The Misadventures of Miss Melissa

A Bunch of Brunch

2012-02-12T21:26:00.001-07:00

My roommates and I made lots of food for brunch on Saturday morning. Mostly we (and by we I mean I) were looking for an excuse to make lots of delicious food. Mission accomplished.

Chanel making pancakes

Look Mom! We eat fruit!

Breakfast Potatoes

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-apart Bread

Recent Happenings

2012-02-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

I have been a terrible blogger of late...my apologies.

One of the most exciting things that's happened to me lately is the camera I bought myself for Christmas. I'm still learning how to use it, but it's an exciting adventure that I'm looking forward to.

So here are some pictures I've taken with said camera of a few things I've done lately:

Strange abstract piece of "art" that I made last Saturday when I was bored.

Flowers Daniel, Suzanne and I surprised Grandma Smith with.

I finally broke down and bought my Endocrinology book....it arrived today.

I taught Chanel how to make bread tonight.

Chanel wanted me to draw a picture of her...so I did while the bread was rising. (First portrait in like 4.5 years...don't judge.)

Bread is done!

Dancing

2012-01-29T22:31:00.001-07:00

On Friday night the young adult activity that I was in charge of planning took place. We had a dance. I'm not much for dancing, but I think the evening went well and I'm very glad it's over. I took some pictures. Most of them aren't of people dancing....but that's just how it goes I guess.

Gallon Challenge

2012-01-26T13:42:00.001-07:00

Vitals:
Temperature: 97.9
Blood Pressure: 102/60
Heart Rate: 94 <--24 bpm higher than average (someone was a little nervous...)
Hb count (right hand): 12 <--not high enough to donate
Hb count (left hand): 13.5 <--high enough to donate

Today I donated blood for the second time in my six donation goal. It went much more smoothly than last time. Which isn't necessarily saying much... The phlebotomists were nice, the cookies were good, and no blood splattered on my shirt. An all-around improvement.

This was the eighth time that I've donated blood in my life, which means that I've donated a total of one gallon. Woot. I have a lifetime goal of at least five gallons. Only 32 more donations to go!

Bandwagon Jumping

2012-01-10T11:17:00.003-07:00

Over the weekend I read the Hunger Games trilogy. Yes, I finally caved. I told myself I wasn't going to read them, but the movie is coming out in the spring, and the trailer looked pretty good....and I wouldn't feel good about watching if I hadn't read the books first....and I could download them for free on my Kindle... Saturday morning I started the first one. I read the second one Saturday night after I got home from the BYU basketball game. I finished up on Sunday with the third book.

Part of my motivation to read them was also sentimental. The first time I ever heard mention of "The Hunger Games" was from my little brother Jared when the two of us were driving to Utah. He isn't much of a reader; in fact, he hates it. But he really liked that book. It was probably the first book that he'd read cover to cover in years. Soon everyone was talking about them. Several of my friends told me that I should read them. His recommendation was definitely the most influential though.

When it was all said and done, I think I liked them. That being said, I will definitely be reading something a little lighter and happier next....

Be It Resolved....

2012-01-04T22:18:00.001-07:00

So I know it's the fourth of January and I'm a little late posting these, but I'm going to share this year's resolutions anyway. If anything, it's just so I have to be accountable to all (four?) of my readers. Without further ado:

*Read the Scriptures every day (as part of a larger goal to complete the entire standard works--Old Testament included {yikes}--before May 2013)

*Continue to journal daily (I wrote every day of 2011!)

*Read the Ensign cover to cover every month

*Finish my blood donating goal (I scheduled an appointment for January 26th this afternoon)

*Try one new recipe every week (recipes will be featured on this very blog)

*Read 52 books before next January

*Complete 5 Day Zero goals every month

Actually, most of those resolutions are also Day Zero goals. The clock is ticking; I only have 523 days left to finish. My five goals for the month of January are:

Edit my London pictures
Get up when my alarm goes off 10 days in a row (no snoozing!)
Start a retirement fund
Write my personal history
Finish my list of 50 things I like about myself

Here's to a good, productive year!

Santa Claus Came to Town

2011-12-27T13:25:00.004-07:00

When I was very small, my mom started baking bread from scratch instead of buying it at the store. When she first started, she did the whole thing by hand, including the 10+ minutes of kneading required for the correct dough consistency. I think I was five the year my parents brought home a Bosch mixer from the Eastern Idaho State Fair. That Bosch was a key component of our kitchen, and when my dad designed our kitchen in our new house, it had a special cupboard just for the Bosch.

I came home for a weekend last September. During my break, my mom asked me to bake some bread. I pulled out the old Bosch to start mixing. I looked about like this:

But it definitely sounded more like this:

I was more than a little horrified. In all fairness, it had just turned 17...probably not many appliances survive to late adolescence, especially ones that get used as frequently as that mixer did (4 loaves of bread two or three times a week, plus sundry other baked goods that require mixing.)

I guess I was more appalled that my mom was tolerating a less-than-ideal situation when she bought me a new mixer just a few years ago. So over the deafening noise of the bread kneading, I started researching mixers. I called my brothers and sisters for their input. We all decided that mom was going to get a new mixer for Christmas this year.

It's hard to decide what to get your mom for Christmas in September, because that's a long time to keep the secret. We ordered her new mixer at the end of October. I was giddy on the day it got delivered to my apartment.

I just had to open the box and peek inside!

And then....tragedy struck. The first week of December, the old mixer kicked the bucket. My mom wasn't sure how she was going to get through the month without one, especially with Jared's farewell on the horizon. My dad helped prevent her running straight to the store to buy a new one by playing his role as resident engineer perfectly. He dismantled the entire mixer, telling her that it might be salvageable. I called to offer my condolences and promised to bring my mixer home with me to get us through the holidays.

