chemistry

I really hate chemistry. Anyone want to tutor me?

I have no time left

I've come to a point this semester. I am ridiculously overwhelmed but I keep eeking by okay. Anyways, I just can't figure out what to do next and I can't concentrate and I feel so behind that I am so stressed that I can't do anything, so I do nothing. Productivity at its finest. Okay, okay, so it's not nothing -- I'm just blogging and working extra hours at work. Because my physical science is so boring. Anyone who knows me well will know why I can't do my physical science. We just started a new section. Can anyone guess what it is?

P.S. I sound like I'm terribly behind, but for most normal college students, it's not behind. It's completely on top of things. I just like being at least a few days ahead in my classwork and homework, but I'm not ahead. That's what bothers me.

WOOT!

So, I just got a promotion at work! I'm now a student manager! YAY! I'm excited. Now if I can just stop taking advantage of more opportunities and spend time with Clayton and call my family and friends every once in a while, I'd be doing really well! :-) Anyways, I'm super duper excited.

Also, the weirdest thing happened this morning. My usual routine is: my alarm goes off at 6, and I get up at 6:30 (Clayton really appreciates that). I get ready for school, eat breakfast, and finish up homework, then crawl back in bed for five minutes at 7:30 so that I can try to get feeling back into my freezing fingers (I'm always freezing in the morning). I drag Clayton out of bed so he can drive me to school, and I'm at my Chinese class by 8. Well, this morning I was doing homework at the kitchen table and Clayton walked out at 7:15. It was the strangest thing. I've never seen him get up just because he wanted to before 9. And you know what? He said he liked it.

Oh yeah, our date was awesome last weekend. We went to five guys and the haunted forest, and I barely got scared. (Because Clayton pushed me through everything and got in between me and the "monsters"). Anyway, a great time was had by all. We've been trying to make friends, so we had a guy I know from work bring a date. Now we're setting the same guy up with a girl from Clayton's work to play games with us on Saturday. If only we could make friends with people that were already couples... Oh well.

yay!!!

I am so so so excited! I was selected as an arts bridge scholar for this winter, which means I will working with an elementary school teacher to create a project and integrate dance into her curriculum. I'll go once a week for an hour to work with the kids and I am just so excited! I never thought I'd make it. :-)

Also, Clayton is now feeling better. And that is such a blessing! I am not good at taking care of a sick husband, going to work, and getting my schoolwork done. It's just too much. But it looks like the combination of a day of laying around last sunday and taking the five medicines and vitamins I bought him at midnight Saturday did the trick. And I am so grateful I haven't caught it.

Finally, Clayton and I are going on a date tonight. After we watch the football game and go to the temple, we're going out to dinner and to the haunted forest. I am excited. I'll let you know how it goes. Probably next month when I once again find the time to blog... :-)

Bodies

First of all, I'm really not sure what in Utah I'm allergic to. I've just had a stuffed up nose since the day before the wedding and got tired of it so I went to the doctor. She said it takes 1 1/2 to 2 years in a place before you develop allergies. I've been here a little over 2 years and the flonase is helping. So, it's probably something in the air -- but I am not so curious as to go get tested to figure it out.

Also, I just wanted to get on my blog and write about how thankful I am for my body. I had some auditions today and didn't make it. :-( But it got me to thinking about reasons to be happy.

1. I can still spend the little bit of time I have everyday with Clayton instead of giving up even more time to rehearsals.

2. I am a dance major! That in and of itself is a privilege!

3. I ran 2 1/4 miles today and stopped because I had to go and meet Clayton -- not because I was tired.

4. I get to keep this body forever, so now I have the opportunity to explore what incredible things my body can do and understand more fully how body and soul are one.

That's just what's currently on my mind. Musings of a dancer that uses and abuses every muscle in her body on a daily basis. However, my body is my job, my homework, and what gives me what I love. I've gathered it's not the same for everyone... :-)

Why do people hate their bodies? Our culture has a mindset of being a mind and a body. Why not love your body and learn about it and care about it? Isn't it the whole purpose of being alive in the first place? But the devil does like to put down what matters most. The obesity problem is not only a health epidemic, but a spiritual epidemic. The farther your head gets from your body, the less you'll care about taking care of this great gift.

Trust me, I know life is busy, but your body is what you live life in. Why not love it?

Still Alive and Kicking

Well...my husband inspired me, and I figured I'd blog. I got married a month ago!!! :-) School started up again... :-( It's actually not too bad. I'm kind of loving all my classes. Work is a little rough, but I make it through. I've got someone to come home to every night, so it gives me something to look forward to. I don't know...that's about all that's exciting. Just thought I'd prove that I am still alive and well. And I'm going to go and do more homework now.

