Saturday, September 29, 2012

Today I got the chance to go to the Relief Society Broadcast at the conference center in Salt Lake. It was pretty awesome. I've only been the the conference center once before when I was about 9, but it was only for a tour. This was the first time that I've been there for an actual meeting. We had pretty great seats too. We were right in the middle on the ground floor, right above the VIP section. The broadcast itself was really good as well.

So as usual, nothing real exciting going on here. Last night I went to a football game. We dominated 47-0. It's kind of weird, so far we've won all of our home games but lost all of our away games.

For one of my classes I have to write a portrait about someone and I decided to write about my Grandma Till. I chose to write about her for a few reasons, the biggest one being that it would fit best with my theme, but it got me thinking that it was a year ago today that she passed away. So I'd just like to talk about that for a minute.

I guess that I don't have one particular memory of her that stands out as my favorite, she was just in our lives a lot so I never really thought about it. It's kind of like asking you what your favorite memory of your parents is. I don't know about you, but I don't really have one. I remember one of the missionaries in my ward this last summer asked me what my parents were like and I didn't know what to say or how to describe them. Because they're you know... your parents. You just know what they're like, you don't have to explain it.

If I had to choose something though, it would probably be how that at least in my eyes, my grandma was always striving to be the very best person that she could, and she wanted other people to become all that they were capable of as well. She was always it seemed interested in learning new things and trying new things, although sometimes it did take a little coaxing. I remember one time I showed her how to play guitar hero. It took a little convincing but she finally gave it a shot.

She's the kind of person who would actively seek out correction and wouldn't hesitate to correct you if you were doing something wrong. Not because she wanted to chastise you, but because it was important to her that you learn to do things the correct way, because that's how you go about becoming a stronger and more refined person. I think that aside from when I was learning to talk, my grandma corrected my English (and other things) just as much if not more than my parents did. But never in a mean way, always because she cared about and wanted to make sure that you did things the right way.

I love that she was always really interested in you and what you had to say. It seems that whatever someone was talking about, be it Grant's swimming, Brandi's horse back riding, Austin plays, my whatever, she was always interested in it because it was important to you. Even if it was some dumb thing like, I don't know, you really like strawberries, she would listen, and really listen, to you talk about them for however long you would ramble. I remember once when she went with me to my high school parent, meet the teacher, beginning of school year blah blah and was taking copious notes of what they had to say, asking a lot of questions, and was genuinely disappointed when a teacher didn't show up. It was just a little thing, I don't think I was even really that interested in what my teachers had to say, but it was a part of my life, and a small part of my future and so she was all ears.

I love how she would always it seemed try to find the positive in everything and she would always have us singing while we were doing anything, particularly if it was some chore or something we didn't want to do. My grandma put the music in life, both figuratively and literally. On our way last year up to her funeral, my cousins and I kept my cousin's baby daughter happy by singing her songs my grandma had taught us.

Most memorable recently though, I enjoyed reading some of the letter that she wrote to my grandpa before they were married when she was here at BYU. I remember when I told her that I had decided to go to BYU she was so glad. While it was of course a different time, some of the things that she was talking about seeing or doing are the same types of things that I'm seeing and doing right now. It's cool for me to think that we're having somewhat similar experiences at the same place.  It kind of makes me hope that someday, with a little bit of luck, I'll be able to live up to the greatest namesake a person could ever ask for.  

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Moriah

Yep, I'm going to talk about poetry again, kind of. We were talking in class about allusions and as an example we read the story of Abraham having to sacrifice Isaac since it alludes to Christ's sacrifice (although since it happened before I would more of call it foreshadowing, but whatever) and I noticed something very interesting. The place where Abraham takes Isaac is a mountain in a land called Moriah. Now, I don't want to read too much into this, since I hate it when people over analyze things but, I found some interesting parallels to this story, the story it intentionally foreshadows, and the Lord of the Rings.

In a mountain in a place called Moriah Abraham is asked and almost sacrifices his only son (well, his only son through his wife, but lets not get into that). This represents the sacrifice of Jesus, the only begotten son of God, who died so that we could live (with God again). In the mines of Moriah, in a mountain, Gandalf sacrificed himself so that others in his party could live. Gandalf, like Jesus, also overcomes death and return as something greater and then cleanse the earth of evil. 

Now, I'm not trying to say that Gandalf was necessarily meant to by a type of Christ, especially not only because he sacrificed himself and then came back. If that was all it took Jean Grey would be the greatest type of Christ ever. I just think it's cool that the place where Gandalf does sacrifice himself is called Moriah and is in a mountain, just like Abraham and Iassac, which was meant to be a type of Christ's sacrifice.