It looked so small sitting on the counter. And my mom experienced LOTS of frustration trying to accommodate the smaller bowl. Apparently, she is used to doubling recipes instead of halving them :)

All the while, her new mixer was sitting upstairs waiting for Christmas morning!

It was so fun watching her open it. She was pretty surprised. It made its way downstairs to its new home (I measured the cupboard in the kitchen before we decided what type of mixer to buy, just to make sure it would fit.) She used it for the first time to make bread yesterday. It's a bit of a change to switch from a Bosch to a Kitchenaid, but the bread was good, so we're off to a good start!

Outtakes

2011-12-19T13:58:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was Jared's mission farewell. We had lots of family and friends come to show their support. He did a great job speaking in church, and it was good to see everyone :)

We took some pictures before church and during the open house after church. Some of them turned out really good.

But all the outtakes are my favorite part!

The Way It Goes

2011-12-16T15:55:00.001-07:00

What I should be doing:

1. You suspect that angiotensin II acts in the brain to increase renal nerve activity, and that in heart failure the angiotensin II receptor has increased expression leading to increased sympathetic activity. What experiments could you perform to test this hypothesis using laboratory rats (propose at least 3 experiments)? Briefly describe the experimental strategy and include what control groups you would use. What results would you expect if your hypothesis is correct?

2. Describe the “biosensor” created by Peti-Peterdi et al. (J Clin Invest 112:76-82, 2003). What experiments did they perform to validate the effectiveness of the biosensor? What model did they propose for release of PGE2 from macula densa cells in response to reduced luminal salt content, and what data supported this model? Devise a hypothetical biosensor of your own and describe hypothetical experiments to validate its effectiveness.

3. You just moved into a new area and notice your neighbor’s daughter has detectible expiratory wheezing. You guess that the child must be experiencing some type of an allergic reaction. After all, like you, they live in an older rented apartment close to campus that has not been well maintained; there is a faint, yet detectible tobacco odor and visible dust (dust mites and pet dander present). You rightfully guess the child has chronic, stable asthma. Describe the pathology of the child’s condition including associated mechanisms involved in inflammation of the airway wall, leukocyte accumulation, elaboration of inflammatory mediators and other products. Limit to 1 page.

What I just did instead:

(Link you should *DEFINITELY* click.)

I am Woman, Hear Me Roar

2011-12-14T12:10:00.002-07:00

Today when I threw a load of towels in the dryer, I noticed when I turned it on that it was sounding a little funky..... Upon further investigation, I found that the little silver accordion-looking pipe was no longer attached....to anything. It was just sitting in a sad, twisted little heap on the ground. Lint was everywhere. I called maintenance, but no one answered (this is typical.) So I called a man friend for a little bit of advice. And then, like my father and his father before him, I did it myself.

Roar.

As an apartment of girls, we didn't have any of that boring old gray duct tape. Please note the aesthetically pleasing use of purple. Also, I promise I cleaned off the tile before pushing the dryer back. Don't judge for the mess.

In a vein completely unrelated to my dryer, yesterday my big brother Daniel became one year older and wiser too. So I baked a cake. And Suzy spent the entire evening making jokes about 'eating it too.' We had a small party at his apartment with his roommates and friends. I don't have any pictures of the assembled cake, but I did take a few of what the layers looked like. It was marbled.

Before it got baked

While it cooled

Opening presents

Happy birthday!

Has Your Mind Been Blown Lately?

2011-12-12T10:55:00.002-07:00

In true biology-nerd form, I'd like to share a video today called "The Inner Life of the Cell." It's an animated representation of what's going on in the cells of your body at this very moment. And if it doesn't blow your mind, you might want to investigate as to whether or not your mind was installed upside-down. Just saying.

To be quite honest, I have loved this video for years, and am a bit surprised at myself for waiting this long to share the awesomeness.

Although there is no way for me to completely explain this movie, I'm going to try a little. The movie starts out inside a blood vessel. The red blood cells travel up the middle, and the white blood cells are rolling along the sides. This movie shows what happens when a white blood cell receives a signal to leave the blood stream (a process known as diapedesis). Most of the little blobs that float around and stick to each other and everything else are proteins. The stuff that looks like scaffolding is called 'cytoskeleton' and it basically is scaffolding... The long, thin, stringy things are called mRNAs and are the directions for how to make new proteins. And yes, there totally is a little guy that walks along the cytoskeleton delivering stuff to the cell membrane. He's called 'kinesin.'

How much do you remember about cells from fifth grade? Organelle pop quiz anyone? The nucleus was at 1:30. Did you spot the mitochondria hanging out at 1:56? And there's some golgi body action at 2:14.

Sorry if you don't feel as jazzed about all that as I do. But seriously, the next time you're feeling sorry for yourself, remember that God gave you a really incredible body. One three-minute animation doesn't even begin to cover how cool it really is. And if that doesn't help you feel better about life, call me and we'll talk about kidneys. Or hearts. Or nerves. Or brains. Because if you woke up this morning and you were alive, there's no reason to not feel like the luckiest person on earth.

In a completely unrelated vein, I was also informed about this cool website called Credit Karma where you can check your credit report and score for *free* as often as you want. It's the first site like that; most of the time you have to pay, or you're limited in the number of times you can check. Some people think that the more you check your credit report, the more it hurts your score. That's not true. It only hurts your score when other people check your credit report (i.e., when you apply for a new line of credit.) Credit Karma also gives you a breakdown of why your score is the way it is, where you are potentially losing points, and how you rank compared to the average American, as well as other Americans in your demographic. Go take a look!

PS: I heard about this site from my personal finance professor, so don't worry, it really is legit.

(I feel very much like Suzanne, blogging about credit reports and all...)

When I Grow Up

2011-12-07T17:38:00.001-07:00

Today my mom was giving me advice for my future. There were a few stray cats wandering around my front yard and she thought they might be a good start to my collection.

