In the Limelight

My crazy friends -they made some videos on Jib Jab, and I laughed my head off.
Here are the links:
http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/share_view/HZrBXBbVSh59axBDELZgvIkw

http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/share_view/Z2Pvekq8rWGIa3bw7V9f75mu

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

I heard the lyrics of Jack Johnson's sweet melody, and it made me reflect on the whole BYU Idaho application experience. It was a long and somewhat difficult process, but there was only so much I could do, then sit, wait, and wish. I hate things like that. When people are doers, action-oriented, it drives them nuts to have to wait. Just wait, for a long time. I would keep calling in during the process, I'm surprised they don't know me by my voice yet.
Sometimes you just keep on truckin' and do all you can do, and just wait for the things you can't change.

Nothing much to blog about

I keep hearing the same thing from those who are on the verge of getting a blog, that they "have such a boring life that nobody would want to read it." They go on to describe the events of their day, and what they have to tell is rich with great material for a blog entry. My aunt Julie Clifford, for example, could talk about the weather in Joseph City, seeing the firetruck head up Porter to somebody's weed-pile fire emergency, yanking the weed-eater pull-cord with such strength that it snapped off the coil, and the day has only begun!

The point is, there is never a boring thing to write about, especially if you live in rural paradise. Most people would find it all castly entertaining to read that type of a blog entry from a Joseph Citizen.

Who's looking for those big important significant events that are "worth reading"? That's what a newspaper is for, and everyone knows that a newspaper is boring. It's the personal tone that a blog affords that makes it so rich in the tones of life.

So I call to not-quite-bloggers everywhere: ENTERTAIN US! We are just dying for you to.

As for me, I went and saw Grammy in the hospital, chatted with her while aunt Cheryl curled her hair, went and hand-washed my car (she's an old car, and I think she's a little afraid of those loud and new fangled automatic car washes), then started watching the Old Disney version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea while dosing off. Later I up-dated the literature blog, went to the weekly institute class, and came home to play the piano a bit. It was my day off if you couldn't tell. But very well-spent if you ask me.

Spontaneity

I'm feeling conflicted. There are so many directions I want to take in this post, and I guess I'm just having to throw them all together in one. I guess you could call it Goulash. All the posts I've read with the "100 things about me" have got me itching to do something similar. And yet, I don't want to go the full hundred, not just yet. I think tonight I'll do however many I feel like, and continue it later. I also have pictures to edit and upload now, so the page will have some more flavor -yay for that, right?

1 -I can't stand when people leave cupboards open. Roommates of my past have done this, and it almost makes me want to live in a cave where there are no cupboards -just rock walls -a Cave of Wonders!

2 -I really tend to avoid conflict, but the older I get, the bolder I get. That rhymed -unintentional. I had a lady in line today that did the dumbest thing; after I counted back her change, she re-counted it aloud to me in the manner she preferred that I would do it. "That's how I wish you would do it." She counted the dollar amount up to what she had given me in payment, and I hate that. I hate it when people count change back to me that way. To put it in a simile, it's like re-gurgitating the whole pie just to see how many pieces aren't eaten. I'm not saying it's hard, but my mind is geared the other way. I automatically calculate the change due in my head, so to try to dock that thought while counting change back in the other manner, the whole time trying to make sure you don't over or under change them, oh, heck no. I am the cashier. I will count change back in my own way. If you've got a problem with that, "get in another line." I just gave her a blank "are you done" stare, and saved the memory of her worthless demonstration for later laughs.

3 -Another work story: A lady brought her cart up to me to be loaded as I was ringing up her order. As she leaned on the handle of the empty cart, she politely asked, "Would you check on the bottom of my cart and see if I left anything down there?" "Sure" I said, not thinking twice -we're trained to check the bottom of the basket anyhow. But then she thought of what had just taken place, and she said, "What did I ask you that for? I'm so sorry. That was really dumb." And then she started laughing. "O my gosh! How dumb! I don't know what I was thinking! I was just thinking out loud! You didn't need to do that for me, I am sorry!"

She really couldn't get over it, and laughed the rest of the time.

4 - I love Enya. Not all the time, but I can't believe that Alicia hates it. I guess it's one of those things that you either love or hate, like olives.

5 -I am typing this in the dark because my roommate shut off the light and I may have more than a few typos. (OK, I had to re-write that last sentence three times, case in point)

6 -I'm like my cousin Kourtney in a lot of ways I never realized. When people talk about blood, I get pretty faint. When they start to promote blood drives in my institute class, I will sometimes find an excuse to leave the room for a few minutes. That's something I'd like to conquer. I can handle blood in emergency settings -maybe it's the adrenaline.

7 -People tell me I am very good at speaking in public, but I don't see what all the fuss is about.

