Day 15 – Your dreams, in great detail

Hello world. It has been a long time since I have immersed myself in the blog world. I am currently knee deep in homework, so I am gladly welcoming any escape at this point.

My dreams include this fabulous car:

I will drive it along the Pacific Highway or whatever it is called and everything will be good. Also, it would be great to have a significant (preferably handsome) other in the next seat.

I plan on having kids as cute as this little girl right here:

One of my other dreams include BEING OUT OF MY ITALIAN CLASS. I've had four four semesters of Italian and now that is finally here, I am quickly losing steam. Love the culture, love the people I've endured said semesters with, but I am excited to finally sell my Italian books. 

But mostly, my dream is that I will be happy in the future. I mean, I am now, but I hope it'll get better. I've got a week left of being a teenager and I decided the year of 20 is going to be one of the best years of my life.

Yesterday, I had been walking around in high heels all day long, from 8-5, and as I was hobbling slowly home, I recognized a green Jetta similar to the one a friend of mine drives at the school parking lot. I was seriously considering pranking the car, although I wasn't sure if it was actually her car. As I was contemplating, I noticed a runner jogging towards me. In an attempt to be out of the way, I veered to the right, while simultaneously looking behind my shoulder at the green car. Totally biffed it. As in my ankles completely gave out and I was on the ground, just as surprised as the approaching runner. Luckily, it was grass, but I can't believe I didn't break anything. Even though I was listening to my iPod at the time, I am pretty sure that the runner laughed. In fact, he had an expression of mirth threatening to overwhelm him. I'm glad I made his day.

Day 14 – What you wore today, in great detail

Today I am wearing on of my favorite outfits. We are doing pseudo job interviews in my business writing class, so it worked out quite well.  I am wearing my white "pirate" blouse from Ann Taylor (really, there are ruffles. I like it a lot. Although, if I am having a bad day, I sometimes feel like this guy: 

 

...especially when the wind blows in the wrong direction.) I have a cute black sweater thing because my blouse is sleeveless, but it is not enough to protect me from the stupid wind chill that seems to be more and more prevalent these days.  I brought along my black dress jacket, which I will probably have to drag along all day until it actually gets cold later tonight. I bought a pair of brown/gray (still not sure what color...) dress pants that I like, particularly because they are already ironed. Also, they work for when you need to tuck in your blouse. Sadly, I already dropped an overly ripe banana piece on them. I am not really sure at this point if it will stop me from wearing them at least once more this week. I also have on my favorite red sling-back shoes, which I really like because they are not heels.

In other news, I started my media diary yesterday. I was floored when I realized I consumed THIRTEEN hours of media in a day. I had guessed 30 hours in five days. I am going to burn through that much in like two days. It also freaks me out how much music I listen to. Often times, it is simultaneously done while I am doing other things. 

The other day, I noticed about five students in my various class (who are also my age) use hearing aids. It really scared me. It occurred to me that youth doesn't make you as impervious to ailments as I thought. On the bright side, the "aids" aren't nearly as noticeable as they once were.

Profoundity

This week, I have discovered many things about myself. For one, I am 98% positive that I am lactose intolerant. But that is not going to come between me and my boyfriends Ben and Jerry. I promise that this is not a moment of hypochondriac. It is true. WebMD even backed me up.

Secondly, I can run a triathlon. And maybe the distances were 1.8 miles running, 6.7 miles biking and 200 yards swimming, but it is still a triathlon. Next week I am going to run a 5k, bike 10 miles and swim 500 yards. One of these days, I daresay I will even do the Ironman. Or maybe just a marathon. Regardless. It is on my bucket list, so it will happen one day.

Thirdly, I enjoy writing papers, I think. One of my professors recently wrote at the bottom of my (perfect score, I may add) paper that I must a) really have enjoyed the video I had to analyze or b) really enjoy writing papers. I certainly didn't enjoy the video, so it must be the latter.

I was going to write the next meme, but I have an outfit picked out tomorrow that I want to share, so I am saving it for then.

Day 13 – This week, in great detail

EDIT: I wrote this nearly a week ago, but there is no way I am going back to think about the week... again. So this is what you get. I thought I would finish it, but midterms and school are getting in the way. So Friday and Saturday... leave it to your imagination. I went out on a hot date. (Bahaha.)

Seeing as today is Wednesday, it feels very odd to be writing about the last week. I'm pretty sure my mind resets after every weekend, because I don't really remember what happened last week. Other than that, I have a brilliant  memory.

Tuesday. I had the intent of writing in this blog, but I somehow never got to it. I went to school and work from 9-5, and then vegged out on the Internet for two hours (for the record, they were all helpful photography...things). Next week, I need to do a media log of all media I come into contact with. Perhaps I will post it here. I'm sure it will be ridiculous. I also went grocery shopping because the only thing I had in my fridge was an onion.  I spent an inordinate amount of money, but I guess that is what happens when one doesn't grocery shop for a month. I mostly spend the last two weeks on free coupons, discounts and free food. It really is amazing how much I can eat without spending a dime. I call it resourcefulness. My friend Margarita came over and we exchanged music, which was ironically the topic of my Communications lecture that morning. We ate healthy food.