Maybe for Christmas she'll get me these window vinyls!

Hypothetical Embarrassing Moment

2011-12-06T14:39:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time last September, there was a charming masters student who was sitting in the salon getting her hair cut when she received a text message from her boyfriend asking her to meet him on campus with a CD he needed for a class assignment. She agreed to meet him at a planter in front of the Joseph F. Smith building, a place they had previously met up on more than one occasion. When her haircut was complete, she jaunted home to get the CD and headed to campus. As was her habit, she called her mother during her walk to campus.

A fifteen minute walk later, she arrived in the JFSB quad and spotted her boyfriend sitting on the edge of the planter waiting for her. His back was to her as she approached. She walked up and sat down right next to him (like...right next to him...like you do with your boyfriend, you know?) Not wanting to interrupt her mother, she didn't say anything to him, but began scratching his back in a oh-hey-it's-just-me-your-girlfriend-how-are-you kind of way. After a minute and a half of absent-minded back scratching, she hung up with her mother and reached into her backpack to get the CD he needed. And then she turned to hand it to him....

....and found herself face-to-face with a complete stranger wearing a very amused look on his face.

At which point she so poisedly blurted, 'I don't know you!'

To which he replied, 'Yup.'

She tried to explain, 'I thought you were someone else!'

To which he replied, 'Yup.'

She sat there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Would it be rude to just get up and leave? After about 30 seconds of deliberation, during which she attempted to summon what was left of her dignity, she said, 'It was very nice meeting you. Have a nice day!' and very quickly walked away.

Only to be greeted by her actual boyfriend, walking across the quad to meet her.

The moral of this story is: what kind of person lets a complete stranger sit down right next to him and rub his back for a MINUTE AND A HALF without saying anything? Honestly...

Back to Square One....

2011-12-01T10:32:00.001-07:00

Picture from here

Life is tough. And sometimes in order to make it through, you just have to be tough right back. Manicures and helmets don't hurt either.

A few thoughts on what it means to be tough:

Being tough doesn't mean that you don't ever get to be sad. Sometimes sad things happen. I think being tough means not feeling despair. Even when you're sad, it's important to have hope that better, happier things are coming.

Being tough means looking around for other people that need helmets and manicures worse than you do, and then showing up, nail polish in hand.

My mom and I were in some store a few years back, and we stumbled across a sign that read "Put on your big-girl panties and deal with it." We both laughed, but it's become a bit of a mantra to my mom. Although she is too classy to repeat it to anyone but her daughters, on more than one occasion I have been reminded to 'put on my big-girl panties.' This morning I was talking to my mom, and she told me that 'put on your big-girl panties' is pretty much the same thing as 'gird up your loins.' Just modernized. Being tough means "Gird up your loins; fresh courage take." Or in other words, "Put on your big-girl panties and deal with it."

Being tough means recognizing when you can't just stay home in your pajamas and wallow because there are too many important things on your to-do list. And you can't go to campus in your pajamas and wallow there either, because that's tacky. So you put on those jeans that make your backside look good with that blouse that's kinda fancy, and you top the whole look off with some really great waterproof mascara. And you give that oral presentation with a smile. And you teach that review session on heart disease with gusto. And in between, you pop into the bathroom to make sure that mascara isn't letting you down.

Some days I couldn't be more thankful for good family, good friends, and waterproof mascara.

Good Eating

2011-11-28T17:54:00.001-07:00

To start, a statistic I heard over the weekend: two thirds of Americans believe they are smarter than the average American. Which means that one sixth of us are kidding ourselves. Where do you fit?

And now, on to the real deal.

One of my all-time favorite things about going home over breaks is my mom's kitchen. Or, perhaps more specifically, her amazingly vast stores of ingredients. Seriously. She's got everything. It's a poor-starving-grad-student-bake-a-holic's dream. So of course, when I go home, I do everything in my power to make a dent in that pantry o' wonders.

Over Thanksgiving I made the following:

Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans and White Chocolate

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies

Both from the website Our Best Bites. Plus I did a little bit of experimenting of my own and made a cake. I didn't take any pictures, but I promise it looked just like this:

It was a white cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting. Delish.

White Cake that Melissa Sort-of Invented, but Not Exactly, but She Mostly Invented the Frosting

1 white cake mix

1 small box vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. oil

1 c. white chocolate chips, melted

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour the batter into two lined cake rounds and bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Let cool.

Frosting:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1/4 c. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. strawberry or raspberry extract

3/4 c. raspberry jam

3 c. powdered sugar

Cream the butter and the cream cheese until smooth. Add flavorings and jam. Add powdered sugar cup by cup until frosting consistency is achieved. Frost the cake.

And if you're fancy (like me) you can put those frosting rose things all over the cake. Because I totally did.

Christmas Lights

2011-11-22T00:45:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, the boy and I met up with Sandee and Shauntelle and their husbands at The Riverwoods in Provo. That was the night they turned on their Christmas lights, and they were giving out cookies and juice and carriage rides and glow sticks. Plus Jon Schmidt did a concert, which was pretty fun to watch. It was a cold night, but we still had a good time! Shauntelle's husband Brett took lots of pictures of the evening. The next day she sent me these:

Jon Schmidt on stage

I told you he was cute.

What I'm Up To

2011-11-17T22:16:00.001-07:00

Some people (*cough*Annie*cough*) have given me a bit of a bad time lately because my blog has been so....neglected. They want to know what I'm up to.

Here is what I'm up to: I spent 15 hours between yesterday and today putting together a review for the students I TA on renal (kidney) and nervous system pathology. I taught it tonight. I'm teaching an abbreviated version tomorrow afternoon (just the kidney section.)

And since kidneys and nerves are so cool, and everyone loves pathophysiology as much as I do, enjoy!