P.S. I found out I'm allergic to Utah. Dead serious. I've got a prescription to prove it.

I'm leaving.

I'm leaving in the morning and I won't be back until Monday after next! I will be at rehearsal and a dance show up in Salt Lake tomorrow and I leave Monday morning for...HOME! YAY!!! So, I hope you don't miss me too much. I'm leaving the computer behind. And I am very excited about it. Call if you need anything. Clayton's around anyway. Love you all!

Here I go again...

So, back to the mushy blog backgrounds... :-) I just wanted to let everyone know that I love Clayton! He came and saw me at work today just because and it really brightened my day. His appearance helped the final eight hours of my ten hour shift. Fortunately, I like Subway. What would life be like if I hated my job?

The Fourth of July Festivities

Well, yesterday I got up at seven and left my house by seven fifteen to bring Clayton his car so that he could be at work at eight fifteen. I got less than a mile from my house, then sat at a light for a half hour, watching the runners of Provo's "Freedom Run" run past on a road that I have to cross to get to Clayton's house. I got out and asked the policeman if there was any way to get across. He said I had to wait until there was a break in the runners because it was blocked all the way from center street up to university parkway (meaning there was no way to get around. Awesome. Well, Clayton had to go to work, Freedom Run or not. So he walked the mile to where I was waiting with the car. Dumb. We turned around and he dropped me at my apartment and headed to work. It took forty-five minutes to get from my house to Staples (a 1.7 mile trek). They had the other busy north/south road blocked for the fourth of july parade. You can't get to staples any other way because it's the only road that bridges across the railroad tracks. Awesome. Clayton was not happy. Provo is "dumb" according to him (that's putting it mildly). I happen to agree that this occasion couldn't have been thought out very clearly. How can you block the two main north/south roads that run on either side of campus? (Also the east/west road that connects the two was blocked with the Freedom Carnival). My apartment complex and the several blocks surrounding it were very literally blocked in. I'm glad Provo is patriotic.

After work, which was fun, Clayton and I had a cookout at his house. We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who came, that we didn't think were coming. We had eleven people there including us. Including my roommate and her then boyfriend, who became her fiance before the night was over! YAY! We grilled steaks, brats, and hot dogs; then pineapple and bell peppers! Yummy! The guests brought some sides to share and we supplied some corn on the cob (on sale at wal-mart ten for a dollar this week!) The best part, however, was dessert...I was creative. Want to see?


These are my corn on the cob cupcakes!


My American flag brownies


And my candy cupcakes! (It's sweettarts and starbursts that I microwaved and made shapes with).

It was amazing. You should have been there. We played scene it and music catch phrase. Once everyone got tired of Clayton dominating both games, we switched to a card game. Only Clayton, Alex, and I had ever played it before. Guess who were the last three people in (and therefore the three worst players)? Yep, Clayton, Alex and I. :-) Good times. Great practice round.

We went outside to watch the fireworks and saw cars parked all up and down our road. Everyone, it seems, comes up to the top of Y mountain to watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks show. Next year we are charging for parking. We sat on top of the car and on the wall by the driveway and had a terrific view. Although there was a fifteen minute break in the middle, and everyone thought the show was over and started to leave, the fireworks resumed and gave a decent show. Clayton claims the ones at Ft. Campbell are way better. I have no opinion, having never seen them.

Well, that was our fourth of july in a nutshell. Anybody else have good stories?

dumb

I hate it when either Clayton or I are upset/mad/angry etc. and we don't talk about it. So, of course, the other person thinks it's all their fault, when in all honesty, it's not their fault at all. The end. It's time for bed.

engagements

So, I promised I'd post these. Here are some of my favorite engagement pictures. There are 175 of them, so everyone has their own favorites...but these are mine.

School's out!

So, spring term ended last week. Finals are over. I got straight A's! YEAH! That's my first time in college. And I was only stressed out for about two weeks out of the seven. I feel like that's a record.

Also, Clayton and I took a road trip down to St. George last weekend. I took my last final Thursday morning then worked two shifts (10:30-3:45 and 4:45-8). As soon as I finished at work, Clayton picked me up and we started our journey, picking up my friend Shannon (who is from St. George) on the way. After stopping briefly at Staples to pick up a work check, we left Provo at 8:45. We stopped once around 10:30 and bought a package of Spree's to keep Clayton awake. The rest of the trip was a battle of willpower -- to sleep or stay awake. Every time I got tired, I would stick a spree in Clayton's mouth and starting scratching his head or back, or squeeze his hand, or anything else I could think of to keep him going. We got there at 12:20. Clayton drove all the way. And we were quite safe, which is why I did not drive. :) We had a lovely breakfast with Shannon's family, then collected directions and ideas for where we could visit in St. George.