Monday. School and work from 10-7. Missed out on FHE because everyone left at 6:30, although it was worth it because it was Bro Bott's Mission Prep class. Contemplated going on a mission again. Currently undecided. After briefly coming home, I went back to school to study at the library for a few hours. Fell into an exhausted heap promptly after coming back home at 11pm.

Sunday. Woke up in my bed at my parent's house, disoriented. Decided I wanted to go to my church which started at 1, instead of my family's meeting at 9. Drove back down to my apartment. Got dragged by my friend Jen to go on a drive up a canyon, where I became very car sick. I think it brings back traumatic flashbacks from when my family got lost in the Black Hills in South Dakota for three hours vainly looking for the site of Custer's Last Stand. Little did we know, the entire forest was the site. I was so angry.

However, it was beautiful weather and great lighting for a few pictures. I edited for an hour and then I went to a really good church meeting. After getting home, we had a break the fast meal which was delicious, mostly because of these amazing breadsticks and even more awe-inspiring cookies by my roommates. They had four sticks of butter in them, but it was worth it. I spent the next (I don't really want to admit the number) hours editing all my pictures in an attempt to declutter my inbox, which had just multiplied by eight because of my photoshoot from the day before. I'm still not done.

Saturday. I

Friday.

Thursday. This is the day I found out I had two cavities. It kind of put a damper on the rest of the day. It didn't help that both of my classes were cancelled on this day. However, instead of being productive, I mostly moped around, upset about my teeth. I took a test for my Comms test (which I passed with flying colors, by the way), and then I went to work. I meant to go to this homecoming event at school, but I decided to look for a date less than an hour before (I am a procrastinator extraordinaire), however it didn't end up mattering, because my car was having issues. I was shocked.

 Carl has never in my entire career of owning him (four years) had a problem. It wouldn't start and I started to panic because I had a wedding the next morning. I ended up knocking on a ton of doors in my complex to find someone who knew something about cars. By some miracle, it started again, but I was too scared to use it until I took it to a mechanic the next morning. In retrospect, it was kind of a no good, very bad day. But I didn't really realize it until now...

Wednesday. I don't really know what I did on this day. I probably went to school, work and studied in the library.

Day 12 – What's in your bag, in great detail

Today is Monday. You may wonder how I know this. Today at 4 pm I looked down and realized for the first time that my pants were on inside out. I remember thinking there was something funky going on with my buttons when I put them on this morning, but I quickly brushed off that idea much to my detriment. I still can't believe no one told me, or noticed (?). Frankly, I think it is hilarious. Who does that? 

I'm taking a break from watching this documentary about the WMD crisis of 2007 if you are curious.

This question here is going to be messy. But the meme asked, so I will answer. Currently, I am in constant companionship with my backpack instead of my favorite yellow purse of the summer. I've noticed that I consistently carry heavy things thus drastically decreasing the cushiness (spell check tells me this isn't a word... but I beg to differ) of the straps. Probably it will break and I won't even be surprised when it does. 

Evian waterbottle. I know it spells Naive backwards, but I don't even care because the water is so dang good. Also, the bottle has this sucking mechanism that makes me feel like I'm using a sippy cup. It even makes the satisfying sound of water leaving the premises, which is lovely, especially in dead quiet libraries.

Gloves. Because you never know when it will get cold. I'm particularly scared of being cold for no explicable reason, even to myself.

Two packages of Kleenex. Mostly to prevent the dreaded drippy nose syndrome, which always tends to happen to me when I don't have a tissue handy.

Mirror compact. I just know it was free. I don't really use it as much as you would think. I just wait for people to tell me I have food on my face.

iClicker. This is a cool remote control that enables one to answer poll questions in class. Formerly my astronomy class, which I was forced to drop due to the lack of time I had for doing my homework. I keep meaning to return it, but I know I'll need it next semester when I add the class again. And yes, I go through that same thought process every time I see it.

Bag of goodies. This include cold medicine, throat lozenges, motrin and moleskin. You can never be too prepared.

B&B Hand Sanitizer. I read an article that stated, much to my dismay, that it doesn't do much in the face of a cold. But it certainly smells nice.

Pencil Bag. Three Uniball Vsion Exact Pens (which the Bookstore no longer carries. I keep using the pens only for really special occasions. And as a good luck charm during tests.) Three Bic pens. One multi-color pen in one. My BURT'S BEES CHAPSTICK. I was seriously looking for this sucker all day long! I knew I had some chapstick in my bag. Drat. My SoftLips chapstick. I will say it again. Drat. I even bought a ridiculously overpriced Blistex stick because I thought I was going to die. Two overly sharpened pencils. To be brandished if I am ever attacked whilst walking home. One mechanical pencil.

Wallet. You don't want to know what's in here.

Italian Dictionary. Today I found the F-word in there. I feel like it's wrong to see it printed in a public piece of reading material.

Book of Italian Conjugations. It has a cool picture of a Roman Soldier on his cell phone, smoking on the cover. Really brings the Italian culture home.

Stride Gum. This is my favorite gum because it has two compartments, for when you finish half of it. Also, it's the longest piece of gum out there, so I can eat half and have the thing last twice as long as any other brand.

