Lady Di

Mortensen Happenings

2011-12-28T00:25:00.000-08:00

I don't really like drawing attention to myself so this blog for the sake of my family, the few people who actually read my blog on the rare occasion that I write something- and because I feel like if you know me well enough to read my blog then you won't mind if I don't use facebook as my avenue for news.
Kid Mort is coming June 2012. Yup, you read that right. Aaron and I are gonna have a little one. woo woo! Oh, and I'm feeling great. First trimesters are not something I am fond of so I'm very grateful to finally be done with the worst of it. This year has been a roller coaster for Aaron and I. We started off the year by announcing our first pregnancy, only to be disappointed with a miscarriage and all the baggage that comes with it. I am truly grateful for this pregnancy and trying my hardest to quell the paranoid pessimist that the miscarriage has created in me. The good thing is that my Dr. says everything is looking good and that baby is on target with the "due date". Hallelujah.
Anyway, on a not really but kind of related topic- and I hope no one is offended by me saying this, but I loathe cutesy ways of saying "pregnant". Let me give you a few examples: Prego, Preggers, Pregs, Preggie, Bumpies, Ego Preggo, Bun in the Oven, etc. My vexation at cutesy words also extends to words like Hubby, Hubs, Presh, Fav, Gorg, and Adorb. Do these not bother anyone else? I mean, I realize I am easily irritated by really insignificant things but I just I feel like it's like a little kid calling a blanket "blankie", only it's adults referring to someone having a baby- and it's not cute anymore. But just so I'm not burning any bridges with anyone- if you do use these words I probably won't care, but I promise you I will never use any of them unless in jest. In other words- I am so much better than all of you cutesy word users! haha just kidding. One thing is for sure; it will be a difficult adjustment for me to let go of all the little things I love to be annoyed by during this pregnancy. Unwanted advice, patronizing, coddling, and personal space invasions are but a few I'm looking forward to.
Alright I'm done with my idiotic ranting and I want to thank all my friends and family who actually read my silliness and have taken part in my joy of having the privilege of creating a new life. I am thrilled for this new adventure and after almost three years of partying and honeymooning, Aaron and I are feeling ready for the new addition to the Mortensen family.

In other news, Aaron and I bought a house and are moving in this week. I LOVE it. sooooooo... be jealous! Or you could come visit Aaron and I and make good use of our guest bedroom:)

Lots of us are dumber than some of us.

2011-09-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!

so my life has had a few recent changes. First of alllll- Aaron and I are in the process of buying a new house. I mean, that's pretty cool right? And thank goodness too because the property management company (RMPM) we are renting from are... idiots. You heard me. Idiots!
Let me explain myself. First of all, I can't complain too much because it has been nice to just call someone else to fix problems with the house even if it does take them forever to do anything, but aside from that, I can't give them too many compliments.
When Aaron and I first moved into this rental house I had one very awkward close call where one of the fixer-uppers on the RMPM team came over to change the filters in the house (without calling beforehand). Aaron was at work and I wasn't expecting any visitors that day. So needless to say I was quite surprised when I heard my doorbell being rung repeatedly at 8:30 in the morning. Oh and also, I was still in my pajamas, in bed, asleep. I seriously thought that the cops were trying to break down my door or something the way this guy was impatiently knocking and ringing at my door. So, I hurriedly put on a jacket and ran downstairs to see who it was when I heard him opening the door with a key. WHAT? he was letting himself INNNN?!? So intead I unlocked to door before he could and really irritatedly said- uhhh, can I help you? I think he was a bit shocked to see me there but I didn't care, I was ticked off. I could have been in the freaking shower! oh and fyi- my bedroom doesn't have locks on it. Nooooooo bueno.
That was when Aaron and I first moved in about two years ago. The most recent fiasco we've had with them was just a week ago. Usually I pay rent by filling out a check, driving to the RMPM building and handing them my money in an envelope so they don't freaking lose it. Well, the last time I went in was like normal- I drove there, envelope in hand and impatient because I had a whole ton of errands to do that day before business hours end. When I got there they were really busy with end of the month stuff and people paying rent so I thought I'd just sneak in and give them my check without taking too much of their time- I made eye contact with the front desk lady, and set my envelope across the counter where she could get to it when she had time.

Fast forward- a few days later after letting a violin student into the house I see a notice taped to my door threatening to evict us if we do not pay our rent with a late fee of $130
Ummmmmm, WHAT? You're kidding me right? I know for a fact that I paid rent on time...
when I called RMPM to complain about their idiocy they merely asked for the check number and told me that they would have their accountant see if the check was in their files and that they would call me back when they found it. Okay, that's fine.

Two days later- I get a call from Aaron while he is at work complaining that RMPM just called threatening eviction from the house. Seriously? YOU lose my check, post a late notice on my door, and then call my husband at work and tell us we're being evicted? Nuh uh. I think Aaron was pretty ticked off because after they got his message the next morning they called me first thing sounding very apologetic. Whatever, I just want this resolved so I told them that I'll come in with another check as long as all late fees are voided, and they pay for a check cancellation fee if they cannot find and destroy the previous check. Great. Done. Now we just have to wait for them to find the mysterious lost check.

Fast forward to later that evening- I had just gotten done with all my errands when I check for mail and see this:
MY CHECK!!!!! Okay , before I thought they were just unorganized and lazy, but now I know for sure they are MORONS! Let me point out a few fatal errors. First of all, even if this did somehow make it into their outbound mail- it is addressed TO them. RMPM- without an address in in the addressee spot on the envelope, My address is in the return address section. Secondly, not only did they take the time to look at my envelope and put it in the out going mail when it is clearly addressed to them, they LOOKED. UP. MY. FREAKING. ZIP-CODE! Which I did not include because I wasn't actually mailing anything- I just wanted to make sure they knew which address this check was coming from. wow. Just wow. Flaw three- if you are indeed being stupid enough to put my envelope in the outgoing mail, look up my zip-code in your database, you might as well do it right and put postage on it. Notice any postage? nope. Neither did USPS. so they sent it back to the return address- which thankfully was mine. I mean, I learned how to address an envelope in first grade.... I just don't get it.

Sigh.

In other news, I got into another big time accident in July. yeah, let's just say Atlas now has all new exterior save two panels (the driver side doors). I don't know what it is with me and colorado, but nature seems to hate me. I was driving home with Aaron after spending the evening with the in-laws when a deer jumped out on the highway 200 ft. in front of me. I tried stopping, but ending up fishtailing and spinning out into the highway median which is a bunch of posts with steel cables. I think I have some serious guardian angels because my car went UNDER the cables which stand maybe 3 feet from the ground. Scary.
Oh and I know people tell you to just hit the deer but- seriously, you try purposely hitting anything living. I don't think I could've done it. Next time (please bless there isn't a next time) I will try to not preserve the life of the animal that tried to commit suicide. yikes.

So ends my colorado summer.

Short Post- New Hobby

2010-10-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

So everyone knows that my sister Kara is a brilliant artist... I mean, duh. She is freaking amazing. Well, when I was little I thought it would be cool to draw as well as she could so I would always try to doodle as much as she did.... only to realize her natural abilities in the field of art would always greatly surpass my attempt at creativity- so I stopped trying and focused on singing. I mean, even if I practiced and had as much patience for the institution I STILL wouldn't be even close to as good as she is. I mean, check this out-

See what I mean?

Well, turns out I've started doing some doodling again- it's not as good as kara, but I was a little bit proud of myself.

My sweet candy husband told me that he will support me in my hobby so I've actually
started to paint on my own which I actually really really enjoy. It's a time where I can zone out, listen to music and do something with my hands. Maybe someday I'll take some classes and get pointers from my professional sister?

we'll see.

in other news, you know my last post about me running into a semi truck? Well, this is my new baby: Say hello to Atlas :)

giggity!

One Crazy Nuts Weekend.

2010-04-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the experience where you are looking forward to a vacation like crazy and then something happens that totally blows and destroys your hopes and dreams? Well... that's what happened to Aaron and I this past weekend.

Aaron and I had been planning to drive up to Utah to go see Aaron's old college buddy get married in the SLC temple on April 24th. This trip was going to awesome because pretty much ALL of his close college friends were going to be there and rent a house to stay up late in and party. =awesome reunion times. I was excited to go on a road trip with my crazy amazing/hot husband and meet all of the friends that had such an impact on his life. Anyway, Aaron and I had decided that the best way to get there would be to drive through Wyoming and into Utah on friday and then stay until sunday. We even purchased a brand new stereo for my car two days before the trip so we could listen to our ipods in the car.
So friday came and the first thing we noticed was that it was rainy and cold outside here in CO, which generally means that the weather is ten times worse in Wyoming. To put this in perspective for most of you Arizonans- Wyoming is a death pit when it comes to roads and weather. A few years ago they had a 90 car pile up due to fog. FOG! and then another huge pile up some years previous because of snow. The highways in Wyoming can be closed anytime year round due to bad weather and when they close the roads- they mean it, it's nasty stuff. Let's just say that the towing companies there are never hurting for business haha! So friday Aaron and I made sure to check road conditions before we left, we wanted to make sure that one: the roads were still open and two: that our '01 Camry could make it. Even Aaron's dad called us and warned us about the roads- but we figured we could make it. I mean, it didn't look THAT bad. But they were... oh they were.

Okay, so you all know where this is going by now. I mean, why would I preface this whole story with how bad the roads were if it didn't end up in an accident. Well, yes, it ended up in an accident. You were right. Let me illustrate how this happened- mostly because I need to prove that I am still a good driver and I CAN drive in snow thank you.

Below is the scenario I will try to describe. As you can see I am the little white car minding my own business behind two large semi-trucks. I don't know exactly what happened in front of me but semi number one in the blue suddenly slowed down, probably because of ice. Semi number two in the red tried to brake suddenly but as there was plenty of ice on the road so he swerved to the left to avoid semi number one (blue guy).

