Saturday, August 7, 2010
Whenever I take those theoretically scientific personality tests, they always tell me that I'm an introverted person. Which I completely agree with. I much prefer my comfort zone, and breaking out of my shell makes me irrationally nervous.
This introversion also causes me, more often than not, to keep my feelings quiet. If I'm ever in a big group of people, I prefer to listen to the conversation rather than actively participate in it. And if someone upsets me, the last thing I'd do would be to tell them. My hobbies include reading and movie watching, and I often choose to go shopping alone. It's not that I hate being social, it's just that only enjoy being social for so long before I need alone time.
Sometimes, my odd hermit tendencies can be detrimental to my relationships, and it's times like these when I need a little push to get me to speak up or go out or whatever the situation requires. I don't always enjoy these pushes, but I almost always find that I'm glad for them in the end. Like when my mom pushed me to go play tennis with friends even though I'm an abysmal tennis player. Or when Skyler pushed me to actually share my feelings instead of 'thinking about them' first. I almost think I could be an extrovert if people would just push me to be. Though I'm perfectly happy with my introverted self. And I'm grateful for those little pushes that keep me from becoming a true hermit.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Hot (Skype) Dates
Friday, August 6, 2010
Long distance relationships get really old really fast. Though, to be fair, a long distance relationship is better than no relationship, at least with the current guy. And Skyler and I do almost everything possible to stay in touch: text, talk on the phone, facebook, the occasional email, and skype. About the only communication mode we haven't broken into is letter writing, but that might happen while I'm in Jerusalem. Well, at least maybe postcard writing.
Tonight, we had a skype date. I say 'date,' but really we'd just decided to skype tonight, so I'm not entirely sure it classifies as a date, especially when it was interrupted by my dad and his brother and brother's girlfriend. Regardless, it was quite fun.
I think skype is little short of amazing. I find it so incredible that live video feed is able to be sent over the internet. Though almost anything regarding the internet baffles me; that we can send data at all is something I consider to be a modern miracle. While the picture quality of the webcam might not always be top-notch, I really have nothing to complain about when it comes to video chatting. Personally, I'm so grateful for it that I'd like to shake the hand of whoever invented it, because somehow, hot skype dates seems to make five weeks a little more bearable.
Long distance relationships get really old really fast. Though, to be fair, a long distance relationship is better than no relationship, at least with the current guy. And Skyler and I do almost everything possible to stay in touch: text, talk on the phone, facebook, the occasional email, and skype. About the only communication mode we haven't broken into is letter writing, but that might happen while I'm in Jerusalem. Well, at least maybe postcard writing.
Tonight, we had a skype date. I say 'date,' but really we'd just decided to skype tonight, so I'm not entirely sure it classifies as a date, especially when it was interrupted by my dad and his brother and brother's girlfriend. Regardless, it was quite fun.
I think skype is little short of amazing. I find it so incredible that live video feed is able to be sent over the internet. Though almost anything regarding the internet baffles me; that we can send data at all is something I consider to be a modern miracle. While the picture quality of the webcam might not always be top-notch, I really have nothing to complain about when it comes to video chatting. Personally, I'm so grateful for it that I'd like to shake the hand of whoever invented it, because somehow, hot skype dates seems to make five weeks a little more bearable.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Hershey*
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I swear if my dog wakes me up at 6:30 in the morning one more time by barking at non-existent squirrels, I will put her up for sale faster than you can say 'woof!' If you ever wondered why my dog and I do not get along, here you have perfect proof. I've surprised myself by not locking her out of the house yet.
However, as much as Hershey drives me up the wall, there are a few (a very few) qualities that I at least find amusing about her. The first being that I'm pretty sure she dreams. I actually really wish I could know what she dreams about (if, in fact, dogs can dream), because she gets awfully funny when she's deeply asleep. Her eyes come half open and start rolling (which is actually really creepy, not funny), her tongue sticks out, her nose twitches, and sometimes her paws even start to move. Like she's having a dream about chasing down a rabbit or attacking the neighbor dog or something equally dog-worthy. If there's anything about Hershey that I enjoy, it's watching her dream.