Cell Phone. With who knows how many messages and missed calls. I never look at it.

Moleskine Planner. I like it mostly because it's sleek, chic, and has a band over it. I sadly forget to use it quite often.

Teatreo, Prosa, Poesia. Italian textbook that has frayed corners already and smashed at the bottom of my bag.

Box of index cards. For this grammar test I need to take next week. I am absolutely determined to get a solid A on the test, instead of a dismal B-.

AA Button. And no, it is not for Alcoholics Anonymous. It was for an art exhibit at the place where I work and it was free. I'm all about free.

Writing and Speaking for Business. Textbook I think I will actually keep.

White legal pad. I take all my notes regardless of class here and later transport them to my binder where everything is organized.

Binder. This has my semester planned out on the front. And all information for all my school inside. It also features a rad doodle I did while waiting for the super slow laptop I had to use at work during the summer. I would be lost without it. The binder, I mean.

Newspaper clippings. Of recipes I want to try sometime soon. Yeah. I'm becoming domestic.

Folder with dividers. This contains 200+ voter registration forms. And only six completed. I'm trying really hard to get as many people as possible registered to vote, because it is an important thing to do.

iPod. Features a pretty rad Graffiti cover. I'm considering transferring all my music to it (120 GB!) and deleting it from my laptop because it's taking up a lot of space. My laptop is seriously giving me so many problems, I am going to switch to a Macbook Pro next time. Or an iPad if it ever comes down in price.

Day 11 – Your siblings, in great detail

Luckily for everyone out there (read: my sisters) I just finished killing my pointer finger editing what feels like a million pictures. (For more information, please see my website or my Facebook)This is reason number number 10 why I hate my laptop. . This also means much appropriate visual fodder in this post.  


I'm the oldest of four girls. Growing up, I used to compare us to "Little Women," my favorite book at the time. Except I always just assumed I was Jo instead of Meg. Ha. 


More and more, I really appreciate my sisters, especially since I no longer live at home. The other night, Sam, Saige and I went out to dinner and it was really nice to "hang out" with them. I'm looking forward to the future when we all go out to monthly lunches as cute little old ladies or something along those lines. 

This is Samantha. She is 17. She is in high school. She also plays the violin, if you couldn't tell. When we were little, I remember frequently referring to her as my "best buddy." Later, Saige and Shenae adopted a similar title between each other: "Best Sissies." Samantha has had to deal with me bossing her around for pretty much forever.  Also when we were little, I would always assume the role of the protagonist (i.e. Pocahontas) and she would always be my sidekick (i.e. Meeko) when we played around. This would include jumping off semi-high surfaces to re-create the beginning scene of said movie, among other things. She also co-operated and was a supporting proponent for when I decided to make all the neighborhood kids perform a stage version (on the basketball court) of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."  (If you couldn't tell, I was a little bossy as a child.) 

I was the one who came up with the half-baked ideas, and she was the one who entertained them. Sometimes, I'm not sure if she knew better and indulged me, or really thought I was a genius. I prefer to think the latter. Every time I got in trouble (which frankly, was kind of often back then) and went without dinner, she would sneak a dinner roll to me. I knew she always had my back. I remember Samantha always being incredibly patient. I "risked" her life a few times (see below) but she never held it against me, which I appreciate immensely. I feel like Sam and I can relate well these days, especially since the younger ones are in their "terrible teens" (the early-mid teens). Sam is talented and smart, probably smarter than me. She consistently gets 4.0s and is involved in so many extra-curricular activities, work and AP classes, that I am surprised she hasn't had a mental breakdown yet. She has more drive than me and I really respect that about her. Sam could probably do anything and be successful at it. I'd bet my money she'll be the family doctor. 

This is Saige. She is 15. She is also in high school, which frankly scares me a little. I feel like I was just in her place not too long ago, and it makes me feel old. She is also a cheerleader. When we were little, Saige and I fought. A lot. I'm not entirely sure why, but it probably has something to do with her extraordinary physical prowess. My dad used to call her names that varied from "Thunder Thighs" (she was a very cute, pleasantly plump toddler) to "Speedy Gonzalez." In short, she was very active (still is) and surprisingly strong. I remember chasing her (and vice versa) many many times, to the dismay of my mom. One time, I think she even bit me, although I'll admit it was provoked. She and I shared a room for a while, which in retrospect was the worst idea/combination of the family at the time. 

These days, Saige has really grown up. She and I really connect, perhaps because of our lack of complete dedication to music, which seems to take up a lot of Sam and Shenae's time. Saige is incredibly caring, which I immensely admire. I remember when she was little, she would be dropped off at Grandpa's house to be babysat for a few hours while Sam and I were at school. Every time, without fail, she would be thoughtful enough to take a few extra Tootsie Rolls and keep them in her sweaty little palms until we got home. There was a similar experience when I was in second grade and was denied school lunch due to insufficient funds. My mom, upset and angry with the administration headed straight to the principal's office after I tearily explained the situation over the phone. Saige was with her, and I remember she had half a quesadilla in her hand for me. With Saige, I can share my guilty pleasures without feeling guilty, such as Justin Bieber and our former infatuation with the Twilight series. She is also a Daddy's Girl to the max. Whenever there is a choice, my dad always chooses her to go with him to sporting events, which is just fine by the rest of us. I'm glad my dad has someone, since the poor guy only has girls. 

