Day of Love

Well dear readers,
Today is Valentine's Day. I was pondering today on how we have a whole day set apart for the celebration of those we love. In a way, it's just like Christmas; we celebrate and remember the important people in our lives, we give gifts, we decorate, and we always say how the spirit of the season should stay with us year-round. It makes sense, though, that the love we celebrate at Valentine's Day is made possible because of the love we celebrate at Christmastime. And when it comes to love .. .well, despite the different types of love, it's all love. It's patient, kind, non-judgmental, motivating, inspiring, full of gratitude and respect. I think Valentine's Day for me is often over-rated. I don't need a special day to love people. And I know that the people who love me love me year-round, so I don't feel it necessary to receive extra special gifts or attention on Valentine's Day. In reality, every day is like Valentine's Day with Jacob. And it's really just because of the simple acts of love we share with each other. Flowers are pretty, and I'll never turn down chocolate. But I think I like the little things better ..  .like the way he'll carry my backpack for me sometimes. Or the way he walks to class with me. Or the way he laughs at my jokes. Or simply just the way he holds me in his arms. Actually, this is the first Valentine's Day for both of us when we've actually had a special someone to share it with. And what's even cooler is that we'll never not have someone to share it with. Yet again, it's not about the day. What's so special about a day anyway? What makes love special is the people you share it with. I'm certainly not trying to be cynical or disrespectful of anyone's opinions about Valentine's Day. Some people go all out, and they love it. Others are sad because they don't have a special someone to share it with. Others create SAD (Single Awareness Day).
I'm just peacefully content.
I usually am; that's how I express my love.
Which is why Valentine's Day is much like any other day.

My 100th Post

Here it is friends, my 100th post! As per tradition in the blogging world, I decided to write 100 things that you may or may not know about me. Just for kicks, keep a tally of how many things you previously knew about me and post it in a comment.

1. My username roastbeefer06 originates from my initials, RB. Like the restaurant Arby's. Roast beef . . .get it? And then I just tagged on the number.

2. I really enjoy looking at art.

3. I am currently working up the piano piece First Run by Jon Schmidt.

4. I eat my french fries smallest to biggest.

5. I like tomatoes. But I always pick off the tomato skins in a sandwich or hamburger. Them nasty slimy stringy things are gross.

6. I am quite in love with my boyfriend. I'm sure I'll write more about him in a later post. . .

7. I've caught a flower bouquet at a wedding. It was a wedding I attended as a missionary.

8. My favorite flowers are tulips. And daisies.

9. I like the name Daisy, but nobody is ever named that.

10. I hate mugs. Here's why.

11. I've never really desired to have a pet in my home, but perhaps when I have a family it might be a nice addition. I'm pretty neutral. But I don't like big dogs. Dogs are okay .. .as long as they're little.

12. I walked home from school (or the bus stop) from kindergarten through 9th grade.

13. My shoe size is 8.

14. I have a hard time buying jeans. I never know what I want or what I like. Hence, I don't usually like wearing jeans either. Weird.

15. I love wearing skirts in spring, summer and autumn.

16. Fall is my favorite season.

17. I prefer playing in flatted keys then sharped keys on the piano. And on the clarinet, too.

18. Donuts always remind me of early morning seminary. So I'm usually up for eating one. But recently I've started to feel gross after every time I eat a donut. (I'd like a donut, please)

19. I prefer drinking out of plastic tumblers than glass cups.

20. My favorite hymns are #6 "Redeemer of Israel" and #85 "How Firm a Foundation." I like other ones, too. 

21. My favorite candy bars are Snickers, Twix and Take 5.

22. Although I generally like any peanut butter flavored things, I really don't like Butterfinger.

23. I served in 5 areas on my mission.

24. I had 16 mission companions! 2 in Nauvoo, 6 in the MTC, and 8 in the field in Peru.

25. During my college career, I've had 9 different church callings.

26. I have done ordinance work in 14 different temples.

27. My favorite place in the world is Nauvoo.

28. I love baking cookies.

29. It takes a lot for me to get upset or angry about something. I generally just don't see the point, so I don't bother.

30. My dad passed away almost 6 years ago.

31. The first experience I remember sharing the Gospel was when I invited friends to a YW mutual activity when I was in junior high.

32. I'm not a huge fan of white rice. I ate it every day on my mission .. .that's why.

33. One of my life goals is to grow out my hair and donate it.

34. I got my ears pierced in a foreign country.

35. I have been to 6 foreign countries, and I will visit at least 4 more this summer.

36. I play the clarinet. Did you know that about me? =)

37. I went to one high school dance. I went to my Junior Prom with a football player.

38. The farthest I've ever lived from a temple is 8 hours.

39. I currently have 4 stuffed animals on my bed. One of them is a recent addition. As for the other three, I usually toss two of them aside and sleep with one. The same one. Every night. At least every night I sleep in that bed; I'm not so attached that I take it on trips. 

