I apologize if I sounded vaguely ranty in my last post. After rereading it, I don't think it's that bad, but I felt a little riled while I was writing it, so...
Anyway.
I just colored my hair! My mom still has her old magic touch and it came out absolutely perfect. A few shades darker (my natural color now looks like highlights) with some auburny-red thrown in. And it's short! Not super super short, but above-my-shoulders short. And just so you know, I've been dying (haha. pun.) to change my hair for about four months now. So it's probably one of the better parts of my Christmas break (though my whole break has been fabulous, don't get me wrong).
The other part has been the sleeping. I keep getting up super late because my sister has this anti-light thing going on, so she has blackout drapes and she flips the digital clock on its face so that the numbers don't glow. It's slightly obnoxious because apparently I have to have the sun peeking in through the window in order to convince my brain that it's time to wake up. At the very least, my body keeps track of how long the sun has been up until it can successfully guilt me out of bed. But right now it's as black as a cave in my room, even at midday, so my wake up routine is completely defunct. Joy. Not that I'm complaining too much. I never get enough sleep during the semester. But I do feel a bit bad about not getting up and helping Mom in the mornings.
Oh, and the best positive news. Apparently I was number one on the "girls to meet" list for a rather attractive guy in my family's home ward who was home from BYU for Christmas. He talked to my dad about me last week and then this week, came and found my parents again and asked about me enough that my little brother, when he caught me coming out of the bathroom (where I'd just met the guy's mom, ironically enough) said "Hey, there's a boy looking for you" in that annoying little brother way.
The "boy" looking for me was really easy to talk to and he seems like a lot of fun. Sadly, the fam was all gathered around, and so were his little brothers, so my flirting style was a little cramped and it would have been weird to exchange phone numbers right then. So it ended with a "I really really hope we bump into each other on campus" instead. Not quite as much of a guarantee of seeing each other again, but at least there's the mutual hope of a accidental meeting, right?
Regardless, it felt awesome to have someone looking for me like that.
All in all, this break has been awesome. My family was exactly the kind of antidote I needed after such a hectic and, let's be honest, awful semester. Yes, there were a lot of good things about this last semester, but it was still a rough ride, and I needed a good strong dose of tonic to recover from it. Family is the best medicine I know of, and this break has been no exception. I'm honestly excited about this next year. It's no longer something to survive, but rather something to savor and enjoy as I go through it. So bring on 2011. The old Lynnae is back to run the show again. :)
29 December 2010
23 December 2010
To Mission or Not To Mission
I received a Christmas letter yesterday from an old Iowa friend who is currently serving a mission. He'd written me to say that he wasn't sure why, but he felt like he should invite me to serve a mission. He expressed a few concerns about the fact that I'd never really wanted to, even though I'd done a lot of missionary-type work when we were growing up. It was funny because the letter got me thinking, and in a way, it did help me figure out whether or not I should serve a mission.
The answer? No. I won't be serving a mission. Not at this age, anyway.
And trust me, I've thought about it. A lot. As a lot of you know, I've gone through a lot of soul-searching and goal-setting this last semester as I figure out what I want from my life, and none of those decisions have been made without a lot of help from Upstairs, if you know what I mean. It has been interesting to note that a mission only comes up when other people (usually those not close to me) suggest it. Which sends me into a "should I?" mode. I usually sit on it for a few days to see if anything else comes of it and it inevitably disappears. Always.
The nice thing about my friend's letter was that I read through his encouragements without a scrap of that needling, prodding feeling you get when you're supposed to be paying close attention to something. Instead, it was this sort of dispassionate "yeah, that's a great thing, but you're supposed to be doing something else" thought running through my head. Which means that I'm not just making this stuff up.
So please, no pressuring me into serving a mission. I would go if it was the right thing to do.
On the flip side, I loved the part of President Monson's talk about senior couples and I knew for sure that that was something that I personally am expected to do with my husband after our kids are grown. And I'm super stoked about that.
Also, I'd like to point out that I'm graduating soon. And going through the temple. And gearing up for job-hunting. Things are playing out in such a way as to make a mission extremely difficult, which, considering it's all being run by the Lord right now, anyway, would seem to be a pretty good indication of His plans, don't you think?
The answer? No. I won't be serving a mission. Not at this age, anyway.
And trust me, I've thought about it. A lot. As a lot of you know, I've gone through a lot of soul-searching and goal-setting this last semester as I figure out what I want from my life, and none of those decisions have been made without a lot of help from Upstairs, if you know what I mean. It has been interesting to note that a mission only comes up when other people (usually those not close to me) suggest it. Which sends me into a "should I?" mode. I usually sit on it for a few days to see if anything else comes of it and it inevitably disappears. Always.
The nice thing about my friend's letter was that I read through his encouragements without a scrap of that needling, prodding feeling you get when you're supposed to be paying close attention to something. Instead, it was this sort of dispassionate "yeah, that's a great thing, but you're supposed to be doing something else" thought running through my head. Which means that I'm not just making this stuff up.
So please, no pressuring me into serving a mission. I would go if it was the right thing to do.
On the flip side, I loved the part of President Monson's talk about senior couples and I knew for sure that that was something that I personally am expected to do with my husband after our kids are grown. And I'm super stoked about that.
Also, I'd like to point out that I'm graduating soon. And going through the temple. And gearing up for job-hunting. Things are playing out in such a way as to make a mission extremely difficult, which, considering it's all being run by the Lord right now, anyway, would seem to be a pretty good indication of His plans, don't you think?