This is Shenae. Also known as Nae Nae. She is 12 and the baby of the family. She also plays violin and her commitment to music is incredible. Shenae and I never really fought, because of our huge age gap. I guess we all kind of pick on her a little, but she is also babied by our parents to make up for it. Shenae is our go-to person. She will always be the person who will fill up your water cup or grab the Redbox DVD from upstairs, much to her disgust. 

Shenae has always been the littlest in her age group. One time, she fell in the toilet at a Burger King, and I remember being the first person alerted to the emergency. I was so incredulous and doubled up in laughter that I was completely ineffectual in fetching a clean pair of underwear for her. 

Shenae is really sweet. I remember she would miss me the most whenever I would go away for an extended  period of time at debate camp, college, trips, etc. She always had the creative idea in welcoming me home with handmade signs plastered on my door, which I always appreciated. 

Day 10 – What you wore today, in great detail

I'm writing two posts today for reasons that are three fold.  First, I have a test I need to take in the next three hours and I am blissfully procrastinating that hour of truth. Second, I am far behind in this 30-day meme, which at the rate I'm going is going to take two months instead of one. Third, I have two cavities, which I am very depressed about. Last year, I won the drawing for no-cavities. I guess you need to be consistent with the flossing thing. Which makes sense. For years, it kind of felt like I won the lottery when I didn't get cavities, because I never did anything different. No worries, my crazy dental hygienist set me straight. P.S. I brush two/three times a day if you're concerned about my hygiene habits. I'm not totally disgusting. I am worried I will become a social pariah after that admission though... 

Today I am wearing a white tank top with my favorite pink sweater. It is the same sweater that now features crumpled up flowers because I put it in the dryer due to my lazy nature when it  comes to laundry. I am also wearing pin-strip black pants. It is the first time I have worn pants in months. I normally wear skirts, which I much rather prefer, but the weather is forcing me to adapt. My pants are also un-ironed, much to my mom's dismay. Honestly, I don't see the point. 

Currently, I am in my comfortable moccasins I bought for $7 at Shoe Carnival because of that cool buy one get one 1/2 off sale. I love that sale. My shoes have this cute pink leather bow on the toes, but I made the mistake of untying it one time. Needless to say, they were not the normal tie because they frequently come untied and often at the most inconvenient time. Like when I am walking up the giant Incan stairs to school, and trip because I have to concentrate really hard on my feet when I walk to prevent said things from happening. Later I will have to change  into my high heels for work, which hurt a lot, even though they were quite comfortable in the store. When I shop for shoes, it is an ordeal in it of itself. I spend an average of 2.5 hours and end up with one pair of shoes. I have a rigorous test in making sure that the shoe is comfortable and that I can walk around in a power strut. Unfortunately, I didn't take into account the damage my knees would suffer from such high shoes. Oh well. The things one does for height beauty. 

Day 09 – Your beliefs, in great detail

I believe in God and an afterlife where everyone will experience happiness much greater than anything experienced here. I believe in Christ. 

I believe in love, and I believe everyone can find it. 

I believe in helping everyone and the power of selfless service. 

I believe that hard work will always surpass talent, when talent fails to work hard. 

I believe that everyone just wants to feel loved and/or wanted. 

Day 08 – A moment, in great detail

One of the most striking moments of my childhood was when my sister Sam and I were harassed by a pair of giant Great Danes on our street.

Except instead of being friendly and somewhat approachable like the white dogs pictured here, they were huge black dogs that I swear were the spawn of Satan. It didn’t help that their names were Zeus and Hades.

Most of the time, they were tied up in their garage with long 10-ft ropes, which often times barely seemed to keep them at bay. I know what you're thinking... isn't that the distance to the sidewalk?  Yes, yes it was.

While walking home from the bus stop, I was forced to walk past those terrors that barked like mad every time someone passed by. On my first day of kindergarten, my mom made me promise that I would walk on the other side of the street every time I passed by the dogs. Which I still do to this day.

Anyway, my sister Sam and I were walking home from a neighbor's house which also unfortunately meant a walk past those stupid dogs. Me being the brilliant older sister that I am proposed we walk from the backside as in through everybody's backyard, which, back in those days, was not gated. As I was congratulating myself on the wisdom I had exhibited, we heard the familiar bark accompanied by a sudden drop of the stomach.

It was Zeus and  Hades all right and they were inexplicably in the back yard. One glance at those dogs and I bolted home without looking back. I practically ran into the door in my haste to be in the realms of safety when my mom asked me where my little sister was.

Puzzled, I realized she had fallen behind and proceeded to tell my mom what had happened. I hadn't even finished the story when she ran out of the house. I felt terrible. I was positive those dogs had eaten my sister and that it was all my fault.

Turns out, Sam had tripped and fallen in her haste to get away and started crying. She was walking slowly home amidst crazy dog barking when my mom found her, shaken but fine.