40. I can quote just about every line from While You Were Sleeping.

41. I love when people play with my hair.

42. I prefer pens over pencils.

43. My major is Music Education: K-12 Instrumental.

44. My estimated graduation is April 2014.

45. I started college in August 2006. (Don't do the math . ..it's quite a few years.)

46. I just updated to the new Blogger interface.

47. I was the last person in my family to create a blog. Yup, even after my mom.

48. I do not have a laptop computer.

49. I love to read. I often wish I had more time to do it.

50. I would like to have an even number of kids. Why? I don't know.

51. Forget kids . ..I just want to be married! (It's an inside joke, but it's not entirely untrue, I suppose.)

52. I was the drum major of the marching band my senior year of high school.

53. I went to Band Camp two different summers at two different universities while I was in high school.

54. I normally don't mind eating cafeteria food, but I'm not a huge fan of serving it. Which is what I did for my summer job.

55. My current job is my 4th job.

56. My resume is currently not updated.

57. I like patterned socks to wear with dress shoes, but I usually prefer wearing plain white socks with tennis shoes.

58. I love making people laugh. My specialty is lame humor.

59. My wallet is black and white checkered. I like it.

60. I am a Provo Temple Worker.

61. I don't know how many times I've read The Book of Mormon all the way through, but I know for a fact I have never read the ENTIRE Bible. That thing is huge. I've read most of it, though.

62. I like candles.

63. I'm getting back into running.

64. I love grilled cheese sandwiches.

65. I don't consider myself to be a great cook . ..although I'm not terrible. I suppose if I had the time to plan and prepare better, I'd be more ambitious at what I cook.

66. I didn't have a cell phone until after my freshman year of college.

67. I have attended 7 different schools.

68. Not including moving during college or on my mission, I have only moved twice in my lifetime, and I was too little to even remember the first move.

69. My first grade teacher was Mrs. Bateman.

70. I'm a fan of Gmail.

71. I have only been to 1 1/2 BYU Basketball games. I've watched even less than that on TV.

72. I have been to every BYU football home and bowl game in seasons 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011.

73. I started taking piano lessons when I was 6.

73. I started taking clarinet lessons when I was 12.

74. I don't joke when I say I'm not good at any sport. If you've played with me, you know it's the truth. =)

75. My favorite game to play at home is Sardines in the Dark. Best game ever!!

76. My current roommates are Kerri, Jackie, and Kallie. Roommates #19, 20, & 21, respectively.

77. I never paint my nails different colors. I think it looks so tacky.

78. The longest amount of time I spent with a room to myself was about a month.

79. I have over 190 earned credit hours at BYU. Don't reread No. 44 on this list, please.

80. I still laugh when I read Captain Underpants or Junie B. Jones books.

81. I love the Anne of Green Gables series.

82. I used to be better at writing in my journal. Now it seems I just blog instead.

83. I always wear my HLJ (CTR) ring. I wear earrings almost every day. And maybe a necklace 2-4 times a month. And that's all the jewelry I ever wear.

84. My birthday is on the 100th day of the year. (101 for leap years). I was born on a Sunday.

85. Sister Hinckley's funeral was held on my 16th birthday.

86. I have totaled a car. And I've had minor bang ups with the other two cars I've driven.

87. My favorite color to wear is red. Actually, I think red is winning out over blue for my favorite color. Not until I graduate from BYU, though.

88. One of my favorite places to eat is Rosa's Cafe in West Texas. Mmm . ..que rico!

89. I earned a 3.96 GPA this past semester.

90. I was once in a picture in the BYU Magazine.

91. I was an extra in the movie Friday Night Lights.

92. I have gotten stitches twice in my life.

93. I have never been skiing. For that matter, I've never done any winter sport.

94. I often bring my camera to events, but then I forget to take pictures.

95. My knuckles are not dry, cracked or bleeding. Either that means it's a pretty mild winter so far, or I'm using more lotion.

96. I have read and loved every Harry Potter book.

97. I've only been to one midnight showing at the movie theater. It was for the last Harry Potter movie. It was worth it.

98. My blood type is B Negative. Only 2% of people have that type of blood.

99. I got glasses for the first time over Spring Break when I was in the 9th grade. That was also the same year I got braces.

100. I like some country music. I especially like the artists Taylor Swift, Rascal Flats, Lone Star and Lady Antebellum.

Aight, folks. How much of that stuff did you know about me? =)

Two

It's almost two am.
I'm two examples away from finishing my homework.

I heard this great song on my Pandora mix.
"Two is Better Than One"
I remember what you wore on the first day
You came into my life, and I thought, hey
You know this could be something.


'Cause everything you do and words you say
You know that it all takes my breath away.
And now I'm left with nothing.


So maybe it's true
that I can't live without you
and maybe two is better than one.


But there's so much time
to figure out the rest of my life
And you've already got me coming undone
And I'm thinking two is better than one


I remember every look upon your face
The way you roll your eyes, the way you say
You make it hard for breathing


'Cause when I close my eyes and drift away
I think of you and everything's okay
I'm finally now believing


And I'm thinking, ooh,
I can't live without you
'Cause baby, two
Is better than one


There's so much time 
to figure out the rest of my life
But I figured out with all that's said and done
Two is better than one
Two is better than one.