21 December 2010
Addendum
Also, today is the first day of winter. I know, I'm sorry Utah. You've had winter for two months now. And Austin apparently got the memo and chose to reject it, seeing as my mom, my brother and I were all lying out on the grass last night with short sleeves and bare feet so that we could watch the lunar eclipse. Too bad the fog got thick right as the full eclipse happened. But we saw most of it.
This is also my 100th blog post since starting my blog. Not really a huge thing, but I thought it was special. I'd half intended to have this special commemorative blog post to celebrate, but that just seemed strange, plus I couldn't fit the contents of this entry under "Christmas Traditions" so... it gets its own spot as the 100th blog post. Yay.
!!
Here is the extent of my celebration, both of Winter Officially Starting and Lynnae's 100th Blog Entry:
This is also my 100th blog post since starting my blog. Not really a huge thing, but I thought it was special. I'd half intended to have this special commemorative blog post to celebrate, but that just seemed strange, plus I couldn't fit the contents of this entry under "Christmas Traditions" so... it gets its own spot as the 100th blog post. Yay.
!!
Here is the extent of my celebration, both of Winter Officially Starting and Lynnae's 100th Blog Entry:
Christmas Traditions that I Love
So, every year, people ask about any unique Christmas traditions that families have, and while I know I can never compete with Qait's family (booby-trapping their entire house to see if the kids can get to the tree without waking the parents up), I think my family has some pretty great traditions.
For example, while she hasn't done it regularly, my mom has, for several years, taken the Baby Jesus figures from every single nativity scene (we have a dozen or so) on Christmas Eve and wrapped them all up in a gift that's placed prominently in or under the tree, and on Christmas morning, the first thing we do before even peeking in our stockings, is unwrap that present and redistribute the figures to their proper nativity scenes. A symbolic representation of the Savior's birth. I've always loved it because it puts the focus on the real reason that we celebrate Christmas right at the beginning of the day before we do anything else.
We also have a tradition of "treasure hunts" that consist of rhyming couplets that give us clues to follow until we discover our present in some secret or hard-to-get-to place. For a word nerd like me, composing rhyming couplets is both easy and ridiculously fun. I made a treasure hunt for my baby brother today and read the clues aloud to Mom to see if she would laugh. If she did, I considered them good enough, and moved on to the next clue. I just love the personal touch it adds to the gift-giving, especially since most of the treasure hunts contain at least a handful of inside jokes that no one else would ever understand, but they mean something to us.
Most years, we go caroling or at least homemade-bread-delivering and it's been fun to see the progressive increase in singing talent. This year we actually sounded darn good thanks to Ben finally being old enough and trained enough to offer the fourth part to our harmony. That kid has a great voice, and I was surprised at how much musical talent my family has, even though we've never been one of those families that everyone knows has ridiculous amounts of musical ability.
My mom also has this flannel-board story about the Littlest Star that she's told us every Christmas since I was a little girl. Sadly, I think the flannel board finally died, so I'm not sure the story will ever be quite the same, but I know the story by heart anyways. Remind me to tell it sometime.
So there you are. Our Christmas traditions. I look forward to adding homemade eggnog to the list of Christmas traditions, and I kind of want to make our secret family recipe (Love Rolls -- which are heavenly) a Christmas thing too. At least for me and my future family. Conditional on my mastering the recipe, of course. Mom's going to teach me sometime during break. :)
For example, while she hasn't done it regularly, my mom has, for several years, taken the Baby Jesus figures from every single nativity scene (we have a dozen or so) on Christmas Eve and wrapped them all up in a gift that's placed prominently in or under the tree, and on Christmas morning, the first thing we do before even peeking in our stockings, is unwrap that present and redistribute the figures to their proper nativity scenes. A symbolic representation of the Savior's birth. I've always loved it because it puts the focus on the real reason that we celebrate Christmas right at the beginning of the day before we do anything else.
We also have a tradition of "treasure hunts" that consist of rhyming couplets that give us clues to follow until we discover our present in some secret or hard-to-get-to place. For a word nerd like me, composing rhyming couplets is both easy and ridiculously fun. I made a treasure hunt for my baby brother today and read the clues aloud to Mom to see if she would laugh. If she did, I considered them good enough, and moved on to the next clue. I just love the personal touch it adds to the gift-giving, especially since most of the treasure hunts contain at least a handful of inside jokes that no one else would ever understand, but they mean something to us.
Most years, we go caroling or at least homemade-bread-delivering and it's been fun to see the progressive increase in singing talent. This year we actually sounded darn good thanks to Ben finally being old enough and trained enough to offer the fourth part to our harmony. That kid has a great voice, and I was surprised at how much musical talent my family has, even though we've never been one of those families that everyone knows has ridiculous amounts of musical ability.
My mom also has this flannel-board story about the Littlest Star that she's told us every Christmas since I was a little girl. Sadly, I think the flannel board finally died, so I'm not sure the story will ever be quite the same, but I know the story by heart anyways. Remind me to tell it sometime.
So there you are. Our Christmas traditions. I look forward to adding homemade eggnog to the list of Christmas traditions, and I kind of want to make our secret family recipe (Love Rolls -- which are heavenly) a Christmas thing too. At least for me and my future family. Conditional on my mastering the recipe, of course. Mom's going to teach me sometime during break. :)
20 December 2010
Thoughts from a Transplant
Hello world. I've missed you. Well, sort of. Being back with the family is great, and I've been too busy enjoying that to worry much about notifying everyone else that I was in fact still alive. But I am. Never fear.