And  to think that when I was 13 I got lectured by some potentially well minded church goer for liking Lord of the Rings because it apparently wasn't Christian enough. Anyway, fun though of the day. The name of the mines of Moriah. Coincidence or intentional?

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Essential Oil

I got my essential oils starter kit today. I'm considering becoming an independent distributor of essential oils and the information on it is what's in the kit. I think that I'll end up creating a tumblr account for it where you can buy oils and I'll post every few days just information about the different kinds of oils, what they do, where they come from, and how you use them. I'll let you all know when it's done, but it'll probably take a little while. Until then, if you want to buy essential oils for whatever reason, let me know.

I'm still up in the air about poetry. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I really don't. I guess it just depends on the poetry. I did like that our book though warned us about the dangers of looking for too much meaning in the poems. That's a lot of the reason I don't like poetry, because people, either the poet or the critic, try to make it too deep. The book said that if you have to choose one or the other, it is better to only take the poem at face value, not understanding anything of it's metaphors and analogies, rather than over analyze.

I've got my first "midterms" this week. Which is just a way of saying big test here. Ugh, it bothers me so much when people say "We'll have 4 midterms in this class". So, we're going to have 4 tests all in the middle of the term are we? Because it's only a midterm if it... in the middle of the term! Go figure right? Blah, anyway, here's hoping my tests go well.

And so, now I leave you, with a poem we read in class today that I enjoyed.

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

by John Donne
As virtuous men pass mildly away,
   And whisper to their souls to go,
Whilst some of their sad friends do say,
   "The breath goes now," and some say, "No,"

So let us melt, and make no noise,
   No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move;
'Twere profanation of our joys
   To tell the laity our love.

Moving of the earth brings harms and fears,
   Men reckon what it did and meant;
But trepidation of the spheres,
   Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers' love
   (Whose soul is sense) cannot admit
Absence, because it doth remove
   Those things which elemented it.

But we, by a love so much refined
   That our selves know not what it is,
Inter-assured of the mind,
   Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.

Our two souls therefore, which are one,
   Though I must go, endure not yet
A breach, but an expansion.
   Like gold to airy thinness beat.

If they be two, they are two so
   As stiff twin compasses are two:
Thy soul, the fixed foot, makes no show
   To move, but doth, if the other do;

And though it in the center sit,
   Yet when the other far doth roam,
It leans, and hearkens after it,
   And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,
   Like the other foot, obliquely run;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
   And makes me end where I begun.


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Time is relevant

So who would have thought that the busiest time at the gym would be at 8:00 at night? You would think that people would be eating dinner, relaxing, and getting ready for bed then. Well, in a regular world, they would be. This though, is the college world, and time here works differently. It's kind of weird to think about. Two of my roommates had church meetings tonight at 10:00 at night. In the "regular" world that would be absurd, but here it's just when people have time, and since we're relatively young and everyone has a lot to do, everyone is still up. I remember last year I was over at a friend's house at around 11:00 (and the very fact that I was there that late demonstrates my point as well) and someone from the ward knock on the door with a question about something or other. They just assumed (and correctly so) that the apartment would be up and active. During the summer when it wasn't freezing outside and I didn't have school the next day (particularly on Thursdays since I didn't have class on Friday) I would occasionally call people up at midnight and ask then if they wanted to do something, and I know people have asked me at like 9:00 at night. "So what are you doing tonight" as if it were 4:00 in the afternoon. It's just interesting to think about. Time here is totally relative. Not even in how long or short something is, but rather in if it's late or not. And with those wonderful words, it is late, and so I bid you a good night.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Poetry...

Hey guys, want to know a secret? I...kind of like poetry. I know, I know, I wrote a post recently about how analyzing poetry was useless but, that's because it ruins it. Ok, let me clarify, I only like poetry with substance. I don't like floofy nonsense, or the poems that try so incredibly hard to find deep meaning out of something where there usually is no meaning. Some of it though, I'll admit, is good. And sometimes you can use it well. Take for example, the book Of Mice and Men. When I first read the book forever ago, the title didn't make any sense to me. Later though, when I read it in high school and we learned that the title came from a line in the poem To a Mouse, it made a lot more sense.
We read another poem in class today that I though was interesting, Shakespeare's 73rd sonnet. 
That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the deathbed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

We talked about how it refered to not only death and old age, but also the death of anything and how when you know that you are going to loose something you love it more and you love it differently.

In other news, I thought that I had a leaf in my hair today since it was windy but when I went to pull it out, it was a hornet! That surprised me. 


