The Start of Something New

Do you ever get the urge to break into a super cheesy song? I do. "Because it's the start of something new. It feels so right to be here with you. ohhh. And now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart the start of something new."

Ok, so that doesn't fit my situation exactly, but I this weekend was the start of something very new to me. I got my mission call!!! So this post is for anyone who I didn't send a personal message to, but who is still interested and cares enough to want to know about it.

So I have been called to serve in the Texas, Dallas mission. I have been assigned to speak English, and I will enter the MTC on June 12. Now let's break it down.

June 12th. Perfect timing! That will give me time to finish the semester and then have a month to tie up loose ends before I leave. Then I should get back in December of 2014, just in time to start school again in January of 2015.

English speaking. Hallelujah!!! I was alright with the idea of learning a language, as long as that language wasn't Spanish. I've never been terribly fond of Spanish ever since high school Spanish class. I didn't learn it then, and I didn't want to have to learn it now. I'm sure I'll pick up some of the language while I'm there (I mean, I am going to be in Texas), but I'm glad I wasn't assigned to learn it and speak it fluently for 18 months.

Dallas, Texas. So awesome! I got my wish. I didn't get called to Asia. When I read the words "Texas Dallas mission" I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I know that people joke that Texas is like it's own country down there, and it's got a culture all it's own, but it's relatively safe compared to some of the places that I was imagining. And I think I will actually like Texas. For one, they eat real normal food. They eat lots of beef, and steak. I may have to get over beans and onions, but I can do that. Second, they're part of the Bible Belt. I've always labeled the Bible Belt as somewhere that I thought it would be fun to serve a mission, and I got my wish! I am so excited to go be a part of the good church-going, Jesus-praising, Christian-values community. It will be tough, I know, but it will also be so awesome!!!! My favorite teacher is from Texas, and I want to be just like her when I grow up, and I feel like this could only help my cause. And maybe if I'm lucky, I'll come home with a cute southern accent. I can start saying stuff like "y'all". People keep saying that Texas will be perfect for me, and I'll fit right in, and they can totally see me there. That makes me happy. I sure hope they're right!!! Just five more months and then I'll find out!!!

Why I should not be allowed in public

*Names have been changed for the sake of everyone's dignity.

One time my friend Topanga became friends with a whole bunch of kids from Star Valley. She often asked me questions about them, so I didn’t consider it odd when she texted me one night asking if I had dated Landon’s little brother, Thomas.

I replied “Oh my heck! I WISH I had dated Thomas! He’s a great kid. He’s a total stud, and he’s one of my role models.”

Then like the fool that I am, I proceeded to tell her that I had also been in love with their older brother Cody since the beginning of time, but that I had always wanted him to marry my sister. But that was a secret.

She wrote back and said that she was sitting on the couch next to Landon. I was mortified.

I said “Oh please tell me that you did NOT just read him everything that I’ve just said.”

But no; she had definitely read him everything that I had said.

Then Landon texted me and said that he would be alright if I married into his family, and I told him he’d have to convince his little brother of that. He said he would.

This would have been a good time for me to put my foot in my mouth. But just wait. It doesn’t end there. Oh no, it only gets better. So then I told Topanga that I was so embarrassed and she said not to be because Landon said I was cute and sweet.

 To this I replied “No I’m not. I was the dorky kid that the other kids called ‘Magpie’!”

Then Topanga freaked out because she thought that Landon had been a bully, and I had to do damage control and convince her that he hadn't been the one to call me names. It was the other kids we used to hang out with.

Anyway… So in less than half an hour, I managed to tell someone that I once loved two of his brothers, and make his friend think that he was a bully. Moral of the story is that I should not be allowed to be in contact with any other human beings, because nothing good ever comes from it.

My Bilbo Moment

Remember at the beginning of the Hobbit where Bilbo is just hanging around his Hobbit hole and suddenly all of these random dwarfs show up at his door?

I had a Bilbo moment this weekend.

There I was sitting around thinking about what I was going to eat for Sunday dinner (as hobbits often do). That was when suddenly my friend Jade came knocking on my door. When I opened it, I was surprised to see not one friend, but five friends!!!

One by one, they walked into my apartment and gave me a big bear hug before making themselves at home. But unlike Bilbo, who would have been disgusted by this surprise, I was absolutely thrilled! I got to see cute Jade, awesome Ben, sweet Bryson, my new friend Jacob Hall, and my secret lover Gary.

After a few minutes at my house, we went and terrorized Janel's roommates for a few minutes before we went to campus. While on campus, Gary proposed to me. Now our fake engagement has a real story, and pictures to prove it. Hooray!!!