Okay, so it might be interesting to note that, of the four years (and therefore four Christmases) that I've been in college, I have never spent Christmas in the same place twice. The first year, I went home to Iowa. The next year, I spent it in Utah, because my family came up to see me. Last year I was in California, and this year, well, it's bright, sunny, warm Austin, Texas.
The last time that being "home" for Christmas felt completely like "home" in the way that everyone else thinks of it, I was in Iowa. My freshman year. Since then, my family has moved around and I didn't live in California long enough for it to ever feel like home as far as going to church and seeing friends and people who watched me grow up, and all that great stuff about going home to your roots. Instead, I'm "the Jackson's other daughter" and I get asked the exact same questions by every person I meet about what I'm studying, when I graduate, and what I want to do with my life.
And honestly? I'm a little lonely. At least in the non-family social scene. I miss being around people who know just a little too much about me and drag me on those sometimes-obnoxious trips down memory lane, thus forcing me to relive stupid and/or hilarious things that I did as a teenager. Because no one around here knows those things about me. No one knows what kind of student I was, whether I was the troublemaker in Sunday School, how many pranks I pulled at Girls Camp, or any of those other fun things. Although, granted, I was a good kid, so there aren't a whole lot of blackmail stories that people have about me anyway, but I miss them trying to come up with blackmail material.
Also, I've noticed that being teased about the status of my "M.R.S. degree" (which really isn't all that funny anyway) by a complete stranger is infinitely more insulting than if it were coming from, say, my seminary teacher or the guy who was the Young Men's president while I was growing up.
That being said, I've come to conclude that, as sad as it may be, the closest thing to a "home ward" that I still have is my single's ward at BYU. More people know me there than in my last two wards combined. Kind of lame? Perhaps. But that's what happens when you become a transplant as your family moves around.
Now don't get me wrong. I love that my family moves around. It means new adventures, new places, and Texas is absolutely gorgeous. The little midwestern girl in me who's been missing the wide open spaces and tree-filled rolling hills is extremely happy here in Texas. And it may be surprising to hear, but I also find the Texas pride endearing and enchanting, rather than trite and overbearing. They have a lot of true patriotism and loyalty to themselves and their country, and I like that. It brings back memories from early early elementary school, when they still taught us about what a great nation the United States was, rather than how bad we suck, like they tend to do now. Like it or not, these people have something to stand for, and I like that they do.
Oh, and I feel like gloating just a little bit, because the weather is balmy and beautiful today. I'm more likely to put on short sleeves and walk out of the house without a jacket, than anything else, and although I miss the snow and the whole "white Christmas" thing, I get enough of that during the rest of the winter while I'm in Utah.
So to summarize the thoughts that have been running through my head the last several days as I experience Texas:
I have nothing against being here. I love that my family gets to live here, and I honestly don't think I'd mind at all settling down in a place like this someday. The landscape is beautiful, the trees are big, the rain is rain rather than sprinkles leaking from the sky, and the small-town charm of Cedar Park (where we actually live, just outside of Austin) reminds me of the small-town places we lived when I was growing up.
I am, however, a little lonely for a true home ward, where people know me. I also miss being able to come home and stick my nose into the business of all the young men and women who were still in primary when I left for college and see how much they've all grown up.
Moving around is great, and as long as I have my family, every place feels like home. But it can be a little lonely to be "home" without having all those deep-set roots to anchor you to a place.
So those are my thoughts about being a transplant to Texas. In case any of you ever wondered.
Okay, so it might be interesting to note that, of the four years (and therefore four Christmases) that I've been in college, I have never spent Christmas in the same place twice. The first year, I went home to Iowa. The next year, I spent it in Utah, because my family came up to see me. Last year I was in California, and this year, well, it's bright, sunny, warm Austin, Texas.
The last time that being "home" for Christmas felt completely like "home" in the way that everyone else thinks of it, I was in Iowa. My freshman year. Since then, my family has moved around and I didn't live in California long enough for it to ever feel like home as far as going to church and seeing friends and people who watched me grow up, and all that great stuff about going home to your roots. Instead, I'm "the Jackson's other daughter" and I get asked the exact same questions by every person I meet about what I'm studying, when I graduate, and what I want to do with my life.
And honestly? I'm a little lonely. At least in the non-family social scene. I miss being around people who know just a little too much about me and drag me on those sometimes-obnoxious trips down memory lane, thus forcing me to relive stupid and/or hilarious things that I did as a teenager. Because no one around here knows those things about me. No one knows what kind of student I was, whether I was the troublemaker in Sunday School, how many pranks I pulled at Girls Camp, or any of those other fun things. Although, granted, I was a good kid, so there aren't a whole lot of blackmail stories that people have about me anyway, but I miss them trying to come up with blackmail material.
Also, I've noticed that being teased about the status of my "M.R.S. degree" (which really isn't all that funny anyway) by a complete stranger is infinitely more insulting than if it were coming from, say, my seminary teacher or the guy who was the Young Men's president while I was growing up.
That being said, I've come to conclude that, as sad as it may be, the closest thing to a "home ward" that I still have is my single's ward at BYU. More people know me there than in my last two wards combined. Kind of lame? Perhaps. But that's what happens when you become a transplant as your family moves around.
