My Doctrine and Covenants class today was awesome. Just not for the reasons that it normally should be.
So Trevin and I have D&C together, which is always so much fun. Today he had a pen that had a piece of plastic missing where the two halves of the pen connect together. So once while he was holding it, the pen just fell apart in his hands. Randomly. Which I thought was just hilarious.
A bit later, we were told to put something in our notes, so Trevin starts writing, and the pressure that he put on the pen made it come apart completely again - and not just fall apart, like it did when he was just holding it, pieces of it shot off to the side. (Luckily we were sitting at the end of the row next to the wall.) We both laughed really hard. I just about died laughing, and the hard part was trying to keep it quiet, especially because we were in a religion class.
Then we started playing around with the pen a bit, and making the parts of it shoot off again. After I had a go, I picked up the spring the landed beneath Trevin's seat. I was squeezing the spring in between two of my fingers a few times, when suddenly I accidentally made it shoot out from my fingers, and it hit me right in the eye. It wasn't painful, just startling. And we both proceeded to just about lose control of our laughing again.
I had tears coming out of my eyes more than once from laughing so hard. I know, we were so irreverent. But it was awesome. :)
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Did You See The Sky Today?
Talk about blue!
This week has been really nice. Even though BYU doesn't have a Spring Break, and seemingly every other school I know of does. But you know... I'll get over it. At least our semester finishes sooner, in the long run.
The weather has been fantastic the past few days! Two weeks ago, it was really nice outside, then the following week it was really cold... and this week it's really nice again! Though I hear that next week it's supposed to snow. Apparently we're just going back and forth. But for now, it's been so nice and warm... not hot, but very pleasant. I love it.
Last night, instead of our normal 2-hour conducting class from about 7pm-9pm, each student had a five minute lesson with the teacher. We basically had this piece that we had to be prepared to conduct for him while he played the piano, and while we were being recorded (so that we could take the video home and watch it, and write a critique about our conducting). We had to do something similar for part of our midterm a couple weeks ago, and that was terrifying. I shook the whole time. But when I had to conduct for him last night, for some reason it wasn't nearly as frightening (though still kinda scary). It really does help, also. He helps me find out what my weak points are, so that I can improve. Seriously, I have a lot of respect for people who really know how to conduct. It doesn't sound hard, but there is so much to it. I've also realized that there are very few out there who do know. Like in church; frequently the chorister will "know" how to conduct - or rather, they know what the beat pattern is or what the back of the hymn book tells them - but educated conducting is quite a bit more complicated. It's a skill that I think will be nice to know. (If I ever get really comfortable with it. :)
I also had another Country Dancing test on Wednesday, which I think went alright. It wasn't terrible. The thing I love about that class is that it's just what it sounds like - when we're dancing, we always get to listen to country music. It's great.
This week has been an overall pretty good one. :)
This week has been really nice. Even though BYU doesn't have a Spring Break, and seemingly every other school I know of does. But you know... I'll get over it. At least our semester finishes sooner, in the long run.
The weather has been fantastic the past few days! Two weeks ago, it was really nice outside, then the following week it was really cold... and this week it's really nice again! Though I hear that next week it's supposed to snow. Apparently we're just going back and forth. But for now, it's been so nice and warm... not hot, but very pleasant. I love it.
Last night, instead of our normal 2-hour conducting class from about 7pm-9pm, each student had a five minute lesson with the teacher. We basically had this piece that we had to be prepared to conduct for him while he played the piano, and while we were being recorded (so that we could take the video home and watch it, and write a critique about our conducting). We had to do something similar for part of our midterm a couple weeks ago, and that was terrifying. I shook the whole time. But when I had to conduct for him last night, for some reason it wasn't nearly as frightening (though still kinda scary). It really does help, also. He helps me find out what my weak points are, so that I can improve. Seriously, I have a lot of respect for people who really know how to conduct. It doesn't sound hard, but there is so much to it. I've also realized that there are very few out there who do know. Like in church; frequently the chorister will "know" how to conduct - or rather, they know what the beat pattern is or what the back of the hymn book tells them - but educated conducting is quite a bit more complicated. It's a skill that I think will be nice to know. (If I ever get really comfortable with it. :)
I also had another Country Dancing test on Wednesday, which I think went alright. It wasn't terrible. The thing I love about that class is that it's just what it sounds like - when we're dancing, we always get to listen to country music. It's great.
This week has been an overall pretty good one. :)
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Happy 3.14
It's Pi Day!
Yesterday the BYU Math Department hosted some kind of "Pi Day" event in the Wilkinson Center, even though it was technically the day before Pi Day. But I figure they don't ever hold events like that on Saturdays or Sundays, so I got double the fun for having it on two days. There were pie eating contests, which looked like it would make me sick... pie-ing teachers in the face... but I wasn't really concerned about that. There was, however, a contest to see who could recite the most digits of pi. There were prizes for being able to recite a certain amount, plus whoever was the winner would win an iPod Shuffle.
