"I try to avoid situations that Emphasize my Awkwardness"

I just heard that quote from Wizards of Waverly Place. I think that basically sums up my life. But guess what? Today I overcame my fear of awkward situations and slid down a giant water slide. Approximately four times. If you've just started a job and you have to meet all your new co-workers, I highly recommend going to a potluck picnic/water slide party in order to lessen the awkwardness. There's nothing like looking completely ridiculous, getting sopping wet and screaming at the top of your lungs like a little girl (or my brother David) to make saying "Hi! I'm the new MSW Intern," a little easier to choke out.

Here's a picture of the slide...Monica was trying to get a picture of me sliding down, but apparently my camera wasn't fast enough

Here's one of me sopping wet and standing in front of said slide

On a completely separate note, here's a picture of the tablecloth I finally finished embroidering. It's just over 3ft squared:


And lastly, a pretty bridge from my hike:

Whoops...and Elephants

So, this one time after the Temple in Logan had been closed for a month, and exactly two days before my first day at LDS Family Services, I tried to go to the Temple and...my recommend was expired. The whole two-year expiration change threw me off a bit. It used to be every November, like clockwork. So, not only was I denied my Saturday Temple experience, but I was in trouble (Right here, in River City. With a capital T...etc.) because, considering the fact that I had to put my entire church history experience on my application, including whether or not I was Temple worthy and the names/phone numbers of the past two bishops I've had, I'm pretty sure that they want you to have a current recommend. I instantly returned home and called that guy in the directory that has "Call for Bishop Interviews" in bold letters next to his name. He said I could meet with the Bishop right after church, at 4:30pm, and that the Stake conducts their interviews from 4-6pm in the same building. Perfect! So I get to my bishop's office and end up waiting approximately 45 minutes, because he was in a meeting with someone. It's now 5:15pm. Pleasant interview is conducted. I dash down the hall towards the Stake President's office. The only one there is a clerk typing something. I knock and ask if there's a Stake Presidency member that can conduct my interview. Tough luck for me. The interviews are from 4-5pm. Too late. So now I'm going tomorrow without a current recommend. Boo. I'll have it all dandy by Tuesday night, so it won't be too bad. I just hope they're not so sticklish that they wonder whether or not I'm actually a faithful member of the church because I forgot that I have to renew my recommend in July instead of November (or September, which is when I actually thought it would expire, because that's when the scanner things were introduced. Apparently I was way too on top of it two years ago and went in first thing to get my recommend changed as soon as they said I would have to have it changed. I therefore can only conclude that since I entered into graduate school my brain has slowly started to disentigrate).

I therapized myself yesterday by moving my furniture. Someday, when I have a family, they're going to get lost in our house because I keep moving our furniture every four months.

On a completely random note, on the news the other day they reported a new baby elephant being born at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake. First, baby elephants are very cute. Second, this reminded me that elephants are pregnant for 24 months. I would think that being pregnant for 24 months would be incredibly uncomfortable (as would giving birth to a 251 pound baby elephant). Okay, now, you're going to have to pay attention to my train of thought, because it tends to jump a bit and I come out with weird results. From the baby elephant, my brain reflected on the multitude of babies that my friends/family have had in the past year and a half (all of whom are adorable--Moms and Babies). It then jumped to the fact that I will never have to be pregnant for 24 months. However, it will take me 24 months to get my diploma. And I like to think that getting a graduate degree is as difficult and possibly just as uncomfortable as giving birth to a baby elephant.

Herego:
MSW=Baby Elephant
And I'm pretty sure that deserves a Baby Elephant Walk

My only hope is that my diploma doesn't weigh 251 pounds. I mean, how would I ever hang it?

Sometimes People Update their Blogs...

...and this time, that person is me. So, I've been doing pretty much a lot of things that don't seem important during the last two months of not updating my blog, but in the end they really were quite fun. For example, I spent my summer swimming a lot, visiting home twice, playing with my nephew, reading kids books, organizing my library (still in-process), pretending to do social-workey type things, hiking, making some skirts and blankets and tablecloths etc., and...so on. Lots of stuff. Fun stuff. Stuff of nothingness, and yet I've been able to fill up a journal about it. Good times. Now school is about to start and when I put my schedule into my Palmy I wanted to pass out. Busy. But only nine more months of busy, and then busy no more. =] Supposedly.