Which put me in THIS position. I now have two suddenly really slow semi trucks in front of me and a butt load of ice to maneuver through. I pressed on the brake but my car hit ice in the right lane making it impossible for me to slow down enough to not hit the guy in front of me. So to avoid Semi 1 I turned into the left lane, unfortunately semi number 2 was now going super slow in front of me and I hit a nasty patch of ice which resulted in:

CRASH!
My car actually hit the rear bumper of semi #1, which lodged into my grill, latched on and then turned my car perpendicular to the semi, released and took us into a 360 in the middle of the road. Like this:

Fortunately after we spun out our car ended hitting the concrete median wall squarely on the rear bumper- not to mention we went through quite a bit of snow on our way to impact which slowed us down enough that we were not injured.
The worst part of the whole thing is- my mother in law called an hour before this happened warning me about the roads and telling not to get in an accident. She might never let me drive with her son in the car again. hahaha!
No but really, this was my first accident ever (I mean, while I was driving) and it sucked, I was pretty emotional that 1. I could have seriously hurt my husband or myself 2. I just trashed my beautiful car Alana, 3. I just ruined our vacation. 4. I no longer had a perfect non accident record. I know my worries were really silly, I should have just been grateful that no one got hurt but I was so SAD! I'm so thankful Aaron was there to help me through it. He comforted me, hugged me, spoke rationally, and never once made me feel like I was any less loved. He is the best blessing and gift I have EVER been given. I know Aaron and I were truly blessed and protected during this ordeal. Had our car hit the median, or the semi at any other angle, we would probably be in the hospital or worse. Not to dwell on the"what -if's" but thinking about what could have happened just makes me feel even more in debt and grateful to my father in heaven for his great and tender mercies. He truly does answer prayers.

To finish up the story, the guy driving the semi we hit was actually a stud. he pulled over, called the cops before we had a chance to, and made sure that we were okay. He stayed there until our tow guy showed up just to make sure we were well taken care of. Fortunately there was no damage done to any vehicle but our own and the police officer was understanding that the road conditions were nasty enough that I left with only a citation. Aaron and I were towed into Laramie where we waited for Aaron's dad to pick us up, and we called Geico for obvious reasons.

The story doesn't end there though, after driving back to CO with all our possessions we were able to find last minute tickets to SLC for Sat morning and we were able to experience the reunion of a lifetime. Thanks to all of Aaron's buddies for making us feel so welcome, and for showing us a good time. It was SO great to meet all of you even though it was for a very short time.

Rich and Mari out of the temple!

All in all it ended up being one crazy expensive and long weekend. But I still feel blessed and happy to be where I am with the best man I've ever known.

Goodbye Alana, Rest in peace.

My life in the form of pictures

2010-03-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, since it would take me FOREVER to update everyone on whatI have been up to for the past however many months, I'll just throw down a bunch of pictures and SHOW you how awesome my life has been.

Be excited.

When I first moved to CO everyone told me that the winters would be super mild and that it really wouldn't snow very often. I should expect it every once in a while, but it would melt off the street in like one day.

So october rolls around and it was beautiful. real live Fall is awesome

Dang this guy is smokin' :)
remember, this is what it looked like...

and then all my CO friends became liars because THIS happened the NEXT DAY!

Notice the pumpkins? Yeah, those poor little kids definitely had to trick-or-treat in parkas. haha

Fortunately for me I am still so new to snow that

I still think it's cool to run outside and let the snowflakes melt on your face and destroy your make-up. :) seriously though, I had never seen falling snow before I lived here. That my friends, is how winter impaired I am. Every time it would snow here my husband and mother in-law wouldn't let me drive. They are slowly allowing me to challenge the roads the more I am exposed to this white fluffy stuff. It's quite amusing.

oh, they also told me it doesn't get too cold here either...

Why do you lie liars?
hahaha, this was the night AFTER it hit -14.
it's pretty cold when it starts to hurt to breathe. I now know how to tell the difference between 10 and 0 degrees. ooooooooh yeah! be jealous.

Another super-awesome thing happened is that Aaron and I moved into a new rental home and I LOVE it. It's a 3 bed 2 1/2 bath fourplex with an unfinished basement. Way more space than we need but it is so great to have it.

Living room before christmas (no TV)
After Christmas (thanks santa!!!)

My office/violin lessons room/the guest room

Aaron's office
Master bedroom :)
and bath...

favorite room in the whole house.
So yeah, what I've been trying to say is... be jealous. again. ;)

Thanksgiving was terrific. I got to spend it with the whole Judy and Craig Mortensen clan. Andrea and Clint came over from VA, and 'Lissa got to come home from ID, plus we got gma Mortensen and it was so so so fun to have them here.
I love my family and my in-law family. Seriously could not have gotten any luckier.

Me and the good looking one. This picture would be great if he didn't have that incredible beam of light hitting his face. oh well.
I made that.

December was also a great month. Aaron and I got to come up to celebrate an early Christmas with my family and then we celebrated my graduation from ASU!

proof. I officially have a BS in Speech and Hearing Sciences. Best major ever.

Favorite person in the whole wide world, ever, to be.
AZ friends celebrationess dinner.

Christmas in CO was pretty great too. we even got Lucy and Max to celebrate!
Anyway, I can't even begin to explain how incredibly blessed I feel. I know that the lord has taken care of me and my family and I am so grateful for the people that make my life so wonderful. I love you all!!

until next time.

Girls Night Out aka G.N.O

2009-11-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

Before I say anything let me say this... don't judge me! I'm not a fanatic.

Oh man, so last night I had my first ever girls night out as a married woman in CO.

It was quite an experience.

Some girls from my ward called me earlier this week and invited me to go see... you guessed it... New Moon with them friday night. And... I totally went! hahah. since Aaron and I are in the primary we don't have any opportunities to make friends with anyone other than the 3-4 year olds. I love those sunbeams, don't get me wrong, but I really hate the fact that I still don't know anyone's name in the ward after five months of being in the primary. sigh. So anyway, when I got called I was excited to actually get to know some of the younger married women in the ward.

Let me describe my friday night.

I got picked up around 5:10pm by A. Morby along with a few other girls. after a few introductions and giggles they showed my what I was to wear for the rest of the evening, apparently they all got dressed up for the last movie "twilight". I was definitely surprised that they had been thoughtful enough to bring me an extra shirt so I could match the group, even if it was SUPER cheesy.

What the heck! it was girls night.. so I went crazy. I knew Aaron would get a kick out of it too. when I showed him he told me that that kind of stuff wasn't allowed in the house. haha!

anyway, first we went to dinner at a restaurant called Rock Bottom, not bad. Our group was huge so they but us in two separate tables = pretty lame but OH WELL! One of the girls had made little new moon gift bags. That was way cool of her. She had also brought a New Moon trivia quiz with prizes for whomever guessed the answer correctly. I won a new moon candle shaped as a heart for guessing who said the line " I never imagined it would be so easy to do! I thought it would be next to impossible- that you would be so sure of the truth that I would have to lie through my teeth for hours.." which book it was in and where int he book it was. This quote was toooooo easy. I'm not going to give away the answer because I know that those who really read the books will know.

The movie itself was surprisingly better than the first in my opinion. There were fewer parts that made me laugh out loud that really weren't meant to be laughed at than there were in Twilight. - like Edward running up the hill, like Bella's bumbling-stuttery speech, like Jasper's constipated facial expressions... the list goes on. I set my standards REAALLY low for movies like this so that I come out more pleased than I expected. It works. The atmosphere helped too. It was hilarious to hear girls scream whenever Jacob took off his shirt. oh girls.... I am so not like you, but you do make me laugh. I'm glad Aaron wasn't there, nor do I ever plan on watching any of those movies ever when he is around because I know what his reaction to it would be. This morning he told me that the Twilight books were to many girls what bikini editions of sports illustrated were to some guys. The way girls lust over the relationship aspect of the characters = how boys lust after bodies? I can see his point... but I really hate comparing the books to something so base.

Anyway, the point of this post was NOT to critique the movie or the books, because I could write a novel on that myself about all the flaws and awkwardnesses of the film. The point is, I had fun, and I'm really glad I went because there are some cool people in my ward and I'm grateful that they thought to invite me. (I really really missed Aaron though) by the time I got home he was already in bed. So instead of talking his ears off I settled for cuddling. :) He is way more real, interesting, easy to love, funny, intelligent, and perfect for me than any fictional character could ever be. So suck it Edward and Jacob!! hahaha

Anyway, if you want to know my real opinion about the books just ask me.

blogness

2009-11-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

TOO MUCH TO UPDATE!!!!

So, it's been what? almost an entire year since I've written anything? What can I say... I've been busy? yeah well... okay, i'll repent.

Just so you know, my life is AWESOME!! No, like seriously better than it has ever been. Seriously. I'm married to the most terrific man in the world and have been on my honeymoon for five months now. (almost five) I love being married to my best friend, cause everyday feels like a party.
Marriage is totally and completely unlike anything I expected when I was younger. It's a lot more difficult, and a lot BETTER than I could have imagined. Getting used to being married is pretty much the most natural process in the world when you are married to the right person. Everything about it is so utterly right... I don't know how to explain it in any other way. However, every once in a while something will come up that will just surprise you. For instance, I strongly dislike any and all bugs. I know Aaron knew this while we were dating because... that wasn't something I was able or really cared to hide from him, but I don't think he realized the extent to which I don't like them until we were married. The first time he really discovered how much I really hate bugs happened one night after an FHE activity, I was following him in my car back to another party. On the way we stopped at a gas station, which was no biggie until this big ol' grass hopper decides to take a ride on my windshield. Of course I didn't like this. I tried all sorts of things to get it off. When speeding up didn't work, I decided the best course was to get turn on my windshield wipers. Ugh... that totally failed because that big ugly thing just decided to take refuge in the divit between my windshield and the hood of the car, with his hideous legs wrapped tightly around the wipers that I had just tried to wipe him off with!!
THE NERVE! He hung on all the way to my destination. I was revolted by having to look at such an ugly creature that whole trip. I mean... how dare it get on MY car?! hahah. Anyway, during this whole event I had called Aaron and told him about the little critter hanging onto my car for his dear life, all the while complaining about how gross it was and how much I disliked it and just wanted it off my car. Aaron couldn't believe I could have such a pansy-ish attitude about bugs. He probably expected that to change before we got married but... it didn't. Colorado has more spiders than dirt, and I don't like either of those things. Spiders aren't the worst things out there, but I still refuse to deal with them. they are GROSS! I should clarify that I am not afraid of spiders, but rather disgusted by them. Like, I get more of a vomiting reaction to insects than a RUN AWAY! reaction. really. Would you like it if you had a piece of soggy-dog-ransacked-trash-left-out-to-cook-in-a-plastic-bag-in-the-arizona-sun-for-weeks? If you are normal, then you would answer "no". Well for me, insects are like pieces of soggy-dog-ransacked-trash-left-out-to-cook-in-a-plastic-bag-in-the-arizona-sun-for-weeks- aka: I'd rather not be anywhere near it. Don't think Aaron just takes over the duty of exterminating undesirable critters though. I don't think he has much sympathy for my aversion to bugs because he still makes me kill them if I want them out of my life. sigh... Kara, where are you when I need you? hahaha!

