Just a Few Thoughts

This post is like a dustpan for all the little crumbs of thoughts that have been lying around on the floor of my cerebral cortex. I need sweep them up, and get them written. So you're gettin' crumbs today (YAY!).

This semester, I've made quite a few new friends. The one I do the most with is my crazy friend Bryce. He keeps me from getting too serious about life and school and keeps me laughing. In that sense, I guess you could say he's my therapist. He loves meeting people. I'm not kidding. If he's bored at all, he'll go knock doors at any nearby girls' housing unit. When some people do that, it comes off as sort of invasive, desperate, and weird. But with Bryce, the girls are completely entertained by him. By the time he leaves, they're laughing and smiling, and he's got 6 new phone numbers! I love walking on campus with this kid. Because he's so out-going, he will say hi to anyone. This is a good influence. I need to be more outgoing. Life is so much richer that way.

Some Bryce stories:

We have church at 9:00am this semester. I know that sounds like a perfect time that most of you would covet, and I do like it, but it's still a bit early for the college-student's weekend schedule. Bryce asked me to make sure he was awake in time for church. I told him, "I'll come climb through your window and shake your shoulder. Wakey Wakey!" to which Bryce added, "Eggs and Bakey!" I laughed and laughed! I guess that was something his mission-trainer would say to him. I'd never heard it before. So when I sent him a "Wakey Wakey!" text on Sunday morning, he replied with a "Thanky Spanky!". He keeps me laughing.

Bryce and I have developed a "Scale of Disgust" for use in all sorts of situations. Here's the scale:

Level 1 -Shame on You
Level 2 -How Dare You
Level 3 -How Could You
Level 0 -We're cool.

So for instance: You're ordering a sandwich at Subway and the "sandwich artist" tells you they're out of the Italian bread you requested for your sandwich. You would give a level one response of, "Shame on you!" If later on in the sandwich creation, they tell you they're out of pickles, you'd hand them a level two "How Dare You!". Once you sit down and begin eating your sandwich, you find out that when they toasted the sub, the edges got a little burned. You respond with a level three "How Could You!" The "How Could You" is usually executed most effectively in a softer tone, allowing the offender to sense the seriousness of the disgust. If the offender has been guilted into an apologetic stance and ask forgiveness, you might revisit some of the lower level responses, or you might feel forgiving and jump right back to the level zero "We're cool". This is a really effective way of dealing with people. And it was perfected by me and Bryce. Feel free to use it. But remember where you got it from. If you try to steal credit for it, "How Dare You!".

A Bryce quote: "With dating, I cast the hook and the fish panics. This isn't a problem; you tire them out first and then you bring them in. Yes some may get away, but remember there is always a ton of fish in a school."

I put away my X-Box this semester. It's sitting snugly in the back closet. I decided that it was time for me to really focus on my studies and show the entertainment world who's boss. But I'm supplementing the void of X-Box with a new love/vice. ROCK BAND. Sure, it's a video game, but it's incredibly interactive and musical. I don't feel it's a waste of time at all. ROCK BAND brings out the best of my out-going side. I really rock the mic on vocals. So there you have it: a confession amongst the crumbs.

I guess that does it for this issue of useless, but maybe entertaining, thoughts.