Now don't get me wrong. I love that my family moves around. It means new adventures, new places, and Texas is absolutely gorgeous. The little midwestern girl in me who's been missing the wide open spaces and tree-filled rolling hills is extremely happy here in Texas. And it may be surprising to hear, but I also find the Texas pride endearing and enchanting, rather than trite and overbearing. They have a lot of true patriotism and loyalty to themselves and their country, and I like that. It brings back memories from early early elementary school, when they still taught us about what a great nation the United States was, rather than how bad we suck, like they tend to do now. Like it or not, these people have something to stand for, and I like that they do.
Oh, and I feel like gloating just a little bit, because the weather is balmy and beautiful today. I'm more likely to put on short sleeves and walk out of the house without a jacket, than anything else, and although I miss the snow and the whole "white Christmas" thing, I get enough of that during the rest of the winter while I'm in Utah.
So to summarize the thoughts that have been running through my head the last several days as I experience Texas:
I have nothing against being here. I love that my family gets to live here, and I honestly don't think I'd mind at all settling down in a place like this someday. The landscape is beautiful, the trees are big, the rain is rain rather than sprinkles leaking from the sky, and the small-town charm of Cedar Park (where we actually live, just outside of Austin) reminds me of the small-town places we lived when I was growing up.
I am, however, a little lonely for a true home ward, where people know me. I also miss being able to come home and stick my nose into the business of all the young men and women who were still in primary when I left for college and see how much they've all grown up.
Moving around is great, and as long as I have my family, every place feels like home. But it can be a little lonely to be "home" without having all those deep-set roots to anchor you to a place.
So those are my thoughts about being a transplant to Texas. In case any of you ever wondered.
14 December 2010
Double Trouble
So I got on Facebook this morning and noticed I had two event notifications. The first one said "Party time with Kyle & Rachel!" I knew it was the wedding event/invite for my ward friend Rachel and her brand spanking new fiance. Since I'm pretty sure I'm free that day (sometime in February), I said yes.Then came the confusion.
The next invite? "Kyle & Rachel are getting mare-weeeeed!" But it was for a way, way different date than the first one. I clicked in and stared at it for a second before realizing that it was in fact an invite for a different friend named Rachel (an old Michigan friend) who was, funnily enough, also marrying a man named Kyle.I had to laugh. Go figure. I also know an apartment of guys who once upon a time all married girls named Stephanie...
On the bright side, the likelihood of that happening to me is next to none.
However, I wish to extend congratulations to both my Rachel-friends. I'm so happy for you both! And I will definitely try to make it to both weddings. I consider it a blessing that the doubleness only extended as far as the names: the dates are still different, which means that, barring any unexpected happenings, I can go to both. :)
Also, I love that both "WE'RE ENGAGED!!!" pictures looks roughly the same as far as posing goes.
Additional congratulations to Monique & John, Tevan & Ris (no double-name problems for you two!), Dan & Alisha, Matt & Joanna, Faith & Joe, Heidi & Nate, MacKenna & Drew (I'm so sad that your wedding date moved up! I wanted to be there!), and the dozens of other couples who got engaged or are getting married. You all deserve the very best!
Oh, and on the topic of wedding announcements (well, sort of on topic...), this is probably the funniest/randomest wedding announcement I've ever seen. I don't think I'd ever be inclined to do something like this, but they win points for originality. And yes, I do know them. Well, him. He's an acquaintance from California, and from what I know about him, this totally fits.
13 December 2010
Counting Blessings
A friend asked me last week to count my blessings. I didn't know it at the time, but he had an ulterior motive. Turns out he was definitely on to something, though. Anyway, I'm exhausted. I had a big family party last night, came home to a roommate Christmas party, went to bed, woke up at 4am to write a 10 page paper (yes, all 10 pages of it) by 9am, and now I'm off to work until 5pm.
However, with that in mind, I'm still grateful for a lot of things. So here are the good things about today ("today" being loosely defined as the last 24 hours or so)
- I got to see my cousin Jason again. He's been a favorite cousin for decades, and it was great to reminisce and talk again after two years
- I finished the paper I got up this morning to write, which means the biggest stress of my finals week is over pretty much before finals even begin
- I finally have a date with the one I've been waiting all week to hear from. :)
- Yesterday was pretty much a giant "I love you, Lynnae" hug from the Lord, so I cried a ton, but it felt amazing. It's been a crappy semester (as you all know), and it felt like He was reminding me that I'd done a good job and He still loved me in spite of my laziness/overstressing tendencies.
- I go home in about 94 hours, which means I get to see Mom, Dad, and the whole slew of siblings. Hallelujah.
- I have nothing else to stress me out today. Just work, which is almost always enjoyable to the max.
- My roommates take great care of me, as does my little brother.
- I had a great heart-to-heart with one of my other cousins last night, and I'm so immensely grateful for how close I am to all of my family, both immediate and extended.
- This semester is almost over, and I'm still praying for that January miracle. I just want next semester to be better than this one. Something tells me that it will be.
However, with that in mind, I'm still grateful for a lot of things. So here are the good things about today ("today" being loosely defined as the last 24 hours or so)
- I got to see my cousin Jason again. He's been a favorite cousin for decades, and it was great to reminisce and talk again after two years
- I finished the paper I got up this morning to write, which means the biggest stress of my finals week is over pretty much before finals even begin
- I finally have a date with the one I've been waiting all week to hear from. :)
- Yesterday was pretty much a giant "I love you, Lynnae" hug from the Lord, so I cried a ton, but it felt amazing. It's been a crappy semester (as you all know), and it felt like He was reminding me that I'd done a good job and He still loved me in spite of my laziness/overstressing tendencies.