8 -There are 3 movies that I don't own but want really bad: The Music Man, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, and The Shakiest Gun in the West.

9 -I used to be very anti-video games. I saw so many grown men waste hours on end with games. But after last school year, I was ruined. My roommate Devin got me started playing Burnout on X-Box. That led to Splinter Cell, then Halo, then Ghost Recon, and on down the slippery slope. But I guess I don't play all that much, so I can live with it.

10 -Prison Break is by far my favorite TV Drama ever. I've only seen seasons 1 and 2, but I'm still convinced. I love it.

11 -Jack Johnson's music never gets old.

12 -I watch every movie with subtitles if they have the option. My roommate Preston kept asking me when I first moved in here why the captions were on. I finally told him, "I like them. I get more out of the dialogue and the movie makes more sense."
"Oh." He's dealing with someone who is obsessed with language.

13 -I buy cookie dough just to eat it, and I really want to quit.

14 -I keep having dreams about my first area of my mission, Fort MacLeod. In the dreams, I am walking the streets and visiting the homes of people I know. They are so vivid and memorable and I wake up wanting to be there again. Maybe when I move up to Idaho . . .

15 -My Mom told me she loves it when she can correct me, because I'm always right.

16 -I was Prom King my Senior year of High School, and I was probably the last person to find out. They made the announcement over the intercom, but I was off-campus that period at a job-site with my building maintainence class.

17 -I really miss Swing Choir with Cat and Mr. Hutchens, especially the musicals in the spring: Music Man, Bye-Bye Birdie, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers...

18 -I really don't miss High School band at all.

19 -I sometimes shop at Bath and Body. I'm all about the home fragrances. Coconut lime verbena is awesome.

20 -I own more pants I bought used than pants I bought new.

That should do it for the about me stuff for now. I think I'll upload some of the pictures I've been dying to post.

My Great-grandpa's saddle

A curious calf on the round-up

A view of our family farm in Joseph City

The John Bushman home on main street

This one is my favorite. I give credit to my aunt Cat for the idea of taking this picture.

All these shots from just a usual weekend in Joseph City. It really is an amazing place. This concludes my post for now. I think I can sleep easier at night now, knowing that my pictures have finally been posted.

Yuck

I have to say, that after about an hour of browsing web-pages, I can't find any cool blog layouts. After looking at the free layouts on some sites, I've come to the conclusion that the layout designers think that only scrap-booking ladies and gay men ever write blogs. Anything close to being masculine is overlayed with floral embelishments. I'm really wanting to see if I can find a site with layouts of rusty chains, barbed wire, chrome wheels, and power tools. I know there's got to be a way to create my own customized layout, but until I figure it out, I'm stuck with this boring old faded lighthouse. It's making me sea-sick.

Slacking

So my blog hasn't been updated in a while. It's summer, the season of lemonade, sunshine, barbeque, and yardwork. In other words, the computer can wait -life is happening. It's breaks from blogging that make my posts so much more worth reading.

I'm throwing a bit of a fit right now. The roommate-shared computer in our pad has no SD Card Slot, and no Picture Manager editting program.

So my pictures, which are worth seeing, have to wait for another post. I am so Post-off.

I spent the past 4 days in Joseph City. I went on the family cattle-drive, worked in my Grandma's beautiful yard, played with my little nieces, saw my family and friends (hi Tia), and took some great pictures.

I came back saddle-sore from the round-up, and with shin-splints from some intense early morning walks with my aunts, feeling better than ever.

When I post pictures, you'll get the full scoop. For now, this will have to do. Lo siento.

Change

Change keeps life fresh and interesting, but it sure can be stressful and exhausting. I just changed apartments. I'm living in the same complex, just at the opposite end.
I thought I would be saving money in the new place, but as it turns out, I'm paying exactly the same rate.
It was a pretty unpleasant surprise, what I encountered in the situation I had moved into: the walls in the room were covered in crayon grafitti (apparently, the former tenants were the victims of a prank they chose not to clean up), one of the roommates left half of his junk behind for when he returns in the fall, everything was covered in dust and grime, and the bathroom was unspeakable.
Maybe it was just my upbringing, but I cannot live in filth. I've encountered several people that can, but I just can't. I spent three hours after work one evening deep-cleaning and sanitizing. After that, things became a lot more comfortable. The walls were clean and white, the bathtub actually turned white with a bit of scrubbing, and the whole place became a whole lot less ghetto. After going through all that, I felt like going for a jog to unwind. I went for a jog, rented a movie, and relaxed the rest of the night.
Now I feel alright about living here for the next two months, until I pack up and move again -this time, to Joseph City for a month, and then up to Rexburg. Change, change, change. After a year of life in Flagstaff, I'm so ready for it.