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Surfing and Stuff

Last night we had a ward activity at the Provo Beach Resort. It was pretty crowded so I didn't get to do much, but I did go on a ropes course, which was something like 30 feet above the ground, that was pretty fun, and I attempted to do this indoor surfing thing. It might have been fun if I had been able to stay on the board. I lasted something like half a second. I realized that there is only so much you can do with simulated surfing, but real surfing is much better, and a lot different too. Besides, if you're lame like me and can's actually stand up on the surf board, you can still kneel or just ride the waves. I'd like to go surfing some time somewhere where you don't have to wear a wet suit (or be really cold because yes, I did go one time without one) since it would probably be easier to move around. And being in warm water would I'd imagine, be nice. Maybe if I ever make my way to California or Hawaii or something. 

I took my cha cha test yesterday. It went about as well as I was hoping. I got a lot of comments about style improvements and so I was a little worried that I would get a bad grade, but I was hoping for at least a B and I got an 88 so I'm happy with that. 

Tomorrow is the Brigham City temple dedication, I'm pretty excited for that and then in two weeks in General Conference. I think I might try to go down to Salt Lake again and stand in line for tickets. I was going to try that last year but it just didn't end up working out. So, we'll see! 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Finally registered!

I finally registered to vote! I think that the real reason so few college students vote isn't because they aren't involved, but because you have to re-register every time that you move. So, I ended up registering to vote absentee. Although in my defense, there were a few legitimate reasons for it aside from just laziness. It was a lot easier to register online with my driver's license rather than going all the way downtown at a time when I was free and the office was open and I wanted to make sure that it got done, since the deadline is coming up soon. Also, it's pretty obvious that the electoral votes for Utah are going to go to Romney, so my primarily republican voice will have I feel like more of an influence in Washington. I realize that there are other things that you vote for other than just the President, but that is the big one this year. Also, Washington has more electoral votes than Utah does, so if by some crazy hapenstance my one vote did help to turn the tides, it would be more electoral votes than here in Utah.

I'm kind of excited for this weekend. The week feels like it's gone kind of fast, but at the same time I'm ready for a break from school. Tomorrow I have to take my first dance test though and I'm kind of nervous about it. Our teacher is really into tecnique and form, so not only do we have to know the new dance steps, but they have to be executed with perfect form. So... really hoping that goes well.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Hobbit

The new Hobbit movie comes out on Dec 14! I just saw the new trailer for it and let me say, it is looking pretty awesome. I'm sure that it will be amazing regardless, but I would prefer if it didn't have too much foreshadowing to the Lord of the Rings in it because I feel like that didn't really happen in the book, but then again, maybe not. I haven't read it in a crazy long time. Actually, I think that I might have only read it once. Yeah, I don't remember reading it more than once. I should defiantly if I have time read it before the movie comes out. I remember last year Sherlock Holmes was coming out right in the middle of December and it correlated perfectly with the end of the semester so I was able to go see it at midnight on the day that I took my last final. It would be awesome if I could do that again, but I'm not sure what the last day of the semester is this year, or when my finals are. I'll have to check.

Speaking of movies, for my culture credit tonight I'm going to watch Princess Mononoke. As much as I was complaining about Japanese the other day, it is pretty cool that I get to watch anime for culture credit. Another option we have for culture credit down the road is attend a sacrament meeting in Japanese. I guess that you could go to all of church, but sacrament is all that you have to go to. I'm sure that I wouldn't be able to understand half of what they were saying though. Is there even a Japanese ward in Provo? I think there might be because of the language housing place. I'll have to see. Anyway, if that goes well I'll let you know how it goes.

Hey, I just realized that my birthday is in two weeks. What should I do for it?

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Steak and Salmon

So today down at the Branbury then had a steak and salmon feed with potatoes, and salad, and cotton candy and it was awesome. When I had the option though I chose salmon, because salmon is awesome but the crazy cats that I was with decided that I was the crazy one and that steak was far better than salmon, So what is your all's opinion? Steak or salmon?

Hmm, I really can't think of what else to say. I sat underneath a dangerous tree today. I think they were acorns but I'm not sure, but something in the tree kept falling down on people who were underneath. I didn't get hit but there were a few close calls. Ok, so it's been 8 minutes and I'm blanking on stuff to talk about so... the end!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Analyzing Poetry

So, in my Literary Interpretations class we are currently learning about different methods of analyzing poetry and let me tell you, it is some of the most ridiculous stuff I have ever heard. I don't know who decided that the people who came up with the methods of analyzing poetry had that authority but, I'm so glad that around the 90's or so people started challenging their ideas and decided that they make no sense because really, they do. Let me share with you some of the basic ideas.