Let me tell you: I got in huge trouble. I have always felt terrible about leaving her and ever since, I have been careful to know exactly where my sisters are and ensure they are safe.

Day 07 – Your best friend, in great detail

Hello world. It has been a long time. Last week was kind of crazy mostly because I spent an inordinate amount of time procrastinating my homework. 

In conclusion, my blog and my grades suffered immensely, but it is now a new week and things will be different this time. It's funny how you can feel so on top of the world and homework one minute and three hours later be completely lost in life. Anyways. Onward:

Your Best Friend, In Great Detail 
(I just finished reading this chapter in my business writing textbook about utilizing headings among other things)

To be frank, I don't have just "one" best friend. Often times, as soon as I admit that I have one "best friend," the relationship is never the same. Mostly, it's because I have commitment issues as a result of a "falling out" in elementary school. She suddenly became socially cooler than I had due to recent upgrade to contact lenses. I was subsequently left in the dust. It probably didn't help that I was more or less a social outcast back then, and even today, sometimes it resurfaces. Ha. 

Anyways, my commitment issues will definitely make for an interesting dating life in the future, whenever I get around to being serious.

Um. Let's just ignore my creepy smile. 

I still have many good friends. I would love to devote an entire post explaining each and every person's value to me, but we would be here all night. I will say this though: every person I've considered a friend has influenced me for the better. 

My friends have helped shape who I am today regardless if we are still close today. There is this one quote:

 "Best friends isn't about being inseparable it's being separated and nothing changes."

(Not sure how grammatically correct it is, but whatever) This quote I feel, exemplifies many of my friendships. I have friends from all over and sometimes it puzzles me as to how I still connect with some of the busiest people out there (including myself). Just when I think our friendship is hanging by a tenuous thread, I always end up having a lunch with that person or chatting on the phone and things are just the same as before. 

I feel very blessed to have met the friends that I have today, for it would be very lonely indeed. All of these people have helped me during those times when I felt completely alone and I am eternally grateful for them. 

I've heard people say that you can make friends wherever you go, and although that may be true, I think there is something to be said about long-term friendships. 

My dad, for instance, is very good with keeping in contact with people. (Perhaps, it is where I got it...) Every Christmas without fail, his best friend from his college days brings over a package of nuts and a warm visit. My dad is also still close with two friends from days of his boyhood, which I find incredible. I hope that as I get busier I will be able to maintain all these ties that have been so dear to me. 

"Sometimes people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints in our heart and we are never, ever the same." 

P.S. Whatever happened to Myspace? 

Day 06 – Your day, in great detail

So unfortunately for ya'll out there, today was not very exciting.

I had this big plan to wake up to 6 a.m. this morning to exercise, do homework and be a generally productive member of society. Not so. Alarm(s) did in fact go off at that hour, but I was so proud of myself for getting up, that I rewarded myself with five minutes of snooze time. Two and a half hours later, I wake up, rushed to even make it to school on time. Luckily, my roommate offered me a ride in my frenzied state and all things were good. I'm eternally grateful she did so, because she was also the one who had to suffer the most for my repeated alarms that went off in the 2.5 hour span. Frankly, I'm surprised she hasn't killed me yet.

I went to my Comms 101 class, where I always seem to enjoy myself and the subject material. I was also surrounded by people I semi-recognized, which is always a plus. It makes for easier discussion, the crux of the class.

After class, I headed to the library to watch a documentary I was assigned to watch for Comms. It was about the Digital Nation we live in. It was extremely fascinating. Did you know, you are probably not as good at multi-tasking as you think you are? In fact, most people are downright terrible at it. The most effective thing, according to leading scientists, is to focus your attention on one thing at a time. It definitely made me more motivated to fully concentrate. Also, the average teenager is around media 50 hours a week: more than any full-time job. This has also reinforced my desire to go a week without technology. After the movie, I re-wrote my notes in an effort to both simultaneously study and clean up my notes. I also read my Italian homework, but I am still not positive I understood everything 100 percent.

Work was next on the agenda. I work in an office every day, and I love it. I read four newspapers looking for our college's alumni and then I highlight, cut and hand over for consideration on whether it is worthy enough to send the recipient a letter. I got a lot done, remarkably, and in retrospect, it may have been because of the documentary. I also noticed during this time that the much anticipated bruise had appeared on my hand from a few days ago. My cell phone also suffered greatly from the same fall. Observe:

I went to another class, BYUSA Student Advisory Council (SAC) where we learned about the new financial aid website that will be up and running in about nine months. Although I was doodling (and let me tell you, it was a pretty rad doodle) I felt like I paid more attention than I would have otherwise. Also, I got many comments on my Sesame Street lunch box, which is currently my favorite accessory and helps prevent my grapes from getting squished, to boot. I am considering buying another lunchbox, preferably a bigger one next time.

After class let out, I went to the bookstore to buy a headphone... thing. It looks like this:

I bought it for completely justifiable reasons. The first (and okay, only) reason is because I am fed up with my headphones getting tangled. Every time I wanna listen to my iPod I have to untangle it whilst holding my lunchbox and it is got annoying. Plus it was only like a $1.50. 