- I go home in about 94 hours, which means I get to see Mom, Dad, and the whole slew of siblings. Hallelujah.
- I have nothing else to stress me out today. Just work, which is almost always enjoyable to the max.
- My roommates take great care of me, as does my little brother.
- I had a great heart-to-heart with one of my other cousins last night, and I'm so immensely grateful for how close I am to all of my family, both immediate and extended.
- This semester is almost over, and I'm still praying for that January miracle. I just want next semester to be better than this one. Something tells me that it will be.
11 December 2010
Scheduling Conflicts: Story of My Life
Okay, what is with everything suddenly springing up at me during the last two weeks of school? And I don't mean school stuff. Ironically, school is being surprisingly kind by lightening up during my finals, which is a huge relief. No, I'm talking about my social calendar. Suddenly people are exploding out of the woodwork with things they want me to be a part of and I'm sort of frustrated by it. I mean, hello, where were you guys all semester? I mean, I like the dates, parties, and reunions, but seriously, do they all have to be at the same time??
Which brings me to the topic of tonight. It's not that I have date every night or something like that, but I am juggling two engagements tonight (it would have been three, but I had to drop one). Remember that date I chose to bail on last week? Yeah, so he did in fact take advantage of the rain check I offered... asking me to do the same thing this week. Although, he did show up at my apartment this time and ask me in person. Which won him back some brownie points.
Unfortunately, some old friends from Iowa really want to see me and my brother tonight, and since one of them is the girl that my brother is still secretly crazy about, I am definitely going to do whatever I have to to make the reunion happen. But that leaves me in a tight spot, because I can't bail on a rain check. There are so many things wrong with that that it's not even an option. Which means that I have to try to keep things short and still hope to get us up to Bountiful in time to see the girl.
Enter Kristopher, my ever-constant knight-in-shining-armor. Figuring out rides and transportation was extremely stressful and after trying five or six different options and getting so frustrated that I wanted to throw something, I grumbled that it would be really convenient to still be dating a man with a vehicle, because presumably, a boyfriend would not mind going and meeting old friends of mine for one night, while very few other people would enjoy it. Especially since, to be dating me, he'd probably be more interested in spending time with me, right? That aside, in the absence of a vehicularly endowed boyfriend, I settled on calling my best friend to see if he might be willing to help. He's a champ. I only wish I could do the same for him.
Which brings me to the topic of tonight. It's not that I have date every night or something like that, but I am juggling two engagements tonight (it would have been three, but I had to drop one). Remember that date I chose to bail on last week? Yeah, so he did in fact take advantage of the rain check I offered... asking me to do the same thing this week. Although, he did show up at my apartment this time and ask me in person. Which won him back some brownie points.
Unfortunately, some old friends from Iowa really want to see me and my brother tonight, and since one of them is the girl that my brother is still secretly crazy about, I am definitely going to do whatever I have to to make the reunion happen. But that leaves me in a tight spot, because I can't bail on a rain check. There are so many things wrong with that that it's not even an option. Which means that I have to try to keep things short and still hope to get us up to Bountiful in time to see the girl.
Enter Kristopher, my ever-constant knight-in-shining-armor. Figuring out rides and transportation was extremely stressful and after trying five or six different options and getting so frustrated that I wanted to throw something, I grumbled that it would be really convenient to still be dating a man with a vehicle, because presumably, a boyfriend would not mind going and meeting old friends of mine for one night, while very few other people would enjoy it. Especially since, to be dating me, he'd probably be more interested in spending time with me, right? That aside, in the absence of a vehicularly endowed boyfriend, I settled on calling my best friend to see if he might be willing to help. He's a champ. I only wish I could do the same for him.
09 December 2010
Dear Santa
It's definitely very late, and way out of my parents' price range, but what I really want for Christmas? Adobe InDesign. Yeah. No need to remind me I'm a nerd. But it would make homework and life so much easier. Perhaps my student loans may come in handy. If I'm going to get it, I need to do it before I graduate in order to take advantage of the educational pricing. *sigh* If only money was easier to come by.
08 December 2010
Christmas Cheer
What is it about working in the kitchen that makes it feel so much more like Christmas? It's probably because my mom always cooked everything from scratch when I was growing up, so cooking just seems like a natural part of Christmas. You know, the more I think back to how much my mom cooked and how rarely we opted for premade meals, the more impressed I am with the talent, patience, and ingenuity that she displayed in preparing meals for us every day for roughly 23 1/2 years. And she's still going strong! Granted, we kids help a lot more often with food ideas and preparation these days (well, when I'm home, which is hardly ever), but still.
Anyway, I recently watched Julie & Julia, which is the true-life story of Julie Powell, a young insurance clerk who decides to spice up her hum-drum life by making every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in the space of a year. Paralleling her story in the movie is the account of how Julia Child became Julia Child.
All the food made me hungry, but that aside, I really liked the idea of learning to cook that way. I don't think I could ever be that ambitious (not to mention I don't have the money), but the story, combined with recent events that have made me really appreciate the dedication my mother has shown as far as feeding us, helped me realize that I really want to cook, and cook well. I've been to homes where the family rarely cooks homemade meals and I don't want to raise my family that way. There's an extra fondness and attachment that comes from knowing that you and your family created a culinary masterpiece from scratch.