(Sidenote: He wore a red polo shirt on the first day.)

hard things

guess what.
i can do hard things.
like run 2.85 miles in one run.
like wake up on time for eight am class.
or learn really hard wind symphony music.
or play the trumpet.
like take 18 credits
and work part-time
and spend time with my boyfriend.
and memorize poetry in spanish.
and practice multiple hours a day.
and stay healthy.
and read the book of mormon in 100 days.
and survive the semester.

but guess what else.
life is hard, and then you die.
so i might as well learn how to do hard things.

Mind and Heart

"Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."

~Doctrine and Covenants 8:2 

I've heard that scripture so many times. My basic understanding of it was that the Lord speaks to us through our minds and our hearts. That's the obvious, and quite accurate, understanding of this verse. However, my MTC teacher helped me see a new aspect to that scripture.

The Lord will tell you in your mind and in your heart. Okay, which means he can tell us something one of two ways . ..or even both of them. Yet, my favorite part of this verse is that what the Lord tells you "shall dwell in your heart."  Which means, logically .. .in your mind, it may make perfect sense. And in your heart, you may feel that it's right. But the Holy Ghost will dwell in your heart. Therefore, it's more important what your heart feels than what your mind thinks. And if it's not dwelling in your heart, then maybe it's not the true spirit of revelation.

Let's look at Nephi in The Book of Mormon for example. Here's what happened in Nephi's mind and heart:
Mind: Kill Laban.
Heart: What? Are you crazy? I ain't ne'ah killed no man 'fore! (Yes, his heart talked just like that).

Well, it looked like here, his heart wasn't too keen on what the Spirit was prompting him to do. So, in the Lord's true and patient fashion, He sends the prompting again for Nephi to slay Laban.

Mind: He tried to kill you and take all your stuff. You should just kill him.
Heart: The Lord delivered him into your hands, so that you could slay him and prevent future generations from dwindling in unbelief.

Then Nephi starts letting this thought dwell in his heart. "Okay, well, the Lord says He'll bless us if we keep the commandments. And I know the commandments are written in the scriptures. So .. .now I'm starting to see that I have to kill Laban in order to obtain these precious scriptures so that I can know what the commandments are so that I can keep them and receive the promised blessings."

And then he killed Laban.

So I think what I'm trying to say here is that the Lord sometimes tells us things that on the surface don't seem logical at all. They make no sense. Yet, the feeling and thought continues to dwell in our hearts. That's how we know for sure that it's the spirit of revelation. Sometimes, you just have to trust your heart.

Oh, and I looked up the definition for "dwell" just for kicks. One of the definitions says "to keep the attention directed." I think that adds a whole 'nuther dimension to this thought process here.

A New Kind of Beautiful

This is my grandma. I love this lady very much. Let me tell you about her.

She is 90 years old and one of the most beautiful people I know. For the past few years, she has been in a nursing/retirement home due to weakening health. Lately, I've had the opportunity to help her at mealtimes, and although I've visited and seen her several times throughout my life, I've learned so many new things about her over the last few months.

She never complains, and she's one of the most polite people I know. She has such a lovely smile, some of the things she says just warm your heart. Even when she makes jokes about not finishing food or me accidentally spilling on her . She sometimes doesn't remember who I am, but she's always happy to see me (or any visitors). We like and dislike the same foods. Pro: ice cream, onions, fruit. Anti: fish. You know, I bet it's pretty lonesome and boring being in a bed all day, but there is never an unkind word out of this lady's mouth. Ever. That is one amazing feat that I don't even think she realizes that she does.

One time, my Aunt Donna and I were there, and we held up a mirror for her to look at herself. "Wow, a little ugly today," she said. We quickly assured her that in no way, shape, or form could she ever be ugly. But then we did comb her hair to make it look a little less crazy. =)

Often I'll play music for her on her keyboard. She's always loved music, and although she's too weak to sing, she'll still move her hand in the conducting pattern of the music. She compliments my singing and playing, although I'm certainly not the greatest.

Sometimes when I get to her room, she's asleep. As I wait for the food tray to come, I read some in her life history book. I'm awed to think of the incredible pillar of faith and example she has been to so many people throughout her lifetime. Her writing style is so pleasant . ..just like she is. I find it quite appropriate that the title of her life history book is Life is Beautiful.

Yes, Grandma, life is beautiful. Because you make it so!

Good Things, Christmas Break Edition.

There are so many good things in life to enjoy! Here's just a few I've been enjoying recently . . .