(Stagnant) Reading List

2011-11-15T12:39:00.001-07:00

Did you forget about this? Because it probably looks like I have. I have not forgotten about my reading...I've simply set it aside for a bit during the semester. Perhaps Thanksgiving and Christmas will be good opportunities to finish what I started.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Survivor's Club by Lisa Gardner
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis
Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt
Middlemarch by George Elliot
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordin
The Danger by Dick Francis
Laddie, a True Blue Story by Gene Stratton-Porter
Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall

(Right now I'm at 50%. 10 down, 10 to go!)

"Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You"

2011-11-15T10:57:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure why exactly it's good advice to do something everyday that scares you, but I've heard that adage many times. Yesterday I did something that scares me so much, I probably don't need to do anything else scary for two months.

I donated blood.

{shudder}

I actually really hate to donate blood, but I have a lifetime goal of five gallons (I'm almost to one) and a Day Zero goal of 6 times in one year (the maximum number possible). Every time I've donated since I made my Day Zero list, I've told myself 'This is it. I'm starting. One down, five to go. Schedule an appointment in two months.' And every time I get too scared and don't schedule appointment number 2.

Yesterday was the worst donation experience I've ever had. The girl who was my phlebotomist was still in training (ouch!). I'll spare you the gruesome details. Because it did get pretty gruesome...

Because yesterday was so bad, I have come to the conclusion that it probably doesn't get much worse than that. And since I lived through it, I might as well officially start my 6-times goal.

So in two months, when I'm due for another scary experience, remind me that it's time to donate again!

(Free cookies are the best part)

Wishing Update

2011-11-12T01:37:00.001-07:00

Morning wish came true :)

Wished again tonight. I'll keep you posted.....

Fun Dates, etc.

2011-11-11T16:55:00.001-07:00

I refuse to begin this post with the customary apology to my mother for the following reasons: a) it might lead to the impression that my mother is some kind of blog-demanding-Nazi, and b) I already apologized to her on the phone today.

I also refuse to make excuses for not updating. Although if I did, it would look like this:

List of lame excuses for not blogging:

*I'm boring
*I never take pictures, so even if I weren't boring, my posts would be without pictures
*Suzy's blog is so much better than mine; there's really no way I can compete

Today is 11.11.2011. Isn't that a fun date? But you'd probably already realized/heard/been texted/seen 5 million status updates on facebook. Sorry for being the 5,000,001. Except I had to blog about today, because today at 11:11 a.m., I took a break from studying personal finance with Jared and made a wish (a la my Day Zero Project list). And then I kissed the clock on my cell phone. And then Jared had a coronary because apparently cleaning a hospital for a living makes you some kind of germaphobe....something about how many hands had touched my phone....what a wimp. I will not be telling you what I wished for. I am also fully intending to wish again tonight. After all, how often do you get this kind of potent wishing power?

11.11.11 is not the only fun date that's been happening around here though.... (this is the part where pictures would be really cool....and yet are absent...)

Fun dates of late:
*Highway to Hale 5K run
*Habitat for Humanity
*Tucanos
*Alpine Loop fall leaves viewing
*Vocal Point concert at Snake River High School
*Civil Engineering dinner at The Skyroom
*Numerous study dates

And tonight.....Ikea date. I'm very exited :)

*To address those questions you are now asking yourself: Yes, all with one boy. Yes, we're dating. Yes, he is very cute.

Tribute to the Good Old Days

2011-10-20T23:49:00.003-06:00

Some people are hard to live with. Just hard. I know. I'm gaining lots of real-life experience as we speak. And it's making me miss the good old days.

I'm so looking forward to domestic goddess brunch tomorrow. I love my girlies.

#87: Go to an Event Where I Can Wear a Fancy Dress

2011-10-10T01:18:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I got to cross another task off my list....wear a fancy dress. The day didn't start out very fancy though. Bright and early (actually, not so bright but definitely early) I woke up and went with Logan Black to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity at one of the houses they're currently renovating in Orem. Our job involved crawling around under the floor in the house to patch a hole in the foundation. It was a tight and grimy squeeze.

And after crawling around under there on our stomachs, we were pretty filthy...

After Habitat, we changed the oil in Logan's truck, getting even dirtier. Like I said, a pretty far cry from a fancy dress...

But that night we went to BYU Homecoming at the Riverwoods. And it was really fun to get all dressed up :)

Catching Up...Story of my Life

2011-10-05T23:38:00.002-06:00

Sorry Mom. It's been a while....

Life is busy, but really good. Grad school seems a lot like regular college, except I have way more reading. Class is really interesting, and I'm loving being a TA.

Last week I had the pleasure of babysitting Oliver for a couple of evenings while Sandee and Matt did work on the new house they just bought. He's such a good baby and we had a lot of fun.

In other news, recent Western blots have been much more successful than my first attempt. I am starting a project tomorrow that will involve like 30 Western blots in the next 3 weeks. Yikes. I am nervous, but also excited for the chance to be in charge of my own project. After three weeks are over, I am changing labs until the end of the semester. At that time, I'll be picking the lab I want to stay in for the remainder of my masters.

Other than reading, taking 25-hour midterms, and preparing oral presentations, I haven't been up to much. Except I started running again this week (ugh.) so I can run a 10K with Claire at the end of the month. I have no idea why I agree to these things. But the t-shirt is really cool, so maybe it will be worth it.

When Life Hands You Tomatoes

2011-09-15T23:18:00.000-06:00

As soon as I hit 'publish' at the end of this post, I fully intend to turn off the computer, breathe an enormous sigh of relief that I survived the day, and fall straight into bed. It's just been one of those days, you know?