I walked home with a co-worker of mine, and as I did so, I passed by the Brick Oven. It smelled heavenly and I subconsciously decided I wanted to eat Italian food. After getting home, I stared at my mini fridge for ten minutes wondering what on earth I could cook, since it is getting to be around "that time" when I needed to go grocery shopping. 

My eye caught sight of a half full bottle of spaghetti sauce and my choice was made. I decided on chicken parmigiana. It was delicious. I am also positive I chose the longest recipe eva because it took two hours to be manifest itself into goodness.  

I then watched half an episode of Friends whilst eating and then decided to update this blog. I am now going to go watch the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy and enjoy a pudding cup. After, I'll do the rest of my Italian homework which includes answering questions about said poem.

The End.

Day 05 – Your definition of love, in great detail

In an effort to escape my homework, I decided to update the blog, only to be stumped by this question. (Not sure which one is worse at this point...)

Love is not as happy go lucky as it is in Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift's poppy songs, although it certainly lends itself to a bit of day dreaming. I think love is when you would rather worry about your significant other's comfort than your own. Love is when you do activities the other enjoys and vice versa. It is selfless and unconditional. Love is when someone will inform you when your actions are detrimental to your well-being when nobody else will.

Love can be tough, but I believe it always lasts.

Day 04 – What you ate today, in great detail

I have actually been looking forward to this blog post all day long. And I have even eaten things today that are blog worthy. Which, for the record, is completely abnormal. I am even writing this despite a severe impediment to my left hand, which I sustained tonight after totally biffing it on solid ground. That's another thing. I am disabling clumsy. I have hurt myself on numerous occasions by merely tripping. Often times, over nothing. It is so frustrating. If anyone out there has an idea on how to overcome this, I am allllll ears.

Anyways. I ate an apple for breakfast, and then I came home for lunch and made myself a shrimp salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, with a little cheese. Also, I had a half a bowl of shrimp with cocktail sauce (which, by the way, is really acidic, in a nice, uncomfortable way. Or is it just me?) I snacked on the last bit of my trailmix at work. And this was a one lb bag. Trailmix has saved my life and stomach more than once. Also, there were peaches at work, which is weird, since I work in an office. I had three of them. And they were delicious. For dinner, I grilled a steak that had been marinating and created a pretty good fajita with green peppers, onions and cheese. (Is the meat supposed to be sweeter or more savory for fajitas?) I was impressed with myself. Normally I do not cook this much. Later, while I was watching Glee (one of two shows I follow. The other is Grey's Anatomy. It comes out this Thursday), I ate grapes which were allegedly two weeks old. Then, I impressed myself further by participating in the second ward activity in two days and ate ice cream at the Relief Society social. It was cookie and cream and a scoop of chocolate with a rather coagulated hot chocolate fudge sauce.

I probably had wayyyy too many calories today, but I enjoyed it. I'm going to work out tomorrow and it will be all good. One time, I read about this 100 year old man who said he wished he had eaten more chocolate. I am not going to be one of those regretful old ladies who wished they enjoyed food more. Because I won't. And I'll work hard to make sure I'm not fat either.

Day 03 – Your parents, in great detail

It's funny, but I have recently had a lot of people ask me about my parents and where they met. If I understand correctly, they met while at the University of Utah, in their student ward. My mom was assigned to give a talk at church one weekend, which my dad missed. Back in the day, he used to sleep in so long, he would barely get to Sunday School on time, and then attend the next ward's Sacrament. I think I inherited his no-nonsense sleep patterns. I too, can not wake up even if an earthquake hit. My dad's roommate, Hugh, told my dad about this really pretty Korean girl and it piqued my dad's interest. The rest, as they say, is history. I think it it was weird they never met before, because as a grad student, my dad was teaching a class next door to one of my mom's psychology classes. Also, he served a Korean mission, and no doubt had his eye on a Korean chick.



They also had many weird dates. My mom sat through many dinners at restaurants alone because my dad would spend half the date throwing up. He said it happened to him every time he was with a pretty girl. I'm just glad I didn't inherit the gene. Of nervousness. On another occasion, my dad forgot the tickets to a Utah Jazz game, and my mom and dad were forced to travel upstream to get back to his apartment to retrieve them. Sometimes, I wonder why my mom continued to go out with him after so many mishaps. I'm just glad she did.



My mom is a very intelligent person. She can outsource any insurance agent and knows everything there is to know about investing and money. All her life, she has taken care of her parents, and continues to do so to this day. My mom can handle any crisis, but she is also subsequently over-protective. I am thankful that she cares so much, but I think my mom has a hard time letting go. I know it was difficult for her to see me move out and start school.

I think my mom feels trapped here in Utah, and I feel sad for her. I inherited her strong desire to travel and see the world, and I feel like I am starting to understand her frustration with being here. She has always had a pull toward the ocean. Whenever we visit the ocean as a family, my mom is a different person. I remember when I was little, she would take off on her own and go to Monterrey. Frankly, it scared me back then, because I could see her never coming back. But she always did.



My dad is the most positive person I know. He lives life with the passion he teaches people about, and it truly is inspirational. Sometimes, he is oblivious to a fault, but he is always well-meaning. He is as curious as a child, and is often left behind in grocery stores.