Anyway, I know this whole topic is entirely ridiculous, but hey... I'm just a little ridiculous okay?
In other news, I have been going to CU boulder and will graduate this fall (if i pass all my classes) from ASU!!!! I'm so excited! Aaron and I are flying down for graduation so we'll get to see our Arizona friends and family again. Happy thoughts.

OH yeah, Aaron got a job!!!! He is officially Dr. Aaron Mortensen. I'm so dang proud of him and super grateful for his diligence. It took a long time to find but now he has the perfect (well as perfect as we could hope for ;) ) job where he gets to help lots of people in need and has really stellar partners who are friends and tutors to him. I'm so so so so so so so so SO grateful for the blessings that my father in heaven has provided us with. Every time something falls apart, we find that it only fell apart because we were blindly pursuing a dead end.

Anyway, the only thing i have left to say is, Aaron is hot. haha!

oh and GO SUNDEVILS!!!

So THIS is pain...

2009-01-23T00:41:00.000-08:00

Hey all! I know it has been ages since I last blogged so let me update you on my life. Last week I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to get a tonsillectomy!!!!!!!

Okay okay, let me start from the beginning. When I was about eleven I started getting these things in the back of my throat called tonsil stones that I would have to clear out. I remember going to the doctor at a routine check up and asking him what they were and if I should be concerned. He didn't really tell me much, only that it was nothing to worry about and that they would probably go away as I got older.
BUT THEY DIDN'T!
In fact they only got worse. Eventually it got to the point where I was cursing the existence of my tonsils on a daily basis and a visit to the Otolaryngologist (ENT) was due. I had an AWESOME doctor who told me that I could get a tonsillectomy to treat my case, but it was ultimately up to me. He described the surgery as someone taking a scalpel and creating two parallel lesions, and then proceeding to rub those lesions every 20-30 seconds. Pain... lots of pain.
Well, I did it anyway. We scheduled the surgery for the following monday and he gave me a list of instructions to follow.

Boy oh boy.... what an experience.
That Monday I woke up too early for life and left with my dear mother for the Surgery Center. Honestly the only things I remember are waiting for the doc, getting hooked up to an IV (still have a bruise from that btw), being rolled on a bed into a room with one of those raunchy gowns (ugh! I HATE those hospital gowns), anesthesiologist-check!, Dr. Yin -Check!, touchy nurses-Check check! dull burn in arm and.....

out cold.

Next thing I knew I was in a completely different bed and had oxygen blowing at my face. I didn't really understand that I was supposed to breathe that stuff in for a while. It was just irritating at first hahah. Fortunately there was a nurse by my side waiting for me to wake up. She made sure I kept it on my face until I was good and aware (thanks foe doing your job lady!). As soon as she saw me come to she asked me what my level of pain was. All I couldn't think about was how much my tongue hurt. It hurt so bad!!! And that dang IV in my hand. That hurt too. It wasn't too bad because I was soon outta that place and on my way home.
Side note- I don't know what I was on drug wise, but what ever it was it made me super friendly. I kept thanking the nurses over and over. It seems a little out of place now, but I was so genuinely grateful for their help I guess I didn't notice how weird I sounded. hahahaha oh well

The aftermath of the surgery is by far the worst. I didn't really know how bad the pain was for the first couple of days due to some extremely effective drugs. (I hate you oxycodone).
This whole thing put me in bed for a straight week. I have never, ever been an invalid for that long. It was so hard to sit there!
Thanks to lots of absolutely amazing friends my healing process was bearable. Thye brought smoothies, popsicles, icecream, and smiles. Can't begin to explain how grateful I am for those wonderful people!! I heart you guys.

anyway, I know everyone is dying to see a picture of the aftermath so here it is!!!!

Day six of the mother of all sore throats. SOOOOO HURTY!

today is day 11 of an estimated 14 day recovery period. I am very anxious for post day 14. when I can finally swollow again I'm totally eating a nice fatty burger. In-N-Out anyone?

dB SPL

2008-09-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

The other week I was trying to explain to a friend what the purpose of dB SPL was. I was embarrassed when I couldn't. Now normally this wouldn't really bother me, but the fact that my major delves heavily into this stuff and I have studied and thought I had an understanding of it, made me very aware of how much work I've got ahead of me. I couldn't even remember what SPL stood for. YIKES!!!!!

Let me take this moment to redeem myself.

The human ear is incredible. The amplitude levels (often associated with intensity) which we are sensitive to = massive. If anyone knows anything about physics and units I'll toss this number at you- in normal mediums (air and similar gases) the softest sound the human ear can pick up is about 20 micropascals (μPa) = 2×10⁻⁵ Pa, or for example, a mosquito flying three meters away, and the loudest sound pressure being above a million. Because of the vast ratio of sound pressures, we need to bring this down into a level of measurement that we can work in. That's where logs come in. They help break down these huge quantities we have into manageable and understandable numbers. Decibels are logarithmic, thus allowing us to see changes and patterns in huge quantities.
For instance: the log of a million is 6 (the cheaters way to figure this out is count the zeros) similarly, the log of a trillion is 12, aka a difference of 120 dB.

So why the SPL tagged at the end of our dreaded decibel?
Merely because decibels are relative to an implied reference level. They are a "dimensionless unit" comparing two quantities. So, telling you something is 60 dB doesn't really tell you much until I give you a reference.
I'm talking about acoustics, so in this case the reference is the softest Sound Pressure Level (SPL) that can be heard by humans on average. (That was the 20 micropascals (μPa) = 2×10⁻⁵ Pa I was talking about earlier) That value becomes 0 dB SPL
Now, because this is an average, it is possible that someone can hear below 0 dB SPL (which I think is cool!)

Okay, so I have absolutely no idea if that made sense at all. I'll admit I don't know everything about it, but hey! That's why I'm in school in the first place. Not only that but it goes into so much more detail that I just don't want to go into as this is bound to bore the crap out of everyone else. Sorry!
I know it sounds dumb, but I'm glad I wasn't able to explain this to my friend. It made me reevaluate the way I have been studying for my classes. Really I need to be learning this stuff, not to pass a test and forget about it, but to be able to use and teach it at some point. I'm sad that I lost sight of this for a bit because I do so much better in my classes when I remember that I love this stuff hahah!
No... I really do.

Cool facts:
The greatest sound pressure we can hear without immediate hearing loss is about 120 dB SPL (short exposure), but sustained periods of 80 dB SPL environments will damage your hearing

oh and if someone wants to correct me or add to this I would be grateful. If I have something wrong then teach me :)

okay, bed time

Innocent until proven guilty.

2008-09-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

I have a few words to say concerning the topic of my dear friend Travis Alexander. I've held out thus far on talking about him as the act of reviving and recording memories is both a joyful and painful experience. Many of my friends have bravely expressed their feelings about Travis which I appreciate immensely. To them, thank you.

Now it's my turn.

Recently an article was posted in the East Valley Tribune concerning Travis and his tragic death. That article released information that portrayed Travis in a compromising light. At first I was shocked and hurt after reading the article. It made me call into question the Travis I know and love. And then, then I immediately felt sick and not only because of the gruesome detail that went into the article, but because it frustrated me that an article by someone who didn't know him and couldn't care less about him, could make me doubt the character of someone I knew personally as a great friend and confidant. Let me describe the Travis I know. The REAL Travis.I first came to know Travis through the singles ward. I thought of him as a bit stuck up and a sucker for attention. He had a manner about him that made me feel like he knew he ruled the space he occupied, and Travis was not a small guy :). It didn't take much to figure out who Travis was even though I had never been formally introduced to him. (The dude with the cool suits! duh!) The first time we spoke was at a bowling alley after FHE one night. He walked, or rather sauntered up to me with the intention of introducing himself and before he could get his name out I sputtered, "I know who you are; you're Travis Alexander." I had no idea at that time that Travis had been secretly hoping to be my friend and that by knowing exactly who he was and telling him so, that had tickled his fancy just perfectly.
Later that October I ended up going on a trip to Utah to watch general conference. The group consisted of myself, Katie (Barnes) Lorsch, Mark the man Brummett and our very own Travis Alexander. During that four day trip I learned that Travis was an inherently bad driver, a hilarious story teller, a procrastinator, a great listener, a generous and gracious person, a walking musical, and an invaluable friend. We spent endless hours laughing on that trip. We felt and shared spiritual experiences and endured the wet and cold together while moronically eating Häagen-Dazs ice cream :).

Later in my life Travis would continue to prove a priceless asset to me and my group of friends. I have him to thank for salvaging my friendship with my long-time best friend after a nasty bout of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. Indeed it was Travis who would stay up far past 12 consoling me in my frustration. I knew the Lord had placed Travis in my life for a reason because Travis knew exactly what it meant to be a true friend.