We took a tour of Brigham Young's winter home, took pictures at the temple, and then headed of to Rock Cliff's Recreation Site, which is like a national park on a smaller scale. We started hiking, and sometimes detoured to climb some of the rock formations. Somehow, we veered from the trail (which we though we were following) and dead ended at a mountain. We thought this meant we had to climb it, so we started up. It was an intense climb. Two-thirds or the way up, we realized it was stupid to go any farther without gear, so we made the trek down. It was quite the adventure.


the St. George temple


Hiking, climbing, etc.


The mountain that we climbed most of.

Roadtrip!!!

YAY! We are leaving Provo! We're going to St. George. We'll be back very late Friday or very early Saturday. Try not to miss us too much. :-)

p.s. the indians returned our engagement pics. I will be able to post some soon!

i made dinner tonight

It was good. We had company. At Clayton's house. I found two single friends that will hang out with us if bribed with food. We do what we can for friends. Most people avoid us. Rarely read our blogs. Stay in their bedrooms when we're in the kitchen. Only talk on the phone when we call them. Never comment on our blogs. Think all we do is make out. Give us unwanted marital advice. Yeah, friends are lacking in our lives. Too bad. I miss when people talked to me cuz they liked me. Now that I'm engaged I have a red sign on my forehead that says don't talk to me. I don't even wear a ring. Oh well. Good thing I have an amazing man.

Ammendment to above paragraph: my mom calls me. I talk to her way more than anybody else. And sometimes Hollie.

We worked on designing wedding invitations today. They're really cute. Expect something unique. Then again, what else could you expect from a dance major and a communications major? :-) And dinner was amazing.

I got a new mattress yesterday. The apartment brought them. They are about 18 inches tall (no lie). Sleeping was lovely. Mmmmm...Just thinking about it makes me want to close my eyes and take a little snooze. But I have to jump (literally) to get on. It took me three tries to get back in bed after I went to the bathroom at four this morning.

Wow, I'm full. Dinner was so delicious. Clayton thinks so too. Yum. Clayton's addition to this post is that he loves me. I guess he has a lot to say.

Church was good. We like the family ward a lot better than my student ward. It's a lot more like real church. Lots of personality too. 69 days till we get married... They go by really fast, right?

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: I have NOT lost my ring, nor do I dislike it. In fact, I like it so much that I am keeping it safe in its box until we can both find a time to get off our lazy butts and go get it sized. That is all. I love my man and my ring.

Engagement pictures!!!

We did it!!! WE FINALLY DID IT! We took our engagement pictures -- YAY! I've been dragging my feet because I didn't have a shirt I wanted to wear. But I finally just decided enough was enough, and engagement pictures were taken. Over two hundred of them. I awoke at 5:45 this morning, got dressed, put on make-up, curled my hair, and woke Clayton with a text at 5:50. He freaked out thinking that it was an hour later than it was, then realized his alarms did not fail to ring, it was not time for them to go off yet. We picked up the photographer and went over to Bridalveil falls (appropriately named, isn't it?). We walked around while Kaylie followed us with a camera. Then she walked backwards in front of us with a camera. Then she posed us on benches and took pictures in front of, behind, next to, underneath, and hovering over us on her hovercraft. (okay, fine, there was no hovercraft. She just plain floated. Incredible.) We matched and just plain looked cute.

However, on our return from the falls, we were accosted by Indians beating drums, chanting, and stomping with their ankles covered in shells that shook as the walked. They demanded that we hand them our "soul-stealer" (camera) or we would never escape. The falls were behind us, the highway in front, and fierce Native Americans on either side. The only solution was to hand over the pictures that we worked so diligently all morning to obtain. I guess we'll have to try again next week... :-(

I wonder if we need to buy the photographer a new camera? Does insurance cover Indians?

Shopping!

Have you ever looked and looked and looked for something you need, and you've needed it for a while, but can't find it ANYWHERE? Then, when you do find it you feel bad because it's not on sale but buy it anyway because you're just so plain frustrated about not being able to find anything else. Well...yeah. Clayton and I went to Kohl's. I was looking for a new swimsuit and some nice shirts I could wear to church and promised to not ruin by wearing them to dance class. All the juniors sizes were too casual and all the nice shirts in misses sizes were too big. I tried. The swimsuits were just plain ugly. So, Clayton bought new running shoes with my gift card.

