Well, it finally happened

It's snowing. . .

hard.

And sticking.

Crap.

I hate winter.


About a half an hour ago I was lying in my bed staring out my window and talking to my brother on the phone(he's in Arizona). We were chatting about nonsense when it started snowing, so I said, "oh my gosh! I'm looking out my window and it just started snowing!" I was hoping for some sympathy or something, but instead he went, "cool. . . .oh my gosh! I just looked out my window, saw how hot it was, and started sweating. Weird."
My brother makes me laugh.

Where did that come from?

This morning I was walking across campus and this song(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bC07e7PReM) popped into my head from out of nowhere. How's that for random? I was probably six years old the last time I watched that.
It's completely stuck now though. I keep catching myself humming it. That could be awkward to try to explain.

Random Thoughts and Things I'm Happy About

* I work at the Marriott center as an usher and it's basically boring. But I was working last night for homecoming spectacular and there were like a billion and twelve people there. So I was standing in my portal passing out programs and directing people to their seats and there was a few minutes where I was surrounded by like a bajillion old people wanting me to help them find their seat and give them a program. I was starting to feel frazzled and a little annoyed but was still all smiley and trying to be cheerful and helpful even though I was tired and stressed about how much homework I had sitting at home waiting for me, when the crowd began to clear and people started moving out of the doorway to find their seats. During this momentary lull, an old gentleman touched my arm to get my attention and then said simply, "you are beautiful." He turned away and went to find his seat. He can have no idea what an impact those three words had on my night. I'm so grateful that he took the time to pay a compliment to a stranger.

* It is officially fall and the colors here are so beautiful. The weather has warmed up a bit this last week or so and I absolutely love spending time outside. I should take some pictures. or rather, I should find my camera. . .

* Since I came to BYU I have been looking for my favorite study spot on campus. There are plenty of options, and I've tried a bunch of them, and found some that I liked and will frequent, but I had yet to find the perfect spot. Until Wednesday. On the fourth floor of one of the buildings there is a deck area with tables and chairs and potted plants and the most beautiful view of campus and the mountains. It is truly a perfect place to read during my long breaks between classes, and I'm only sad that it will soon be too cold to sit out there and I didn't find it sooner.

* So, I love to bake, right? This is pretty much common knowledge, but my very favorite baking of all time is fall baking. I love it when it's cold outside and my house smells like pumpkin and spices. Is there anything better than that? I think not. So a couple of weeks ago I made a pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and it was divine. Then this week I made pumpkin cookies and used my leftover frosting and also made some with mini chocolate chips. They were so yummy. I'm trying to decide what it will be this week . . . maybe a pumpkin roll? Pumpkin pie? Pumpkin bars? Pumpkin bread? Are you seeing a theme here? I love baking with pumpkin. But maybe I'll branch out and try a spice cake or something. Hmm, any suggestions?

* Is anyone else out there obsessed with glee? It's pretty much my new favorite show. I really don't watch tv very much at all, but every once in a while a show comes along that catches my attention. And now that pushing daisies is cancelled and I've watched every episode on dvd enough times to be ridiculous, I'm happy to have a new show.

* Speaking of tv, Hillary, I'm sorry I made fun of you for watching Phineas and Ferb. My roommate and I have caught it a couple of times and it is surprisingly entertaining. You were right, it's hilarious.

* As of Tuesday I will finally be done with midterms. I just have to finish my take-home New Testament exam this weekend and then take my killer Russian midterm on Tuesday. Whose idea was it to take Russian, anyway? I'm telling you, this class is intense.

* I am literally counting down the days until Thanksgiving. I have to work, so I can't go home this year, but Cassie is coming to visit me again and I am seriously so excited. It cannot come fast enough. And then in December, my old roommate Kaila is coming to visit me and then a couple weeks later I get to go home for Christmas. I'm so excited, these thoughts are seriously getting me through my classes right now.

* I wish there were good movies out right now, I'm dying to go to the movies. Anyone seen anything good lately?