Since Sarah and I know the same amount, I wasn't planning to bother participating, but I ended up giving in and signing up. It was scary though, let me tell you - you get up in front of all the people there, recite pi into a microphone, and if you mess up anywhere the people running the whole thing would blow this airhorn. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous. And by nervous, I mean I was shaking the whole time, and my mouth went completely dry. I also said it slower than I usually do (since normally I just speed through it and it's probably harder to understand), and when I'm actually having to think about what I'm saying, I tend to mess up more easily. I got to a certain point where I stumbled, but after some crowd support, they let me continue. After that point, I was a little thrown off, and didn't make it too much farther before I slipped up. I managed to get through 184 digits, which beat the previous 1st place (which, by the way, was at the time held by someone who "guaranteed he would win").
Not too long after that, Sarah went up, and I was pretty sure she'd beat me. Which she did. At the end of it all, we left knowing 240 digits of pi. And ever so graciously, Sarah is going to split the money with me that we get from selling the Shuffle, since we both know that we both know the same amount. :) I kind of expected us to get it, but thinking about it, I'm almost surprised that there's no one else in the school that would go to that, who doesn't know more digits than that. Not that 240 is anything to sneeze at, but there's a lot of nerds out there. And whoever says that memorizing pi is pointless or a waste of time, is obviously wrong. Not only did Sarah and I earn $5 from our manager at work once for it, but now we've got free T-shirts and stuff, along with a free iPod Shuffle. Yeah.
This morning was the Rex Lee Run. One of those "Race For The Cure" type things to raise money for cancer research. This is my second year participating. I have to admit, when we were first getting started and I saw some people around me with certificate things to honor someone who has battled with cancer, I got a bit emotional. It is one year ago to this day that Nana Jake passed. Now I just want to do what I can to help the cause, for others who are struggling.
Yesterday the BYU Math Department hosted some kind of "Pi Day" event in the Wilkinson Center, even though it was technically the day before Pi Day. But I figure they don't ever hold events like that on Saturdays or Sundays, so I got double the fun for having it on two days. There were pie eating contests, which looked like it would make me sick... pie-ing teachers in the face... but I wasn't really concerned about that. There was, however, a contest to see who could recite the most digits of pi. There were prizes for being able to recite a certain amount, plus whoever was the winner would win an iPod Shuffle.
Since Sarah and I know the same amount, I wasn't planning to bother participating, but I ended up giving in and signing up. It was scary though, let me tell you - you get up in front of all the people there, recite pi into a microphone, and if you mess up anywhere the people running the whole thing would blow this airhorn. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous. And by nervous, I mean I was shaking the whole time, and my mouth went completely dry. I also said it slower than I usually do (since normally I just speed through it and it's probably harder to understand), and when I'm actually having to think about what I'm saying, I tend to mess up more easily. I got to a certain point where I stumbled, but after some crowd support, they let me continue. After that point, I was a little thrown off, and didn't make it too much farther before I slipped up. I managed to get through 184 digits, which beat the previous 1st place (which, by the way, was at the time held by someone who "guaranteed he would win").
Not too long after that, Sarah went up, and I was pretty sure she'd beat me. Which she did. At the end of it all, we left knowing 240 digits of pi. And ever so graciously, Sarah is going to split the money with me that we get from selling the Shuffle, since we both know that we both know the same amount. :) I kind of expected us to get it, but thinking about it, I'm almost surprised that there's no one else in the school that would go to that, who doesn't know more digits than that. Not that 240 is anything to sneeze at, but there's a lot of nerds out there. And whoever says that memorizing pi is pointless or a waste of time, is obviously wrong. Not only did Sarah and I earn $5 from our manager at work once for it, but now we've got free T-shirts and stuff, along with a free iPod Shuffle. Yeah.
This morning was the Rex Lee Run. One of those "Race For The Cure" type things to raise money for cancer research. This is my second year participating. I have to admit, when we were first getting started and I saw some people around me with certificate things to honor someone who has battled with cancer, I got a bit emotional. It is one year ago to this day that Nana Jake passed. Now I just want to do what I can to help the cause, for others who are struggling.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What Goes Down...
So, a few weeks ago I had an interesting experience that I'll finally post about.
I was out with some friends on a Thursday night - we went to Denny's, played a board game while we were there, and ended up staying until at least 3:30 am or so. Then, none of us were really tired, and someone needed to buy some paint for something, so we decided to walk to Lowe's, which is between an hour and an hour and a half walk. Which was an exciting idea to me - I had never walked that far before, and I love going on walks. So on our way to Lowe's, we're all walking along and I step on a spot on the sidewalk that apparently had ice covering it that I didn't see, and I completely biffed it. I don't have any idea exactly what happened between slipping and landing, but I ended up face first on the sidewalk. And honestly, for the first few seconds I was just trying to figure out where it was that I hurt myself. It was so cold, I couldn't tell at first..