The next day I went to target. Same story... nothing. So, I bought groceries with my gift card. Finally, I decided to try Wal-mart (where I did not have a gift card), and what do you know? Jack-pot! I bought a new swim suit that is so super cute! And it is not ridiculously low cut so I don't have to worry about my small chest not filling out the top! YAY! I also got three nice new shirts, a pair of dance pants, and a tank to dance in (I just couldn't resist). I spent $90...which is a lot. But I was so glad to find anything I just went ahead. I guess no more eating out for a while... :-( And I finally have nice clothes to go out in. Funny how that works.

TGIF

Clayton and I went to eat at TGI Fridays today. Our first restaurant (outside of Arby's and Taco Bell) since we got engaged! YAY! It made my day...if not my weekend. And we bought him new running shoes at kohl's (They were on clearance), so we're going running tomorrow after he gets off work to celebrate. And I'm going to bed...good night!

breaking the silence

Although I am rather proud of being third from the bottom on Lauren's list of "Friends and Family" (meaning only two people have not blogged more recently than me, those two being her husband and brother), I figured it was just plain time to write again. I have a goal for my blog. I'm not going to share yet though. I'm not quite committed to it, and I hate it when people make me do things just because I said I was going to without thinking it through properly.

Guess what?!?! First of all I had a bridal shower last week that was so so so fun! I know it's a little early, but it was the only time that everyone could be there that I wanted to be there. They dressed me in a toilet paper wedding dress with a toilet bouquet that I threw. :-) Second, in two weeks I will no longer be working at Freschetta! I'm back to Subway, where I'll be Lead Crew Supervisor, working thirty hours a week, and more importantly, NOT GOING TO SCHOOL UNTIL AFTER THE WEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I apologize for the excessive amount of exclamation points).

Finally, I can feel all the end of semester stresses building up inside me just waiting to burst. I will soon overflow and not be a very pleasant person. Just thought I'd give fair warning. In the mean time though, I've got to write a paper...page eleven, here I come!

Dream...or Nightmare

I'm currently in a writing class where we have to turn in twenty journals by next tuesday. One of these must be the description of a dream we have. I knew this would be easy because I have ridiculously vivid nightmares at least two or three times a week. I had a great one this morning as I slept in until ten... :-) I have this recurring theme of the Joker from "The Dark Knight" tries to kill me. Anyway, here is last night's dream...

May 3, 2009
I awake to the noxious fumes of the Joker’s breath as he hovers over me with his eternal grin. My heart pounds in my ears, and I thrash to avoid his deadly kiss. Suddenly a body flies over mine and lands on Joker. As they wrestle, I run. I don’t know where to, but away.

Clayton and I had been evading the Joker for a week now. He was on a quest for a kill, and I was his target. He could kill me by either touching a “box tops for education” to my eye or by kissing me, a reverse Sleeping Beauty effect. I was exhausted from running. Clayton and I discovered the before unheard of seventh floor Book of Mormon exhibit in the Joseph Smith Building on BYU campus. We had camped out there for the night. I don’t know how the Joker found us, but he did, and here I am running again.

I run right into another trap. Tall men in grey coats swarm all around me and bring me to a line full of college-age kids like myself. We wait in the guarded line while a man assigns a color to each of us and hands us a polo in that color to wear. At the front of the line is Lauren, a friend from high school! She has a blue polo. I quickly convince the man to give me blue and sprint behind Lauren. She weaves in and out of rows and rows of school busses, yet I finally catch her, completely out of breath. She explains that we must go to the blue bus, and I follow not knowing what else to do.

I enter the bus, and to my relief, Miss Jill, the mother of my best friend Hollie, is the bus driver! However, instead of explaining what in the world is going on, she takes my cell phone from me and hands me a booklet to read. I sit down in exasperation, confused and scared. The bus was full of girls; I guess we were separated by gender. I sit next to Lauren, but before I can ask what is going on, the wheels of the bus screech as it goes from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in about two seconds flat. Suddenly, the Joker appears in the seat behind me and starts throwing box tops. I cover my face and run to the front of the bus. Baseballs aimed at my head are being thrown through the windows and, dodging them, successfully land in the front seat next to Hollie. “Where are we going? What is going on?” I scream. But everyone ignores my pleas, annoyed that I am so emotional. The anger and frustration build. I’m constantly evading Joker and flying baseballs, Clayton is continually calling my cell phone but I cannot get to it. Miss Jill answers with, “Erika is not here right now. Sorry. Goodbye.” Then she hangs up. After three long days of baseballs and box tops flying at my head with no one caring to help or listen, we stop. Hollie explains, “We are going to serve at “Jump up,” an event in London, England.”