The other point in her favor is that she can be very cute when she decides to cuddle. However, letting her cuddle with you is always a gamble, because she can also be very annoying. If she's just taking a little cat nap next to me, I don't mind it so much. She doesn't move, she isn't barking, and she doesn't take up much space. But, if she snuggles up for a good long sleep, I know I'm in trouble, because those are the times when she sprawls out and takes up all the available space. You wouldn't believe it, but my little eleven-pound dog has actually squeezed me off the couch before because she spreads out so much when she sleeps. I don't know how my parents stand to sleep with her every night.
I'm not entirely sure why I decided to write a post about my dog tonight, because I'm still a little bitter about her untimely wake-up call. But I suppose she deserves some recognition for being, well, the family dog. And I am semi-trying to make our relationship more based on love than on hate, mostly by bribing her with treats and occasionally letting her sleep on my recliner. I suppose writing a post about how grateful I am for her (*in very specific circumstances) was inevitable.
The face that isn't always as cute as it seems (though sometimes it is).
I swear if my dog wakes me up at 6:30 in the morning one more time by barking at non-existent squirrels, I will put her up for sale faster than you can say 'woof!' If you ever wondered why my dog and I do not get along, here you have perfect proof. I've surprised myself by not locking her out of the house yet.
However, as much as Hershey drives me up the wall, there are a few (a very few) qualities that I at least find amusing about her. The first being that I'm pretty sure she dreams. I actually really wish I could know what she dreams about (if, in fact, dogs can dream), because she gets awfully funny when she's deeply asleep. Her eyes come half open and start rolling (which is actually really creepy, not funny), her tongue sticks out, her nose twitches, and sometimes her paws even start to move. Like she's having a dream about chasing down a rabbit or attacking the neighbor dog or something equally dog-worthy. If there's anything about Hershey that I enjoy, it's watching her dream.
The other point in her favor is that she can be very cute when she decides to cuddle. However, letting her cuddle with you is always a gamble, because she can also be very annoying. If she's just taking a little cat nap next to me, I don't mind it so much. She doesn't move, she isn't barking, and she doesn't take up much space. But, if she snuggles up for a good long sleep, I know I'm in trouble, because those are the times when she sprawls out and takes up all the available space. You wouldn't believe it, but my little eleven-pound dog has actually squeezed me off the couch before because she spreads out so much when she sleeps. I don't know how my parents stand to sleep with her every night.
I'm not entirely sure why I decided to write a post about my dog tonight, because I'm still a little bitter about her untimely wake-up call. But I suppose she deserves some recognition for being, well, the family dog. And I am semi-trying to make our relationship more based on love than on hate, mostly by bribing her with treats and occasionally letting her sleep on my recliner. I suppose writing a post about how grateful I am for her (*in very specific circumstances) was inevitable.
The face that isn't always as cute as it seems (though sometimes it is).
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Humor in Hindsight
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Today my mom and I had an almost completely unproductive adventure: we went shopping. The purpose of our trip was to come up with some sort of wardrobe that I could take with me to Jerusalem, since the culture is much more modest and conservative over there than it is here. Unfortunately, we came up with very little.
The other purpose to our adventure was to get my mom's cell phone fixed, as well as clear up a few issues with our plan. This purpose was just as unsuccessful as the other one, though looking back it was at least a little humorous.
See, we started out by going to the Verizon kiosk in the mall. The employee that we talked to informed us that they only dealt with Verizon FIOS, and that we'd need to go to the upstairs Verizon kiosk to deal with phone issues.
So we trekked upstairs and quickly located the second kiosk. Where the employee there promptly informed us that he could do nothing about the phone, and he could not help us with our other issues. He then spent about ten minutes telling us where to go, what to ask for, and how Verizon could help, adding in a personal story of how they helped him when his phone pocket-downloaded three hundred dollars worth of crap (this story took up about nine of our ten conversation minutes).
And on we continued, driving about ten minutes to a shopping center where we located an actual Verizon store. However, it turned out to be a Verizon wireless store, meaning that it could do nothing about the phone and nothing about the issues. The poor employee in that store was so bored that I think he was actually excited to help us when we walked in. Though really he couldn't help us at all.