-Red Robin Guacamole Bacon Burger and sweet potato fries.
-goofing off with Mom and Jen
-a new pair of slippers
-listening once more to John Mackey's Hymn to a Blue Hour
-getting a new nephew! Welcome to the family, Ethan Michael Steele!
-Eggnog. Mmm. Love that stuff!
-borrowing some of Heidi's cute clothes
-2 phone calls from Heidi within 2 weeks. Not bad at all. =)
-running. Well, it's more like jogging. But I'm enjoying it so far.
-beautiful weather
-rewatching The Help. Yup, it still makes me cry.
-reread of The Hunger Games (Thanks, Kerri, for letting me borrow them!)
-temple trip with Hannah.
-cheesy movies with the fam
-sleeping in. Mmm. And for that matter, staying up late.
-time to practice.
-the random video chats with my niece Sarah. What a doll!
-upcoming trip to the Bowl Game in Texas! (Yahoo!)
-free reign of the (soon to be in-tune) piano
-and of course, daily phone calls with Jacob! That's probably up on the "absolutely-fantastic-just-about-makes-my-day" list.

If 2012 is full of things like this .. ..well then, bring it on! =)

More in Store

Remember when I talked about my feelings about Wind Symphony in a previous post? Well, I've realized another reason why the Lord placed me in Wind Symphony this year, and it's not just the opportunity to play with an incredible band or tour Europe.

It's because He knew I needed to meet Jacob.

I think the Lord is rewarding me for the desires I left unexpressed in those countless hours of practicing and praying. It's like my life is like a box of chocolates . . .only it's double layered when I thought it was only one. =)

Christmas Cheer

Check out what I've been doing lately to get ready for the Christmas season!

First Time, Delilah

A few years ago when I got a new Lifehouse album, the CD came with an internet code for a free ringtone of their song "First Time". Of course, I jumped on it because I didn't have any cool ringtones on my phone. Plus also, I really like that band.And since it was my favorite ringtone, I set it for boy in my contact list that I was most interested in at the time. (Sometimes, it was 2 or 3 people, but mostly just one). That way, when he'd call (which c'mon here. NEVER. happened.), I'd get a double hit of happiness.

Then I went on a mission and I got a new phone when I came home. And I tell you what, with this new phone, there are NO good ringtones. Everyone else in the Blake family can attest to that .. .we all have the same phone. Heidi's phone was a different model, so somehow she still had a couple of past ringtones that had been sent to her. So using her phone, I sent a couple of them to me. (I don't even think she knew I did that). Now my best ringtone is Plain White T's "Hey There, Delilah." Eh, not my favorite song, but it's way better than the default Verizon tune, no matter how jazzed up it is. (My friend later sent me a Mario ringtone, which is pretty cool, but I overused it by setting it on my default. So, it's not special anymore.)

Now that I had a special ringtone, I had to set it! I definitely had it set for one contact over the summer. I almost set it for another guy, too, but when he heard my Mario ringtone, he thought that was way cool. So I left that one for him . ..and every other default person that called me.

Then, you know, summer ended. And I changed all my ringtones back to default. Nothin' there guys. Of all the male contacts in my phone, there just wasn't one special one worth changing my ringtone for.

Then, you know, the semester's ending. And I changed just one rigntone to not be default. Somethin' there in a guy. Of all the male contacts in my phone, I've found the special one worth changing my ringtone for.

So, if you think you're it, call me when you're with me and listen for Delilah. =)

Baths

Before you think I actually take baths, well . . . I don't. For several reasons.

1) college apartment tub. DIS-GUST-ING!! How many naked people have used that tub? Ew, gross, right? Never ever ever will I take a bath in a college apartment, no matter how sore my muscles are.
2) The idea of soaking in water that turns lukewarm rather quickly? Ew. And how would you wash your hair?
3)Time. Like I ever have that.
4)The soap scum and hair that'll line the bottom of the tub. Bleck. I want to puke just imagining it.

Needless to say, my favorite alternative to taking baths is just not doing anything. OK, well, I do shower . . .when I remember.

Anyway, that's not what this post is about. This post is about Christmas shopping. How, you ask? Well, I was thinking of buying one of those old-fashioned claw-foot metal tubs . ..
Nope.

I was going to buy some nice bath or after-bath accessories, like body lotion and yummy smelling body wash or soap. Can't you just smell the scrumptious scents of Bath and Body Works? It's like a party in your nasal cavity!

Hmm.
Lovely holiday scents. Delicious.
Clean-smelling goodness. Delightful.

(It won't make up for the grossness of taking a bath in a college apartment, though).

So, I cruised on over to Bath and Body Works tonight to buy some. Not really for me, though. (It's Christmas; don't ask questions!). There was a car backing out right near the door, so I totally scored his awesome parking spot. And then I walked in and realized . . .

I had walked into Bed, Bath, & Beyond.
And I didn't even want to buy anything there.
Doh.
I must be a pretty amateur Christmas shopper.
But I bet there was at least one holiday shopper who saw me parking in that spot. And I bet by the time he had parked significantly farther away and walked up to the door of the store, he would've realized that my parking spot was now empty.

Alas, I still don't have my lovely lotions and smelly soaps.

Hey!

Hey is a good word. It has lots of wonderful usages.

