Quirks and Pet Peeves

"But it's Halloween! Shouldn't you be posting about what you're going to be and what you're going to do tonight for your last (hopefully, oh gosh hopefully) Halloween in Provo?" you say.

Well, I say, it's Halloween 4:00ish and I still don't know what I'm going to be dang it! I'll probably be something lame and be angry when FB pics get posted. Embarrassing! Remove tag. Remove tag. Remove tag.

But since Cath tagged me days, weeks, months (it was a while ago, trust me) ago, I decided to gather up some of my quirks and pet peeves that I am not ashamed of and which won't (hopefully) come back to haunt me in the future. (See this is a scary Halloween post! Here, I'll even post a scary picture:

Vampire, Edvard Munch
Ok, I think it's scary-ish.)

Now, onto my fabulous post about me and the weirdness that is me:
1. Mmmm. Leaves! I love stepping on crunch leaves. I zig-zag all over the ramp up to campus to get the most crunchy ones. (And I think I found them, but I won't tell you where otherwise they'll all be gone when I go to walk to school on Monday.) Crunchy leaves give a sense of satisfaction, like poking a bubble, or popping bubble wrap, squeezing a pimple or draining a blister. (Liz, you know what I’m talking about! Sorry Erin.) I just love stepping on leaves. It’s totally worth stepping on every leaf just to get the surprise crunch of a really good one.
2. I sometimes feel that if I can’t do something perfect I shouldn’t do it at all. It seems to be the pattern of my life. I very highly debated dropping Bookbinding a few nights ago because I just wasn’t getting my book done but after talking to the teacher and really wanting to stay in the class, I’m turning over a new leaf (a crunchy one) and I’m going to force myself to stick with it.
3. Keep it simple. I can’t stand it when people use big words just to sound smarter. Just use words that everyone understands please! Then no one (me) feels inadequate when you use a big word that they (I) don’t understand. The same goes for acronyms!
4. Eyebrows. I notice eyebrows. My eyebrows are far from perfect but I always notice who has skinny ones; who has unplucked ones; who has a great arch; who has no arch; who has a unibrow; who has full ones etc. But don’t worry, I will never say anything to you about your brows unless you ask me to pluck them, and I’m really good at that too.
5. Shifting. I like shifting gears. And I always have to be driving fast. It seems that even if I’ve all the time in the world I will still be passing all other drivers. I think I like to drive in fourth gear because I get to shift three times before cruising. I also think I like the feel of acceleration.
6. My two favorite things to eat are cookie dough and ice cream. I have to avoid them at all costs because I will eat them and only them if that’s what is around.
7. It has already been established that I like the strange people on campus, but I find myself laughing out loud, walking with a big smile on my face or looking for someone to share in the situation with. I then end up talking to some random person about something funny I just saw. It’s never fully appreciated but since I shared the experience I then remember it and can share it with someone who will fully appreciate it later.
8. As much as I share it is a little known fact that I am pretty private. Ok you don’t believe me. That’s probably because once I share a “secret” once, it’s almost as I’ve given myself permission to tell everyone! It’s a bad habit, and I’m trying to break it. (Not working I’m afraid.)
9. I brush my teeth in the shower so I don’t forget. It’s not so bad once you get used to the hot water.
10. I love cooking but I never do it. It’s one of my goals for the month of November. I got a new cookbook and I will be making at least one dish a week. I’ll keep you posted on what I make. (This is a goal I’m really trying to keep.)

Ok! Have a safe and happy Halloween weekend! Love you! (And leave me comments! I love them.)

Missing

I missed Jess today. That's all.

Jess

Jess, me and Ellie

Jess and Me at lunch.

At the Portland Temple

Jess went into the MTC this week. She is going to be a wonderful missionary. Cami, Emma, Grandma, Grandpa and I went to Eugene last weekend to go to Jess's farewell talk and to have some time with her before she left for the Singapore, Indonesian speaking mission that she was called to. I think I just want to say a few things about how much I admire Jess. I don't think I could have gone on a mission at 22, with a serious boyfriend, and one semester left of school. I feel like I did it the easy way. I wanted to go, I had nothing to hold me back from going, and so I went! Jess had everything to hold her back, and she didn't want to go when she was officially eligible to go. But she is going to be great. I thought I'd share my highlights from her farewell talk:

• Mosiah 29:3-- the sons of Mosiah want to serve missions and have been completely forgiven for their past. She elaborated saying how merciful Heavenly Father is for letting imperfect beings proclaim His perfect message.
• Come What May, and Love It-- she'll be doing this a lot on her mission and has been doing that ever since she decided she was going to serve.
• She was called to serve, and she has not doubted that those impressions to serve were from the Lord.