Plus, I really do like cooking. I don't have the time or the money to create elegant, delicious meals all the time. Not to mention, it's very hard to cook most recipes for just a single person. But I still enjoy cooking from time to time. I have a couple of delicious spice combinations for tilapia (even Savannah thinks it smells heavenly, even though she hates fish). My mom's Missionary Meatloaf is legendary (and I make it taste just as good). I found an awesome cheese-stuffed shells recipe. I wish I had more time to cook, but right now, I don't. It's very sad. :(
However, today, I tried my hand at eggnog! My brother has a really good recipe that he's made for the last several Thanksgivings and Christmases. I swiped it from him last time he made it, quizzed him about the different ways to substitute ingredients in and out, and found the combination I liked best. Since my work's Christmas party is coming up on Friday, I decided to make a gallon of it to share with my coworkers. It tastes awesome. Once it's fully chilled, I'll have to compare it to Brian's. Either way, it blows store-bought eggnog out of the water (or, well, milk...sorry, bad pun). I think I'll always make homemade eggnog for Christmas from now on.
Adding to my feeling of Christmas cheer is the new pine-y, Christmas-y scented candle I bought, which smells delightful. It's taken long enough, but it's beginning to feel a lot more like Christmas to me now. I'm guessing the Christmas feeling will skyrocket as soon I get home, too. There's just something about being home that makes Christmas feel the way it should.
Fun Fact: Eggnog is one word. I've been spelling it wrong my entire life. The things you learn when you type a word into google to find a picture of something...
All the food made me hungry, but that aside, I really liked the idea of learning to cook that way. I don't think I could ever be that ambitious (not to mention I don't have the money), but the story, combined with recent events that have made me really appreciate the dedication my mother has shown as far as feeding us, helped me realize that I really want to cook, and cook well. I've been to homes where the family rarely cooks homemade meals and I don't want to raise my family that way. There's an extra fondness and attachment that comes from knowing that you and your family created a culinary masterpiece from scratch.
Plus, I really do like cooking. I don't have the time or the money to create elegant, delicious meals all the time. Not to mention, it's very hard to cook most recipes for just a single person. But I still enjoy cooking from time to time. I have a couple of delicious spice combinations for tilapia (even Savannah thinks it smells heavenly, even though she hates fish). My mom's Missionary Meatloaf is legendary (and I make it taste just as good). I found an awesome cheese-stuffed shells recipe. I wish I had more time to cook, but right now, I don't. It's very sad. :(
 |
| Disclaimer: most pictures of food that I include aren't taken by me. I'm not that talented. |
Adding to my feeling of Christmas cheer is the new pine-y, Christmas-y scented candle I bought, which smells delightful. It's taken long enough, but it's beginning to feel a lot more like Christmas to me now. I'm guessing the Christmas feeling will skyrocket as soon I get home, too. There's just something about being home that makes Christmas feel the way it should.
Fun Fact: Eggnog is one word. I've been spelling it wrong my entire life. The things you learn when you type a word into google to find a picture of something...
06 December 2010
One Dream Fulfilled
Anyway, I once heard editing described as the "pajama job" because most editors are able to work from home (which, incidentally, is one of the reasons I'm so excited about my career: I can be a mom and still do what I love to do at the same time). They have flexible schedules and, as long as they meet deadlines, they're free to work at their own pace.
Anyway, it wasn't long after hearing that description that I conjured up this image of me, several years down the road, sitting down with a piece to edit, curled up in comfy sweats, with a steaming mug of hot cocoa at my side, and gentle music playing in the background. That seems like the perfect life, though I've always expected to have to slog through some dreary desk jobs to join the privileged ranks of freelance editors who can do exactly that.
Not so. Thanks to my awesome boss giving her consent, my coworker and I went to the Bookstore last week to pick up a couple of cans of gourmet hot cocoa after we'd discovered that our office had a cocoa-latte machine.
Today, as I poured myself a mug of cocoa and sat down at my desk to edit a training script, I realized that I am currently living in that ideal picture I always loved to imagine. Everything was just how I pictured it: the music, the cocoa, the comfortably cross-legged sitting position on my chair that reclines just enough. And in that moment, my life felt absolutely perfect.
Well, except for the fact that I couldn't wear the sweat pants. The dress code is a little more restrictive than that. :)
The Index Intruder
Have you heard of the Bed Intruder? It's kind of become a cult classic. Gets quoted everywhere. Well, as of today, Antoine has officially intruded into my editing class. And let's just say, it let out a lot of tension. See, it's the second-to-last day of class (whoa. Reality check. That's freaky.) and we're just now starting on how to edit an index (which basically means you have to know how to write one) and the problem is that indexing is extremely tricky. You'd think it would be straight-up alphabetical, right? Well, technically yes.
But that's where the problem starts.
What about numbers? Roman numerals (you treat them differently, by way)? Commas? Titles? If something is two words, do you put it under the first word or create the entry with the second word first?
Cue Prince Henry's monologue from Ever After:
Yup. Pretty much my thoughts exactly. Except... not about romance. It's about indexing entries.
Behold, the inner workings of my mind. Such a nerd at heart.
Anyway, we were so fed up with all the rules and nitpicky details that made no sense that we were about to start a mutiny, when some guy up in the front started saying, "These rules are really dumb. Fo' real...." in a perfectly passable imitation of Antoine Dodson. I had to laugh. Less at how funny or not-funny the quote was, and more at the fact that the Bed Intruder has successfully invaded the one realm where vernacular cliches and slang phrases are usually least tolerated.