* So, I just read back over this and I asked like six hundred questions and the train of thought makes absolutely no logical sense. Oh well, I warned you it would be random.

* Happy Friday.

It's still September for crying out loud!

For those of you who may not know: I hate winter. More specifically, I hate the snow. I know, I know, people always tell me: "it's beautiful, it's clean, it's pure, blah, blah, blah." Really though? Winter means snow - snow means ice - ice plus my complete lack of stability/balance means that I fall down a lot. Seriously, I have trouble walking across carpet. Barefooted. No, really. I run into walls - often. Not to mention the other stumbling around and general slamming into things that is a daily occurrence. Put me in shoes and on ice and tell me I have to walk a half mile uphill to school everyday, and all I see lurking on my sinister horizon is ultimate disaster and humiliation, not to mention the bruises.

Now, not to be a total Bitter Betty(that's for you, Kaila), there are some things I kind of like about winter. Namely, scarves, fires, cute coats and hats, electric blankets, hot cocoa and tea, etc. Basically, I like the idea of winter, I just hate actually having to be outside so much when its freezing.

That being said, for the past few months, I have been living in a blissful world where winter doesn't exist. Anytime anyone mentions snow, ice, or winter, I usually ignore them and remind myself that there is no such thing as winter. You see, if I were to let myself dwell on the fact that Provo will soon be covered in treacherous snow, I would probably be curled up sobbing somewhere. Therefore, I'm much happier living in complete denial.

Last night, my roommate informed me that the news reported that it would be colder this week. I made a snarky comment and quickly pushed the thought from my mind. This morning, I got up late, threw on my usual capris, t-shirt and flip-flops and headed out the door to school with my hair still wet and pushed up into a mass of curls at the back of my head. It was fifty-five degrees out. Fifty-five. In Arizona weather, that's like negative twenty. But did I go back for a sweater? Of course not, sheer stubbornness forbade it. I practically jogged to school to keep from freezing and arrived unable to feel my fingers. It is now nearly noon and according to weather.com, it is a sunny fifty-seven degrees with an expected high of sixty-four. The sun is out and shining, but the traitor is creating no warmth, no pleasing rays, nothing but light. I'm freezing.

I think I may have to face the facts that winter is indeed coming, and actually dress for it tomorrow. It's still September, I should be able to wear capris and a t-shirt. Heck, in Arizona, I'd still be sweating in this outfit. I thought I would at least have until mid-October before I began freezing, but sadly it isn't looking like it.

Point being, if I catch pneumonia and die from dressing like this when its in the fifties, I want it to be known that the cause of death was not stupidity, but rather, sheer undiluted stubbornness. Also, the fact that my blood is 100% Arizonan.

I officially survived my first week back at school

It went something like this:

• Minor panic attack Sunday night about going back to school - overcome by making an amazing dinner for my friend Chase
  
• Survived day one of classes
  
• Made a fool of myself by begging a teacher to add me into her Lit. class and then promptly dropping it after one day
• Started driving to my old apartment instead of the new, not once, but three times
  
• Wrote my first paper of the semester
  
• Paid $124- for one textbook
• Did about three hours of Russian homework a night
• Called and complained to my landlord because nothing in my new apartment had been even remotely cleaned
• Slowly but surely began cleaning and organizing apartment
  
• Re-arranged the furniture in my living room twenty times before finally getting it right
• Was at school for eight hours on Tuesday, came home and did four hours of homework and fell asleep on the couch watching "You've Got Mail"
• Amidst the stress of moving and a new semester, consumed an entire package of oreos by myself, in one week
• Started diet
• Had dinner and watched "Sense and Sensibility" with my old roommates
• Went grocery shopping at twelve-thirty at night due to the full moon and lack of anything else to do
• Discovered that it is a bad idea to buy groceries in the middle of the night due to the random assortment that seemed logical at the time, but was actually sort of humorous this morning
• Am now celebrating the fact that week one is over and there is no school on Monday. Maybe I will finally have time to finish unpacking, cleaning and organizing. Maybe.
  

Happy Weekend!