Jess was poised and collected as she spoke, but she was also heartfelt and emotional. She had the perfect combination for her talk.

We picked her up from the airport in Salt Lake on Wednesday and drove down to the MTC stopping at Guru's for dinner since she was going to miss it at the MTC. We waited for her companion, Sister McCurdy, to meet her at the front desk but she must not have heard the page. Around 6:15 the MTC worker took Jess to her orientation and we said bye. There really wasn't a lot of tears. Jess looked good walking away and I was really excited for her to start her mission. Here are some more pictures:

At the airport. I don't know what the face I'm making is...

Kissing Jess outside the MTC.


Jess, having just been missionary-ified.


Waiting for Sister McCurdy, Jess's MTC companion.


Saying goodbye.


Jess being taken off to her orientation by an MTC worker. (Sister McCurdy never showed...)

Fixed

Intruder!

I woke up this morning and this:

is what I saw! Someone must have come into my room while I was sleeping and thrown everything about! I'm now attempting to clean up the chaos this said intruder caused.

I love Eugene 2

I couldn't resist putting up another video. This one is so quintessential Eugene. We're at the market, she's hippie dancing, she's got wings on her ears (although they do look like elf attachments from far away), and I think she was a vendor that just had to get out and move. She made us so happy. Pictures of my cute missionary sister to come! And she really is so cute.

I love Eugene

I'm in the process of writing a post dedicated to Jess, whom we took to the MTC yesterday (Singapore, Indonesian speaking mission), but until I actually finish the post I'd post this little gem from the Eugene Saturday Market.

The star of this clip was seen congratulating me for my sweet Saturday Market inspired moves (which unfortunately for you probably won't be posted) saying something to me about how there is an inner dancer in all of us and that he's so happy I let mine get out. Little does he know...

I love my family

We came home from breakfast at the Barnes this morning and played with Photo Booth for a little while. Maybe not the most flattering of pictures, but these we had fun and these are our favorites. (Cami and Emma were MIA and probably hanging out with Kate or recording music in the other room.)

I'm voting!

I got my ballot yesterday! Hooray! I'm going to be real live voter for the first time ever! (Sad but true, last presidential election I didn't get an absentee ballot soon enough and was in Vienna for the election.)

All before lunch

I sit in the back of my office and hear people getting candy out of the bowl. It makes me laugh because they try not to get caught. Today we have Reese’s Pieces.

I got catcalled walking to school for the first time ever. I must look good today. Ok, not really. But I did get a, “Lauren get out of the road!” by two guys in a red Mini Cooper when I walked across the street south of campus by Brick Oven. I have no idea who was in the car but they obviously knew who I was. Dang. And, there wasn’t even the slightest sound of a whistle or wolf howl. Dang again.

Some guy was letting his baby crawl all over the floor and stairs in the MARB. All I could think of were the hands of that baby going into his mouth. Does that dad know how many people walk those stairs every single day?

I walked to the front of the office today to get some paper work and saw some guy standing outside in the hall waiting for the elevator. I said, “Hey, do I know you?” He said, “Yeah” and then “Elder Reid?” came out of my mouth. What are the odds of running into someone you haven’t seen for over two years at your little measly place of employment?

Hooray for procrastination!

Good news, good news, I finally have a thesis for my paper! So in celebration I'm writing about my fabulous weekend. (This coming weekend is going to be equally great because I'm going home to Oregon!)

Miss Amy came to visit from DC--she's the one who would have told me about my fly had she been paying more attention to me like she should-- and we had a wonderful wonderful time. I spent all Saturday morning preparing for her coming by cleaning and organizing my room while watching past episodes of House on Fox.com and avoiding doing the pressing homework for Monday which I knew wasn't going to get done anyway because as soon as she got into Provo it was going to be an Amy filled day and night so I was just being helpful so that when she did get here I would be ready to give her all the attention she deserved instead of waiting for me to do my homework. I'm so thoughtful. So she got here and we went to the bookstore and got matching BYU sweatshirts. (Ok, they aren't matching exactly, but pretty dang close.)