My dad is very giving and doesn't care about money. He will always err on the side of being too generous, which is something I hope to emulate. He is also extremely stubborn, although it's a trait I don't often see. For the most part, my dad is very easy going, unless it comes to dis-respect. He loves all people, and relates well to everyone, which is perhaps why he is good at what he does.

Bucket List

I started this a while back, and have been able to cross a few off my list.

1. Witness a news-breaking event first hand - I was lucky enough to see President Obama's inauguration in January 2009. It also counted as my senior trip. Awesome experience with many memories and pictures
2. Put my phone number on a dollar bill - April 2010 - I did this and I later received a text from another girl. Probably hoping it would be some handsome stranger. Which was my intention. Shrug
3. Spontaneously go on a road trip - June 2010 - School had just ended and I went with my buddies Erica and Tanner to Zion's National Park. It was really sweet. Mostly because it was unplanned.
4. Donate blood - July 2010 - I chatted nervously and uncontrollable throughout the duration, but I did it, and I plan on going back
5. Forgive someone, even if it wasn't my fault - August 2010 - Sometimes, I will admit that I don't do a good parking job, but I have to admit that I think the nasty note I found on my car was completely unwarranted. Regardless, I let it go and I know it didn't hurt me any that day
6. Go to Europe
7. Pretend to work at a store, whilst shopping
8. Graduate college with a degree
9. Go skinny dipping. Preferably in the Loch Ness Monster Lake
10. Own (or at least drive) a very fast car... Audi Coupe, BMW M3
11. Meet an artist and have a substantial conversation
12. See a movie premiere
13. Stay up for 24 hours
14. Go sky-diving
15. Go to SNL live
16. Do karaoke in public
17. Visit Jerusalem
18. See all 50 States in the U.S.
19. Learn French
20. See the Oprah Winfrey show live
21. Eat real Italian gelato
22. Write something that gets published
23. Take a picture atop the Eiffel Tower
24. Eat a fried Twinkie
25. Go on the highest roller coaster in the U.S., and later, the world
26. Visit the place where the Titanic sunk
27. Ride a horse in the wilderness
28. Go stargazing atop a roof
29. Own an original first print copy of a book
30. Get a consecutive 4.0
31. Read B and N Classic List - I recently found out that this is a 200 book list :/
32. See IMDB's top 250 movies
33. Watch the sunrise after staying up all night long
34. Have a lifechanging conversation with a complete stranger
35. Change someone's life for the better
36. Do a big, anonymous favor
37. Finish an unbearably boring book
38. See Venice before it sinks
39. Run a marathon
40. Complete a Rubik's cube (and remember how)
41. Learn how to dance. Haha
42. Get into Grad School and/or Law School
43. Go on a mission
44. Randomly take a vacation on the next flight (a la Yes Man)
45. Learn how to Salsa and Belly Dance. Aye Carumba!
46. Witness a solar eclipse
47. Go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans
48. See the Mona Lisa
49. See Michelangelo's David and Sistine Chapel
50. Visit an active volcano
51. Kiss a guy in the rain
52. Go to the Oscars
53. Be a contestant on a game show
54. Go on a blind date at that blind restaurant
55. Raft through the Grand Canyon
56. Earn 1,000,000 travel miles
57. Set foot on each of the seven continents
58. Ride an animal bigger than a horse
59. Live like a local for a month
60. Dive with a whale shark
61. Climb one of the world's Seven Summits
62. Learn how to surf
63. Photograph an endangered species
64. Attend the Olympics (outside of the U.S.)
65. Bike the Pacific Coast Highway
66. See Italy
67. Save a life
68. Live in Australia (and be a bum for a week, while I'm at it)
69. Catch a taxi
70. Live in a high rise condo with an amazing view
71. Jump off a cliff into an exotic body of water.
72. Fall in love
73. Drive the Great Ocean Road in Australia
74. Make a perfect omlet
75. Drive from coast to coast in America
76. Scuba dive
77. Learn how to play a song on the guitar
78. Take a distant relative I don't know well out to lunch.
79. Go on a technology fast for a week.
80. Sell everything I don't need. Once.
81. Play chess until I beat someone I shouldn't, then quit forever.
82. Give up a seat in New York public transportation
83. Play cards in an elevator for a few hours
84. Eat a six course meal that I prepared
85. Master the art of French Cooking
86. Overeat for a week in Italy
87. Give a panhandler all my money
88. Sleep outside for a week
89. Touch a kangaroo
90. Learn to juggle
91. Learn not to say yes when I really mean no.
92. Attend one really huge rock concert
93. Send a message in a bottle
94. Go to the Carnival in Venice
95. See the Seven Wonders of the World
96. Sing all the words to "One Week" by Bare Naked Ladies by heart
97. Eat escargot. In France. Without gagging.
98. Do the 365 day photography project
99. Read all seven Harry Potter books cover to cover with no interruptions
100. Go on an African Safari
101. See Celine Dion in concert

Day 02 – Your first love, in great detail

I have had many a crush and infatuation in my short life, but I don't believe I've had my "first love" yet. I definitely remember the first kid I had a crush on: Jeffrey from my pre-school days. That boy could get across the monkey bars like no other. But I think love is more than an attraction to physical prowess. Love is selfless (that sounds like I might maybe have gotten that from Shakespeare) and love doesn't care what other people think on Facebook.

