolds with music, characters, costumes, scenery, and, if I am lucky, lines. When this happens, I race to the nearest notebook and try to capture what I have just witnessed. And the scene never leaves my head and now every time I hear the song that triggered it, I witness the scene all over again. It's probably the coolest thing ever.
Anywho, ramlbing today. Hope you don't mind. Happy Thursday!

God is gracious

I'm going to wax religious this morning, so those of you who are rolling your eyes, go read about Lindsey Lohan or something useful like that because I have things to say. Yesterday I was freaking out about my exam coming up. Crazy, I know, but I was and there seemed to be nothing I could do to stop it. I even started to cry, which is BAD as my test is still 10 days away and if I am crying now.... Anyway, I was at work at the Marriott Center and I knew I couldn't cry with all of the people coming in, so I escaped o the bathroom for a few minutes. While there, I began speaking out loud, hoping that Heavenly Father would hear me. "I'm so scared. I've never been mroe scared in my life, and I cannot be scared like this, and especially not this soon. Help me feel comfort and peace. Help me to be calm." Well, then girls started coming in the bathroom, so I had to go back to my post. Yesterday was the choir devotional where all four audition choirs performed separately and together, and when I got back out there, they were all practicing "Jesus Savior, Pilot Me". It took my breath away, literally. I was stunned at the perfectness of that song at that moment for me. Then I looked up at the big screen and saw that the theme for the devotional was "And yet there is hope." Again, I was shocked and tears filled my eyes again. I blinked them away rather quickly, but my heart started to swell and my nerves started to calm. A friend of mine from the AT program showed up in my portal and we talked about the test and my life, and she offered to take me out whenever I needed a break from studying and expressed her confidence in me, which was what I needed.
Now my favorite part. This old lady came up to me and started talking (not so strange, it actually happens a lot) and we talked about missions and the MTC and she told me that I had to be a walking pass-along card so that I would not deprive others of their chance to hear the Gospel. She asked me if I would put something in my wallet to remind me to do that, and I said that I would. She then handed me a plastic card with a picture of Jesus on one side and the articles of faith on the other. I put it in my pocket, and it is now in my wallet. But then she turned to speak wih some friends and before she left the portal, she put her hand on my arm and said, "You got it, honey. God bless," and she left. How did she know exactly what I needed to hear? I didn't know here. I don't know her name. But God worked through her and through my friend and the choirs and the theme of the devotional to give me exactly what I needed.
Miracles happen every day, and I am grateful for them.

Stress

"Stress, it's a killer, sir." Bartok was right. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop me. I am a champion stresser-outer. My Athletic Training certification exam is in less than 2 weeks, and I am freaking out about it. My brain is fraying at the edges, and I spend every minute I can studying (except now, but I should be getting ready for school), but I have this nagging little voice in the back of my head (oddly enough, he speaks in an Irish accent) that says, "Is it enough? Don't fail, don't fail, don't fail." I don't think I will fail, I mean I know a lot and I've done well in school. But what if I do? Eh, I'm a worrier. But well-wishes and expressions of confidence would be appreciated!
Someone yesterday asked me if I ever had something I had to do but got distracted by something else. I laughed shortly and said, "That's the story of my life." And it's the truth. These next two weeks are going to be my biggest struggle because I CANNOT get distracted. After this exam, I'll be distracted the rest of my life. Even finals don't phase me this semester. Just let me live to that point, and I'll be the happiest distracted woman in the world.
Good Tuesday!