But he did point us onward, and we wound up at our fourth Verizon place of the day. The employee at this store could order my mom a new phone, but he wasn't able to diagnose what was wrong with her current one, and he could sortof tell her what caused her other issues, but he couldn't do anything to fix them. He could tell us where to go to get everything taken care of though, so we made progress! However, our ridiculous run-around took so long that, by the time we finished at the fourth store, the time was 6:06, and the fifth store that should have been able to fix all our problems was closed. At least we knew where to start tomorrow.
I'm not sure where exactly the gratitude comes in here, because it was extremely frustrating at the time. Luckily, it turned out to be one of those stories that I'm able to look back on and laugh at. So I guess that's something - the humor in hindsight. It really helps put perspective on what would otherwise be a frustrating life.
Today my mom and I had an almost completely unproductive adventure: we went shopping. The purpose of our trip was to come up with some sort of wardrobe that I could take with me to Jerusalem, since the culture is much more modest and conservative over there than it is here. Unfortunately, we came up with very little.
The other purpose to our adventure was to get my mom's cell phone fixed, as well as clear up a few issues with our plan. This purpose was just as unsuccessful as the other one, though looking back it was at least a little humorous.
See, we started out by going to the Verizon kiosk in the mall. The employee that we talked to informed us that they only dealt with Verizon FIOS, and that we'd need to go to the upstairs Verizon kiosk to deal with phone issues.
So we trekked upstairs and quickly located the second kiosk. Where the employee there promptly informed us that he could do nothing about the phone, and he could not help us with our other issues. He then spent about ten minutes telling us where to go, what to ask for, and how Verizon could help, adding in a personal story of how they helped him when his phone pocket-downloaded three hundred dollars worth of crap (this story took up about nine of our ten conversation minutes).
And on we continued, driving about ten minutes to a shopping center where we located an actual Verizon store. However, it turned out to be a Verizon wireless store, meaning that it could do nothing about the phone and nothing about the issues. The poor employee in that store was so bored that I think he was actually excited to help us when we walked in. Though really he couldn't help us at all.
But he did point us onward, and we wound up at our fourth Verizon place of the day. The employee at this store could order my mom a new phone, but he wasn't able to diagnose what was wrong with her current one, and he could sortof tell her what caused her other issues, but he couldn't do anything to fix them. He could tell us where to go to get everything taken care of though, so we made progress! However, our ridiculous run-around took so long that, by the time we finished at the fourth store, the time was 6:06, and the fifth store that should have been able to fix all our problems was closed. At least we knew where to start tomorrow.
I'm not sure where exactly the gratitude comes in here, because it was extremely frustrating at the time. Luckily, it turned out to be one of those stories that I'm able to look back on and laugh at. So I guess that's something - the humor in hindsight. It really helps put perspective on what would otherwise be a frustrating life.
Teachers Who Care
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
I am almost positive that every child out there has had a teacher at some point that didn't care about his or her well-being. Unfortunately, I don't know that the opposite is true, that every child has had a teacher that was deeply invested in his or her well-being. I would hope that it is, but the reality might not be so optimistic.
Luckily for me, I have had the good fortunate to have more than one teacher who actually cared about me as an individual. And one of those teachers happens to be the Institute teacher in my stake, Brother Premont. Brother Premont is a rather funny guy, and he really loves to talk. His lessons run long more often than not, but he always has a snack ready for us after, and he likes to catch up with our lives while we bond over cookies or root beer floats.
Tonight I had a very nice conversation with Brother Premont as we discussed everything from my upcoming travel plans to the BYU football team. He really takes an interest in my life, and making sure that I'm living a very happy one. It's comforting to know that there are teachers like him out there, teachers who really care about the students they teach and who actually wish to better their students' lives rather than just get them through the class. And I'll always be grateful for teachers like Brother Premont.
I am almost positive that every child out there has had a teacher at some point that didn't care about his or her well-being. Unfortunately, I don't know that the opposite is true, that every child has had a teacher that was deeply invested in his or her well-being. I would hope that it is, but the reality might not be so optimistic.
Luckily for me, I have had the good fortunate to have more than one teacher who actually cared about me as an individual. And one of those teachers happens to be the Institute teacher in my stake, Brother Premont. Brother Premont is a rather funny guy, and he really loves to talk. His lessons run long more often than not, but he always has a snack ready for us after, and he likes to catch up with our lives while we bond over cookies or root beer floats.