I still can recall a time when I was completely stressed with homework and studying for finals. Things were intense and crazy at my house and I was this close (imagine me pinching my thumb and index finger ridiculously close together haha) to having a panic attack. Travis as the dependable and endlessly generous friend he was immediately offered his home to me saying that not only could I study there, but he would sit with me and help me study. I could have cried I was so grateful. I think I might have. When I got to his house with all my books and notes he met me with a big bear hug and a plate of cookies with my name on it. True to his word he sat with me and listened as I cheerily ranted on about phonetics and language/speech disorders. I didn’t even care that he fell asleep an hour and a half into my studying.

Now, Travis wasn’t perfect by any means. I’ve seen Travis though great times, and extremely low times, but he was always constant. He truly lived a Christ centered life. Ha, this is the kid who stressed endlessly about being able to get his tithing in on time so he would be worthy of entering the temple! Travis had a strong testimony of the gospel and was unwavering in his faith. Those who knew Travis knew him as a goal setter, and a goal attainer. His goal was to return to his Father in Heaven. I think that’s exactly what he did.

I don’t know what happened. Frankly there are things that I really don’t want to know. I do know this though; Travis, regardless of what people say or think, I love you and I know that the atonement is indeed real. You were a grand example and a blessing in my life. Thank you for sharing precious hours of your earthly life with me. Till we meet again, I love you.

Emotion = UGH!

2008-08-22T02:09:00.000-07:00

I can't run hard enough, long enough, or fast enough.
Maybe I'll be able to run better when my chest stops hurting. For some reason I'm not breathing right.
Probably a posture problem. ha

school next week people. I'm taking 18 credit hours this semester. wish me luck.

UGH+whimper= :(

Less is More and Fewer is... ah forget it.

2008-08-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

First I apologize for not having written in a very long while. I knew I needed to blog, and I have had things to blog about, but every time I sat down the juices stopped flowing.
okay done.

Today was a good day for me. I started the day off by running a bunch of errands and being mostly productive = happy Diana. For part of my errands I had to run to Walmart and later that day to
Target. Now, I'm not one of those people who hates Walmart because honestly, I couldn't care less about any Walmart/target rivalry or... whatever. However, there are a few things that Target definitely does better than Walmart and this is one that I appreciate- look at this sign from Walmart. See anything wrong? (don't pay attention the lame "ain't be needin'" junk)
Most people don't notice it but where Walmart has a "10 items or less" lane, it should be....
What is: "10 items or fewer" ding ding ding!Target gets double jeopardy!

Walmart- thanks for saving me some money occasionally but c'mon!!!! Rise above the this sad excuse for grammatical knowledgenessibility! And I don't want to hear any excuses about saving space on signs, or the money it takes to print a few extra letters. Boo.
Here's a quick lesson:
The rule usually encountered is: use "fewer" for things you count (individually), and "less" for things you measure: "fewer apples", "less water". Since "less" is also used as an adverb ("less successful"), "fewer" helps to distinguish "fewer successful professionals" (fewer professionals who are successful) from "less successful professionals" (professionals who are less successful).

So what does this mean? You count "items" like cars and coconuts. We don't count water and dirt (well I guess you could count particles of dirt but... who does that?), so it then becomes fewer items/cars/coconuts and less water/dirt/insert here. Easy.

All in all this really doesn't matter. It's just another pointless thing that bothers me and makes my friends have more reason to call me nerd. Blast!

Fat Cheeks and White Skin

2008-06-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

So today I was rummaging through some things in my parents bedroom when I found a picture that made me laugh out loud. This is me when I was what?... Three? I have no idea. All I know is that I have huge cheeks and I look like I'm up to no good. Eh, what else is new? haha.
I remember when I was younger I would imagine talking to myself when I was 20. I thought it would be cool to know what I look like, who I was married to (I thought I would be at 20... HA!), and what I was doing with my life. I thought that I would be so wise at 20 and have had everything figured out. Maybe it's a good thing little me never met a little older me. I probably would have been severely disappointed. I'm not married, I'm not going to BYU like my parents, and I most definitely don't have everything figured out. The older I get the more I realize how young I really am.
Next month I will be turning 21 and I'm excited; not thrilled. Sure I can buy alcohol and have my drivers license changed from a vertical picture to a horizontal one (ooh da la lee right?) but what does it really mean?
For me, and I'm sure lots of other people, birthdays are a marker of progression and I'm pretty excited for a new year of change, progression, and experiences. Bring it on!!!!! Am I the same as I was when I was 19? Not even close. Will I be the exact same a year from now? I hope not :)

Ps, how in the world did I ever breath through that minuscule nose?!?!?! I think I had pin sized holes for nostrils. hahaha!

Hymn it up

2008-05-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

So I can't say that I have an all time favorite hymn because each is special and precious in it's own way. On the other hand the hymn "Lord I Would Follow Thee" has a very special place in my heart. When I sing this hymn it inevitably draws my thoughts to the life of the Savior. He truly showed us the way to live and return to Him by living it.

1. Savior, may I learn to love thee,
Walk the path that thou hast shown,
Pause to help and lift another,
Finding strength beyond my own.
Savior, may I learn to love thee—

Lord, I would follow thee.

2. Who am I to judge another
When I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
Sorrow that the eye can’t see.
Who am I to judge another?

Lord, I would follow thee.

3. I would be my brother’s keeper;
I would learn the healer’s art.
To the wounded and the weary
I would show a gentle heart.
I would be my brother’s keeper—

Lord, I would follow thee.

4. Savior, may I love my brother
As I know thou lovest me,
Find in thee my strength, my beacon,
For thy servant I would be.
Savior, may I love my brother—

Lord, I would follow thee.

John 13:34–35

1 John 3:16–19; 1 John 4:21

One of my favorite things about this hymn is that it focuses on the Lords love for His children and the way he expects us serve one another. The Savior taught us to love one another, even as he loves us. Can you imagine what kind of paradise this earth could be if we all loved each other with the perfect love of the Savior?
Many times when I sing this song I think of it as a prayer. I have found solace in these words through many difficult periods in my life. It helps me focus my attention on what is really important, it reaffirms my desire to love and serve my brothers and sisters in this world, it gives me comfort in trials, and it reminds me that the Lord loves me.
I guess you could pretty much find this kind of peace in any other hymn, which is why each hymn is so great. We all find different hymns significant in our lives at different times. What a blessing we were given such beautiful hymns! And thanks to the people talented, inspired, and patient enough to bring the joy of music into our lives.

Favorite hymns anyone?

A First...

2008-05-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

I know that some of you girls are going to be shocked when I say that I have never had a pedicure. Well... that WAS true until last Monday. Haha! Oh and it was just lovely. It really takes relaxation to a new level.
My experience went like so:
I walked into the little nail shop and a dude from Thailand shouts an order for me to sign in at the front desk. After I write my name and what I want I am then told that the wait will be about ten minutes. So, I walk around and entertain myself for ten minutes and when I come back they are ready for me.
"Whut ah yu gettin' todaee?"
"A pedicure"
"Right, wah color yu wantin?"
-I'm so original... I went for French.
Oh it felt so goood. I think the fact that I couldn't understand what they were asking me made the experience complete. What is a pedi/manicure if you can actually understand the people doing the service? Kidding. After the delightful event I decided to retire my old sandals and get something that complimented my new toes. Trust me... I was well overdue for new sandals.
I had heard a lot of people talk about going to get pedicures and manicures and honestly... it all sounded pretty pointless to me. I like being clean and feeling good about myself, but I thought of pedicures as an indulgence I could live without and save my money in the process. And yes, I can still live without it, but there is something about looking down at my feet and thinking, "Hey, those are MY feet!" that is pretty exciting.
Looks like I'm going to have to add pedicures to my List of Awesome.
List of Awesome

quality denim jeans. (I heart sevens) (Yes, they are pricey, but undoubtedly worth it. and they last longer. I'm sorry Wal-Mart, those threadbare things you are trying to sell me just aren't cutting it. haha!)
My homemade bread.
Pedicures :)
Bras from Victoria's Secret. (yes, a little personal, but they feel great and last forever. Trust me.)
Belgium Chocolate. (Oh please do yourself a favor and try some real chocolate. I warn you though, you won't be able to eat an M&M ever again.)
Loofas and shower gel. (Can't shower without em.)
Feather Pillows
Massages by Shea Martines :)
Mae, OneRepublic, Falling Up = my favorite bands
Romeo's Euro Cafe. (nice small cafe in old town gilbert. delicious.)
Stride gum
Define-a-lash mascara by Maybelline
ASU (hey, don't hate)
orange dream machine (I had this one last night)/Caribbean passion from Jamba Juice
Nixon (dangit Aaron! hahah)
Cranberry turkey sandwich from Paradise Bakery
running 5 miles just for the heck of it

Lastly, I know this is off topic but I just needed to add how great life is. I have had a lot of challenging experiences lately and it has been hard for me to let go and remember that the Lord is in charge and aware of my needs and the needs of those around me. I burn myself out worrying about the future and the people I care about. = counterproductive. It is times like this when I am reminded of how reliant I truly am. I really can't do anything without the Lord. I am grateful for the trials I experience because they help me remember my Savior, and they allow me to grow. No matter what we are going through we can still find happiness and peace through the Lord. I know the Lord loves all of us and knows our names, our needs, and our sorrows. I have faith that He will continue to give me aid and guide my future, so long as I am obedient to His commandments.

A Bedtime Story

2008-04-23T13:57:00.001-07:00

Last night something strange happened. I went to bed before twelve. WEIRD! For those of you who don’t know me, I am what people call, nocturnal. I hate going to bed especially before the midnight hour. On a given night you can usually find me up until… well… to spare me from getting in trouble, we’ll call it the wee hours of the morning. ( I love you Mom!) heh heh heh.

Last night was an exception to my normal routine. You see, with finals fast approaching, projects being due, and the inevitable winding up that comes with the winding down of school, I have been a little more stressed and a little more prone to stay up late(er) doing homework. This also equals ultimate body break-down. Unfortunately, I also suffer from a case of “tough-it-out” syndrome. So, instead of pampering my body, like I know I should, I keep beating it up. The result? I’m now sick. What is my problem?