I say least-tolerated meaning that there are a shocking number of editors who are exactly how most people think of them: grammar-nazi correctness freaks who love red pens and making papers bleed. We're not all like that, I promise. But some people are. They make me wince, but they're out there.
Anyway. Welcome, Antoine Dodson, to the editing circle. Just know that we language-geeks appreciate you, too.
But that's where the problem starts.
What about numbers? Roman numerals (you treat them differently, by way)? Commas? Titles? If something is two words, do you put it under the first word or create the entry with the second word first?
Cue Prince Henry's monologue from Ever After:Is that the lady you're supposed to be with or was it the first? And if so, when the two of them were walking side by side were they both the one for you and you just happened to meet the first one first or, was the second one supposed to be first?
Yup. Pretty much my thoughts exactly. Except... not about romance. It's about indexing entries.
Behold, the inner workings of my mind. Such a nerd at heart.
Anyway, we were so fed up with all the rules and nitpicky details that made no sense that we were about to start a mutiny, when some guy up in the front started saying, "These rules are really dumb. Fo' real...." in a perfectly passable imitation of Antoine Dodson. I had to laugh. Less at how funny or not-funny the quote was, and more at the fact that the Bed Intruder has successfully invaded the one realm where vernacular cliches and slang phrases are usually least tolerated.
I say least-tolerated meaning that there are a shocking number of editors who are exactly how most people think of them: grammar-nazi correctness freaks who love red pens and making papers bleed. We're not all like that, I promise. But some people are. They make me wince, but they're out there.
Anyway. Welcome, Antoine Dodson, to the editing circle. Just know that we language-geeks appreciate you, too.
05 December 2010
Michelle
So that better choice I mentioned yesterday? Just got better today. I went to crash my brother's ward's break-the-fast because Stephanie and I were hungry and Michelle's birthday dinner was planned for later. Brian's friend (the flirtatious one) was there, naturally, and we talked for a little while. Then, later on, he caught me by myself and said, "Hey, I have a question." When I responded curiously, he said, "Can I take you to lunch sometime this week?" followed closely by, "Can I have your number so that I can call you for lunch sometime this week?"
Wow. Brownie points to the man for being straightforward. Considering his already-existent appeal based on the fact that he was easy to talk to, he definitely got a yes. :) And my weekend got even better.
But... on to the main point of my entry today:
TODAY IS MICHELLE'S BIRTHDAY! And, to borrow a rather clever quote from a girl in my ward, she's turning 19 for the... well, unstated number of times in a row. If she wishes to reveal her age, that's up to her. I won't do it for her. But that's beside the point. As we all know, age is just a number, and Michelle exactly as old or young as she should be. I love her for it, and I often forget that she's a different age from me at all.
So, to celebrate the anniversary of Michelle's birth, Savannah cooked a fabulous dinner that we ate as roommates (joined by Kunkee, who is as much a part of our closest circle as any of our roommates are). Part of me hated Savannah for her cooking, because I couldn't help but eat more of it than my body would have liked. It was worth the stuffed-to-the-brim feeling, though. :)
I'm so glad that I have Michelle as a roommate. She's been a huge example and a wonderful sister. So many people have told me that they found their best friends in high school or in their freshman year of college, but for me, I found all my true friends a little later than that (aside from Qait, who's been my sister for 7 years now). But believe me, it was worth the extra wait. There are times that I think about moving away and changing things up, but honestly, I couldn't bear the thought of facing everyday life without them. It's a support system that I know I can rely on, no matter what happens.
Outside of my parents, who are the most steady, loving, solid support I could ever ask for, my roommates are my lifeline. And Michelle and her faith, testimony, love, and crazy-but-contagious-laugh is a huge part of that. So thank you, Michelle, for being my sister. I love you.
Wow. Brownie points to the man for being straightforward. Considering his already-existent appeal based on the fact that he was easy to talk to, he definitely got a yes. :) And my weekend got even better.
But... on to the main point of my entry today:
TODAY IS MICHELLE'S BIRTHDAY! And, to borrow a rather clever quote from a girl in my ward, she's turning 19 for the... well, unstated number of times in a row. If she wishes to reveal her age, that's up to her. I won't do it for her. But that's beside the point. As we all know, age is just a number, and Michelle exactly as old or young as she should be. I love her for it, and I often forget that she's a different age from me at all.
So, to celebrate the anniversary of Michelle's birth, Savannah cooked a fabulous dinner that we ate as roommates (joined by Kunkee, who is as much a part of our closest circle as any of our roommates are). Part of me hated Savannah for her cooking, because I couldn't help but eat more of it than my body would have liked. It was worth the stuffed-to-the-brim feeling, though. :)
I'm so glad that I have Michelle as a roommate. She's been a huge example and a wonderful sister. So many people have told me that they found their best friends in high school or in their freshman year of college, but for me, I found all my true friends a little later than that (aside from Qait, who's been my sister for 7 years now). But believe me, it was worth the extra wait. There are times that I think about moving away and changing things up, but honestly, I couldn't bear the thought of facing everyday life without them. It's a support system that I know I can rely on, no matter what happens.
Outside of my parents, who are the most steady, loving, solid support I could ever ask for, my roommates are my lifeline. And Michelle and her faith, testimony, love, and crazy-but-contagious-laugh is a huge part of that. So thank you, Michelle, for being my sister. I love you.
