According to this thing, I'm pretty bizarre.
| You Are 30% Normal |
 You sure do march to your own beat... But you're so weird, people wonder if it's a beat at all You think on a totally different wavelength And it's often a chore to get people to understand you |
I woke up this morning because I had to, not because I was feeling rested. I was somewhat dazed. I checked the news fast like I always do and for some reason thought that the year was 2004. I had read an article about Mayor Bloomberg of New York leaving the Republican party that he switched to in 2001 to win the mayoral election and how he was now leaving the GOP to be an independent. I thought, "Huh, after only three years, weird. To run for president, he didn't even have to announce that until 2007" I went about my morning still half asleep. In the shower I thought to myself, "Wow, 2007 seems so far away. The elections will be gearing up." That's when I stopped myself and tried to figure out what year it really was. Yes, as you all know, it is 2007 right now. I'm groggy, but I'm usually not that groggy.
"It's the end of the world." That's what Kathy says when you leave the country. So it's my end of world time now. I'm leaving the country. My flight out of SLC is at 7:15 in the A.M. No, I am not happy about this. But once I'm in Portugal, I don't think I'll really care.
So farewell my friends and family. Wish me well at this, the end of my world. Next time I blog, I'll most likely be somewhere around here. Check out my Europe blog. You never know, I might be able to convince Clark to let me go to an internet café every once in a while to post.
Well, yes, I've got tons to do, and am I doing any of it? Nope. Shouldn't I be packing? Yes. Shouldn't I be preparing a Portuguese lesson? Of course. Shouldn't I be sleeping? Most assuredly. So what am I doing? I'm listening to This American Life and reading blogs. Shouldn't I be organizing my random effects for my trip? Oh, yeah. Shouldn't I be finding our hotels on maps? Yep.
So what is this blog about? It's about how I love to leave, but I hate getting to that point. I'm going to have tons of fun in Europe. But I wish right now that I could wave a wand and be magically ready...
Today G, K & I went to visit our old roommate Heathi. She and her husband Ephi are moving to Georgia for some more of his army training. So we went north and ate some salsa with her (salsa that was sliced by Victor). We love Heathi. She's the bomb (much like Snickers are--I'd write the "real" word, Heathi, but I'm afraid I would get into too much trouble.) Here's to hoping that she and her mom have fun traveling across the country with cute Max.
Gretchen was not "amused" by the Victor post. I was happy that she didn't pull him on me. MO-I'm glad you cheered for him. Frau Magister-Gretchen didn't respond to the Wengi dealio. I don't know if she was just playing with me. Cassidy-I agree: I love those pictures of Gretch. And I've got more... Will-If Gretchie's looking at you like that, you should keep an eye on where her right hand is. If it's in her pocket, take a step back b/c her fingers might be wrapped around a blade. Brandon-I'm definitely on the "hate" side of her blade. But I don't know if she's decided to use Victor in your favor or not. Pray for good, prepare for bad. It's safer. Myra-I'm glad you love Victor. Gretchen likes you, so I'm sure you're safe. Lydia-With Victor on your side you will always come off conqueror. Bepa-Your love holds no bounds. And yes, Victor cuts so delicately that it's scary.
P.S. I must add that Gretchen would never really use Victor against me mortally, as it were. She's told me many times that he's too sharp and smooth. She would choose something less "kind" like a fork.
As a side note, I've been thinking about cosmetic fixes lately. Not really the surgery type of fixes, but a metaphorical prettying up. I don't know how well I'm going to be able to describe this, but I'm gonna give it a go. When we see a problem, often I've noticed that we try to fix its outward appearance to cover up the deeper difficulty. Fixing the outward vision of something can often be easier, but it makes the situation worse.
Reason #1: When we make a problem pretty, it's almost as if we're making it à la mode, fashionable, acceptable, easier on the eyes.
Reason #2: We don't fix the root of the problem.
Reason #3: It becomes easier to not fix the problem, because we're lulled into this fake sense that everything's okay.
Reason #4: We're making "evil" look "pious." **I use the quotes because I'm not always talking about eternal rights and wrongs.
Reason #5: Because it's often easier to do a "quick-fix," we become lazy and complacent, unskilled in dealing with the real issues of problems.
I'm sure there are other reasons. If you can think of any, I'd love to hear them.
Maybe this entry's been a little esoteric. Sorry about that. What I mean by cosmetic fixes, for example, is like when someone is told to make sure that all of the displays are properly set up for Relief Society, all of the announcements are on the board, etc. When this is the sole focus to see if a Relief Society is running smoothly, that's a problem. There must be a focus on the Spirit and its presence in the room. We have to try our best to make sure that we are trying to grow spiritually during the meeting. But when the measuring stick of a functioning Relief Society is displays, pictures, announcements and the like, we are focusing only on the outward appearance of RS. Am I making sense? We must constantly strive for the Spirit, but we can easily have the false look of a "good" RS with a pretty display. But if we desire the Spirit to be with us, we'll be as prepared as possible as a natural consequence. But a display doesn't invite the Spirit.