Fortunately I have a boyfriend that knows this and cares about me. So last night at 10:40 he took me home with orders to get ready for bed, floss (two words: dental student), pray, and read my scriptures. At first I felt a little disconcerted. I was FINE! I could stay up at least a few more hours. Besides, I don’t know how to fall asleep before 11:00. That is straight unheard of for me. When I started to complain about how early it was he wouldn’t have any of it. “Then read your scriptures until you fall asleep” came the reply. “I know you will fall asleep before you can read two hours of scriptures”

“Dang it,” I thought “He’s right.”

Instead of admitting defeat I gave him a look that I think said “try me” and as I should have expected, he gave the practical suggestion that I read Samuel or Psalms.

Inside I knew he was right and I appreciated his concern for me. That did it. I gave him a hug whispered goodnight and went my merry way grateful that even though I’m not the smartest person, I have people around me who can help me out. So, thanks Aaron.

How old am I?

2008-04-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

The other day I was working with my 6 year old friend Matthew who has autism. This kid is hilarious. As I was working with him the other day I asked him how old he thought I was. "Sixty-six" came the reply with confidence.
"Sixty-six? Really? How old is your Mom?"
"Oh I don't know. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. That's too hard."
"Who is older, me or your Mom?"
"You are. Yeah, you're definitely older than my Mom"
"How old did you say I was?"
"Sixty-six!"

So... I don't know how I suddenly aged 46 years, but I still find it hilarious to ask little kids how old they think you are. Their concept of age is a little... off.

Now, although I'm a little better at deciphering how old people are than my six year old friend, let me share with you some examples of people who confuse the crap out of me.

let's see how close you get to their actual age.

This one is my favorite. Greg Oden. I'd say he looks late 30's to early 40's.
WRONG.... SOOOOOOO RIDICULOUSLY WRONG!
Greg Oden, 2007's first pick in the NBA drafts was born January 22, 1988!
What? He is only 20? What? He is younger than me and making bank??!?!?!
creepy...

I know you won't believe me on this one but Michelle Pfeiffer is only 49!!!
EW!Dwight Howard-Orlando Magic NBA. I'm sorry, he does not look like he is 22. End of story.Ellen Page from the movie Juno seriously looks like she could be 15. In fact she is a couple months older than me. Born February 21, 1987.Stacy London from "What Not to Wear" I've never watched this show but wow, she does not look like she is almost 2 years short of 40. Or maybe that's just me.
You decide.Matt Damon was born October 8, 1970 making him on the brink of 38. I had no idea.Mariah Carey. yes yes yes I know you are all saying that this one isn't fair because she has done things to keep her looking young that most of us can't afford or simply don't care to, but still, you gotta give the woman credit. 38? It sure doesn't look like it.
Otis Nixon is straight out, one ugly dude. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.
Anyway, I know that he looks old, and I'm sure smells old, but he did have talent out on the baseball field. You gotta respect that.
Oh and even though he looks like he might kick the bucket at any moment, he is really only 49. Yikes.

Scarlett Johansson is only 23. I think she looks older.
Rihanna makes me sick. She is way too pretty for her own good. Other than that, she is younger than me. Born 1988 in February. This chicka just turned 20. Oh my goodness.
Brad Pitt. Yes, another head shaker. But he deserves it doesn't he? I don't think he looks 44 . You?Sorry these are all girls and sorry I'm mentioning Madonna. But really, she might not be gorgeous, but the botox is definitey helping. She doesn't look like she is 50 come August so take it for what you will.

I think the moral of this story is: don't do drugs and stay in school. Which is exactly what I'm doing.

Any more examples? I would LOVE to hear them!

Anonymity

2008-04-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

On Facebook there is an application you can add to your page called "Honesty Box". This little application allows other people to say things to you in complete anonymity. So basically, they can say anything they like and you won’t know who in the world said it. Complete honesty. No one knows, so no harm done. Right?

It is interesting to me to see what people will say when there are no adverse effects, no consequences. What people will do or say when it is in complete anonymity. I think it is in those situations that a person’s character is really made evidenced. Who are we when the doors are closed? Do I use that as an opportunity to do good? Or do I use that as an opportunity to do evil?
Think about it.I remember reading a forum on the internet about sarcasm. The participants began talking about sarcasm in a joking manner, all good fun and games, and then… then someone said something slightly stupid and everyone jumped on him. It seemed that the only thing being proved in the forum/crazy argument was that they all made themselves look progressively fouler, nastier, and unintelligent. Each person felt impelled to use any device possible to demote, demean and deride one another. Really, I bet that had this conversation taken place in a room, with people who had faces connected to lives and not just a screen name, I doubt any one of those participants would have been gutsy and abrasive enough to have said such petty things. What is it about anonymity that compels people to act so base? Is that who we really are deep down?
It is my opinion that if people would remember that behind the screen-name is a living, breathing, feeling son or daughter of God, that there would be no place for cruel words on the internet or in any situation. Computer or no computer. It is a little disheartening to think about how many people sacrifice their integrity when they believe themselves to be in complete obscurity.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to preach or pretend I'm better at this than everyone else. I'm not. Flat out. And I am more aware of this than anyone else. I have said and done things I dearly wish I could take back. Conversely, I must say I am grateful for times like now when I am given the opportunity to sit back and reflect on how I truly act, feel, and think when all that's left is myself. How do I take advantage of those moments when no one else is influencing my decision? Do I build and uplift? Where is my heart?
Where is my integrity?
I would hope that my integrity is not a conditional thing.

Lastly, I am grateful the wonderful example of love and understanding I see within my friends and family. Each one has been so wonderful to me and an invaluable blessing. I hope ALL my friends and family know not so anonymously, that I love and care for them. :)

"And those things which are revealed in this life shall be concealed, and all things which are concealed shall be revealed."

Blonde v.s Brunette

2008-04-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hi, My name is Diana Lilly, and I'm a colorholic.
Yes, I never thought I would see this day but it has come and not without warning. I love my dark hair and you can't stop this!
When I was younger I had blonde hair. I'm talkin' platinum my friends. Platinum. I loved my hair. I vowed that I wold never succumb to the evils of hair dye until I started to go gray. That, being the only exception. To make matters worse I used to taunt my older sister about her brown hair, saying it wasn't as cool as mine and... yes, she has shoved those words down my throat quite a few times since I started dying my hair in August. I totally deserve it. hahah!

For my birthday last year my best friend Katie Barnes decided that it would be a sweet present to give me a hair makeover. An idea I most certainly wasn't opposed to. I had been toying with the idea for quite some time. I had the desire, Katie provided me with courage and a pathway. So, for the first time in my life I dyed my hair. She gave me high-lights and low-lights and a hair cut. Since that I have gone steadily darker.
Overall the discovery of "brunette" has been a positive experience. The most interesting difference that I have noticed other than the fact that I now identify with Snow White more than ever, is the way people treat me. I didn't expect a difference but I promise, I'm not making this up. I can't even begin to explain how much I got teased as a blonde. If ever I did something in the least bit ditsy I could always count on someone making a snide comment about the color of my hair. On top of that, I swear if I hear one more blonde joke... well, let's just say I can't be held responsible for my actions afterward. Kidding. Now, I won't sit here and pretend I didn't use the whole "stupid blonde" gig towards my advantage. It was a great excuse. I recall using it lots (jokingly) in high school. Since I had always been blonde, I thought that the joking, comments, and judgments people made concerning my intelligence, was normal behavior. In fact, it wasn't until I became brunette that I recognized the double standard. As a brunette, professors take me more seriously. People are more apt to listen. And, (thankfully) the jokes have decreased in frequency. Although I'll admit, not everyone likes my hair. I've received an assortment of opinions on it from, " I love it" to my Mom telling me I look gothic, and my Grandma calling me Elvira- the "Queen of Darkness". I'm still not quite sure how I feel about that.
Stereotyping? Eh... I'm not worried about it. As far as I see it being blonde rocks. I just really love dark hair. On women and men. Don't knock it till you try it!

Some cool facts about blondes:
-found in certain people characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin (I can attest to that)
-According to a fresh study by the World Health Organization, natural blondes will be extinct within 200 years because there are less and less people carrying that ancient gene.
-blonde hair was seen as a sign of divinity in ancient Greece
-Women with blonde hair generally have higher levels of the hormone estrogen.
-Blonde hair tends to turn darker with age, and many children born blond turn light, medium, or dark brunette before or during their teenage years.Shameless Plug for the day. If you need your hair done by someone absolutely awesome Call Mandi Ryan. Or just walk into Ultra Source Salon in Superstition Springs Mall and ask for Mandi.
She rocks my socks! (whatever that means)

The Princess Phenomenon

2008-04-06T02:26:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking about this for a bit and since I am WAAAAY over due for a blog I decided I'd shed some light on the topic of the "Princess Phenomenon"
First let me describe what the princess phenomenon is (or at least my definition of it for the purpose of this blog).
The "Princess Phenomenon": Girls unrealistic expectation to find a man that will treat her like a princess.
Okay, girls, you are going to hate me while reading this blog so steel yourselves for a bumpy ride. Guys, you might concur. Either way it doesn't matter. These are my thoughts, you are entitled to your own.Business time. The reason I have a problem with this phenomenon is mostly because of the name itself. Princess? I've heard it time and time again when girls are describing a man they would dearly love to find. "I want a guy who treats me like a princess. Is that too much to ask?" So tell me, if you are referring to yourself as a princess, does that mean you are looking for a prince? yes. The general consensus is in the affirmative. Now let me get this straight, are girls really looking for a prince to treat them like a princess, or a servant/pion to worship the ground they walk on? A good friend of mine made an excellent point when he observed that princes don't actually treat princesses all that great. I'll bet the whole royalty kick really didn't have much excitement to someone born within it. A prince would treat a princess like any other person. She would still be under his rule would she not? Not to mention that most marriages in the days of kings and queens were strictly advantageous. There was no guarantee that the prince had to love his wife. Also known as yikes/welcome to a crappy life. What girls are saying they really want is NOT a prince, but a servant. Someone to give them what they want, when they want it, worship them, no questions asked. Disney, you murdered reality.
Now, I'm not about to say that I never suffered from this mind set. As a little girl I dreamed of a "happily ever after" just as much as any other girl, but somewhere inside I knew it wasn't realistic. I get it. But I'm no fool. And you know what? Most girls get it.
What girls are trying to say when they talk about princes and princesses is not really that they want a subserviant husband. I would find that terribly boring honestly. What girls want is to feel cherished. Not waited upon. I couldn't care less for a prince if I can get a guy who smiles and thinks to himself, "Yeah, I'm with that girl." I'm not trying to get sappy here (although this topic will inevitably generate sappiness) but you can't think less of someone who wants to feel appreciated and loved. We are ALL looking for that. So good news guys, unless you are with a girl with a serious case of "I'm a pretty princess", they don't actually mean they want you to throw down the red carpet for them. Let them know what they mean to you, support them, appreciate who they are. Good things will happen.
Come to think of it, that is a pretty good rule for treating just about anyone.
Alright, I'm done.