The ever-repetitive cheer in The Hey Song. (pretty dumb song anyway).

The universal "greet and nod" word used when you encounter people you sort of know.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

your roommate's friends that you don't know very well
a previous crush that you've definitely been over for a while
someone you know you know from class, work, your previous or current ward, or your mission
someone from your home stake who you've never seen since living in that stake
relatives that you should know better, but you don't
and all sorts of other random people you've met once upon a time.

The first word of Hey, Baby! Also the first word of Hey, Soul Sister. Both of which are very good songs.

It's a rill good attention getter. It's a catchy word.

A great word to say on road trips when you see hay bales in the fields to the side of the road. People fall for it all the time. (Think it through peeps).

An incredibly professional greeting for when you meet the president of your school. At least I thought so, when I so blatantly blurted it out upon meeting Pres. Samuelson last Saturday. Oh well.

Lockers

I have three lockers at school. My bass clarinet locker is a new locker from when the instrument lockers were redesigned this summer. The new lockers don't have a latch or anything; after you get to the last number, you just turn it a little more to the right and it clicks open. It should be easy, right?

Ha. It's not. It usually takes me about three times before I can open it.

Because of the redesign of the instrument lockers, smaller instruments are no longer provided with lockers in that area of the HFAC. So I have a locker for my clarinet in the photography wing of the HFAC (10 pts to any HFAC dweller who can tell me where that is!). It's a regular locker, but for some reason, it took me a least a dozen spins of the dial to get it to open correctly today. I felt rill ding-dang-dong stupid. And since it's on the bottom, I normally just squat to open it and quickly grab my instrument. But no, today, I had to literally kneel down on the ground, put my stuff in my arms on the ground, spin the dial with one hand and hit the locker with the other. Did it open? Good golly, not yet! It just needed a good kick. Ok, great. Now I have my instrument. Fast forward a couple of hours, and I have to open the locker again to put my instrument away. Yet again, another ding-dang-dong stupid feeling moment. Normally the traffic in that hall of lockers is very limited. But no, today the girl who has the locker two away from mine came to her locker at the same time. "Oh great, she'll think I don't know how to work the locker combination." I wasn't wanting another lesson on "Spin clockwise to the first number, spin counter-clockwise for the next number, passing it once, spin clockwise to the third number and lift latch." Yeah, the spinning part is great, it's the latch part that's the catch (play on words, get it?). Another kick, another slam, another sigh of frustration, and FINALLY, I could open my locker! And it was shortly after that other girl came, too, so she didn't see me looking like a fool talking to an inanimate object in frustration. Yay.

Oh, but then, I get to the stadium for marching band. I have another locker there for my marching clarinet and music. Normally I have no problems whatsoever with the lock or locker. But when I get to the stadium today, I realize that I hadn't properly closed it the last time, so it was still wide open.

Yeah. I remember in fourth grade when we first started using lockers at Parker Elementary, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Definitely not anymore.

Opposites

So I was talking to my roommates the other night about boys. It's a common conversation topic among us girls. What's not so common is that the four of us are ever home to have these types of conversations (and actually, the night I'm thinking of, there were only three of us). And to be honest, since school started, I don't think about boys nearly as much as I did over the summer. Mostly 'cause I'm busy with other stuff. Like school, work, band, my calling (which doesn't really involve many guys), etc. But occasionally, I cast a thought in the direction of the opposite gender.

Here's a recent discovery I made.

A few months ago I had a big crush on a guy in my ward (who will remain nameless for the sake of my anonymous blog audience here). He was very attractive, he's very smart and friendly, and he's a hard worker, and he was a good listener. Which, if you know me at all, you know I like to talk. Bonus points, right? As I got to know him more, I realized that we didn't really have a lot in common. Our interests were about as opposite as night and day. I'm pretty sure he had never set foot in the HFAC, and he probably had no idea what a clarinet even looked like. Yeah, it was that bad. And his sense of humor . .. .okay, his lack of humor, really .. .was so not like mine. I had to remember not to tell corny jokes or puns around him because he never got them, and then I would just feel ridiculous trying to explain why the pencil joke had no point. Sigh. Sad, eh? Yet, I still liked him quite a bit. I felt all giddy and excited around him-sometimes to the point where I didn't know what to say or how to act. And of course, I always tried to sit next to him at church and find excuses to talk to him .. . you know, the normal signs. But then he moved, and I got over him (unlike Ernie and his childhood fish). On the plus side, it's nice to be able to get over a crush quickly, especially when I didn't even have a rebound!