That's us sportin' our sweet Cougar gear, eatin' our blue bunned J-Dawgs (which were only $1).

When we got to the game we decided to watch the team run by us. Amy was mostly excited to see Mr. Fui Vakapuna because he incidentally told her she was cute (twice) while she was skipping class once last year. (She doesn't even remember what was happening that day in class, or what class it was for that matter, but, who cares? She has her diploma, and a real life grown up person's job.) But her memory of Fui will go on and on.

This is us waiting for Fui with Brybry. He was really excited, but I couldn't tell if it was the awesome company or the fact that he was back at BYU, back in Cougar Stadium living the Provo Dream. (Or maybe he just really really likes football. It's the football definitely.)

That's him! That's Fui Vakapuna! #1! He's #1! He's #1! And, he almost touched her hand! Just a few more inches, and you and Fui would have meshed skin cells together Amy. (If that even works! Meh, I have no idea. Bio 100 was not my strong suit, but let me tell you about Edgar Allan Poe...) You should have put it out there a little farther Amy!

Here is another good picture of our sweet matching Cougar Gear. I have my excited face on.

By the end of the game it was freezing. Amy had conveniently invited her young and innocent cousin Michael to sit with us and then used him for his deliciously warm blanket! I have my hood on. It was warmer that way. Lindsay J was roughin' it in just a puffy vest but she does look more stylin' than me in my hunter's jacket. Lindsay S is looking warm and comfortable in her hat and puffy coat. Michael although looks happy is just wanting his blanket back.

Unfortunately there is no photo documentation of the rest of the night but it included a Cafe Rio trip and a wild game of Catch Phrase. Adam and Eve-- Gethsemane, Sacred Grove! Junk yard dog! Basement! Beyonce!

Love you Amy! Thanks for making my weekend! And now I'm going to go back to writing that paper. Three pages minimum. I think I can, I think I can.

Sick

I don't know if it's lack of sleep, shock from spraining my ankle yesterday (while running across the grass at Grandma and Grandpa's house in three inch faux snakeskin pumps, to avoid getting snowed on too much and rolling the ankle when toe hit pavement and heel was still aerating the lawn), or stress from not being prepared for my Contemporary Art midterm this afternoon, but I'm sick. I'm currently vegging out in bed. No, scratch that. Vegging is not happening. I'm still preparing my stupid essays for my stupid test for the stupid class that lectures don't adequately prepare me for and requires me to learn more on my own than is elaborated on by my teacher but am still required to know all about.

I love:

Phone calls from these two. I don't care what I have due the next day at 4:00 and no time to work on it between 10 and 3, I will drop everything, even if that means a great lack of sleep, for them:

Real life horror

This was the progression of emotions that I went through last night after returning home from playing and realizing my fly was down. I don't know how long it had been like that, but Amy assured me she would have told me if she had noticed. Hopefully the zipper fell in the walk from the car to my apartment.

Best News Ever!

No, this has nothing to do with my eternal progression and salvation.

BUT, it's second best. I was supposed to have a paper due Wednesday. My teacher canceled it! Hooray for teachers who are lazy!

Why, oh why, oh why-o?

As I walked to go home this afternoon I ran into a friend and complained that I didn’t know what to do with the afternoon because I had so much to do this weekend and won’t be doing it. I told him I didn’t know what to do, go home or go to the library and work on my Edgar Allan Poe paper (which I have yet to get any real progress on). He looked at me like, “Lauren, are you really asking me what you should do?” I said, “Ok, I know the right answer,” before he could tell me in words what he was thinking. When we finished talking started backing away to walk down to my apartment. I decided that I was indeed going to go home instead of heading to the library. I announced it and immediately knew I should turn my butt around and head over to the library. I was given “the look” and I shuffled on back into the HBLL. I’m a pushover. I suppose though if the peer pressure is making me do the right things its ok. And now, instead of working on my paper I am gchatting and blogging. The two things that constantly keep me from doing my work.

All I really want to do now is:
1. Eat the ice cream that’s in my freezer.
2. Get a pedicure.
3. Watch Oprah. I haven’t in months and it’s on in 25 minutes. Whoops, shouldn’t have reminded myself of goodies like that.
4. Take a shower. I just can’t do night before showers. I never feel as fresh.
5. Be anywhere but the library.

No no no!