P.s: I can't tell you how much I love conference weekends. I'm so stoked!!!!

Truly Different.

2008-03-12T02:20:00.000-07:00

Most of us know individuals who are just that, very individual.

Not too long ago I debated with a fellow student on what makes someone an individual. What sets us apart from those around us? My friend is a pretty special guy. He is what the world would call "different". His selection of hairstyle, color, and clothing, represent what he believes to be a one-of-a-kind look. Himself. It was this fact that spurred on our conversation. I was interested to understand why he dressed and acted the way he did. He, in turn, wanted to understand how I could be content to live the way I did. This is how he explained himself:
As we grow up society hands us rules, boundaries, expectations, and a set of characteristics every one of us must follow. "They" tell us what to wear, how we should look, what to eat, how to act, etc. We all go through life mimicking the actions of those around us. Why? Because that is what society thinks we should be like. And without a thought we carry on. Indeed, many of our lives seem pretty cookie-cutter-ish. Birth, Preschool, elementary school, jr. high school, high school, college, grad school, carrier, retirement, death. His clothes, his actions, his personality were what he thought set him apart from the cookie-cutter syndrome he described. When he walked around he attracted attention. Old ladies scorned him, little kids gawked, and professors rolled their eyes. To him, this attention meant something. "Look at me! I'm not like you. I defy society! I refuse to be told who I am supposed to be and who I can't be. I am different."
-Okay I understand why my fellow Sun Devil would think this way. In fact, copious people feel the exact same way. But that is just it isn't it? My friend was so caught up in trying to be different that he merely shoved himself in another category of societal cookie-cutters. Instead of the "norm" he became just another kid dressed up like all the other "different" kids. What about him was so much more different and special than the other guy standing behind him sporting the Mohawk? Other than dirty looks and girls make-up, what did he have to show for his individualism? What did his non-conformist ways do to influence those around him to shape and change society for the better?
Needless to say Mr. Non Conformist didn't have a very good answer/retort to my questions.
Granted I am young and still learning lots, but here are my two cents.
On the outside I look pretty cookie cutter. I don't try too hard to stand out. I'm just another white, 20 y.o, 5"5', artificially brunette, blue eyed, latter-day saint, female, attending one of the many great universities in this wonderful country. My style of clothing? I'm no stranger to Ross, Target, Charlotte Russe, among many more typical clothing stores for a girl my age. So what makes me different? This puzzled my dear comrade to no end because although I wore regular clothes and acted without the same flamboyancy, he had to admit there was something peculiar about me.
Let me explain it this way: being different is not about the clothes we wear or the type of attention we attract. The kind of attention my friend was seeking was completely and utterly superficial, fleeting, and unfulfilling. Mr. Different, could never be quite different enough. In his attempts to get the type of reaction that would deserve the title he was seeking, he had to go to further and further extremes. I still find it ironic that he was letting himself be defined by the opinions of those around him. What really makes one different is finding unique personality traits in oneself and developing them into their full potential! Who we are does not have to be defined by our surroundings but rather what we do within our surroundings. It is my opinion that it is the people who don’t seek attention, who work quietly in earnest to improve themselves and help those around them, are the ones who truly standout. Most of these extraordinary people could be described as having a Christ-like life.

My faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, teaches its members to develop their talents. We believe that each of us on this earth are spirit sons and daughters of God. All of us were given bodies and put on this earth to work out our salvation and come back unto our Father in Heaven through the atonement of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. We were given gifts from a loving Father in Heaven (talents) to help us in this probationary state. With these talents we are also given the responsibility to develop and multiply our talents. The Bible clearly teaches this principle through the Parable of the Talents taught by Jesus Christ in Matthew 25: 14-30. Christ also teaches us to be "In the world and not of the world" John 17: 11, 14-17 or in other words, to live and grow and learn among those of the world while keeping an eye single to the Lord. To follow in His footsteps and pattern our lives after someone so eternal, so perfect, that His ways could never be congruent to that of the natural man. This might seem hypocritical to tell someone that the best way to be an individual is to pattern one's life after Christ, but I argue that it runs so much deeper than what we see on the surface. I have found through trial and error, as I have tested these simple principles of the Gospel, that they make all the difference. As I have tried to pattern my life after the life of my Savior, my actions, personality and individuality are not lost within the masses, but rather Christ is a catalyst for them! My natural talents and abilities and enhanced and I see more and more clearly how intricately and uniquely our Creator made each of us. Yes it is cliché but truly no two people are exactly alike. We need not search for monetary and superficial means to separate us from the masses, but rather find satisfaction and peace through our Savior, and Heavenly Father.

If you doubt me, test it. I double dog dare you! Haha. As for me I know that I am a daughter of God. He knows and loves me and has created a way that I might be happy and return to Him. I am deeply grateful for the blessings and gifts that He has given me. Any questions about me or my Church, feel free to ask.

Monsieur Frenchie

2008-02-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

I must admit, I love learning about different cultures and peoples around the world. Indeed I jump at every opportunity to speak with foreign exchange students because I am thrilled to glean every bit of information I can from them. One of my favorite encounters with a foreign exchange student happened while I was still in highschool. The tale goes a little something like this...
It had been a regular Monday night in July. I had spent the day with my best friend Katie Barnes, watching grass grow, counting the hairs on our heads, watching her favorite TV shows, and ending the night by talking outside before departing to our respective houses. We lingered in the driveway for a moment when a white car pulled up in the intersection near us and started to honk profusely. Being startled and all it took me a bit to recognize our friend Daniel Ray as the driver of the mystery car. Daniel quickly threw the car into park and came rushing out to greet Katie and I and introduce us to his new friend, Benjamin Poulain, a foreign exchange student from France. Naturally I was excited to meet Ben. I met with many foreign exchange students at Highland but never with someone from France so I was eager to learn everything I could. We discussed an assortment of topics as broad as politics and religion, or narrow as favorite toothpaste brands and what we liked to do on weekends. I remember being a little shocked at his audacity. He did not shy away from asking me questions that would have been conceived as improper or taboo within American society for strangers. At one point he asked me, "Waiy doo you not 'av sex? Waiy ihz sex such bad sing 'ere?" I could only stammer a brief explanation about sex being looked down upon in adolescence and out of wedlock, and then quickly changed the subject. What started out as a short talk with Katie ended as a three hour long conversation with Ben, and before I realized, it was 1:30 in the morning. I quickly bade my "adieus" and sped home, praying my parents hadn't bothered to wait up for me.
That, I supposed, was the end of Monsieur Frenchie. Not so. Later that week I was surprised to receive a call from Daniel : I was invited to attend Ben's going away party. An innocent invitation, so I accepted.
Party time arrived and so did I. Feeling good about the prospect of a night of socializing and ready to have a rockin' time, I confidently strode into the room where Daniel immediately greeted me and gave me a welcome hug.
"Diana, I need to tell you something." Whispered Daniel.
Somewhat confused I answered brightly, "Uhhhhh, alright?"
"Uhm, first of all how do you feel about Ben?" Daniel inquired.
"He's a nice kid. I had fun chatting with him... why do you ask?"
"Well, apparently Ben really really likes you and he wants to kiss you before he leaves for France tomorrow. He keeps talking about kissing an American girl and well... You'll do that, right? Just a friendly kiss is all. Anyway, just thought I'd warn you."
At that I felt bewildered, not to mention queasy. He wanted to kiss me? HA! I felt bad but that was one thing that I could never do. I don't take kisses lightly and am proud to say I have never kissed someone without meaning it every bit. So, was I about to kiss this kid after one conversation? Well.. if I was getting money- *cough* I mean, absolutely NOT! No, but really, there was no way I was going to let this kid get anywhere near my face after I had learned of his intentions. Indeed it took little thought to conclude that I would avoid the situation altogether, so I took great pains to evade him while leaving that night. Miraculously, I managed to get home unscathed, or rather, unkissed, and I thought that was surely the end of Monsieur Frenchie. Not so.
The very next day Daniel called and asked me to meet him for lunch at Taco Bell. A harmless invitation, so I accepted. I arrived there ready to eat a scrumptious taco when my eyes caught upon an unwelcome sight: Ben, sitting beside Daniel. I groaned inwardly, ordered my food and joined them at their table with an outwardly cheerful disposition. The meal passed away suitably and soon it became time to leave. I tried my best to stay in the company of Daniel as to make it impossible for Ben to make a move, but my plan was soon thwarted as Daniel sneakily slipped away to his car, leaving Ben and I alone in our discomfort.
"So, have you seen a scorpion yet?" I asked
"No I 'ave not. Ihz good sing I 'ave not, I 'ave a phobia!"
"That's a pity; well I have to go..."
"WAIT! I muss show you somezing we do in France! But, uh, you muss close your eyes."
Oh shoot, here it was. I had to take action, but what to do? Save propriety or save the guy some embarrassment?
"Uhhh," I said torpidly, "I can't close my eyes, I have a uh, phobia! Well, see ya later." And with a friendly pat on the back I halfway ran to my car embarrassed and relieved.
Now, I have never been extremely good with words but this story straight out proves that I had absolutely no tact in highschool. "I'll see you later"?!?! Riiiiight Diana. He is leaving to France and I say "see you later"? And I can only hope that I would say something a little more intelligent than make up the excuse that I have a phobia of closing my eyes. Well... that's what happened and while it was one of the more awkward memories I have, I still remember it with a strange sense of fondness. Think about it, that kinda stuff doesn't happen everyday (thank goodness). Poor poor Benjamin Poulain and silly silly Diana. hahaha! :)

YAY FOR THE FRENCH!