I spent over eight hours between yesterday and today doing an experiment in my lab called a 'Western blot.' I know that doesn't mean anything to anyone. Before your eyes glaze over, I will say this much: the point of a Western blot is to separate different proteins by their sizes. It's a long and detail-filled process. It requires a lot of precision and exact timing. And it was the first one I'd ever done by myself (after having only watched someone else once.) The blot I did was for someone else's thesis. She's been having a really hard time getting data to write her thesis, and the tissue I was using for this blot was kinda important. So no pressure for my first solo, right?

These are what Western blots are supposed to look like after you develop them:

And this is what the film I developed today looked like:

Hmmmm....one of these things is not like the other? Just for kicks, lets get a close-up of that top one especially:

And that, my friends, is what an epic fail looks like. No lanes. No bands. Just large, nebulous blobs of nothing. Definitely no protein of interest. Remember in my last post when I said my enormous ego would be back to normal after a few failed experiments? Actually, it only took one. Consider my bubble burst.

So I did what any self-respecting failure of a scientist would do. I moped. And then I cooked. Because when life hands you tomatoes, make tomato soup. With basil. And use this recipe.

I also baked chocolate chips cookies. Baking cookies always makes me feel better.

That, and knowing that pretty much everyone who matters in my life has no idea what a Western blot even is, regardless of how much I try to explain it. So in the grand scheme of things, whether or not I'm good at it probably doesn't even matter :)

{Except it might matter for the next two years while I'm trying to gather data to write a thesis, but other than that....nope.}

Graduate School and Other Impressive Accomplishments

2011-09-01T22:19:00.001-06:00

I officially started Graduate School this week. I feel like Graduate School should be capitalized, mostly because when I walk around campus as a Graduate Student, I feel like I merit capital letters. My ego has grown exponentially in the last four days. I suspect that a few failed experiments and sleepless nights will put the world back to rights, but until then....

Graduate Student.

Doesn't get old.

Also, today I found out that there are 'Donut Days' for Graduate Students every Thursday. Loving all the perks. It just gets better and better.

I found out that I am the TA for Pathophysiology this semester. I am quite excited about it, although it's a little nerve-wracking to see all those impressionable undergraduate faces staring up at me, expecting me to know all the answers. Just because I'm a Graduate Student, you know? But the thing is, I still put my pants on one leg at a time, just like they do. We Graduate Students, we're just people too. Brilliant people.

......

Alright. I'm done now. (But it really is kinda a cool feeling. Just saying.)

Here are a few photos from life this last little while.A little DIY artwork...still not sure I love it:

Step 1: Apply newspaper

Step 2: Make letters out of tape

Step 3: Paint it all black (not shown) and then peel off the tape

Finished product. Good? I don't know.

Trusty thermos of hot chocolate to take to school in the morning.

Really cool safety video I had to watch to remind me not to eat chemicals, mix unknown substances together, or stick my head in the fume hood. Whew. Good thing too. I always forget those things. Which is why I'm smart enough to be a Graduate Student.

The Plot Thickens

2011-09-01T21:51:00.000-06:00

Apparently it is possible for package contents to go missing in the United States. I thought this was a phenomenon reserved for third-world countries with sketchy governments only, but I was wrong.

About a week ago I received an unexpected and unwelcome surprise in the mail. It was a the crumpled up packaging that used to contain a biochemistry book bound for Washington. Apparently when it got to a mail sorting center in Washington, it had been separated from its contents.

Bummer.

So I filled out the little form with details about what my biochemistry book looks like and mailed it to the ~~island of misfit toys~~ lost mail collection center in Atlanta. According to the instructions, I should report my book lost ASAP, but not feel too incredibly hopeful about it being located. Which begs the question, how many people's "Principles of Biochemistry" books do they lose? Evidently, more than one would expect.

Needless to say, I emailed that kid in Washington and gave him his money back.

More bummer.

Incidentally, the letter of instructions also gently reminded me that in order to avoid problems such as this in the future, it would be helpful for me to double-check that I placed the contents of my package on the inside of my packaging, as they are more likely to arrive in the same place that way. So THAT'S where I went wrong...

{On the bright side, biochemistry books like quadrupled in price since the semester started, so if mine does get found and returned in a timely manner, re-selling could be even more lucrative. As long as I remember to use FedEx......}

My Type

2011-08-28T19:16:00.003-06:00

Upon lots of careful reflection, I have concluded that if I were a Disney character, I would be

Megara

Because I am shaped precisely like that. No. Not really. That was a joke.

Meg is fiercely independent and opinionated. She says what she thinks, and she means what she says. In a word, Meg is feisty.

But mostly I am Meg because deep down she's a sucker for this guy:

Kinda shy. Kinda awkward. Occasionally uncoordinated. Always looking out for others. Always has his heart in the right place. Treats Meg like a goddess.

Oh yeah, and those blue eyes and rippling pectorals don't hurt my feelings either.

Life is Good

2011-08-26T15:13:00.002-06:00

Have you ever just had that feeling that you're exactly where you belong?

This afternoon I left the Dean's Office for the last time {as an employee.} I took my nameplate and name tag and said my goodbyes. It was sad, to be sure. They've been so good to me there. I've been a secretary for around three and a half years now, so it was hard to walk away.

I walked out of the Dean's Office and into the Life Sciences building {arguably the ugliest place on campus.} As I walked down the hideous hall, I reflected on the direction my life was headed: two years of long nights and early mornings in this building. Successes and failures. My own research. Although Suzy will be shocked to hear this, it intimidates the heck out of me. I met with the two professors that I am considering as graduate advisers to discuss doing rotations in their labs until I make my choice. I talked with both of them for around half an hour.

And it was so good.

I am where I belong. Talking with a Ph.D. about obesity and metabolism and pathology and Western blots and protein interactions and lab safety and being a first author and writing a thesis is where I belong. It really is.

The Widtsoe Building may be beastly, but today it felt like home. And I cannot wait for school to start on Monday.