Yay for surprise visits!!!

Oh Christmas, how do I love thee so?

Oh Christmas, how do I love thee so? Let me count the ways...

I love riding the sleds with my cute niece.

I love playing pranks

I love ice skating with the family

And playing Crack The Whip

I love visiting with friends

I love playing dress-up with my awesome niece

And I love seeing random elk at Scheels

Oh Christmas. Wonderful Christmas. I sure do love you!!!

My Invisible Friends

Today my friends came to visit! Ivan, Chester, Phill, Lucy, Noel. They are so great. I took them to see the famous USU Bull

They had to stop for a picture on the stairs. Then Noel decided that she wanted a turn at riding the bull. And why not? She's invisible. No one was going to get her in trouble!

Then I took them for a tour of campus. Ivan had to show off his balancing skills

Noel tried climbing one of the trees

But then she was so tired! So she sat down to rest for a minute.

Then we dared her to try licking the flag pole. (You can tell she didn't grow up with a lot of snow.)

Her tongue got stuck to the pole and we had to help her out.

Then I took to them to the famous Utah State A. Noel and Ivan wanted to become true aggies, and of course we couldn't tell them no.

Then Matthew wanted to give it a shot. So Noel volunteered to kiss him.

But then I couldn't turn down the opportunity to join in the fun. So Ivan agreed to kiss me.

After that, we went back to the TSC to warm up for a little while. Ivan started showing off again. He jumped up on the handrail and tried to slide down.

Then Noel found the couch up on the 3rd floor and watched some TV while Kevin and Ivan played some foozeball.

Then we all went outside and the guys had a snowball fight.

After the snowball fight, we needed to get back to being productive for the day. So our friends said goodbye and headed home. I'm so glad they came!!!

...It's kind of like being a homeless bum

College life... Isn't it the greatest? It's almost like being a homeless bum.

As college students we couch surf. (I mean, who actually sleeps at their own apartment when you have friends with couches?)

We wear sweats and slippers in public. (Who needs to look dignified anyway?)

We beg for money. (Namely from our parents.)

And we pounce as soon as we hear the words "free food".

Fortunately, I have only done two of the previous four pitiful activities. (You can just guess which ones.) But last week I set a new PR for how many free meals I had in one day, and I feel like it might be worth bragging about.

It started out with ASUSU giving away free sandwiches as bribery for people to come up to their offices and talk to them. Well, lucky for me, I already all my time there anyway. So I reaped the benefits of the situation. Thank you ASUSU.

Then there was a "Lunch and Learn" at the business building. The student chapter of SHRM was hosting a resume workshop. So I went and got some tips about building a good resume and creating my personal brand, then I got to enjoy some delicious Texas Roadhouse. Thank you SHRM for feeding me so well.

Later that night, I was with Spencer and he said that Clayton was at the end-of-semester social for the AIS club (also in the business building). He said that they were serving pizza and that Clayton had invited him to come. As Spencer's adopted little sister, I got to go along for the ride. So we looked the event location up on the school's website, then headed up to campus. We got there just in time to grab the last few pieces of pizza, some sweets, and chocolate milk before the party ended. Thank you Clayton, Spencer, and the AIS club for the pizza.

So the moral of the story... being a college student (or a homeless bum) can be kind of fun. Now I feel even more inspired to move to Florida where I can be a beach bum/professional dumpster diver. :)

Rantings of an Economist- Part 2

The semester is nearly over. That means the end of economics classes with my hilarious professor. So here is a second post dedicated to him and his perspective on life. Enjoy these rantings of an economist:

"If you want to make a lot of money, you need to work for the government or be productive. I took the government route. But I recommend most of you take the productive route."

"If you're short and lousy at shooting, you're probably not playing college basketball. If you're short and can't shoot, there is no point to your existence." (This was while explaining why it's good if the opposing team fouls your short players in the final minutes of a game. Because if a guy is short, he must be a really good shot or he wouldn't be playing.)

"We should have Hollywood take over the government. Then everyone in the government would be really good looking."

"Light houses are just decoration now. They're like earrings on the coast."

"If you want to blame someone in our country, find the median voter and kick his ass."

"It's just as wrong to eat a car as it is to eat a horse."

"Trying to measure happiness is like trying to measure how much people enjoy eating snickers."

"Oprah is one of our cultural over-lords. Her and Taylor Swift."

I hope you've enjoyed this edition of Rantings of an Economist. I'm sorry that this is the end of the series.