The Twelve Days of Finals Week

It's almost summer. It's so almost summer. I think there's some change in the chemical makeup of my blood in the summertime because my body feels it.

I was talking to my dear friend Dacy today about how it's felt like the last two weeks of school for about two months now. She described it pretty well by saying that all the time that flew by in October, November, February must have just been taken out of those months and thrown back in right here. It's really hard to stay motivated for the real last two weeks when I feel like I've been just hanging in there for so long already. So in an effort to not just give up entirely, I've decided to pick out one thing each day for the next couple weeks that I'm excited for. And if there isn't something, I'll just make it up. It's my blog, I can do that. Today yoga was really good so that's my exciting thing for today. So starting tomorrow...

4/25- Country dancing with Emily.

4/26- Hopefully working on research stuff??

4/27- It's Friday. That's plenty exciting on its own.

4/28- Movie night. Not necessarily planned, but that tends to just happen on Saturday nights.

4/29- Wearing my cute new DI dress to church!

4/30- End-of-Semester FHE... which translates into free dinner.

5/1- Midnight Breakfast at the Junction!

5/2- MY LAST DAY OF CLASS FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR. Hello, Junior year!

5/3- Sleeping in. Glory hallelujah, this day will be good.

5/4- Avengers with the besties.

5/5- Cinco de Mayo! Was that a bit of a stretch? Maybe. How about... I can maybe go running? Cinco de Mayo+A Maybe=One whole exciting thing.

5/6- Moving into the new apartment! Moving is usually the opposite of exciting, but this time around, I can't wait! It marks the beginning of Summer 2012... which I have a feeling will bring great things.  


Ok. I can do this.

ABC's of Google Chrome

I love Google Chrome. Not really sure why, it's just grown on me. Maybe because I was first introduced to it when I lived with my sister that first summer of college, and it brings back fond memories. Who knew a web browser could have such sentimental value.

Anyway, Google Chrome does this great thing where it predicts the website you're typing in, so for my most used websites I usually only have to type in a letter or two. The other day, I was curious what each of my letters pop up as... 

A- Aggiemail

B- Blogger

C- Cramster.com

D- Dictionary.com

E- Engineering.usu.edu

F- Facebook.com (even though I haven't been on it for a month :) )

G- Google.com

H- Hulu.com

I- IMDb.com

J- 

K- Keirsey.com

L- library.usu.edu

M- maps.google.com

N- Nestleusa.com

P- Pandora.com

Q- 

R-

S- Shindigz.com

T- Tall-girl-problems.tumblr.com (Great stuff.)

U- USU.edu

V- 

W- Weather.com

X-

Y- Yahoomail.com

Z- Zurchers.com

Spring Break Lovin'... Sophomore Style!

Remember last Spring Break? (And this post too...) Well I just got back from Spring Break Round 2 where we cranked it up a notch- California! So great. I've had my fingers crossed all year that I could talk a few people into road-trippin' to California this year, and it actually worked! So last Friday after class, we packed five college students and all our crap into a Toyota Corolla (or was it a Camry?...) and set the GPS for Riverside, CA. Here're a couple shots from Day 1:

Liz, John, Tiffany, Erick. So excited for roller coasters!

I'm really glad I had Tiffany there to take ridiculous pictures with.

These are both standing in line for Viper, our first roller coaster of the day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. 

And then a couple shots from Day 3:

And that's all I got. 

I almost forgot to snap the beach shots, but as we were walking off the beach to head to food, I remembered that I promised my sister I'd get a couple. So here they are Mag, just for you. But everyone else was taking so many pictures that I didn't bother getting my camera out for most of the trip. (Unfortunately, those pictures are all on Facebook which I won't be on for another 19 days. That's ok. It's worth it.) 

But anyways, the whole trip was a lot of fun. Played at Six Flags, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Newport Beach, and Sequoia National Park. So exciting to have my friends see my hometown. And my mother even had the towels color-coded for us when we got there. What's more welcoming than that? Got to see the parents and a couple of the besties from home, and spend a solid week with some of my favorite Utahns. So good.

And now it's back to the real world. Wish me luck.

Wanna Hear Some Great News?!

I got two goldfish couple weeks ago! 

Wanna hear some awful news?

The last one died today.

Rest in peace, Poncho and Trixie. 

But luckily I have other news besides that. 

