So long, farewell

Tomorrow is my last day as an official resident of Provo, and I have mixed emotions about it. I guess it's true that the one constant in life is change, and I'm just dealing with it like I've learned to.

I packed all of my stuff in less than two hours. It's crazy how empty a room can get in such a short amount of time. Tomorrow at circa 2:30 p.m., my manager will come and check to see if I adequately scrubbed the baseboards and got all my stuff out of here, and I'll hit I-15 running.

It's a funny thing, dealing with change. I went to visit some friends in the ward tonight and to say goodbye, but I wasn't sure how to do it. Do I tell them thanks for the good times? Do I take a Christmas gift? Do I stay and chat? Do we hug? I thought of sending them an e-mail or Facebook message, but if I'm going to do that, couldn't I do it just as well after the fact when I'm already home?

And I don't even know that this is goodbye. I remember when I said "goodbye" to my friend Jake — the first of my friends I graduated with to leave on his mission. I saw him over Thanksgiving break and he was pretty much the same (except with a couple years on his face and a hint of a Spanish accent). Back in August of '06, I didn't tell him goodbye at all. It's more of a "see ya later."

So I guess there's no reason, really, to be sad. No reason to say goodbye, even.

See ya later, Utah.

A few of my favorite things

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and yesterday I left my mistletoe-clad abode and ventured to the holly-jolliest place in Utah County — University Mall. Finding a gift for a co-worker was harder than I thought, so I thought I'd give y'all an early Christmas present — ideas! Here's my 2008 gift guide: (Note: These are probably best for the teenage/twenty-something females on your list. Not that your son won't LOVE a Flirty Apron)

1. So I'm a total sucker for anything with an Apple sticker, and when my iPod completely lost its mind (after three long years of heavy use, by the way) and started playing any song in its library completely at random and ignoring my futile attempts at contolling it, I decided it was time for something new.


And if that doesn't make you drool, watch this.

(*Note: My dad just got and iPod Touch and has been listening to the music I left on our home computer. He said, "That band called Weasel is pretty good. I really like the one song 'Say it Ain't So.'" He meant Weezer. I love my dad.)

2. I'm not exactly a domestic goddess. Have you seen "Father of the Bride"? Remember when Brian gives Annie a blender for their anniversary and she flips out? I can relate to her a little. But that doesn't change the fact that I think these are completely to die for:


I'm a sucker for blue and brown anyway, and that just makes me want to bake up some banana bread, stat.

3. I'm kind of a bookworm, but even if I'm not reading a book, I still like to own it. My apartment never feels like home until I have at least a dozen books lining the shelf, and I'm taking a Fiction to Film class next semester, so I get a whole new collection. You can never go wrong with a nice book.


4. Games, games, games! LeaDawn and I used to have Sunday Game Night every weekend, and we played more games of Nertz than you can imagine. Variety is wonderful — have you ever heard of Settlers of Catan? It's addictingly delicious ... and (speaking of delicious) so is Apples to Apples. And Cranium. And others.

5. And if you're buying for someone who already has #1 (or something with similar capabilities), a CD is always a fine choice. Let me offer some suggestions:

I saw a Limbeck show in Salt Lake City last Saturday, and I'm totally in love. I couldn't stop smiling the whole time they played. You won't hear them on the radio, but you should.


Sondre Lerche makes me smile — and he did almost every song on here.

I haven't fogotten. I've been waiting for this since May.

Merry Christmas to all!

English 318 and skydiving finally have something in common

I registered for winter semester classes a few weeks ago. I was busy the evening before looking at my Grad Plan and what classes were offered and who taught them, and when, and how long it would take me to walk to class from my new apartment. I was basically stressing out over life. Have you heard of The Color Code? I'm pretty much true blue, and I go into checklist-addiction relapse when registration time comes around.

By the time I finished, there was nothing left of my Grad Plan. Choosing classes for the MesoAmerica tour, adding web design courses to my emphasis and otherwise adapting to changing circumstances turned my schedule into a strange mix of the classes that actually turned out much better than I had planned.

I guess life is kind of that way. Graduation won't be the last thing I accomplish despite my best efforts. I made a list when I was 12 describing my future husband, and as much as I wanted a tall, movie-quoting guitarist at the time, my priorities have changed. I made another list when I was 14 of things I want to do before I die, but somewhere along the way I've lost my enthusiasm for skydiving and added things like "write a novel" and "get a Master's degree."

As far as I can tell, change is paradoxically constant. I think Steve Carell said it best at the end of one of my favorite movies, Dan in Real Life:

"Instead of telling our young people to plan ahead, we should tell them to plan to be surprised."

A Post-Thanksgiving "Thanks Giving"

As promised, here are a few things I'm extra thankful for after an extra-awesome Turkey Day.

1. Dodgeball with the fam at Madison Middle School 2. Ice Skating at Tautphaus Park 3. Real mashed potatoes 4. Big, comfy couches and good movies 5. Christmas carols 6. Black Honda Accords 7. New Fong's Chinese Restaurant 8. Little boys 9. Little girls 10. Mario Kart 11. Being a Madison Bobcat 12. Volkswagen Beetles 13. Dimples 14. Not being "out on the street" 15. Chex Mix with candy syrup and nuts 16. Trips to the grocery store to buy lemons 17. Sleeping in 18. The Rexburg Temple 19. Selling housing contracts 20. A good life