1) In order to truly understand poetry, historical context must be ignored. Apparently, poetry is only relateable to whatever is currently going on, no matter when it was written. Now, while I see how you can certainly apply old poems to current situations, it seems weird that that "true" way to analyze a poem means that you have disregard everything that was going on at the time it was written.

2) In order to truly understand poetry, authorial intent must be ignored. So now, not only are we ignoring what was happening when the poem was written, but also what the author was trying to say. Again, I can see how you can gain meaning from a poem without knowing what the author wanted you to know, but still, why not consider it?

3) In order to truly understand poetry, reader background must be ignored. Here the argument is that readers are subjective and that they will twist the interpretation of the poem to fit into their life. Well, yes, that is true. But if you aren't trying to make the poem connect with your life than what the heck are you analyzing it for anyway?

4) All allusion is essentially a lie. Since we are ignoring authorial intent, than we must ignore all allusion as we know it. Instead, all allusion is a two way street. For example, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (yes, I realize that this isn't actually a poem) alludes heavily to the Bible, but, the Bible also alludes heavily to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Even though it was written thousands of years earlier. Ok, I can kind of understand this idea if you read texts out of the order that they were historically written, but can you imagine if someone came up to you and said "Wow, I just finished reading the Four Gospels, there sure are a lot of allusions to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in it!"

Basically, all that matters to these crazy poetry people it the text itself. As in, the words themselves. So there is a lot of study about denotation, and connotation, and why this word was used instead of that word and so on and blah, blah, blah. It's really a pretty dry and dull way to analyze something, but I'd probably be ok with  it (aside from the fact that it's kind of boring) except that when the critics get tired of analyzing words, they start breaking their own rules.

Today we read some analysis by a guy who said that all poets essentially go through a literary Oedipus Complex, where they feel the need to "kill" whatever poetry they are alluding to and to make their piece better (oh, also apparently, according to him, every work of poetry refers to another work, whether you realize it or not). So, aside from the fact that this theory is a bunch of malarkey, it's all about authorial intent, it ignores the idea of "two way allusion", for the most part it deals with historical context, and is highly subject to the critics own interpretations. So, yeah, it just broke every rule and it's still a dumb was to analyze poetry.

Ironically, the only idea behind analyzing poetry that I thought was good was the three rules that they rip out of the text book in "Dead Poet's Society" (although I have no idea what happens in the rest of the story, we just watched that clip in class) which are that poetry should be measured by:

1) Determining the objective of the poem, what is the poem about, or what is it trying to tell you?
2) How well does the poem complete its objective/s (or its measure of focus)
3) How important are the objectives of the poem to the readers  (or its measure of significance)

A good poem either completes its objective/s well or has ideas that are important to the reader. A great poem is both important to the reader and is masterful in completing or expressing its objective/s.

That sounds like a good way to look at poetry to me!

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Last Friday Night

So, I spaced out yesterday and forgot to write so you get to hear from me today. I spent the high majority of yesterday paper quilling, which if you don’t know, is when you take strips of paper and wrap them up into shapes. It can look kind of cool. The only problem with it though is that it takes forever! I also played bigger or better with Sarah and Autumn. If you remember me talking about the time I played with Karen last year, than you know that I know how this game is best played.

We started off the game with a mechanical pencil and ended with some kind of Cortozone 10 type of skin irritation lotion. We decided to stick with that because Sarah actually needed it. So we kept it and went back to the apartment to find something else. So we got an old Christmas ornament that was left by their old roommate and we ended up with a computer monitor. Yep, some guy gave us a computer monitor. It was a pretty newish one too. What on earth we would do with that, I have no idea, but hey, who knows right? So we kept the monitor and went back to the apartment and got a can of tomato paste (why anyone would want tomato paste anyway is beyond me) and ended up with a frying pan. Yeah, people are willing to give up some weird stuff, but whatever. After that we made no bake cookies with some random stuff that was around. Sarah had the awesome idea to put the no bakes before they had set up over bananas. I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical at first, but it turned out pretty awesome.

I don’t really have a whole lot of plans for today, aside from doing homework, but tonight I am going to a dance performance called Evidance. I have to go and write a paper on it for my dance class, but I think that I’ll be pretty good, so I’m kind of interested in going.