{To Claire: in the part of this post about the Dean's Office, I considered sticking the sweet facebook glasses picture. I resisted because your friendship means that much to me. You're welcome.}

Gone Postal

2011-08-08T15:03:00.003-06:00

postal: adj. crazy, insane, irrational

In July I sold my old biochem book "Principles of Biochemistry" online to some kid in Washington. Poor bloke. I shipped it to him from the campus post office on July 13th with a little note tucked inside the cover wishing him luck in biochemistry. It's not the easiest of classes, and I wouldn't exactly describe the book as 'light reading' (figuratively or literally...the think weighs like 25 pounds.....give or take...)

Imagine my disgruntled reaction to receiving the following email last Friday:

"I ordered "Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry" (5th ed. by Nelson). It was shipped on July 13 and hasn't arrived yet."

Are. You. Serious. What am I supposed to say to that? I shipped it the cheapest possible way (via USPS) so there was no tracking number. According to Amazon.com I had three options: a) refund him, b) ship him another copy, c) tell him to be patient and keep waiting. Great. Obviously option c) was my favorite, but if I were the dissatisfied customer, I don't think I'd agree. I had no other copy of the book to send him; one biochemistry book was more than enough to suit my needs. And I most definitely didn't want to give him his money back, because then I was stuck with no book and no money.

So I picked option d: complain loudly to coworkers about the joke that is the United States Postal Service. The crowning glory of all my complaints went something like this: "I could have WALKED to Washington and HAND-DELIVERED it myself by now!"

Claire had the audacity to challenge my statement. So we took it to the ultimate authority: Google Maps, walking directions.

As you can see, I was right. In the 23 days that had passed since I shipped the book, I could have easily walked to his front door, even if I were getting a full 8 hours of sleep on the side of the freeway every night.

Forgive me a moment as I channel my father and exclaim that GOVERNMENT RUN PROGRAMS ARE WORTHLESS, AND I WILL BE USING PRIVATELY OWNED SHIPPING COMPANIES FROM HERE ON OUT!

{Incidentally, I also picked option c) and asked the kid to sit tight, as the only addresses written on the package were mine and his, so it was bound to end up on one of our front steps eventually. He responded very politely. Hopefully the crisis has been averted.}

If You're Reading This

2011-08-08T14:44:00.001-06:00

Dear Seth,
If you're reading this, you should know that I'm really sorry things had to end on a bad note. Best of luck in your future.

Dear Nathan,
If you're reading this, you should know that I haven't really been able to look at you the same after your bitter tirade last summer. I think you know the one I mean.

Dear Kevin,
If you're reading this, you should know that if you didn't hang out with such loud, crass girls, nice girls might want to date you more.

Dear Jayce,
If you're reading this, you should know that I have a ridiculous crush on you.

Dear Paul,
If you're reading this, you should know that I saw you on campus the other day with your girlfriend. You guys looked really cute. I'm very happy that you've moved on and are happy.

Dear Prince Charming,
If you're reading this, you should stop reading and just come find me. Any time would be great.

Sincerely,
Melissa

The Cat's Out of the Bag

2011-07-25T22:17:00.000-06:00

Actually, there is no cat. But I did sew my bag over the weekend when my parents came to surprise Suzy for her birthday. Jaunt over to her blog to read about those deets.

Anyways, on to the important stuff: my bag is finished. I think it turned out pretty cute. My favorite feature would have to be the zippered pocked which I sewed by myself without supervison. That's right. First. Zipper. Ever. And I included a picture, so pretend to be really impressed, okay?

Aforementioned zipper. I'm rather proud, if you couldn't tell.

Summer Reading Update

2011-07-21T15:10:00.000-06:00

Here's an update for my summer reading. It's been pretty slow going..... I am currently working on "Mere Christianity" and have "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" and "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" checked out. Am I the only one who feels like the Provo Library should invest in more copies of each book? I don't think I've ever been able to go to the library and check something out that I want. There's always a waiting list. Bummer. But it's teaching me patience.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Survivor's Club by Lisa Gardner
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis
Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt
Middlemarch by George Elliot
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordin
The Danger by Dick Francis
Laddie, a True Blue Story by Gene Stratton-Porter
Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall

(I've also read some stuff that's not really on the list....which is maybe why this looks so pathetic.)

Life. And Stuff.

2011-07-13T16:01:00.007-06:00

I was informed the other day that random jumps in conversation topics are called

'unsafe lane changes.'

This blog post is going to have so many 'unsafe lane changes' that it's going to make me the Utah-driver of bloggers. Signalling optional. Hang on tight.

This morning my mom called me to inform me that I returned "East of Eden" to the wrong library. Remember how I was like 18th in line to read it in Provo? I checked it out from the Snake River Library when I was home for a week in June....but I gave it back to the Provo Library when I finished. They kindly mailed it back to where it belongs, and the Snake River librarians found my (dumb) mistake so humorous they didn't even charge my mom a fine for the book being overdue.

I always have a hard time remembering how to spell 'humorous' (that was funny) because my brain defaults to 'humerus' (the long bone in your arm). It usually comes out looking something like this on the first try:

humerous

Which most definitely means either a) nothing or b) your funny bone. Depending on how you want to look at it.

Over the weekend I decided that, although I love living with Suzy more than I love pretty much anything, I'm going to be moving in the fall. It's a bittersweet decision. I've really enjoyed living with my current roommates, but my advanced years are starting to stare me in the face and I can't continue to deny the fact that I belong in ~~a retirement community~~ an older ward. That's the bitter part. The sweet part is this: my own bedroom, in-apartment washer and dryer, and actual tile floors. Yes folks, I'm moving up in the world.

Also, today I got to submit my requests for the classes I want to TA in the fall. I'll be sure to keep you posted, although I won't find out for sure what my assignment is until about a week before school starts. I asked for one of the following: Pathophysiology, Human Biology, Human Anatomy, or Advanced Physiology Lab. (I don't really want that last one....it was mostly to be nice.)