As a kid, I always loved the fairy tale stories of the girl getting swept off her feet by a handsome prince. Even today, I am a sucker for romance films and the sappy love lines of Shakespeare. I am always told that I am a little unrealistic in my expectations of love and maybe that's true. Perhaps it's why I haven't really ever been in a serious relationship. However I am strangely alright with that. I have far too many things to accomplish while I'm single. Besides, I have seen many relationships sink because one or the other person is not okay with themselves, much less with someone else. I think it is important that I find out who I am before I thrust that responsibility to someone else.

Rebooted and Revisited

I know, I know, another blog? This time I'm not even going to advertise it, and for all I know no one will read this. Which, you know, might be for the better.

Top Four Reasons to Write a Blog (This is for me, just as much as it is for anyone who comes across this, by the way. Also, it's four reasons because I couldn't come up with a fifth reason. Sorry.)

4. Interesting and hilarious things happen in my life.

3. I want to be a better writer, and for some reason, merely thinking about writing in a formal blog gets me into a funk.

2. For the last few years, I have followed and lost interest in many blogs of the amusing nature. I think it's important to give back.

1. So I have this list. It's my bucket list. I don't plan on dying anytime soon, but I want to make sure I enjoy life to its fullest. As I cross off each thing (list to be posted soon) I'll document it here.

My lovely cousin inspired this thirty day meme. So far as I understand, a meme is a memory, and I think that livejournal gives out prompts to help stumped writers like myself. Anyway, I hear that if you do something for 21 days, it becomes a habit, so here I am. Plus, let's be honest, who doesn't want to talk about themselves? I'm kind of a big deal. Feel free to use this meme and follow me. I love reading about people.

Day 01 - Introduce yourself, in great detail

I'm Shelbi. I'm a college student studying Public Relations. I'm a lover of art and popular culture. Particularly movies. One day I secretly (or not so secretly) want to become a publicist for a celebrity, however unplausible it may be. And no, it has nothing to do with my current (read: pathetic) obsession with Justin Bieber.

I'm a terrible texter, and I am often impossible to get ahold of. I have this thing where I am obsessive compulsive about cleanliness. I don't know where it came from, because previously, I was a total slob. I think I read somewhere that OCD can sometimes be caused by stress. So maybe I've been perpetually stressed out for the last year.

I am starting to be convinced that I am half crazy. I mean, look at the paragraph before.

I hate feeling weak on any level, whether it be admitting weakness or appearing vulnerable. This meme is definitely going to try me. Just looking at tomorrow's topic has me rolling my eyes.

I love people. I love reading about them in biographies or personal blogs. Meeting new people gives me a "high" like no other. I enjoy influencing others in leadership positions, although I'll be the first to admit I am easily swayed. I make it a point to be as open-minded as possible, but sometimes I wonder if my brain is going to fall out. I'm hoping I'll grow out of this. I love to speak in front of people, even though I am nervous as heck doing it, normally. Because of this, I tend to be a one of those fast-talkers. Apparently, I am also a loud-talker, but I'm not so convinced.

I need my sleep. Anyone who has lived with me can tell you that much. I can be an absolute bear without eight hours. Staying up 24 hours ought to be fun for those in my vicinity.

I like to consider myself a technologically-savvy person. Sometimes, I about kill myself trying to figure computer things out, but I get the job done. For instance, you would laugh at how long it took me to decide on a blog background.

I like to cook. As for how well it turns out is always a surprise. Probably I will document those endeavors, since they generally are amusing.

"Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt,sing like no one is listening,and live like it's heaven on earth."- William Purkey

I fully believe in this quote. I often make a hilarious fool of myself in public, but I've given up caring, it happens so much. I figure there is not much anyone can do about it after the fact, which is where this blog comes in. Whew. Here goes.


Day 02 – Your first love, in great detail

Day 03 – Your parents, in great detai

lDay 04 – What you ate today, in great detail

Day 05 – Your definition of love, in great detail

Day 06 – Your day, in great detail

Day 07 – Your best friend, in great detail

Day 08 – A moment, in great detail

Day 09 – Your beliefs, in great detail

Day 10 – What you wore today, in great detail

Day 11 – Your siblings, in great detail

Day 12 – What's in your bag, in great detail

Day 13 – This week, in great detail

Day 14 – What you wore today, in great detail

Day 15 – Your dreams, in great detail

Day 16 – Your first kiss, in great detail

Day 17 – Your favorite memory, in great detai

lDay 18 – Your favorite birthday, in great detail

Day 19 – Something you regret, in great detail

Day 20 – This month, in great detail

Day 21 – Another moment, in great detail

Day 22 – Something that upsets you, in great detail

Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better, in great detail

Day 24 – Something that makes you cry, in great detail

Day 25 – A first, in great detail

Day 26 – Your fears, in great detai

lDay 27 – Your favorite place, in great detail

Day 28 – Something that you miss, in great detail

Day 29 – Your aspirations, in great detail

Day 30 – One last moment, in great detail