After a bathroom break, we resume, and everyone on the bus threatens to throw me off the bus if I do not calm down. I know that if I leave the bus it will be only the Joker and me so I remain silent next to Hollie, hiding under the seat.

Upon our arrival I am assigned to serve at McDonalds, where the red vinyl seats are so short that I cannot reach the table. I get placed in the kitchen. A long wooden table next to a conveyer belt full of food awaits me. The news is on and people are screaming of swine flu. All chicken and steak is infected. I watch in dread as tray after tray of chicken and steak flood the kitchen. I grab the trays, run them to the trash, quickly mark the amount on the spoilage log, and repeat for every tray that flies down the conveyor belt. Once I clean it off, I lay on the long wooden table and try to interpret the cryptic abbreviations that fill my assignment sheet on the clipboard. I can’t understand what I need to do and cannot find help. Then I spot my help. There is a girl resting against the table, but all I can see is her legs. I realize her torso is laying on top of the table as she is bent at the waist at a ninety degree angle to her legs. She moves from the table. She cannot straighten herself, and refuses to help me in her bent state.

Miss Jill walks in, angry that I am not making progress in the kitchen. Yet what can I do? I do not understand what to do. My “help” looks like she came out of Alice and Wonderland. Quickly, I realize I must escape. I steal my cell phone from her and run. I run and run through London. I am always running. But I stop. I call home.

One More Thing...

Despite the fact that it is about the most terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, in-between phase of all time, I love being engaged! I get to put up ridiculously cheesy blog backgrounds and facebook statuses, call Clayton sickeningly sweet pet names, and forget to do all kinds of things, yet everyone in the world has an excuse for me: "Oh, it's okay. She's engaged." As if being engaged is the reason why I've lost my mind... oh well, it's a nice excuse for the time being. :-)

Porque Estas?

For what reason does it snow in the middle of APril? WHY? Why won't it stop? If it doesn't stop soon, CLayton is walking home from work because I am terrified of driving in the snow. Can't do it. Not by myself.

Um... I really couldn't tell you if this post is about anything or not. Wait while it develops and we'll see. I am just sitting on my couch on an exam review day. I already ate too many crackers and too much candy (it's now counting as lunch and dinner). I have a quilt to make happen for relief society. Maybe I'll start that... I really should. Truly. I'm just being a bum. Well I have written a paper and finished my choreography project today. Oh, I know what I can do! I'll write that other paper for next Tuesday! Perfect. And read that one book I need to read. Glad I could blog so I could figure out what I needed to do. I'm going to be productive now. Sorry I have nothing to write about. Maybe next time...


SCHOOL is ALMOST OVER! I get a week off starting next tuesday at 10 pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just to prove you wrong

5 Things I Was Doing 5 Years Ago:
1. obsessing over ducks
2. graduating from 8th grade
3. playing softball
4. playing the bassoon
5. dancing in the play "Annie"

5 Things I'll Do Tonight:
1. homework
2. complain about my idiotic homework
3. read my scriptures and say my prayers
4. brush my teeth
5. tell Clayton how much I love him

5 Things I'd Do With A Million Dollars:
1. eat fish every day
2. lose my scholarship!!! (because I can)
3. go back to China
4. buy a yellow truck
5. pay my tithing and give the rest to my parents

5 Places I Have Lived:
1. Chicago, IL
2. Provo, Utah
3. Collierville, TN
4. Wichita, KS
5. Port Huron, MI

5 Jobs I Have Had:
1. childcare at Baron Hirsch Synagogue
2. Pink Flamingo restaurant
3. treasure towers
4. Nanny and lots of various babysitting. LOTS!
5. Subway

5 Things I Want To Be Doing In 5 Years:
1. painting my toenails
2. working on my masters
3. kissing Clayton more than once a day
4. working in a dance studio
5. starting a family

5 People I Tag:
1. I did it myself, what more can you ask?
2.
3.
4.
5.

Sticking it to the Man

Oh Provo, the "dry"est town this side of Texas, where people get thrills from throwing snowballs at policemen and packing ten people into a five seated vehicle, I love you! Where people buy IBC root bear six packs and have chugging contents, where one must think creatively to find missionary opportunities, Provo, you provide endless hours of entertainment. On Friday, I looked out my window and witnessed a pack of thirty or more bikers casually biking north past my apartment with a police car following close behind. Rory opened the door and shouted, "What are you doing?" The reply came, "Just riding our bikes. Every first Friday of the month! The police can't do ANYTHING -- It's AWESOME!" Oh Provo. The end. :-)

the proposals... (yes, plural)