I baked chocolate cheesecake on Monday from this recipe. Delish. It's so rich. Even Natalie thought so.

Last week I bought fabric to make the bag that I blogged about in April. Now if only I had a sewing machine in Provo....

I am officially in love with Amazon after yesterday. Between a 'happy graduation' gift card, free 2-day shipping (thank you Amazon Student), $10 off my purchase (Amazon Credit Card sign-up promotion), and the sale of my ~~*@!%$*~~ biochemistry book to some poor soul in Washington, Amazon totally made my day.

I got in the pool at my apartment complex for the first time....ever....on Saturday. It was monumental. And actually pretty fun. ~~And if the designated photographer ever gives me the pictures, I will post them. Until then, take my word for it.~~

UPDATED: This is a picture from the pool. We spent like 2 hours balancing on that half-deflated mattress-thing. It was hard, but worth it. And yes, my legs are the same shade of white as my swim shorts....or rather, were... They turned a lovely shade of pink that afternoon.

Also, if you're bored out of your mind after reading my life updates (likely), you should check out Young House Love which is my current favorite blog. They are pretty great over there.

If You're Reading This, It's Your Lucky Day

2011-07-06T21:15:00.001-06:00

As you are all probably aware {unless you live under a rock, or this is your first time reading my blog} I lived in London for a semester a couple of years ago. Best. Semester. Ever. Everything about London was {is} amazing, and I'm slightly infatuated.

One of my favorite discoveries in London was actually not remotely British, but I treasure it nonetheless. It's called 'Amish Oatmeal' {see--Amish. That makes it American....}

Upon arriving back in America, I soon discovered what people mean when they say 'jet-lag.' I woke up at 3:00 in the morning for my first four or five days home. I passed the time until my family woke up by watching Glee episodes {before it got so horribly dirty. that was not an endorsement, and if you watch an episode and it's terrible and smutty and scandalous, don't judge me.} and making elaborate breakfasts. The first morning I made Amish oatmeal. I found a few recipes online that seemed promising and gave the Taste of Home recipe a try.

It was a bit of a disappointment...too crumbly, too crispy, and the eggs did something weird and separated from the rest of the mixture. My family was not nearly as awe-inspired as they should have been.

In the last two years I have made the recipe several more times, each time making adjustments and taking notes. As of tonight when I made it for dinner, I think it's just right. Because I love my faithful blog readers {all 3 of you} I am going to share with you said recipe. If Prince Charming does ever decide to make an appearance, I will most definitely be feeding this to his children on Christmas mornings. That's how much I love it.

Served with fresh peaches. Also, please note my fine china :)

Melissa's Amish Oatmeal

3 c. rolled oats, divided
1/4 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract

Blend 2 cups of oats in the blender to make oat flour. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 25 minutes at 350*. Serve warm topped with fresh fruit, brown sugar and cream, milk or half & half. Hear the angels singing the 'Hallelujah Chorus.'

But really, this is one of my favorite things to eat in the whole world. Please try it. Feed it to your children. Change the world one satisfied mouth at a time. And if you do try it, let me know how it goes for you.

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-04T19:33:00.003-06:00

I woke up {groggily} this morning to the ringing of my phone. Disoriented, I hopped out of bed and answered it. My mom was on the other end with her typical morning question: "Are you out of bed yet?"

Well. I am now...

She lives with early risers, and I don't so much, but she was good enough to wait until nearly 9:00 before calling. I appreciate that thoughtfulness. She reminded me about the Fourth of July parade, so I body-slammed Suzy to get her out of bed. We pulled on jeans and smeared off yesterday's makeup before eating our toast on the way to the parade. We ran into some of our wardies on the way and watched with them. For a while. It turns out that the parade is kinda lame.

Getting our parade on...

So we came home, ate more breakfast, showered and went to Hobby Lobby. Suzy needed some stuff for a class project, and I just went to look. While we were there, we got inspired. Crafting ensued.

Second breakfast: banana nut waffles

Making tough decisions

Yes. Those are hand-painted mustaches.

Ghosts of Boyfriends Past: A Lengthy Dissection of my Life as I Know It

2011-06-20T18:46:00.004-06:00

Life is shaping up to be a lot different that I thought it would be. Like, a LOT. 2011 hasn't treated me the way I expected. The highs have been high, and the lows have definitely been low. Round about January my lovely little dreams started falling out of the sky where I had hung them so carefully and shattering in piles at my feet. Bummer.

For instance: I was going to get married this summer. I was. There was no question in my mind. But I'm not. The relationship that I held on to so tightly for three and a half years ended rather abruptly. The nights that I cried myself to sleep for loneliness suddenly held no meaning. The hundreds and hundreds of letters that I wrote, pouring out my very soul, were for nothing. I was single again. Did I despair? No. I began a new relationship. It was great and perfect and wonderful, as was he. I was so happy. Until it ended too, leaving me alone again, just wondering where I went wrong and what I should do with these dream fragments on the floor. Cue tragic playlist. {Go ahead....give her a listen a couple of times.}

This post, however, is not about the ghosts of my boyfriends past. Those ghosts are still a little too alive to casually discuss on my blog. Maybe some other time.

The love (or lack thereof) example is not the only instance of life's curve balls this year. It's probably the dream that hit me hardest on it's way down though. I've been sad and lonely. I've been confused and discouraged. I've started to question what I'm made of.

I read this blog today and had to laugh {sardonically} out loud. Forgive me for sharing my personal favorite part:

I'm pretty sure that being 22 and single in the LDS culture is the same as being 35 and single in the Regular People world--like, you start to wonder if maybe you should be getting your eggs frozen.