I also discovered today the best way to get rid of extra change. You just take all of your left over nickels and dimes and put them in the vending machine. Then you push the button to get your money back (or buy something if you want I guess) and you get quarters back that you can use for laundry. It’s a good way to get laundry money too since I don’t know where a change machine is around here. I’m kind of surprised that they aren’t around more, I mean everyone needs quarters.
So, have a good weekend and do something awesome. 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Today we did group reviews in my composing personal history class. I always find it interesting what people have to say and I actually did find today helpful. My favorite critiquing, review things, whatever you want to call them were the ones that I did in my screenwriting class. I love it when they would read my scripts because they were all totally meant to be taken at boring old face value but the class would always try to find some hidden illusions or secret meanings or something crazy like that. It was kind of like listening to conspiracy theories but it was about stuff that I had written. Apparently with my writing today though I need to deromneyify it because it comes off as too cold shoulder and not personal enough. I think that my 150 prof was trying to tell me that last year when she said that me that I wrote "too well". That's such a weird thing to say though, that it's "too good".

I haven't really done anything else exciting today. I watched some parks and rec and I actually got some work done during my ginormous 3 hour break between classes. Crazy right?

So no big plans for the upcoming weekend. Tomorrow night I think I'm going to one of the classic movies the library is putting on and then Saturday I'm going to a dance performance.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Thoughts on Blood (and other things)

What to write about today?  I don't have a specific rant planned. I went to a health and wellness fair this afternoon where I had a spinach smoothy and then I went home later and actually made one. It was actually alright. Especially considering that there was spinach in it. I don't dislike spinach, but it just seems like a weird thing to put in a smoothy. They also had a blood testing booth so I had my blood tested. I already knew that I was B+ but I wanted to watch them do it to see what it actually looked like. It was kind of cool. Speaking of blood, some of my friends have started giving plasma to pick up a little extra cash and I guess sometimes it can be green? That's kind of crazy.

Oh, and another question. So a lot of your blood is blue but turns red when exposed to oxygen right? So why is it that when you give blood it's red? It hasn't been exposed to oxygen since leaving your body right? Is it because it still contains blood from when you inhaled? How crazy would that be if you gave blood and it came out blue? One time I burned my arm right across one of my veins and the burn turned purple, I assume because of the blue and red blood mixing together. Is that why bruises can be purple and blue too? After all, bruises are just broken blood vessels right?

Today I also went to a debate about the economy with the college republican and college debate teams. I'm trying to become more informed about the different issues. I'm pretty sure Hannah, Seth, and Aaron would all be pretty aghast if they knew how unknowledgeable about everything I still am but I'm working on it... some. The debate was sort of interesting. The problem I had with some of it was that they would start arguing about something that I didn't know what it was so I'd just tune them out. Basically what I took away from it was that both parties want to give the middle class more money to spend to put more money into the economy. The republicans want to do that by lowering taxes and the democrats want to do that by giving people loans. At least that's what I think they were saying. If not, that's to me what they're saying now!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Conundrum

So everyone, I have a conundrum that you should help me to resolve. In order to graduate I have to take either 4 semesters of a foreign language or another semester of math, either Calculus, Stats, or I think some weird math philosophy class. Not being too particularly fond of math, I decided to take a foreign language, after all, I'm going to be in school for at least 4 semesters anyway. Now here lies the problem. I started taking Japanese, since I had taken it in high school and I had friends who had taken/were taking it and it's a language that might actually be useful. I assumed that I would continue enjoy learning it. The problem is that... I don't, at all. Have you ever done a project where you pick a topic that you really enjoy but by the end of the project you never want to hear someone mention that topic again and you have to avoid it for a while? Japanese is like that for me, except that I can't just ignore it, I have to study it every day for the next 4 semesters, theoretically. So here now are my options: Continue to study Japanese, switch to a new language, or take a math class. So, here's the problem with each situation.

1) Continue to study Japanese
Suck it up and study Japanese for the next two years. Do reasonably well in the class ( I certainly don't have the gift of tongues but I do ok) and try to enjoy it but probably fail.

2) Switch to another language
This would probably be ASL. Have to start over at 4 semesters of study next semester and potentially have to go to school for an extra semester. Get about the same grades, maybe a little better if I enjoyed it. Possible enjoy the language more but no guarantee 

3) Take a math class
Have one horrible semester filled with a subject that I don't necessarily hate but certainly have a strong difficulty understanding. Work my tail off for probably a not that great grade and be most likely extremely frustrated and discouraged for a semester (math and I just don't understand each other. That's why we ended it the first time). Possible repercussions on my GPA for the lower grade I'll undoubtedly get but be done after only one semester. No affect on length of time in school.

So, thoughts, opinions? The add/drop deadline for this semester has already passed so I'm stuck with Japanese for this semester whatever I decide but who knows what I should do next. At least I have a semester to figure it out and who knows, maybe I'll enjoy Japanese again after a while.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Weekend

So, since it's Monday, I figured that I'd just let you all know about my weekend.