Okay, I am determined to finish this story today. On Saturday night, at the opera, I was teasing Clayton during intermission. He responded by getting down on one knee, in the middle of the theatre, and starting “Erika (insert last name here)…” I got a little antsy and thought, this isn’t right and grabbed his arm and started to pull him up while he finished, “Do you mind if I tie my shoe?” Argh. Frustration. And very funny actually. The next day at church, in the middle of Sunday school, he took the wrapper from the Hershey’s hugs that we had gotten to keep us quiet (as is necessary for young single adults) and started to wrap it around my left ring finger. I just knew that that wasn’t right either, so I grabbed my hand away and gave him a look. You know, the look. :) Finally, after ward prayer, we were sitting on the couch. I was sad because I was figuring that he would never propose. Also, I was on my email when our love note delivery came. (Explanation: love notes are written during “munch and mingle” – the social event after ward prayer—and put in a bowl with the recipients name and apartment number on the front and are delivered upon cessation of the munch and mingle activities). Well, Mariah announced to me that I had received a love note and set it on the table in front of me. I didn’t look up for a while (poor Clayton was probably getting antsy) and finally I glanced up, noticed some rubber ducks on the table and went back to my email. Then I thought, “Wait. What are ducks doing on my table?” and picked one up. On the bottom it said “marry”. I put the ducks together and they said “Will, you, marry, me, and ?” Clayton had gotten each of my roommates to write a word (or question mark) on the bottoms. I looked at him and he handed me a duck with a ring around its neck. :) Then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Fortunately, I responded in the affirmative. Therefore, we are getting married. Yay for stories! Also, yay I don’t have to tell this again, I can just refer people to my blog!

P.S. Did I mention that I cried...a lot? And about five different completely random people (we do not often get visitors) walked into my apartment during the affair. Very strange.

Two weeks later...

Oh man oh man oh man! I’m getting MARRIED!!!! YAY! Okay, so I just need to write about my weekend that I had with Clayton two weeks ago. It was just plain LOVELY! So, he came up on Friday and I had to take a Kinesiology test and I didn’t take it that morning like I wanted to so he ran some errands while I took my test. Then I had an appointment with Ron, the dance trainer, and Clayton sat and waited. I was so excited to see him though! I almost ran down the hall when he first got there, but I restrained myself to a brisk walk. Man it had been FOREVER! Anyways, we had fun Friday night. We went over to the bishop’s house for a ward social. I ate a bunch of the snack food because I was hungry then neither of us wanted dinner when we got back home. Kind of silly. I ended up making it and sticking it in the fridge for the next day. Then we cleaned my kitchen and fridge (we had cleaning checks in the morning). And, we watched the Office with my roommates and sat on the couch and talked. It was so so so nice just to see his face while I talk to him. Anyways, I felt bad because I’d made him help me make dinner and clean my kitchen all night. Oh well.

Saturday we got up and went to the dance building at six thirty in the morning so I could work on a project.  And we left to go snowboarding at eight with Cam, Russ, Ben, and some other man whose name I cannot recall. It was really fun though. After the torturous first one down the mountain that took an hour. I pretty much just sat down and cried halfway down when I was completely stuck. However, I found a little more determination and made it down. The second time I only fell two or three times and the next few runs were a lot more fun. I’ve decided snowboarding is very fun. And I will try it again. Next year.
Saturday night we were both EXHAUSTED, but managed to find the energy to make dinner, then run up on campus to buy ice cream before going to the opera that I dragged him too. He was a good sport though and stayed awake the whole time. He enjoyed a couple numbers (don’t tell anybody).

So Sunday we made pancakes (puffy oven pancakes, which were amazing) with my homemade cinnamon syrup. It was quite lovely. And we went to church and I was wondering all day if he would ever propose. I didn’t think he was going to after I’d gone to choir practice we ate chicken and dumplings for dinner (which are AMAZING) and then we went to ward prayer. All in all I was very disappointed that he hadn’t proposed yet. And, I’ve got to go make lunch and go to church…so, the good part of this story will have to continue this evening. You probably all hate me by now. Oh well, at least I started.

Dear Lauren...

I will post my version of the engagement story as soon as possible. Hopefully after I type it up for my journal. And as soon as I finish this paper -- that I can't bring myself to start!