I don't want to do anything! I can't decide if it's because I just did school for a year straight or what. But I'm behind in all my classes. I am able to get my papers in, tests taken (if they're late days) and do my homework, but I don't want to do it. I wish I could just audit all my classes. I want to learn but I don't want to work. I must just be really lazy.

Things I don't like:
1. A broken dryer. I have to run it three times to get dry clothes but I often forget that they're in there and now all my clothes smell slightly moldy, but I don't want to wash them again because it'll just be a vicious cycle.
2. Flossing. I hate flossing my teeth. It needs to be done. I have "watch" areas between them and I don't want to have another cavity. But, I still don't like doing it.
3. Muffin top. Who likes it? 'Nuf said.
4. Not having an email. I don't care if the email I'm getting is from BYU or the Humanities Club (which I accidentally joined) or the MTC begging for Polish speakers to come volunteer. I just don't like not having something in my in box.
5. Going to bed late. Because then I can't get up early. I read (for fun, not smart when you aren't motivated to do actual homework) until 1:00 last night, but I had the intentions of getting up early to work on my book for Bookbinding. Didn't happen. I snoozed until 9 and then was late for work at 10.
6. Having friends living far away.
7. Not having any texts or messages when I emerge from the abyss known as the JFSB basement.
8. Waterproof mascara.
9. Gross toenails that aren't painted. Mine are in desperate need of a new paint job, but we're entering closed toed shoe weather and it just seems borderline pointless.
10. A messy room. Mine is out of control right now. No motivation for school= no motivation to clean either.

Things I like:
1. Jaymay. I have been loving a song by her called "Corduroy" for about six months now and had no idea who it was by. Thanks to Pandora and a slow afternoon at work I know it's now Jaymay.
2. Pushing Daisies. There is a new episode tonight and I'm really excited about it.
3. Constant emails and gchats with Amy and Erin throughout the day. It makes me happy. And I hate it when 3:00 pm comes because that means it's 5:00 pm in DC and Amy is off work.
4. The announcement of the temple in Rome. That gives me hope that someday the church will grow in other stubbornly Catholic countries like Poland!
5. Ben and Jerry's Banana Split
6. Talking on the phone to people who can totally relate to me right now.
7. Blogstalking. I may do it entirely too much.
8. Having my own room. It's heaven. I love my roommates and I love my alone time. It's the best of both worlds.
9. Being done with my homework but I have yet to experience that as of recently.
10. Getting enough sleep. I got enough last night and it was so nice and I think it made me more upbeat today and I didn't get as tired in class!

Just do it

Though I'm not a huge fan of celebrities being so political, I think this is good.

Yum!

Today was an interesting day, food wise. I woke up late and practically jumped out of bed and into the shower. I rushed to work this morning stopping to grab a yogurt as I ran out the door. But when I got to work, I almost immediately delved into the candy bowl full of Skittles. I ate so many that by the end of the morning I swear I looked like this guy:

I was definitely feeling a little sick from all the Skittles I had (which is a lot when you start at 8:30 in the morning). So I decided to get a salad for lunch until Nathan persuaded me to procrastinate writing my research paper proposal and get J-dawgs with him. So of course I got one! Not only do I love procrastinating, but I love J-dawgs, and I love hanging out with Nate! But despite the tastiness that my tummy was enjoying today, the best part was finishing class tonight and having my cereal.

I love cereal! I could eat any kind and I could probably eat it for every single meal. It is after all a meal and a beverage in one. I love it so much, I wish this was me:

Maybe just with the big bowl, not so much the ugly 80's hair and goofy facial expression.

I'm thinking that tomorrow I should eat some vegetables because when I eat too much junk I want more and more, and all I want right now is a big bowl of ice cream, or maybe some more cereal.

It's October!

And I just had a moment of panic!

I don't know what to be for Halloween!

I don't want a repeat of last year!

HELP!

Pain

I hurt. Everything hurts. Ok, maybe everything that involves my left leg but I'm sore. I think I pulled my hamstring last night at my football game. I'm now a slow movin' grandma style walker. I've been popping ibuprofen (why is it spelled like that?) today and if I don't I have shooting pains down my leg which slowly turn into just aches. BUT, the best part of the whole story is that I still came up with the flag. Because I have an excellent hidden talent. So after almost doing the splits and laying flat on my back, not yet feeling the pain because I had some serious adrenaline, I got up then eventually hobbled off the field feeling slight pain and then wreching pain this morning when I woke up. But, I had got the flag, and that's all that matters right?