Friday, I went to class and then went home and slept for a while since I wasn't feeling very well. That evening   Kelli, Stacey, Kim, Julie, and I went with three guys from our ward, Ryan, Jason, and Clark, to the rooftop concert. There were some opening bands that I didn't really pay attention to, but the main band, which I think was called Fictionist, was pretty good. After the concert we went to Macey's where we picked up some of those dollar pizzas and then we went back to our apartment where we watched The Legacy. I had never seen that movie before, it was pretty good.

Saturday, I went to the football game. The game itself was good, but it was so hot outside. Chrysta and I spent the entire half time waiting in line at the drinking fountain. We won again also, just in case you weren't sure. I also practiced some dancing and spent a while resolving an issue in locating where my last paycheck had wound up. Thank you by the way to everyone who helped me out with that. I majority of the rest of the day was spent doing homework, or attempting to in some instances. That evening I also went with Autumn to the Divine Comedy try outs.

Sunday was a pretty relaxed day, nothing too exciting happened. I did however listen to a very good devotional by Elder Holland, which if you haven't listened to, you should consider. As typical of Elder Holland, so chastisement was dished out, but I always enjoy listening to him all the same. After his devotional I went to ward prayer, met some new people, and did some more homework. Nothing real exciting. Oh, one good thing that did happen though. I wasn't able to do some of my reading until late at night and I was really tired, but as I got online to check what my reading was, I saw that the class was canceled for the day. So that was nice. I also found out in church that Elder Oaks will be speaking at our Stake Conference next week and the week after that we have the opportunity to attend a broadcast of the dedication of the Brigham City Temple. I've never been to a temple dedication before and I'm pretty excited to "go" to this one. That is one thing that I really do enjoy about living in Utah. We get a lot of opportunities here to see, hear from, and go to church things that I've never been able to before. I know some people who live in Utah take that for granted, and I hope that I never do. It's one of my favorite things about being here. You know, after the learning and all of that good stuff.

Friday, September 7, 2012

General Blathering

I have good news and bad news. Ok, actually neither of the news is really good or bad, it just kind of is. I've been going to the gym the last few days, which has been great, last year I didn't even set foot in the Field House once. The only problem with that is, now everything hurts. Not really a good plan in general, but particularly not when you walk everywhere and you're taking a dance class. The other bit of news is that open doors seem to be bothering me less. I know, it's a weird thing to be annoyed with anyway but what can I say? I'm kind of weird like that. So I don't know if this means that I'm growing up (like that will ever happen), or just that the door in my room is kind of behind a corner so I don't seen when it's open as often. Either way, just throwing that out there. The only other thing that's been going on is that I managed to catch a cold. It's been pestering me the last few days but I think it should be gone by the end of the weekend.

Nacho Noche was fun. We watched Nacho Libre had Nachos and toast with beans and cheese. Tomorrow I'm also going to register to vote again, yay! It's kind of annoying that every time you change addresses you have to re-register, but whatever.

So, everyone have a rad weekend and I'll be back on Monday.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Education in Zion


I went to the education in Zion museum today and yes, I will confess that I only went for a class. Unlike the Museum of Art however (which I honestly found to be pretty boring, and I kind of even like museums) I was really interested in this one. BYU is certainly a school with humble beginnings, and some pretty awesome people. Last year, when I was at orientation, we watched a video of the history of the school but so much had been going on recently and I was really tired so I was only half paying attention. The museum of course went into a lot more detail than the video did. One of the most interesting people that I learned more about was President Brimhall, who was the third president of BYU and the guy who the building my major is in is named after. I think that all of the buildings here are named after someone, at least I don't remember seeing any that aren't. Some of the people, like the prophets, I obviously know who they are, but the people that were influential to the school I really didn't know too much about before. Except of course for Karl G. Maeser, but really that's just because he had so much to do with the founding and because everyone always quotes that saying of his about honor. You know the circle one?

"I have been asked what I mean by 'word of honor.' I will tell you. Place me behind prison walls--walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground--there is a possibility that in some way or another I may escape; but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of the circle? No. Never! I'd die first!"

Pesonally, I'm pretty sure that I would leave the chalk circle long before I died, word of honor or not. So, I guess that I'm just not that honorable. Sometimes it seems like people do some pretty dumb things in the name of honor and that often that "honor" is just pride under a different name but, that's a conversation for another day. Also, I don't mean to put down Karl G. Maeser, he was a pretty awesome guy and pretty much saved BYU. I can't believe how many times BYU almost closed down though, usually because of finances. I can't remember exactly how many times, but it was like 5 or something. I know people joke about it being "The Lord's University" but he has got to watching out for this place or something. 