The answer to the question you are asking

Because it is called Tin Roof. And my mom's favorite kind of ice cream is (or at least used to be) the Tin Roof flavor of Blue Bell. And they'd only have it in the summer time and we'd search for it during all of our midnight Saturday grocery trips to Kroger. Good times. I like ice cream.

happy sunday!!!

um...I'm going to do a word vomit. I might edit some stuff though, so, five minutes of rambling...ready....set....go!!!
So, Clayton's mom tagged my blog and said I had to do something to the effect of tell all my juicy secrets and then make other bloggers do the same. I have two reasons why I cannot do this:
1) I do not have any juicy secrets.
2) I do not know anyone who blogs who was not tagged by her except for my Relief Society blog. and I don't think that counts. However, there are currently some great spotlights there on my roommates right now, so visit and read. My most excellent roommate Kylie wrote them. www.8wardrs.blogspot.com
Kylie gave a talk today. It was amazing. ALso, my roommates like to say "Di me lo" well, at least that's what it sounds like. Whenever they are frustrated, or happy, or sad, or nervous, or scared, or beyond english words. It's supposedly the spanish lyrics for that one song that goes... "Do you know what it feels like? Loving someone..." Um... yeah, don't know any more words to that song. But it's a good one. Download it. Listen to it. Love it. It's good for you.

Anyways, I was having this great idea that since Rory speaks Spanish she could still say di me lo and then Kylie speaks french so she should learn to say it in french. And Mariah speaks German so she could learn it in German. And I speak Dance. Darn. I know a few things in CHinese. I could ask my CHinese teacher. If I only knew what di me lo meant....

At our ward social after ward prayer today, somebody made homemade ice cream sandwiches. They were wonderful. I ate one. and a funsize milky way. I think it is so much nicer to call someone funsize rather than short. It just plain has a nice ring to it.

Also, there were brownies at the other one. And pretzels. I've been craving pretzels. Since last night. So I ate some. And they were wonderful. There I go with my short sentences again. If I wrote longer ones, maybe I would sound more intelligent.

Tomorrow is Heather's birthday party. Heather my sister that is. Heather my roommate's birthday is next month.

And my sister Heather is having a cooking party and they are making aprons. And food. Lots of food. It's going to be sooooo good. Because my mom is making the food. And she is sooooooo good at making food. It's the truth. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes! THey can sing! They can dance! After all miss, this is France! (Name the movie!)

And no, we don't live in France, we live in Lebanon. Close though. At least it's not across an ocean or anything.

Um...I'm running out of things to say. I want to go running tomorrow but the forecast says it will rain. I might not. That would make me sad. I so wanted to go. Oh well. I shall go tuesday for sure. I have an interview to be a sports and dance camps counselor this summer on tuesday. That will be funny. I should probably prepare with answers to the classic interview questions so I don't look like an idiot. I think it'd be a way fun job though. Also, I just found out I got a full tuition spring/summer scholarship!!! YAY! Good grades are good for soemthing after all!!!

Also, I just found out that I got into a dance show I auditioned for this summer! So, yay!!! ALso great fun. I'm so excited. And I'm tired. And it's been ten minutes. So I am done. I hope everyone is doing amazingly!!! Also, um...yeah, nevermind. And I didn't edit this. THis is pure word flow, from Erika's brain to the computer. Typos and all!

I'm going to write in my journal, call Hollie, call Clayton and go to bed. Forty-five minutes... think I can make it?

HAPPY LATE VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

P.s. Clayton sent me flowers. It made me so so so so happy. They are pink tulips. :)

37 things I've done...and 63 I haven't :-)