Tonight I had a very nice conversation with Brother Premont as we discussed everything from my upcoming travel plans to the BYU football team. He really takes an interest in my life, and making sure that I'm living a very happy one. It's comforting to know that there are teachers like him out there, teachers who really care about the students they teach and who actually wish to better their students' lives rather than just get them through the class. And I'll always be grateful for teachers like Brother Premont.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Custard and Italian Ice
Monday, August 2, 2010
Maryland has many wonders that my family and I have discovered over the years, but I have to say that one of the most wonderful wonders we've crossed paths with is a delightful italian ice and custard place known as Rita's. Currently, Rita's is an East Coast and Southern phenomenon, which is a real tragedy for those living in the West who never have the opportunity to sample the heavenly creations that come from these summertime stands. Thankfully, I have the pleasure of living five minutes away from a Rita's, and it has been a staple of my summertime menu for the past few years.
Tonight, my parents and I discovered Rita's competition - a little shop known as Meadow-something Custard. Something. (It's name wasn't quite as easy to remember.) It was a rather interesting place, run by eager high school students and owned by a very eager middle-aged man. The menu was a bit more extensive than the fares that Rita's offered, but I'm not yet convinced that the quality was as good. However, it seemed to be an opponent worthy of challenging the powerhouse that is Rita's. I'll be interested to see how this battle ends. And while I wait, I'm grateful for an unending supply of custard and italian ice. Somehow it makes the summer that much better.
Maryland has many wonders that my family and I have discovered over the years, but I have to say that one of the most wonderful wonders we've crossed paths with is a delightful italian ice and custard place known as Rita's. Currently, Rita's is an East Coast and Southern phenomenon, which is a real tragedy for those living in the West who never have the opportunity to sample the heavenly creations that come from these summertime stands. Thankfully, I have the pleasure of living five minutes away from a Rita's, and it has been a staple of my summertime menu for the past few years.
Tonight, my parents and I discovered Rita's competition - a little shop known as Meadow-something Custard. Something. (It's name wasn't quite as easy to remember.) It was a rather interesting place, run by eager high school students and owned by a very eager middle-aged man. The menu was a bit more extensive than the fares that Rita's offered, but I'm not yet convinced that the quality was as good. However, it seemed to be an opponent worthy of challenging the powerhouse that is Rita's. I'll be interested to see how this battle ends. And while I wait, I'm grateful for an unending supply of custard and italian ice. Somehow it makes the summer that much better.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Peanuts
Sunday, August 1, 2010
No, this post does not refer to the salty nut variety. Or even to the double-dipped chocolate kind. It refers to the card game called Peanuts, my favorite card game, actually. It's known by a variety of names and played in a variety of ways, but one constant holds true: it's the best card game out there. Each person has their own deck in what can be most easily described as multi-player solitaire, and it requires a fast pace and quick reaction time. If you play with my family, there may even be a little violence involved.
The reason I love this game so much is not for the adrenaline rush, or my about-five-year winning streak, or even for my totally awesome Cracker Jack playing cards; it's because we always play it as a family. It's our family game (at least when I have my way; otherwise the game generally tends to be Racko). For a little while in high school, we played it almost every Sunday night, until my family got tired of losing to me every time (you think I exaggerate, but I really win every time). It was great family bonding time, even with Carlton accusing me of cheating and Derek actually cheating. And I think that's something to be grateful for.
No, this post does not refer to the salty nut variety. Or even to the double-dipped chocolate kind. It refers to the card game called Peanuts, my favorite card game, actually. It's known by a variety of names and played in a variety of ways, but one constant holds true: it's the best card game out there. Each person has their own deck in what can be most easily described as multi-player solitaire, and it requires a fast pace and quick reaction time. If you play with my family, there may even be a little violence involved.
The reason I love this game so much is not for the adrenaline rush, or my about-five-year winning streak, or even for my totally awesome Cracker Jack playing cards; it's because we always play it as a family. It's our family game (at least when I have my way; otherwise the game generally tends to be Racko). For a little while in high school, we played it almost every Sunday night, until my family got tired of losing to me every time (you think I exaggerate, but I really win every time). It was great family bonding time, even with Carlton accusing me of cheating and Derek actually cheating. And I think that's something to be grateful for.
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