Randomnissisities.

2008-02-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

1. Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.
that is comforting....
2. Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
ew. I'd rather not be brushing my teeth with poop particles.
3. The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as substitute for blood plasma.
define young
4. Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.
dirty donkeys!!!! That goat just smiled at me. Goats don't smile.
5. You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
Not if you are watching The Office or Rob and Big. Those shows make you laugh. My abs can attest to that.
6. The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.
Boopitty-bahbitty!
7. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each salad served in first-class.
And with my birth came greatness
8. Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
I miss pluto. :(
9. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
Apples are one my least favorite fruits. Give me an apple in the morning and I might throw it at you. Hahaha, yeah, I can see how that would wake me up.
10. The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
What liberating knowledge!
11. The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer.
Not surprising
12. Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
Also not surprising
13. Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
Thirty-five percent of people on dating ads are idiots.
14. The three most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.
Cigarettes, Soda, and Beer. *sigh* I'm so glad we have our priorities in the right place.
15. It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
Gilbert smells and tastes like bovine
16. A duck's quack doesn't echo and no one knows why. (Or does it? http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_world/duck/duck.htm)
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight
17. The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
At least they weren't cows. messy.
18. Turtles can breathe through their butts.
Whoa, I'm slightly entertained, slightly fascinated, and slightly disgusted. What is the anatomical purpose of such a function?
19. In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world's nuclear weapons combined.
It is times like these that I am grateful to live in Arizona. The only thing we really have going against us is an eternal drought. hurricane? drought... hurricane? drought... yup, I'm stickin' to the drought.
20. On average people fear spiders more than they do death.
what is the fear behind the fear? Do you think they really fear the spider or being biten and killed by the spider? Wouldn't that make them essentially afraid of death?
21. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
False. I saw Dumbo jump out of a burning building when I was four.
22. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
That's 'cause guys don't bat their eyes... like dis'.
23. A snail can sleep for three years.
Snails... now that is another thing that can't jump.
24. Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
What do they do with the dead basaeballs?
25. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
Aaron, don't get any ideas.
26. All polar bears are left handed.
Handed? HANDED? HAANNNDED?
27. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
T-Y-P-E-W-R-I-T-E-R.... alright, I'll give them that.
28. If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall. Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
Why does Ariel wear C-shells?

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!!!

I'm WHITE.

2008-01-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

(just for fun)

This is an interesting test. I don't know if you have ever heard of "the Color Code" but pretty much all it is is a test that shows you which color/personality you are most like. There are about 50 questions on the test and it doesn't take long but it is pretty fun to see what the test thinks you are like at the end of the day. There are four main personalities consisting of white, blue, red, and yellow. Once upon a time I thought I was blue but I guess times change and apparently I have a White personality. wow... big surprise. Who woulda thought that Diana Lilly was white in yet another aspect of her life? Well, it does fit me pretty well I s'pose.
I am so WHITE.

"WHITES are motivated by PEACE. They seek independence and require kindness. They resist confrontation at all costs. To them, feeling good is more important than being good. They are typically quiet by nature, process things very deeply and objectively with great clarity. Of all the colors, WHITES are the best listeners. They respect people who are direct but recoil from perceived hostility or verbal battle.

WHITES need their "alone time" and refuse to be controlled by others. WHITES want to do things their own way and in their own time. They ask little of others and resent others demanding much of them. WHITES are much stronger than people think, but are not often seen for their strength because they don't easily reveal their feelings. WHITES are even-tempered, diplomatic, and the voice of reason; but can also be indecisive, unexpressive, and silently stubborn. When others interact with you, as a WHITE you respond to them best if they are kind, accepting and supporting of your individuality, and if they look for non-verbal clues to understand your feelings."

what I get from this is that I am a very good listener but not a very good communicator.

Can I get a second opinion?

Oh try the test out for yourself COLOR-CODE-IT-UP

Sleepy Time!

2008-01-25T01:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, so, it is currently 2am and why am I not asleep?

A. I just watched "The Prestige" which = not a feel good movie
B. I tanked two Dr. Peppers an hour ago
C. I'm afraid of the dark
D. I am not looking forward to waking up tomorrow and want to prolong the hours I'm alive and happy before I have to wake up (that is twisted!)
E. I'm a machine and require no sleep. Just batteries
Q. I have way too many thoughts running through my head to relax
8. 8 is definitely my favorite number. I don't remember when I picked that out but I'm definitely a fan
H. I hate getting ready for bed
Z. My body naturally doesn't require tons of Z's and appreciates hours after 12am more than most
40. B., C., 8., and Q. are correct
1987. A., D., H., Z. + I'm a little stupid, are correct
M. Make up your own answer!

well dang, time is waning and I really do need to catch some Z's. school + being sick = no bueno. Before I do so let me just take a moment to explain how much I love productive days. There is something to be said for being busy. The good kind of busy where your day is filled and you feel accomplished but you still have time for important things like... oh, say, hanging out with very special persons? yeah. That's the bomb. I am truly blessed.

P.S
Lincoln once said, if you are a racist I will attack you with the north.

whew I'm not racist!

The People Who Make My Life AMAZING!

2008-01-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

Soooooo, I've thinking a little bit about how righteous my life is and I realize that most of my happiness stems from the people I am privileged to associate with. I have learned so much and know for a fact that the Lord knows me and loves me enough to place me in a position where I have the unique opportunity to grow with and around the people I know. I'm going to take just a little time to pay homage to those whom I dearly love.

MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jill Lilly
First off, my sweet sweet mother. Bless her heart! My mom is one of the most amazing people on this planet. I know everyone says that their mom is really the best but I am absolutely convinced that mine is. I dearly wish I could be more like her. She is patient, loving, gentle, and thoughtful. I still can't believe she had the guts to raise NINE children. I have learned so much from her and have drawn strength from her example and relationship with our father in heaven. She expects a lot of me and even when I'm the rebellious punk I tend to be she still has faith in my ability to learn and grow from my mistakes. She is a friend, a confidant, and pillar of strength to which all those around her cling to. I could go on for-ev-er but I have a lot more people to talk about. Let there be no doubt in your mind about how I feel about my mother. She is phenomenal in every aspect and I hope to be like her. :)

Loren Lilly
My Dad is hilarious and extremely unique. He is a hard hard hard worker. Even though he is constantly working to provide for my gargantuan family he continues to be happy and cheerful about the work he does. I'm grateful for him. He doesn't get nearly enough credit for everything he does and yet he is still there, patient, and loving. GO DAD! Now if only I could be as good as he is at story telling.... Oh yeah, and thanks for the ultra white skin gene. I'm kind of fond of it now. haha!

whoa, so many family members! I'll be quick.

Spencer.
Now this kid is the one i definitely looked up to growing up. He was so COOL! I remember thinking i wanted to be just like him when i grew up and was in high school. It seemed like he had so many friends and was always having fun. Yes. He was always kind to me and come to think of it... he still is. Ps. Spencer = shoe cone suer. Trust me, this kid is the bomb.

Crystal.
Newest member of my family but I love her like I've known her all my life. This chicka is phenomenal and super fun. She brings a spice and flavor to our family that makes me wonder how we ever lived without her. Serious. I'm so happy she married Spencer and shares her sweet spirit with us.

Kara.
Ha! bless her heart. She is fantastic. It makes me sad that more people don't know this about her. I couldn't ask for a more patient roommate than her. Hahaha oooooh... and trust me, I try her patience. :) She is a killer artist. Occasionally she will surprise me by letting me drive on our way to church or by washing my laundry (whether that is because she gets tired of it or she is just being nice I have yet to figure out. haha.) If you ask me Kara is a catch. wink!

Michael.
Michael = Awesome. He is pretty much the best at whatever he puts his mind to. That's call skill friend. He is super intelligent and a load of fun to hang out with. He also helps a bunch at keeping the peace in our family by regulating my brothers in a loving manner and calling them out when something goes awry. Michael also = essential to my sanity. Ps. Thanks for giving me first pick every time you make Ramen or Mac hahahah!

CAMMY POO!
cough, ugh... yeah. I really like him. He is SO FUNNY. Cameron is da bomb and has a sense of humor like no one I've ever met. We can stay up for hours just talking or being goofy. We have become experts at toothbrush-in-the-mouth conversations. I can't be mad at this guy. He is really mature for his age and out of everyone in my family I probably relate to him and Michael most. Why are my brothers so cool?

Brrrrrrandon.
Also hilarious. I enjoy his sarcasm and unique thought process. Brandon is SMART. He makes me smile and even though he spits on the bathroom mirror when he brushes his teeth I love him to death. Viva big heads!

Justin.
Justin is growing into a fine young man with a fun personality. Ha, that sounded retarded. Fine young man indeed! Nah, but seriously, he is cool. Plus he is learning GERMAN!!!!
Thanks for being a quiet eater and for giving me space at the dinner table. hah!

Jared.
Jared is in a league of his own. Way mature for a little guy. I know he is going to go far. He is always helping my mom out and keeping my little sister happy. So good with kids! People from all age groups love him. Not very many kids get that status. I rarely hear this guy complain about trivial things. I can't say I was quite that cool when I was his age.
Keep it up Jared. I think you are the bomb.

Jennifer aka NUFFER!
WOW... I have never met a little girl with so much energy and imagination. I always wanted a little sister but I had no idea it would be quite like this. Jen is awesome because she sees beauty in things that I fail to see at first glance. Like her rock collection. She loves people and will love the crap out of them if they let her. If you are ever in need of a good hug she is definitely the person to go to. She is a fun member of my family and definitely keeps things lively.
Thanks for giving me permission alone to call you Nuffer until you grow up. heheh!