04 December 2010
The Better Choice
It's been a long time since I've run up against major conflicts in my social schedule. Academic conflicts happen all the time. But seeing as how I've been keeping my social life to a minimum in an attempt not to fail at school, it never seems to be very eventful. Until this weekend. See, I got asked on this date for tonight. Well, sort of. More specifically, one guy wanted to take my roommate out and I guess to make it a double he convinced his roommate to take someone too. But his roommate was too shy to actually ask me, so the guy that asked Stephanie out on a date also did the asking on behalf of his roommate to get me to go as well. Confusing? It certainly was. Especially since my date was, in fact, standing right there.
Now, to be clear, I have no issues with going on a date with said boy (well, technically, he's unnamed, and will remain so), but I do wish he'd been brave enough to actually do the talking himself. It might have made my decision a lot harder.
Because I'd forgotten up to that point that I'd promised Brian I'd go on the SLC temple trip with his ward, which was also tonight. I also had been unaware that the times overlapped significantly. So when Brian reminded me and pointed out that I'd been included in the reservations, I suddenly found that I had a pressing decision to make. Did I bail on Brian to go on a date with a guy who was too scared to ask me out? (It was earning sympathy/kindness points, since I didn't want to insult him or make him feel rejected). Or did I keep my earlier commitment and go to the temple with my brother's ward?
Well, I chose the temple.
After politely calling my date and telling him of the situation, I offered a rain check to our date in the hopes that perhaps he'll be courageous enough to take advantage of the very clear opening I'm giving him.
In short, the temple trip was awesome. I have no doubts that the date would have been fun (Stephanie said it was), but I had needed to go to the temple. Plus, I can't think of a better way to spend my evening than with my little brother, especially since he's going on his mission soon, and I won't get to do things like this with him for at least two years.
As an added bonus, I also found myself being escorted around by one of my brother's ward friends, who flirted shamelessly with me. Makes a girl feel good. :) Especially since he reminded me a lot of my first boyfriend, which is a relationship that, even in its post-breakup just-friends phase, I've always cherished.
So there were a lot of good things about tonight. The Salt Lake Temple is absolutely stunning on the inside. The food was great. I got quality time with my little brother, who will be getting endowed in 18 days (!!!). Not to mention, being on that trip and eating dinner in the temple cafeteria with all the endowed members in their whites was a huge help in rekindling my excitement about going through the temple this coming August. It brought it back into the realm of the real and attainable. I needed that. My primary focus recently has been on school, which puts a lot of things on the back burner, and I didn't really want temple prep to get back-burnered too much.
So long story short, I made the better choice for me tonight, and I'm glad. It's been a fabulous evening.
Nicely polished off, of course, by a round of Munchkin Bites with Zivko, Stephanie, and Brian. ^_^
Now, to be clear, I have no issues with going on a date with said boy (well, technically, he's unnamed, and will remain so), but I do wish he'd been brave enough to actually do the talking himself. It might have made my decision a lot harder.
Because I'd forgotten up to that point that I'd promised Brian I'd go on the SLC temple trip with his ward, which was also tonight. I also had been unaware that the times overlapped significantly. So when Brian reminded me and pointed out that I'd been included in the reservations, I suddenly found that I had a pressing decision to make. Did I bail on Brian to go on a date with a guy who was too scared to ask me out? (It was earning sympathy/kindness points, since I didn't want to insult him or make him feel rejected). Or did I keep my earlier commitment and go to the temple with my brother's ward?
Well, I chose the temple.
After politely calling my date and telling him of the situation, I offered a rain check to our date in the hopes that perhaps he'll be courageous enough to take advantage of the very clear opening I'm giving him.
In short, the temple trip was awesome. I have no doubts that the date would have been fun (Stephanie said it was), but I had needed to go to the temple. Plus, I can't think of a better way to spend my evening than with my little brother, especially since he's going on his mission soon, and I won't get to do things like this with him for at least two years.
As an added bonus, I also found myself being escorted around by one of my brother's ward friends, who flirted shamelessly with me. Makes a girl feel good. :) Especially since he reminded me a lot of my first boyfriend, which is a relationship that, even in its post-breakup just-friends phase, I've always cherished.
So there were a lot of good things about tonight. The Salt Lake Temple is absolutely stunning on the inside. The food was great. I got quality time with my little brother, who will be getting endowed in 18 days (!!!). Not to mention, being on that trip and eating dinner in the temple cafeteria with all the endowed members in their whites was a huge help in rekindling my excitement about going through the temple this coming August. It brought it back into the realm of the real and attainable. I needed that. My primary focus recently has been on school, which puts a lot of things on the back burner, and I didn't really want temple prep to get back-burnered too much.
So long story short, I made the better choice for me tonight, and I'm glad. It's been a fabulous evening.
Nicely polished off, of course, by a round of Munchkin Bites with Zivko, Stephanie, and Brian. ^_^
02 December 2010
Halfsies
It's my half-birthday today. I'm feeling a bit old. And yet, way too young at the same time. Welcome to my life of conflicting emotions. :)
And yes, I do actually keep track of my half-birthday. I even have a party planned. If by party you mean catching up on the four episodes of Chuck that I still haven't watched. That's my glamorous half-birthday celebration.
And yes, I do actually keep track of my half-birthday. I even have a party planned. If by party you mean catching up on the four episodes of Chuck that I still haven't watched. That's my glamorous half-birthday celebration.
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