So, on a totally unrelated note, I watched Wait Until Dark last night. I liked it well, and the end was darker than I had anticipated it to be (both literally and figuratively). The only thing I don't really know though is why it's called Wait Until Dark. I mean, I get the dark element, but not the waiting one. 

Edit* I don't know why this is highlighted in white but I don't know how to fix it, sorry. 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Now we're all back in school

Happy Wednesday! 

Hey, school starts today for normal people. How was that? Brandi, how was your first day of high school? I remember my first of high school pretty well. I got lost on my way to Japanese class. I actually got lost my second day here at BYU too. Although, in my defense, this place is much bigger and I'm really terrible with directions. That's one of the things that I've just come to accept, is that when I'm somewhere that I've never been before, chances are good that I'll get turned around at least once. It is kind of weird to think though that I used to not know my way around the high school and BYU, they're both so familiar to me now. Obviously, there are some building here that I don't know, but I haven't gotten hopelessly lost after the one day. 

 My Japanese class here reminds me a lot my class in high school. Its moving faster obviously, and we actually talk about what we're saying so I think that I'll end up learning more, but the style is very similar. It's kind of weird because since we're still learning stuff that I for the most part already know, whenever I go to class there is this strange sense of almost deja vu, especially when we do competitions. 

Since there wasn't any school on Monday it feels like the week is just starting but here it is already half way through. Tomorrow I'm going to Nacho Noche (I have no idea if I spelled that right), with some kids in my ward. We're going to eat nachos and watch Nacho Libre. Friday night I'm also going with some kids in my FHE group to a roof top concert. If you remember me talking to the Beattles cover one I went to last summer, it's the same type of thing. I don't remember who the band is this time though. Saturday afternoon there's another football game, and I'm sure I'll throw in some homework here or there for good measure. So, it's shaping up to be an interesting weekend.    

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Not Yet Fall

It's finally starting to cool down! The nights are starting to be reasonably chilly and and days are starting to be a decent temperature as well. Fall is my favorite season so I'm glad it's coming, but it's still about a month away. It's kind of weird to think about that seasons, people get them wrong all the time. I remember this summer I was listening to some ad on the radio that was trying to tell me that technically, Memorial Day was the first day of summer. All I could think of was "No, technically, the first day of summer is the summer solstice, which is around June 22nd, a good month away from labor day."  I think the ad was for coffee of something, but if it had been for something that I actually might have used, I'm pretty sure I would have avoided that product, because of the ignorance of their ad.

Also if we think about seasons, Fall begins around the 22nd of September, so if you have a middle or early September birthday than your birthday is actually in the summer. Winter also starts around December 22nd which means that it actually snows in the fall a lot. Also, while Christmas is in winter, the majority of its celebration is in the Fall.

So yeah, that's my rant for the day, know your seasons.

Winter: Dec. 21/22 - March 21/22
Spring: March 21/22- June 21/22
Summer: June 21/22 - Sep. 21/22
Autumn: Sep. 21/22 - Dec. 21/22

Also, don't say osmosis unless you're referring to the diffusion of water, that's really annoying as well. Oh, and  don't leave doors open. I think that those are my only somewhat unreasonable complains. Or at least that I can think of now.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Happy Labor Day!

Hello everyone! Are you all excited for Labor Day? I know for a lot of people Labor Day is no big deal and to anyone starting school right after it's a horrid last reminder of what awaits for you the next day. For me though, Labor Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. For as long as I can remember, my family has gone to the Scott's picnic on Labor Day. It was a company picnic for Scott's Paper company (no relation to the Michael Scott Paper Company =D ) , which later turned into Kimberly Clark. My grandma worked there for a long, long, time.

The picnic would have a barbecue, a bouncy house, hay with money hidden in it for little kids, races, ball toss contests, and other games for kids and teenagers and the first three places would always get money. A lot of years a walked away with some big bucks (ok, like $10, but for a kid that's a good deal of money). It was held near a river where you could go play and people would always throw rocks, until some crazy neighbor guy had a fit. Most notably perhaps was that most years there was all you could eat ice cream. I remember one year, when I was about 8, my uncle, who was about 30, challenged me to see who could eat more ice cream. I gave up after about 10. I don't remember how much my uncle had but he dominated me. The picnic was also always the day before school started and so it was a nice way to kick off the end of the summer and get ready to start school.

Last year, the Kimberly Clark plant in our area closed and so the picnic ended. My parents though decided to keep up the tradition and are having a shindig at the house with most of the same activities and some friends. I think that I'll spend my day doing homework, going to FHE, and maybe, getting some ice cream.

