Holey Cow!

Okay, as requested: An actual video of the cow at USU that has a hole in it. For those of you who weren't in on the conversation, there is, indeed, a cow at USU that has an actual hole about the size of your fist in it's side. There's some sort of apparatus inside that keeps the hole open. They use the hole in veterinary studies to help students understand the workings of the cows' stomach. You can actually reach inside the hole and pull the already-chewed and digesting food out of it's stomach to see it. Then, when they're all done feeling around in there, they plug the hole back up so nothing gets infected. Supposedly it doesn't hurt the cow at all.

As I am not a veterinary-science student, I didn't feel it would be entirely appropriate to stick my hand in the cows' hole. Besides, I'm not sure whether or not it would've been considered a crime. Could you imagine the report that the USU Police would have to write up?

Poor cow.

Happy 9-9-09!

I love it when the dates go in order. January 2nd, 2003. September 9th, 2009. Next year on October 10th it'll be even more exciting because it'll be my brother Mike's birthday. =] Yea for random celebration days landing on REAL celebration days!

I had a really great Labor Day weekend. On Saturday I went down to Salt Lake and went through the SLC Temple for the second time. I love the Salt Lake Temple. I love to look at all the old, ornate things inside and feel connected to the pioneers that sacrificed so much to build it. After I did a session I made it just in time to see the Joseph Smith movie over at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. =] I don't think it really matters how many times you see it-you'll cry every time. When it was over I wandered briefly over to Deseret Book to see if there was anything I wanted. I ended up getting a CTR ring. Generally I don't wear much jewelry. The last CTR ring I had was on my mission. I'd taken it off because it was bothering me and ended up accidentally throwing it away into a dumpster. Whoops. So on Saturday I decided that it was about time to get another one. Here's the one I chose.

Kind of different from the usual. I think that's one reason I liked it. After Deseret Book I made my way down to Orem and spent the rest of the evening and Sunday with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew. I was really excited because Chase is finally walking consistently (that's my nephew. Not my brother-in-law. As far as I know, Ross has been walking consistently for quite a while). It was so fun to run around with him, and watch Chase wander all over the house exploring things. We even got into a little game of basketball, where he would clutch his mini-basketball and run up to the closet door, and I would lift him up high so he could throw the ball into the mini basket. Yea!

On Monday I went shopping a bit, then visited Val, Dax and JayDax for a couple of hours. I love it when I get to visit my friends! It's hard sometimes, but it makes me so happy to be able to see my friends =] After a barbeque with my sister's in-laws (and a lot of razzing from my brother-in-law and his Dad about how USU lost their football game last week--I'm not surprised they lost) I drove back up to Logan, but not before stopping in Magna to talk with my friend Alise for a couple of hours. She gave me the most beautiful scarf from Venice that she got while on study abroad this summer.

Yea for weekends away!

Meltdown

So, last night I was studying. It's a productive thing to do, right? Most of our professors post articles for us to read online, so I was doing this studying on my Lappy. Okay, so I have this study lamp that I use on my desk. It gets kind of hot, and it's pretty bright so I keep a handkerchief over the top to dim it down a little. Well, when I moved into my pre-furnished apartment the first thing I noticed was the desk. It's this little triangular desk that fits just right into a corner of the bedroom. It's a little awkward, but it's functional. Anyhow, it's small, so there isn't much room on top--especially when I put my lamp, laptop, speakers, rubber-band ball, stress ball and stress palm tree, and my desk organizer thing. Therefore, the lamp was banished to the back corner of the desk, just behind my Lappy. The lamp is still functional because I can tilt it just so that the light shines over the top of my laptop. So far it has worked just fine. Until I got to class today, pulled my laptop out and looked at the top of my lappy. Right around the top, surrounding the sliding tab to open said laptop, my poor little Lappy was...melted. Luckily the screen wasn't damaged. Unluckily, the sliding tab doesn't slide anymore. I can still open my laptop by shifting the screen over slightly. so that's good. And now my little Lappy is definitely unique. So even if someone stole it and I didn't have the number, it would still be identifiable.

The Victim


The Perpetrator

And thus we have evidence that lamps do not like to be banished to corners.

"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?