That's just one arbitrary example. Do you have any?
There. I'm done rambling on about this for the night. It is most definitely past my bedtime. I'd love, love, love to hear any of your ideas or examples on the topic. In fact, I'd love, love, love it HARD CORE.
Also, I don't think Kathy's getting her just desserts in the area of incriminating pictures. i.e. she always sticks out her tongue. So here are a few photos to delight the senses:
Gretchen is nice. Don't we all know this? I mean she looks nice and all.
But here's the thing. She has a sinister side. This side is involves a friend named Victor. Victor goes against me all the time. In fact, Gretchen whips him at, and even threatens me with him.
Victor is her pocket knife. He's a 4-inch blade from Switzerland. Sometimes to annoy Gretch, I call him Vicky. It's not the smartest idea. But he's very handy. He's been used for lots of things. But it seems that most often he's being used to get me to do things. 
Often this knife wielding involves words like, "Don't make Victor mad, Venom." Or, "Venom, Victor isn't happy with you right now." Or even the more straightforward, "Venom, I carry a 4-inch blade." Here's a picture of Victor:
Yes, I cower. Okay, so sometimes I put up a tough front. But the truth is, I always acquiesce. I mean wouldn't you? What if she were looking at you like this?
Or this?
Wouldn't you do what she says. I think I'm living on the wild side when I just say no to her. It's my new-found braggadocio.
But don't get me wrong, Gretchen has also used this knife in my favor. She makes salsa with it. She's threatened Elder's Quorum Presidents before to make sure that we got to keep our same home teacher.
But I like Victor. Gretchen tells me that I have to.
The garden's growing nicely. Here are some photos for you to enjoy.
I entered the MTC 7 years ago today. Yep this time 7 years ago I was done "meeting" my branch president (my friend's dad) and was headed back to my room for my first night in the MTC. That's when I met Sister Pierce and Sister Kikumori. That was a great day. I blubbered like crazy when I said goodbye to my family. Yes. I am a crier. Shocking, I know.
And at this very moment next Thursday I'll be flying over the Atlantic on my way to Portugal. In fact I'm one week and five hours from Lisbon right now. :D
As per Cassidy's post today, I decided to follow her admonition and am posting my 25 loves and hates.
25 Loves
1-Learning new languages
2-Politics
3-Baseball and Softball (You ever smelled a mitt while standing in the field waiting for the pitcher to get ready? It's like a slice of Heaven)
4-Technology
5-Making movies
6-News Podcasts
7-Brazil
8-Our nightly scripture ritual as roommates
9-Teaching Portuguese
10-Talking with friends for hours on end about serious things or laughing myself sick in the process
11-The West Wing
12-Harry Potter, especially in random languages
13-MUSIC!!!!
14-Wearing a watch
15-Learning something new and then sitting around and thinking about it
16-Carbonation
17-Eating beans and rice
18-Playing the guitar, or any instrument for that matter
19-Blogging and journaling
20-Reading, especially Chaim Potok
21-Road Trips
22-Corn Nuts and pumpkin seeds on road trips (I took some with me to Brazil so that 8 weeks later I would have some while driving around the country)
23-Staying up late at night with Scottie watching documentaries and eating Otter Pops
24-Babysitting Nora
25-Having excessive amounts of gum surrounding me
25 Hates
1-Badly parked cars
2-Peas
3-Olives
4-A lack of civic dialogue
5-People who are mean and don't care that they are
6-The end of a softball game :'(
7-Allergies
8-Reality TV
9-Snobby, pretentious democrats
10-Self-righteous republicans
11-Boys without courage to ask the right girl out
12-Girls who turn down boys b/c of their earning potential
13-Sports dynasties
14-Toby Keith's music
15-Mornings
16-Black shirt, navy pants, white shoes--at the same time.
17-Italy's national soccer team
18-Shrimp
19-Peanut butter and chocolate together. This is nefarious, gross and wrong.
20-I second Cassidy's #12: Nancy Grace
21-The glorification of gratuitous sex, brutal violence and life-destroying drug doing in rap. (But not the genre as a whole)
22-The fact that my shaving my head would be very socially unacceptable. Don't you ever have days when you want to?
23-Not having the courage to do what I need to do, or at least the trust in myself to do it.
24-All of the bad movies that Hollywood makes: stupid, gross, vulgar, dumbed-down, thoughtless, mean, etc. movies
25-Not having a car that works
What about you guys? Cassidy's already posted, so now it's your turn. What did I forget about. Can you prove me wrong on any of these.