Forty-eight hours from now I'll be in a car packed full of luggage and college students, headed to California. Unfortunately I've got a nasty test in my Waves class between here and there, but hopefully it'll go ok. (I would definitely appreciate any crossed fingers or good vibes sent this way.) But I'm way psyched. Seriously looking forward to spending this Saturday evening at Six Flags instead of in the computer lab. Going with a great group of friends and we have lots to do. And so, so, so excited to go see my parents (and Jane)! 

Somehow I managed to be in charge of decorations for a couple big events coming up. The first is a sock hop that my co-workers and I are putting on. The first box of stuff ordered from online came in today, and it was so exciting! Still waiting for the Elvis cut-out to come in though. We may have to set him up and take some pictures as soon as he gets here... I'm making a sign for the entry that was inspired by this 

although obviously it won't be for a high school reunion. But I really wanted to start working on it today but had to stop myself because I have studying to do. I just saw the quote on Pinterest that says, "There's no end to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else." So true. That's usually when all my best crafts happen. So that sign could have gotten some work done today, and it would have been spectacular, just because I had something else to do. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to find another time to make it spectacular. The other event is a closing banquet for all the ResLife staff. That one's still a big work in progress, but it'll be fun. Little known fact to my Utah friends, I actually really enjoy decorating. Random, but true. (Maybe I picked it up from my big sister. :) ) My crafty side's been a little stifled this school year, just for lack of time and resources. I mean, I guess I could channel it into my work stuff, but something tells me my science boys aren't particularly interested in personalized pillows or glittery cards. 

Anyways, my ten-minute study break got a little extended so I better get back to it. (Sorry, Mom.) See you on the other side of Spring Break! 

But Who's Counting?

What's in store for the next three weeks? Well let's take a look...

*******

2 Days- Math homework due

3 Days- Scholarship application due

4 Days- Waves homework due

7 Days- Math test

11 Days- Waves test

12 Days- Play at Six Flags

13 Days- See the Hollywood Walk of Fame

14 Days- Play at the beach

15 Days- Eat dinner with my mom

16 Days- See my dad and step-mom

*******

It's too bad I'm not excited. 

Randoms

• Remember this post? Well guess what! As I think you all know, I finally gave something up for Lent this year! I gave up Facebook... so it would be reasonable to expect more blog posts in the near future as I cope with my withdrawals.

• Picked up a pack of these bad boys last night.

Please take a moment to admire these beauties
in all of their double-stuff glory. 

Tiffany and I were a little skeptical of the yellow at first, but I eventually decided it was a good call. They make me happy just looking.











Look at those! Beautiful. And delicious. Pretty sure they're almost halfway gone by now... Buying Oreos always makes me think of Mag. Love you Sis.

• I dyed my hair back to brown by the way. Before classes started this semester actually. Couldn't handle the growing-out look. I liked the blonde, and I knew when I first dyed it that I wouldn't leave it that way for very long, so I'm happy. 

• Speaking of hair, hair lotion- sounds disgusting right? It's actually pretty great. There are tons of free samples of this stuff in the office and I've been using it lately and I totally love it.

• I'm tired. Remember how I said I'm learning how good sleep is? Well I've been neglecting that this week, and I'm just drained. Time is just kind of moving slower in my world right now. At lunch today, I was done eating and just chilling at the table with my friends, enjoying sitting still and not doing anything. When it felt like I'd only been sitting there for five minutes, it'd totally been fifteen. I'm just in sloth mode. 

• You should type "why" into Google and wait for it to pop up with a suggestion for you. (I hope it shows the same thing for you as it did for me.) You know, Google, I've always felt the same way. There's just something special about us I guess. 

• Bringing my random thoughts full circle, I have a couple more thoughts about the whole Lent thing. First of all, I know I'm from the Bible Belt part of California, but I'm used to it being a pretty normal thing for people to do, Catholic or not. Here I kind of confuse people when I say that. Don't worry folks, I know I'm Mormon. I just think it's a good thing. Also, I come from a very Catholic family on my mom's side. As the baby of the family, it's far enough back that I don't know much about it, but my mom's family has been on my mind in the last few months, and I feel like it's sort of a way for me to pay my respects to those that came before me. 

Ay. Sloth-mode, biting me in the butt again- I'm about to be late for a meeting so I suppose I should go. Peace out. 