Fast forward to fall semester. New friends, new stuff, new ward, lots of new things. And I'm discovering the exact opposite of what happened to me this summer!! Here's how. So, I'm starting to be pretty good friends with some new people, and one guy in particular is very much like me. He's not crazy enough to study music like me, but he enjoys it. Quite a bit, actually. Not only does he enjoy my lame sense of humor, but he has a pretty lame humor himself. He's so easy to talk to, and I always feel comfortable around him. Not only does he let me talk and listen to me, but he always contributes, too, so I don't feel dumb for dominating the conversation. I feel good when I'm around him, and he always makes me smile. Here's the catch. I just don't feel attracted to him!! I should, right? He fits everything on my "future husband" list that I rewrote and revised about a dozen times over the last several years of my life. I feel good when I'm around him, yet I don't have that excited "Hey-I-really-like-you" feeling around him, and I'm not constantly trying to be aware of him. (You know what I'm talking about, right?). That spark just isn't there no matter how much I wish it could be there.

So, maybe by the next time my roommate conversation about boys comes up again, I'll finally have it right! I'll actually feel excited AND comfortable around a boy I like! I'll keep you updated.

Corned Beef

A random title for a random post. But it's all true.
For being canned meat (doesn't that just give you a gross image?), corned beef isn't bad. And it's rill good in a casserole dish . ..you know, with white sauce, cheese and bread. Yummy! And it's prolly pretty tasty fried, but I've never tried it that way. But I think I've figured out a few reasons why it's not a staple in the American diet:
1. It's dang expensive. $5+ for one can. Just think: you can buy another can that has the letters "C-o-r-n" for as low as $.69. . . . Hmm.
2. What is it made out of anyway? How is it made? Who really knows? And what makes it corned? And how is "corn" a verb? I don't get it.
3. Well, have you looked at it raw? Gross. Especially the off-white fatty chunks molded into it.
4. "And I'd like one of those meat cans you have to open with a key" (10 pts for anyone who really knows what I'm quoting). Seriously. A key?! Keys are usually used to open cool things, like your apartment or car door, the mailbox, a safe deposit box .. .but food? (That makes it sound like food is not cool, but it often is). Why do you need a key to open food? It's like a finger obstacle course for a fat guy. You probably burn brain calories trying to figure out how to open it. Either that or you injure yourself. Or you accidentally break off the tab thing, and you're left with a key and nowhere to insert it. Great. An unopenable can of gross looking expensive meat. But if by some miracle, you master the key thing, how do you get it to come out of the can? Yeah, you got half an inch stickin' out, but how do you get the rest of it out? Then comes the awkward downward thrusts of the can to oblige the fatty meat to slide on outta there. But usually, besides not helping the meat come out, it just makes you wonder once again why you even bought that expensive, mysterious, seclusive chunk of meat in a can.

Baby Steps

For those of you who haven't heard yet, my wonderful brother, Spencer, and his equally wonderful wife, Whitney, have been approved to adopt!! Theirs has been and will continue to be a long and emotional journey to find their baby, but anyone who knows them can't help but love them. As I follow their story, I can't help but love them more and more. And I know that somebody out there will come across their profile and love them as much as we do. Someone out there will love and trust them enough to place their baby in their loving home.
Whitney and Spencer are two of the most beautiful people you will ever meet. Seriously. Besides looking beautiful (all the time), they act beautifully in everything that they do. Spencer will always bring a smile to your face. It may be his zumba moves on the local news station, his funny sayings or nicknames, or just his general ability to make you feel comfortable and inspired. Whitney creates beauty in everything she does. Be it scrapbooking, sculpting, making cards, taking pictures or just making masterpieces out of everyday stuff . ..she is amazing.
I've always felt that beauty is an expression of love. So I kid you not when I tell you that Whitney and Spencer have the greatest love to offer.
Help them find their baby!
Here is a link to their adoption profile, and you can follow their blog here.
Like them on facebook, follow them online. Spread the word to those you know. The more people who check out their profile, the more likely they will find their baby.
I promise it won't take you a long time to fall in love with them like we have.

Diligence Pays Off

I tend to put lots of details in my stories. Here's one just like that.

So once upon a time, I didn't think I'd still play in concert bands after my mission. The old ElEd program prevented me from taking classes during rehearsal times, so I just assumed that the year before my mission would be my last year in Wind Symphony. Which was way cool, because we ended with a bang with our tour to Korea and Japan.

But then, I got home and things changed. I missed playing in band soo much. When I first got back, I learned that my major program changed a little bit, requiring an additional minor and yet another semester of school. At first I was a little bummed. But then, I realized that with those changes . ..I could still be in band! And then I realized that the Wind Symphony was touring. Again. International tour. Again. I thought of it as "Wow, that would be really cool, but I don't know how I can do it and still be on track to graduate . . ." But it just kept creeping back into my thoughts.

And then the clincher for me was one class of Institute. Yeah, surprisingly I got something out of Institute over the summer. That particular day, we discussed Elder Oaks' talk about desire. It was sitting in that room when I realized I had a desire. And I needed to work to achieve that desire.

For me the tour hype isn't so much as traveling to another part of the world. To me, the tour experience is a missionary experience. We share something that is so much a part of who we are, and it literally does invite people to come unto Christ. I remember having those same feelings right before our Asia tour as well. So, I started praying rill hard to have the opportunity to tour again.