Anyway, I could tell that I hit my mouth and probably my nose, so my hand went immediately to cover it. And when I took my hand away and looked at it, I was obviously bleeding. It turns out I had busted my lip (luckily not bad enough to get stitches or anything - my lip healed in a few days, but it was swollen for a couple days), and I broke one of my front teeth - about a third off the front, and a lot off the back. After going to the dentist that Saturday, he put some composite stuff on it to protect the nerve until I went in again this morning and got a temporary crown put on it while they start working on one that will match my teeth. At this point, I'm doing quite well, and just looking forward to the time that my smile looks as normal as it once did. :) (Some friends and I have a way of saying that if you slip and fall on the ice here in Utah, then "Utah has claimed you." Until this point, I could declare "Utah has not claimed me!" I guess Utah wanted to spite me, and now my declaration would be "Utah has owned me!")
This is what I looked like the Friday morning I got back. My top lip is really swollen on the front, and the bottom of one of my front teeth is missing, though there was a lot more taken off the back of the tooth when I fell.
This is what I looked like a day or two later, after seeing the dentist for the first time. With the composite stuff on it, it's less noticeable, plus my lip was starting to heal.
And this is where I'm at now. You may not be able to tell in this picture that the tooth isn't exactly like my other teeth, but it looks pretty good, all things considered.
This experience is one I certainly never want to go through again, and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. Not only was it devastating to me to lose that chunk of my tooth and has been a big hassle, but it's also significantly slowed my walking speed when there's ice on the ground - I used to be fine walking on ice, I might occasionally slip, but I'd rarely fallen. After this, it makes me a bit anxious to walk on ice.
However, that said, there are still blessings to be found in it. Not that I think cracking a tooth is a wonderful thing, but it really opened my eyes to the love and support that I have, especially from my family (both in Texas and up here with me). I'm especially grateful to my mom, who has dealt with so much on my behalf. I really am lucky to be in such a position, and I'm so very grateful.
And then people always take things for granted, and you don't appreciate things enough until they're gone. All things considered, I really do have a lot to be grateful for. It reminds me of a poem:
I was out with some friends on a Thursday night - we went to Denny's, played a board game while we were there, and ended up staying until at least 3:30 am or so. Then, none of us were really tired, and someone needed to buy some paint for something, so we decided to walk to Lowe's, which is between an hour and an hour and a half walk. Which was an exciting idea to me - I had never walked that far before, and I love going on walks. So on our way to Lowe's, we're all walking along and I step on a spot on the sidewalk that apparently had ice covering it that I didn't see, and I completely biffed it. I don't have any idea exactly what happened between slipping and landing, but I ended up face first on the sidewalk. And honestly, for the first few seconds I was just trying to figure out where it was that I hurt myself. It was so cold, I couldn't tell at first..
Anyway, I could tell that I hit my mouth and probably my nose, so my hand went immediately to cover it. And when I took my hand away and looked at it, I was obviously bleeding. It turns out I had busted my lip (luckily not bad enough to get stitches or anything - my lip healed in a few days, but it was swollen for a couple days), and I broke one of my front teeth - about a third off the front, and a lot off the back. After going to the dentist that Saturday, he put some composite stuff on it to protect the nerve until I went in again this morning and got a temporary crown put on it while they start working on one that will match my teeth. At this point, I'm doing quite well, and just looking forward to the time that my smile looks as normal as it once did. :) (Some friends and I have a way of saying that if you slip and fall on the ice here in Utah, then "Utah has claimed you." Until this point, I could declare "Utah has not claimed me!" I guess Utah wanted to spite me, and now my declaration would be "Utah has owned me!")
This is what I looked like the Friday morning I got back. My top lip is really swollen on the front, and the bottom of one of my front teeth is missing, though there was a lot more taken off the back of the tooth when I fell.
This is what I looked like a day or two later, after seeing the dentist for the first time. With the composite stuff on it, it's less noticeable, plus my lip was starting to heal.
And this is where I'm at now. You may not be able to tell in this picture that the tooth isn't exactly like my other teeth, but it looks pretty good, all things considered.
This experience is one I certainly never want to go through again, and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. Not only was it devastating to me to lose that chunk of my tooth and has been a big hassle, but it's also significantly slowed my walking speed when there's ice on the ground - I used to be fine walking on ice, I might occasionally slip, but I'd rarely fallen. After this, it makes me a bit anxious to walk on ice.