So, I hope that everyone has a wonderful unofficial ice cream day! See you tomorrow.  

Sunday, September 2, 2012

はじめました

* So I know it say that I wrote this on Sunday, but that's just because I saved it weird. I promise I wrote it Saturday.*

Alright, it's Saturday, time for me to regal you all with the wonderful tale of my first week in Provo.

       Oh, and in case any of you were wondering, the Japanese is a common way of saying nice to meet you/ how are you. A direct translation though would be "The start of something new". And, now you have that song from high school musical stuck in your head. And just in case you don't, here it is for you.



      so,  Saturday morning I got to the airport around 5 in the morning, but I was so tired and I just slept through pretty much the entire plane ride, as well as the shuttle ride to BYU. So, the shuttle took me to new heritage at BYU, but then I had to walk to my landlord's house to get my key and then down to my apartment. Thankfully, a Good Samaritan offered me a ride to my landlord's house and she doesn't live too far away from the complex. That is one thing that I really like about Provo. Sure, it's in Utah, and sure it's incredibly hot, but there are a lot of good and kind people here. 
     After I got my stuff pretty much put away I headed up to campus to get my books, find my classes, etc. I also went over to Autumn's new apartment at the Branbury where we went swimming. I was going to go home around 10 but from all of the walking that I was unaccustomed to I ended up with quit a few blisters and alsoI guess the Branbury, which is also called the "great and spacious", has a reputation of rape happening at night. In fact, I guess that it happens frequently enough that they call in "branburing" (not to be confused with bunburying, which is awesome) so I decided to just stay there. 
     Sunday I went to church at my ward which meets at the super weird time of 12:40 on campus. I've never gone to church not in a church building before, and it was a little odd. I spent the rest of the day studying a few Japanese phrases because I got an e-mail from my professor saying that the first day of class would only be in Japanese. I was also inducted by my roommate Julie and her friends into the Flub of Cork. I would tell you about it, but it is I suppose super secret and you can only be inducted to know more. I will say though that it was pretty smart, and fun.
    Monday was the first day of class, which started at the very unfortunate hour of 8:00 in the morning. Japanese without any English wasn't too bad since I'm already somewhat familiar with the language. I also had my Analyzing English, Ballroom, and New Testament classes that day. After school I went to the creamery on 9th to get some groceries, but I'm pretty sure that I'm never going there today. It was a little pricey and since it's mostly for the kids that live in the dorms, there wasn't any real food. That evening I went to a ward social at my bishop's house. My bishop lives in one of the Provo party mansions and oh...my...lanta.... it was the biggest house I'd ever seen. The garage was the size of a small house. We had dinner, swam, hung out, and met up with our FHE groups.
    Tuesday I had Japanese again (I've got it every day), and D&C part one, and my composing personal history class. I have a big break between my D&C class and my history class and so I was hanging out down by the RB. I saw 2 guys running up and down the stairs like 10 times in half and hour. It was intense! For those of you who don't know what those stairs look like, I'll show you. It's crazy!


     Wednesday I was able to get the rest of my stuff from Abby's sister's house, where it was very gererously being held and spent a lot time unpacking the rest of my stuff. The bishop also came over later evening and we talked for a little while.
     Thursday I went to the game, like I mentioned earlier. It was a lot of fun, and a good start for the season. It was kind of stormy during the start, but of course Washington brought the rain with it right? I also found a really cool bunny pattern to crochet.
     Friday after class I spent the majority of the day studying for my advertising exam and then took it. I did alright, I ended up getting a 86. Then I got the rest of the stuff all set up to turn it. I'll be turning the rest of it on Tuesday and so then all I'll have to do is wait. When I was done with that I went to Autumns and she, Hannah, Abby, Heidi and I hung out in their clubhouse and watched "My Best Friend's Wedding". It was really kind of funny, while we were there we met "guy in the corner", a guy who just hung out in the corner and talked to us for a while, and then "Sam the slut", a guy who came in half way through the movie and talked to us for a while. A little while after the movie Autumn, her roommate Sarah, and I went with a group in Branbury on a midnight hike up the Y. So far I've been keeping up with the tradition of going up at least once a semester.
   Today, the magical one week mark, I made the cake that I was supposedly going to make yesterday, and by made I mean mostly sat around while Autumn made it. Although, that's only because really only one person can work in the kitchen making a cake at a time. Later in the day I went ziplining with a guy I met at the hike. It was fun, but he did say one thing that kind of bothered me. This is kind of a long post though so.. that's a topic for another day.

And, that's it. The first week in the life of a second year student at BYU. Pretty exciting!