But as I learned in Institute, desires or faith without action do no good. So I started practicing. Thanks to good home teachers who inspired me to work on a personal goal for the month, I made a personal goal to practice more often. I even set a goal to not read a pleasure book (one of my favorite summer pasttimes) until I had practiced. I admit, I hadn't practiced much (or hardly at all really) since before my mission. But I started it up again. Scales and etudes have always been tough for me because technicality just isn't my thing, but I started with those anyway. Luckily, I few days after I started practicing, I received the specific audition materials! That got me really working. I'd spend an hour or so a day, just working on those 6 short orchestra excerpts, often times later in the evening. I even scheduled a lesson with Dr. Hinckley who gave me lots of help. I tried to remember to pray every time I started practicing, and that helped my practice sessions a whole lot. I even found time to practice during band camp week. Who knew there was extra time in that week? It felt so good to notice improvement in myself, and I seemed to be making a lot of life connections from practicing to other aspects of life. Meanwhile, I just kept working and praying.

Fast forward to the first day of school. Audition time for pretty much every studio in the School of Music. Clarinet studio auditions are blind auditions, and mine went pretty well, I suppose. I honestly don't remember at all how I played. All I remember is feeling so calm. About everything. I wasn't nervous, I wasn't over-confident, I wasn't in tears, I wasn't angry. I was just calm. It's like that feeling you get in the temple I suppose.

I received the results today. Not only did I make the Wind Symphony, but I placed second. That's the highest I've ever placed in the Wind Symphony since even before my mission!! And I was assigned to play in an orchestra this year, too! (I still have mixed feelings about that one because I'm assigned to play bass clarinet which I've never ever played before in my life).
I think the main feeling I have right now is .. .well, definitely an element of surprise for how well I did, but mostly it's just gratitude. And an even greater knowledge that the Lord knows what He's doing. He knows who needs to be in that touring band, and He made it possible for those people to be in it. I'm not meaning to praise my playing ability by any means when I say that, but I have an even greater testimony now of how the Lord rewards our righteous desires and diligent efforts. I haven't even had our first rehearsal yet, and I'm already super excited for the touring year. =)

In My Element

Well, folks, I've finished another successful week of Band Camp with the BYU Cougar Marching Band. In just a few days, I have:

-memorized and passed off several tunes
-made lots of new friends
-had a good time with lots of old friends who are still in band
-got fitted for my uniform
-drank lots and lots of water
-sweat lots and lots
-got several shades redder . .. well, just darker, really.

With my section I have:
-had a pre-band camp party
-dressed up as a dementor to help us win the spirit stick on Harry Potter day
-made too many lame jokes. They already know me for that.
-helped section members learn and pass off music

With the entire band, I have:
-enjoyed the Band Social and lasagna dinner on Wednesday night
-been filmed by a BYU news team (we might be famous!)
-played at the New Student Orientation presentation thing in the stadium
-learned/played over 40 tunes. Oh yeah, you better believe it.
-come up with some cool new visuals for our stand cheers.
-learned the entire Pregame show
-learned the opener for Show A (I can't give away any secrets, but I am going to say that it'll be pretty awesome)
-learned half of our opener for the Rocky Mountain show.

And then there's just the random things from band camp, like giving rides to section members, going out to eat with random baritone players, and eating lunch with fellow Nauvoo Band members (from the original 2008 family). And then there's the things that make me laugh, like Bro. Mac's great quotes (Don't be a musical chicken!), the sexy sax man theme, the way we all try to cram in the shade of the Rameumptum during water breaks because there is literally no other shade on the hot asphalt. Oh, and then there was a day that was supposed to be super hot, and there ended up being a nice cloud cover and a sprinkling of rain.

My friend Lisa said it well when she said that what makes band kids unique is that we're so comfortable around each other. And I would have to agree. Band puts me in my element. With band buddies, I feel the most like myself. And there's nothing comparable to the feeling you get when you nail a drill or hit that awesome set or totally tear through that tough lick. So even though I'm still in awe that the week has ended so quickly, it was probably one of the greatest weeks I've had all summer. What can I say. I LOVE BAND!