However, that said, there are still blessings to be found in it. Not that I think cracking a tooth is a wonderful thing, but it really opened my eyes to the love and support that I have, especially from my family (both in Texas and up here with me). I'm especially grateful to my mom, who has dealt with so much on my behalf. I really am lucky to be in such a position, and I'm so very grateful.
And then people always take things for granted, and you don't appreciate things enough until they're gone. All things considered, I really do have a lot to be grateful for. It reminds me of a poem:
Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair.
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobbled down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
And as she passed... a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 legs, the world is mine
I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.
Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew,
he couldn't hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine!
Monday, February 2, 2009
As A Side Note
My mom told me about a deal at Denny's tomorrow, which ended up leading me to the discovery of a cool blog that makes posts about sweet deals that happen at different places. As a poor starving college student, I'm sure I'll be able to appreciate this from time to time. You should all check it out too.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Of Pizza and Plastic
Friday night! The start of the weekend.
Tonight Sarah and I bought a large pepperoni pizza at Domino's with a Starving Student Card, so we got a good deal on it. We watched Kung Fu Panda while we ate, since she had never seen it before. What a fun movie. The only problem is, I was still so hungry after we finished the pizza...
A little while ago, I was making some Ramen soup (of course). The cupboards and stove and everything were full of dishes (none of which were mine, believe it or not), so when I finished making the Ramen, the only place I could think to put it was the spot on the stove I had just used to make the soup. When I picked up the pot and put down the cheap plastic bowl on the hot metal grate, it crossed my mind that the bowl could melt a little as it sat there while I poured in the soup. But I went ahead anyway. Then I took the pot to the sink to wash it, still leaving the bowl on the stove. I'm sure you know where this is going. When I went back to pick up my bowl, I couldn't lift it from the grate. I put on a hot mitten thing to pull the grate off while I carefully held up the bowl full of soup. As I did so, I could see the melted parts from the bottom of the bowl stretching from the bowl to the grate, like it was melted cheese. After I pulled it off completely and took off the stringy parts of the bowl, I proceeded the same as usual. I don't care about it much, since I got four of these bowls for really cheap somewhere. The whole ordeal was just very amusing to me. This is what the bowl now looks like. You can see just where it was sitting on the grate.
So now I know in the future, for when I'm dealing with dishes that might actually matter to me - if I think it might melt because I'm putting something plastic and vulnerable on a hot stove that I just barely turned off, maybe I shouldn't do it. And here I thought I had left my "stupid years". :P
Tonight Sarah and I bought a large pepperoni pizza at Domino's with a Starving Student Card, so we got a good deal on it. We watched Kung Fu Panda while we ate, since she had never seen it before. What a fun movie. The only problem is, I was still so hungry after we finished the pizza...
A little while ago, I was making some Ramen soup (of course). The cupboards and stove and everything were full of dishes (none of which were mine, believe it or not), so when I finished making the Ramen, the only place I could think to put it was the spot on the stove I had just used to make the soup. When I picked up the pot and put down the cheap plastic bowl on the hot metal grate, it crossed my mind that the bowl could melt a little as it sat there while I poured in the soup. But I went ahead anyway. Then I took the pot to the sink to wash it, still leaving the bowl on the stove. I'm sure you know where this is going. When I went back to pick up my bowl, I couldn't lift it from the grate. I put on a hot mitten thing to pull the grate off while I carefully held up the bowl full of soup. As I did so, I could see the melted parts from the bottom of the bowl stretching from the bowl to the grate, like it was melted cheese. After I pulled it off completely and took off the stringy parts of the bowl, I proceeded the same as usual. I don't care about it much, since I got four of these bowls for really cheap somewhere. The whole ordeal was just very amusing to me. This is what the bowl now looks like. You can see just where it was sitting on the grate.
So now I know in the future, for when I'm dealing with dishes that might actually matter to me - if I think it might melt because I'm putting something plastic and vulnerable on a hot stove that I just barely turned off, maybe I shouldn't do it. And here I thought I had left my "stupid years". :P
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Haircut
Today I went and got my hair done with Debbie. I got a few inches trimmed off, a few highlights, and some layers. We went to Dallas Roberts Academy, a hair school... or something like that, so it wasn't as expensive as going somewhere to get it done professionally. And it still turned out lovely.
You can more or less see a bit of the layers in this picture.
You can kind of see the highlights in this one... kind of.
I went in being completely unsure as to what I actually wanted to do, but I really like how it turned out! Nothing too drastic (I'm too afraid... but someday I'd like to do something crazy), but it looks good. If only I were a better picture taker and you could actually tell. :P Regardless, it was a fun experience.
I went in being completely unsure as to what I actually wanted to do, but I really like how it turned out! Nothing too drastic (I'm too afraid... but someday I'd like to do something crazy), but it looks good. If only I were a better picture taker and you could actually tell. :P Regardless, it was a fun experience.
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