This is My Stepladder...

Just saw this on Facebook. Maybe I have a cruel sense of humor but I laughed pretty hard.

Obviously everyone gets it. But for those of you who get it, I hope you enjoyed.

That's all kids. Have a lovely night.

Happy V-Day!

I love Valentine's Day. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing out on, but I just don't have any of that "Singles' Awareness Day" angst. I love people. And it makes me happy to see so much love.

And speaking of Single's Awareness Day, I sometimes feel like it should be Single's Pride Day. I can do whatever the heck I want- crush on whoever I want, eat dinner with whoever I want, flirt with whoever I want (Not that I do a whole lot of that, but still. In my head I could be SO flirty if I tried... But then as history tells, I try... and embarrass myself. So I usually just let it stay in my head.). Example: there was this super cute, ringless, guy sitting in the chair next to me in the Institute building today, and I had free range to think to myself that he was super cute. There are some days when I just really enjoy being single. And believe it or not, Valentine's Day is one of them. So I like it.

And besides that, people post some really great things on Facebook. There were so many hilarious pictures and statuses (statii?) today that I quite thoroughly enjoyed. There was one all time favorite though, and I feel it can't go unrecognized.

Thanks, Jordan, if you're reading this. :) 

And on that note, I've got a hot date with my Linear Algebra homework that I wouldn't want to miss. Love you all. :)

Learning...Lots and Lots of Learning

Fine. I'm a vain little girl that likes being asked to blog. You win, Stephen.

In all honesty though, I really do enjoy blogging. My sister told me before I started my blog (Over a year ago! Aw, snap!) that I should do it because it's therapeutic, and it's nice to just write. One more to add to the Good Advice from The Big Sister list. Keep 'em comin' Mag, I can use all the help I can get.

However, as I may have already told certain persons via Facebook, I currently have nothing particularly interesting or clever to write, so I'm just going to write whatever comes to mind. Brace yourself.

Only a quarter in and this semester is already turning out to be the most educational so far. On all levels. Academic- I'm learning about the vastness of the universe and its timeline, and how it's so intricately related to the microscopic, subatomic world. The connection between the two is really fascinating. I'm learning about how we know what we do, and being exposed to a little bit of what physicists are accomplishing today (Did you know scientists have actually created anti-helium?). I'm seeing how math is used in real life. I'm gaining a much more thorough understanding of derivatives and integrals and learning new ways to manipulate numbers. I'm learning how to study. I'm learning the difference between learning for the sake of taking a test and learning for the sake of learning. Jumping back to learning about the universe, I'm realizing just a tiny bit of how omniscient Heavenly Father is. Not just about people and how we feel and think and act, but how the universe as a whole can be pieced together so precisely and perfectly. The patterns are truly amazing. I'm learning to trust in the Savior. I'm also learning about people. And about how I connect (and disconnect) with other people. I'm learning how to make decisions and commit to them. And I'm learning how to accept consequences. I'm learning that just because something is right, that doesn't mean it's easy (forgive the cliché), or that it's free of pain. Alcohol stings, but it cleans out the wound (My best friend told me that a couple years ago and it stuck with me. Thanks, Jane.). I'm learning lots and lots about me. I've realized that my physical and emotional sides are very intertwined. I'm physically affected by my emotions. I'm also learning about the difference it makes to take care of your body. Sleep is good, and so are vegetables. I'm finding balance, both mentally and physically (You should have seen my tree pose in yoga the other day. I'm not sure I've ever been that still in my life. So proud of myself.). 

Long story short- oh wait, it's way too late for that- I'm learning. And I have a feeling this is just the beginning, even in this semester.

Once again, I've managed to produce a long-winded, incredibly introspective blog post with no pictures or videos. Bummer for you. I'm just stubborn enough that even when I do get talked into doing something (ie. updating my blog), I'll do it how I want, thank you very much. But I hope you're satisfied, Stephen. Not only did I blog, but this now makes the third blog post you're mentioned in. Anyway, time for bed. Catch ya on the flip side.

Three Reasons I Love Being a Physics Major

1.) Someone was whistling Star Wars after class the other day.

2.) Finally figuring out a homework problem after an hour+ of trying to puzzle it out makes you feel pretty bad-a.

3.) My adviser gave me a carabiner-flashlight that has the physics department logo on it. That one's old news, but I still love it.