Random Ramblings #7

75. I thought about posting about the temple tonight. But I already chose my music playlist for the evening, and it's just not the right music to write about the temple. So that will be an upcoming post, I'm sure.
76. I am really suffering for good food over the last several days. Dinner without dinner group is just a weird concept for me. Plus also, when do I have time to go shopping anyway?
77. I've recently started to like the song "If I Die Young" by the Band Perry. Interestingly enough, I don't like any of Katie Perry's music, and Christina Perry is hit and miss on the goodness of her music. What is it with music artists named Perry anyway?
78. It's laundry time. I have to wash all my shorts so I can wear shorts every day next week at band camp. And I'm finally washing my sheets because it's been too long.
79. Speaking of band camp, I got to climb the "Rameumptum"! Really, it's just the new fancy band tower we have. Contrary to what the song says, there really is room for 2 or 3 (upwards of 8 people! . .haha .. upwards, get it?!), and it's awesome.
80. I have a strong urging to buy a book right now. There's a few reasons why I don't buy many pleasure books. a)I'm a transient student and books take up a lot of room. b)I'm a student . ..two good libraries within walking distance provide me with all the access to books that I really want. c) I'm a student . .. do I have much time to read? d) As much as I like to read, some books are only worth checking out of the library for free instead of actually buying them and hanging on to them forever.
80.1. So what I really want to buy is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I read it earlier this summer, and I loved it! Yesterday Lisa and I went to see the movie . ..soo good! I laughed, I cheered, I cried . .. it was intense-like camping! We sat there after the movie . ..still on the very front row (great seats, right?) just in speechless awe and the greatness of the emotional journey we had just been on. It was awesome. And now I want to read it again! It will probably be my lazy-mood-but-don't-know-what-to-do-mood. Lazy won't come around often enough during Fall semester, but if it's a book that I've already read and already loved . . .it'll be worth buying it, right?
81. Somehow this week I was privileged to join a group of guys as they talked about girls. For being the only female in the group, I got a small glimpse into how guys talk about girls. It was very interesting.
82. I'm currently listening to the song "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train. (See how I can't really write about the temple with that playing?) Anyway, it reminds me of a couple of summer friends in particular. Sigh. Dearest summer, I will miss you.
83. But I am SOO ready for fall! Football games, pumpkin pie, crunchy leaves, new friends, busy schedule . . .man, I am soo ready! Intimidated a little, perhaps. But my roommate Rebecca gave me a new insight; for how busy and overwhelmed my activities may seem .. .it's the people that make it worth it all. Instead of eating that giant elephant one bite at a time, the goodness of the people make it like eating a very large pie. You can't finish it all at once, but every bite of it sure tastes rill good. Especially that pumpkin kind, ya know.
84. Wanna know a secret? I'm not the only person that can touch my tongue to my nose! Kevin can too!

85. There are so many more things I'd like to write about tonight . ..like my most recent date, my transient roommates, band camp, my awesome new job, and my new calling. But why overload it all on my blog, right? I gotta spread it out otherwise it'll be overkill. For me and for my readers.
86. So folks, thanks for reading my random ramblings tonight. May all your wildest dreams come true. Which reminds me . .I dreamed that I was on a cruise ship with my clarinet professor and some other friends. We looked out the window and we saw the letters "EFY" painted on the mountainside. Weird.

Happy Halloween!

Pre-story: Our bishop wants the ward people to be dating. So, the Relief Society organized a date auction activity . ..etc, etc .. . .long story short: Brett got to carve watermelons with me! (There really is a pre-pre story to that if you're really interested, but for the protection of the innocent, I'll leave out all the details). Now here's the real story!
Cutting and gutting. The watermelon, of course. Not each other, silly . . .

Notice the lovely aprons. Brett was a good sport to put one on, even though we didn't splatter nearly as much as I thought we would.

2. Cutting the face. Thanks to Todd's pumpkin carving tool, we made a pretty wicked cool face. Check it out:


But then, we created the mood, and here's what it REALLY looked like:

Oooh! Scary! But pretty cool, if I do say so myself. We can look just as scary . .. well, we tried anyway.

But you know, carved watermelons in the middle of August just put you in a Halloween mood, don't you think? It did for us! Here's what we did next . . .

We dressed up and went trick-or-treating!!!
My costume was pre-made (thanks to my ol' high school days), but we did have fun putting together Brett's mummy costume. Sadly, it didn't really last very long . ..he kept trailing toilet paper everywhere we went. I'd say we looked pretty scary. At least scary enough to get a lot of food! Either that, or people were just a bit weirded out to see two costumed people with a carved watermelon on their front doorstep asking for treats. What can I say-people LOVED us!! We totally made bank! Mostly from our ward friends who actually know us when we're not dressed up and knocking on their doors at random hours on a Friday night. Here's a picture of the spoils:

We inherited the pumpkin basket from Jessica's apartment . .. the very last apartment we went to. After coming home and taking inventory of our booty, we promptly ate the cake we got from N3, half of the cookies from N6, the fruit snacks from somebody in South. Likewise, we promptly threw away the mysterious packaged donut from Shalista (name has been changed to protect the innocent), the cough drops (yeah, because whoever gave them to us was probably sick anyway), and the half empty salsa jar from the Taj. (Really, from the Taj? I'm not sure if anything can be trusted!!) We divided up the rest of the booty.
As much fun as these pictures are, there were just some things that can't be pictured. Like the surprised looks on people's faces when they opened the door. Or the snowcones that a random stranger in the Elms gave us. Yes, my friends. Snowcones!! Best. Treat. Ever!! .. .at least for a midnight trick-or-treat run. Nor can I show our scary voices as we told people to "Open the door!!" And although I can't show a picture, if I were to tell you that I had random fits of giggles at the silliness of what we were doing . ..I bet you can imagine that, too. And if you know me at all, you can probably imagine how much fun I had on my Halloween date with Brett. Happy Halloween everyone!