Kate Arnett!
Uhm.. I love Kate. She has been a great influence in my life and I will never stop thinking she is great. Yes, Kate the Great. The Lord blessed me mucho when he put Kate in my life. She is in a word, exciting! Everything Kate does is is an adventure and she can make some of the most dull activities the time of your life. I'm grateful for her example of being someone who judges in a manner pleasing to the Lord. She is very practical, talented, and smart (even though she didn't know Russia was a country a while back hahaha!) Thanks for being my best cousin friend!
"I'm just like you, you're just like me!"

Rachel Weeks
How can I be passionate about so many people? I think if I could literally love someone to death it would be Rachel. She is compassionate, sweet, gentle, trustworthy, and dependable. She has a voice that makes me sigh it is so beautiful. How lucky am I that i was able to sing with her for most of my childhood? Wow... Gosh Rachel. I can't thank you enough for being who you are and for being so great to me.

Rose Bunzell
So hot, that even steam feels cool. Hahaha! I love Rose. She was my spunky adventure friend growing up. Yeah, we got into trouble but boy do I cherish those memories! What else what else you say? Well, Rose is one heck of a woman but she is definitely not afraid to get down and dirty if the occasion calls. Trust me, it is a little intimidating. I admire her confidence. She is unlike anyone and she knows it. Why can't I be so cool? Seriously, what a babe. I am in love with her but not really. haha!

FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to talk about Katie Beatrice Barnes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See how cool she is? I even put 14 exclamation points behind her name. What a force for good. Katie is certainly unlike any human being and I mean that in a good way. She is PASSIONATE.
I admire her love for books, literature, and writing. She was truly and inspiration to me growing up. Katie can make me laugh and giggle like no one else. I admire her friendly disposition and her aptness for making friends and showing people a great time. She is an organizer and a goal setter. She has blessed me time and time again by being a listening ear and a comforter. I owe her big time.
Thanks for a countless hours of smiles Katie. I love you!

Lauren Riggs
Is beautiful. She doesn't really like when I praise her but I just can't help it! She is way intelligent, hardworking, and has a mind worth more than her weight in gold. Lauren knows how to have a good time. She also knows when to take life seriously (Katie and I definitely needed her example haha!) I am extremely fond of Lauren. You just don't even know! hahahahahahah!
Thanks for being a shoulder to lean on Lauren. You are beautiful in and out.

Aaron Mortensen
Hold me back cause this kid is phenomenal. I truly look up to him and not just because he is taller than me. When I am around him (and I am certain that others feel the same way) I feel the urge to step up and do something good. He is always doing something for someone else and looking out for those around him. This kid knows the meaning of charity and it shows in every aspect of his life. SO thoughtful! I admire how dependable he is to his friends and in his church callings. Did I mention that he is crazy hilarious? Well, he is. From the beginning I have been impressed with how he treats those around him and his ability to make everyone around him feel like a million bucks.
Ps. he has one of the best laughs ever.

Mandi Ryan
I can't believe I didn't know about Mandi sooner in my life. How could I not have realized how wonderful she was all these years? Let me tell you about Mandi. Mandi has a heart of gold. She is always there for a friend in need and has a hug that heals all aches. She is trustworthy and honest. When I look at Mandi I see someone who is just overflowing with happiness and love. It is infectious! Mandi is special because she is loyal and true to what she believes in. I am so grateful for her example of kindness and for truly knowing the meaning of friendship.
Oh, and I don't think I've ever known someone who could make green look SO GOOD! :)

Trent Valentine
All I can really say is that this kid makes me smile. LOTS. I can't recall ever being mad at him although I'm sure he has done things in the past to merit it. HA! kidding yo. I'm just kiddin'. But really, Trent is seriously one of my favorite people. If Trent was was about 200lbs heavier, 50 years older, had white hair and a beard he could be Santa because he is just that jolly. heh heh heh... uuuuuuh, yup.
-if you ever need a movie line Trent is your man.

Oh there are so many people I would love to mention on here but this is one gargantuan blog. Just trust me, if I know you I probably have copious wonderful things to say about you. :)
In closing I would just like to reiterate how lucky I am to be around some of the Lords most amazing children. I'm grateful to him for knowing me and blessing me so abundantly!

Now that is interesting... Now that IS interesting...

2008-01-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

A while ago I was talking with my brother Cameron aka Cammy Poo late into the night as is our custom. This particular night through fits of giggles and sleep deprivation we started to discuss how odd it is that whenever something is repeated it seems to give more meaning to the prior point. It seems to drive it in deeper if you know what I mean.
Example:
I recently overheard this conversation between my Mother, Cameron, and my sweet Grandmother.

Gma: "Jill I'm making this apron for Kelly and I need to test it on someone so I know if I have the right length for his neck."
-suspiciously sizing my mother up-

Jill: "I'm afraid Kelly and I aren't the same size or shape mother."

Gma: "Oh oh oh... right. Uhm, oh dear. Uhmm... oh dear oh dear."

-Cameron chillin' in the kitchen makes a goofy comment regarding the apron-
-Gma looks suspiciously at Cameron as if sizing him up-

Gma: "You would work right Cameron? Yes yes. Come over here and let me see if this will work"

-Cameron taken aback-

Cameron: "I'm a lot bigger than Kelly Grandma. A LOT bigger"

Gma: "A lot bigger...." -as if in a entranced stupor-

Cameron: "Yeah, I would overpower him"

-still in an entranced stupor-
Gma: "You would overpower him..."

HA! Needless to say it was quite hilarious to hear my grandma process everything that my brother had said especially the "You will overpower him..." It sounded like something out of a Twilight Zone episode. HA! beautiful, beautiful.

Not too long after this conversation ensued did I have my own repetitious conversation. While discussing how my classes had gone that day I remember saying something to the effect of:
OH it was booooring! The subject is fascinating but my teacher is as dry as a bone. BONE I tell you! Boring Boring BORING! ugh, so boring."

I think I made my point quite clear. If i had simply said, "oh yeah, class was boring" the listener would not have caught the degree of boredom i felt. Make sense? I say did that make sense?

Okay, overkill. I'll stop alright? Alright.

To finalize my point let me share with you a random but hilarious clip of Shia LeBeouf. If anyone understands what I'm talking about here this kid does.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8IXCK1EyP4s
-Aaron showed me this thing. I have to pay tribute to him :)

Next time you are participating in a conversation just pay attention to it. Great stuff.

What? What? What?!

2008-01-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

A very good friend of mine (come to think of it he is pretty handsome too) asks me a question repeatedly whenever I am with him. The question: What? Yeah... simple but much harder to answer than I would have expected. Albeit irritating at times i definitely deserve it due to the fact i wear my thoughts/emotions on my face (I better not try my hand at poker). I can't tell you how many times I've been chillin' there minding my own business only to be jolted out of my revelry with the question "What?" "What are you thinking?"I would love to see my own face on those occasions. I must look ridiculous. I imagine my face painted with the emotions of disgruntlement, amusement, pleasure, and boredom. Often I have more than one emotion running through my brain at once. I'd like to see those faces most. What am i thinking right now? What is going on in this brain of mine?
I'll tell you what is going on in this brain...
Right now i am dearly wishing for a camera. The scene around me is like a Where's Waldo picture book only... no Waldo...and I'm at ASU at the Computing Commons. Fortunately this scene requires no Waldo to make it an interesting one. Let me describe those around me.

To my right i have a lady well into her forties looking up her friends on MySpace. Although MySpace is certain to pass the time away i still wonder what her twelve year old daughter Jordan would say about the taken-in-the-bathroom-mirror-with-a-camera-phone-esque photos. Did I mention scantily clad? No? Well, I meant to.
Emotion: amusement with a tinge of exasperation. Moms on MySpace? please no.

In the near leftish vicinity we find Mr. Narcolepsy. Although i have definitely have fallen victim to those kinds of sleeping fits that draw you in and out on sanity, I still find it devilishly entertaining to watch. Every time his head hits the computer screen he jolts awake, shakes his head furiously, continues business on the computer only to fall asleep two minutes into his paper. Gosh I hate it when that happens!
Emotion: understanding, tickled, as well as bracing myself for my turn.

Directly in front of me is a what I like to call High-School-Drama-Queen-all-grown-up aka Sorority Girl aka Alpha Gamma Pi Epsilon aka my daddy is paying for me to fail college aka NIGHTMARE. Ah... I should give her a chance. Better yet, I'll let you decide.
-phone convo. excerpt-
"nuh-uh... nuh-uh... OMG!" (actually said the acronym omg)
giggle giggle squeak giggle squeak squeak giggle
"I know! I can't believe Tamara wore that last night, and did you see her all over Jimmy?"

ugh.. zoning out of that nonsense.
Emotion: bemused, bewildered, and maybe a bit jealous that my tuition isn't securely payed for :).

In the three O'clock zone we have Beethoven. An apt name for him not only in looks but in mannerisms. This kid's music is turned up so loud I'm certain he will go deaf at any moment. With fingers rapping against anything in front of him and head swaying to the beat he really does make quite the sight. I wonder if he took Ritalin as a kid.
Emotion: distracted, fascinated, agitated.

There are quite a few more characters I could write about including the really spunky and cute Vietnamese girl with the hello kitty get-up, the multi-tasking texter/IMer, Mr. Sniffles, or the super animated Indian girl, but I'm also feeling restless and I'm ready to go snag a free doughnut from the institute building. Bless the institute program and their free food!

Ultimately I have come to the conclusion that I simply have too many emotions to keep up with. No surprise I have a hard time answering the daunting question "What?"
What am i thinking/feeling? Without being too specific I am amused, exasperated, sympathetic, tickled, wary, bemused, bewildered, jealous, distracted, fascinated, agitated.

Eeeesh.

The Writers Itch

2007-12-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

So, i thought i was cool to avoid these sites but it is useless. I love to write but seeing as I have no good excuse to do so my writing skills have gone to moot. In any case I'm bustin' out the blogger hoping that this will satisfy if not cure my writers itch. Happy scratching!