I made my mom stop by the Excalibur when we stopped at Vegas. It wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be (for instance, I merely assumed that seeing knights with lances gallivanting around would be a common sight--sadly, at 10pm they are not), but the Luxor didn't disappoint. Aside from the Sphinx, the inside was really great--you can see the rooms going up towards the top in an inverted pyramid shape.

My nephew Chase, splashing in the pool. So cute!

I spoiled Chase at Macy's and got him an ice cream cone. They have these little ones for babies that cost a quarter. I decided I should be somewhat responsible, so I put the bib on him while we shopped.

My brother Mike and me at the Bountiful Temple, for our cousin Angela's wedding. When the reception was almost over we realized that no one had decorated the car. Not only that, but we had no supplies for the job! That wouldn't do at all. We collected ribbons from the vases on the tables and I broke out my coverup. Here's the end result:

Kind of Classy, huh? I thought so.

Anyhow, I'll try to be better about updating. Meanwhile, enjoy the meteor shower. =]

What if a much of a which of a wind...

Isn't it strange how you start to miss something just all of a sudden sometimes? I mean, you didn't miss it five minutes ago, or even thirty seconds ago...but then BAM, it hits you like a ton of bricks. And you feel lonely for that something, and you wonder why you haven't been doing it or seeing it or practicing it every day for the past however long, and you know that your life wouldn't actually be complete unless you did it or saw it or practiced right then, and from now on? I wonder where that feeling comes from. Is it a reminder from Heavenly Father of things that are important for us? Or maybe it's just our souls reaching out for what we really need...

Just now, I was sitting at my computer for the first time in a while, and listening to the TV in the background. Then, all of a sudden I was absolutely sick of the TV. I turned it off and tried the radio. It didn't work either. I flipped that off to. Then I turned on my classical music from my computer. Goldilocks. It was just right. I guess I haven't turned on my classical since I got out of school. I usually turn it on when I'm writing papers or reading some important looking textbook. So I guess my brain wanted to retreat back to that mindset. It's not a bad one to have.

I tried to go up to Tony Grove today (which, incidentally is not Tony's Grove, like everybody has said. There's no "s".) Here's a picture from the bottom of the hill.

I love all the yellow flowers.

You drive up this winding mountain road, and it's really quite beautiful. I was looking forward to a calm little sit by the lake. Unfortunately, it started raining when I was 2/3 of the way up the mountain. I sat in my car for a while in the parking lot adjacent to the lake, watching the rain pound on my windshield and hoping it would die down a bit, but it didn't. I guess I'll have to save my lake trip for another time. It was beautiful while it lasted.

I think that's one of the things that I love best about Logan. It's really close to a lot of hikes and walks and such. Here's another from Green Canyon, literally a five minute drive from my apartment:


If anyone needs a nice little walk, let me know. We have a bunch up here. It's one of the things on my list of things not-to-ever-forget-to-do.

Laziness to the Power of 10...or so it seems

Did you know camels' humps aren't actually full of water? I know I've heard that before, but I must've forgotten, because it surprised me when I read it. It's actually stored up fat. Interesting.

So, I just finished reading "The Lightning Thief," by Rick Riordan. It's absolutely excellent. It's like Harry Potter meets Hercules, with a little bit of Edith Hamilton's Mythology sprinkled throughout. If you ever wanted to learn more about mythology and never wanted to take the time to do it, here's your chance. I'm going to go and get the second book as soon as I can. As soon as I get paid. And I thought Riordan reasoned the whole "God vs. gods" issue very well, and in only just a few sentences.

I wish I had more to write, but right now my life is pretty much consumed with cleaning in the afternoon/night, and wiling my mornings away looking up random information that may be useful to me someday (yes, including the camel tidbit. You never know when you might find yourself stranded in the middle of a desert with a camel), reading children's books (though, I really should pick up Ben Hur and finish it...) and going to the pool. I try to slip in more productive things sometimes as well. Like studying Spanish and Conflict Resolution and Therapy and other stuff that I'll probably forget just as soon as my internship starts in August. Although, I must say that my storage unit is so totally organized. I have little "Hello my name is ____" tags above all the piles indicating what I might possibly find in that area. It destroys the illusion of surprise, when you go through your junk and find something you love and think "Hey! I forgot I had this! I forgot how much I LOVE it!"; but it also helps lessen the frustration when you're looking for your sleeping bag to go camping that night and it's buried beneath boxes of books, kitchen supplies you don't currently need because your three roommates already have one each, and those family pictures you're supposed to be scanning. No More!! Now it has a handy "Hello, my name is Outdoors" sticker right above it. =]