I've done the ones highlighted in blue. Yay for traveling!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Bathed in a river
7. Been to the Taj Mahal
8. Walked on a glacier in Alaska
9. Caught and held a snake
10. Spoke in front of a big crowd
11. Bungee jumped
12. Had a whirlwind love affair that broke your heart
13. Found an arrowhead or fossil
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Rescued an animal
16. Ate sweet breads, glands or tripe
17. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hiked to base camp on Mt. Everest
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Watched an animal being born
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Learned a foreign language
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Stayed up for more than 24 hours
31. Trained a dog to do cool tricks
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Can drive a stick shift car
37. Won over $1000 in a raffle or lottery
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
42. Been serenaded
43. Visited Africa
44. Walked on a beach by moonlight
45. Broken a bone
46. Started your own business
47. Quit a job because you were totally unhappy
48. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
49. Been to the Eiffel Tower
50. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
51. Kissed in the rain passionately
52. Played in the mud
53. Gone to a drive-in
54. Been in a movie
55. Visited the Great Wall of China
56. Joined a prayer group
57. Taken a martial arts class
58. Visited Russia
59. Served at a soup kitchen
60. Gone whale watching
61. Received flowers for no reason
62. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
63. Gone sky diving
64. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
65. Bounced a check
66. Flown in a helicopter
67. Saved a favorite childhood toy
68. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
69. Eaten caviar
70. Pieced a quilt
71. Stood in Times Square
72. Toured the Everglades
73. Been fired from a job
74. Seen the changing of the guards in London
75. Broken something extremely expensive
76. Been on a speeding motorcycle
77. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
78. Published a book
79. Visited the Vatican
80. Got a tattoo
81. Been to a coffee shop in Amsterdam
82. Seen the aurora borealis in person
83. Read the entire Bible
84. Visited the White House
85. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
86. Had chickenpox
87. Saved someone’s life
88. Sat on a jury
89. Met someone famous
90. Joined a book club
91. Lost a loved one
92. Toured the UN
93. Hiked to Machu Picchu
94. Swam in the Indian Ocean
95. Conversed with someone when neither of you spoke each others language
96. Dirty danced
97. Been stung by a bee
98. Acted in a play
99. Had more than 5 surgeries
100. Threw a surprise party for someone

Mass Transit

I just got home from an eight hour shift at subway...I'm tired! And I've got to clean the bathroom for cleaning checks. I realize this has nothing to do with the title -- i'll get back to that in a minute, but WHY do adults who pay rent every month -- on time -- need to go through a cleaning check once a month? Why are they so ridiculously picky? And everything must be perfect. I clean every inch of the bathroom -- literally. Including the ceiling. My bed has to be made (okay I do that everyday anyway) and my bookshelf and blinds dusted. Why does everyone in Provo (who is not married) have to go through this? Why? And if I don't do a satisfactory job on it, I get fined. If it gets messed up by someone else after I clean it and before it gets checked, too bad. I have no problem cleaning. I like a clean house. I hate messes. I have a problem with being treated with less freedom than my parents treated me with Saturday cleaning. Oh well. I can't really do anything about it. And I'll try not to get into my ranting about the byu-approved housing monopoly which pushes prices up. :-) (How does my best friend in Oklahoma pay fifty dollars more a month than me and get her own room and share a bathroom and kitchen with one other girl? What I wouldn't do for more fridge space...)

Anyways, this was all to inform everyone that I will now be spending the next two hours deep cleaning the bathroom that four girls share. Yay. And I'd rather be cleaning subway for eight hours any day. I guess I'll just turn on some music and get to work...

Candy Hearts

So, I decided it was time to take off the Christmas background. So I put up the closest holiday...Valentine's DAY! Which brings me to a question for you! What's the greatest phrase/word you've ever seen on a candy heart? And, what's the best color? I've got to say yellow and orange.

On a scale of one to ten, I'd say a 12

Well, I, um, well, er, uh, yeah. I'm a very lame blogger. The end. True story. Also, I have a really bad habit of writing in short sentences. I hate sentences that run on and on and on and on and on so much that I rarely write a compound sentence. My paper editing buddies are always telling me to combine my sentences. Anyways, to answer the previous question, I didn't have any exciting stories to tell I guess. Other than trying to sleep with my head jammed up against the car window and my little sister laying in my lap with no foot room because there were backpacks at my feet, the ride was uneventful. And not nearly as squished as some have been. There are seven in my family. And seven seats in the car. Therefore, we always travel squished. It's a bonding experience. :-) And be thankful for portable dvd players!!! Traveling just keeps getting easier.

My semester is going SOOOO well! I love it! I'm in all major and minor classes -- no GE's!!!! YAY! It's just so fun to have all my classes about something I actually WANT to learn about. I've changed my schedule at least twice since last times I posted, but I PROMISE it will stay the same now for the next thirteen weeks or so. So, here are the new classes: dance history, kinesiology, chinese contemporary dance, orientation to dance, back-up folk dance team, intermediate composition, and women entrepreneurs. FUN!

If I could say everything I would, but it seems really weird to me to tell so much online. I just don't really like it. So, in a nutshell...I LOVE MY LIFE! Don't worry I'm still way stressed and I still work and go to school and don't really play, but when work and school are just plain fun already, why do you need specific play time? I know it's all in the attitude, so I'm trying to have a good one.

Anyways, I'm rambling so I'll stop. I'm just excited for what this semester might bring. :)

P.S. It was brought to my attention that I forgot the best part. I'm in love. And isn't the world just better through rose colored glasses?