Well shoot friends. I suppose that's me. The thing is, it's kinda true. At the ripe old age of 22, I have almost no single friends my same age. My little sister's friends are starting to get married. I went to a baby shower a few weeks ago, and the only other person there without at least one child was the girl that was seven months pregnant. Am I ever behind the times.

I love my friends. I am so happy that they're happy. But more and more lately I find myself wondering bitterly when it will be my turn. Being single is getting really, REALLY old. The novelty left with all my single friends. And even though it's never EVER right to assume that other peoples' lives are too easy, I am so good at being the Joan of Arc of singleness, burning at my stake and looking out at all those marrieds with their cute husbands and cute kids and telling myself that they don't know how good they have it. {The difference is, these judgmental thoughts are not likely to get me 'sainted' any time soon.}

Enter ghostly boyfriends. My old roommate's boyfriends to be exact. Meet Caitlin.

With her blonde hair, big eyes and winning smile, she really couldn't help but be a bit of a serial dater. All the boys always loved Caitlin, and she never had a dating shortage. Caitlin was part of the mass roommate exodus of 2008-2009 and now resides happily in Albuquerque where she attends graduate school. She doesn't run into the boys she used to date anymore, but I still do. And it's usually pretty awkward. With the exception of this one guy, Matt. It's not awkward running into him, probably because they only ever went on one date and I've had more conversations with him than she ever did on account of the walk we shared to the Clyde building from time to time freshman year. I ran into him sometime last year shortly after he returned from his mission, and it took us a second to make the oh-yeah-you-went-on-a-date-with-my-old-and-now-married-roommate connection. After we did though, things were cool.

I saw Matt today as I was walking home from work. We said the casual 'hi' as we passed each other, and then from about twenty feet behind me I heard him yell, 'Hey, when do you graduate?' to which I yelled back 'I already graduated. I start grad school in the fall.'

And then I walked home in the sunshine, feeling mighty proud of myself.

Elle Woods has a line in "Legally Blonde: The Musical" that I really like these days: "Look how far I have come without anyone holding my hand."

The thing is, I'm going to grad school. How many people do you know that can say that? Probably just a handful. And not just *any* grad school....PHYSIOLOGY grad school. How legit is that? And did I mention that they are paying ME for the pleasure of my attendance?

Not only am I going to grad school, but I am a self-sufficient adult. I pay my own bills. I finished a bachelor's degree at the age of 21. I lived in Europe. I take care of myself. And I like to think I'm pretty good at it. So go ahead, look how far I have come without anyone holding my hand.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about those shattered dreams. It's time to start gluing broken dreams together. I've decided to make a mosaic. My life is going to be one fantastic piece of art when I'm finished.

Life Lesson: You Get What You Pay For

2011-06-16T19:01:00.000-06:00

Remember how I was so excited for my $2 manicure? {See post title.....}

On the bright side, I had a really good time with Sandee and Oliver.

{Insert Witty Title Here}

2011-06-14T13:19:00.001-06:00

Abraham Lincoln said "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." I've always believed that. Lately I haven't been doing a very good job of making up my mind to be happy. I've been letting things outside my control affect the way I feel. That, in turn, has been frustrating me. I like to feel like I'm in the driver's seat of my life, and I hate the idea that someone or something other than myself has the power to dictate my mood.

So today at lunch I made up my mind to be happy. I have every reason in the world to be cheerful, and it's selfish to wallow. I really think that's the bottom line.

When I'm sad or angry or discouraged, my dad always tells me to count my blessings. Without further ado:

*I have a wonderful family. I really can't express how much they mean to me.

*I have a bachelor's degree from a respected university, and I'm getting paid to start my master's degree in the fall.

*I love my field of study. LOVE it.

*I have a good job where the people are friendly and understanding. They are so good to me here.

*I have amazingly wonderful friends. The girls I live with now... The girls I lived with before... {And the friends that aren't girls too...} All great people.

*I have an apartment that keeps me dry when it rains, warm when it's cold, and cool when it's hot. Yes, the carpet is ugly. Yes, the dishwasher falls out of the cabinet when you open the door. Yes, it's not the most deluxe of residences. But a roof is a roof, and lots of people don't have one.

*I have a car to go wherever I want, whenever I want (Case in point: I ran away to Idaho last week. That decision was made about 30 minutes in advance.)

*I live in America.

*I know that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me.

*I am getting a manicure tomorrow. For only $2. Woot!

*I have a healthy, functional body that puts up with a lot of abuse from me (*ahem*waytoomuchjunkfood*ahem*), but is a remarkably good sport about it.

*Once I lived here. It was an incredibly opportunity.

Overall my life is really great. No questions asked. Which is why my pity party is officially over.

Book Review(s)

2011-06-02T20:44:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I read "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli per the recommendation of my delightful friend Rachel. I think I liked it? The moral of the story was really good; it's all about being yourself and putting other people first. It left me feeling a little sad and unsettled though. For that reason I give it 3.5 stars. I always prefer books with happy endings.

Today I read "The Horse and His Boy" by C. S. Lewis per the recommendation of my friend Kevin. It's one of the Chronicles of Narnia. I read most of them when I was in sixth grade, but I'd never read that one before. He actually recommended that I re-read the entire series, and I probably will over the course of the summer, but for my 20 books list he specifically told me to read this one. It was a good, fast, easy read. C. S. Lewis's writing is fun to read and I enjoyed this book. 4 stars.

Incidentally, I am currently faced with a dilemma: I have an Amazon.com gift card and I have no idea what to get with it. I am wide open to suggestions; feel free to comment.

Dear Mom, this Post is for You :)

2011-06-01T08:48:00.011-06:00

I went home last week for Jared's graduation. That was weird. Cool. But weird. He's moving to Provo in a couple of weeks, and I think it will be fun to have him down here.

I made kiwi ice cream on Sunday. I wasn't really sure that kiwi ice cream even sounded good, but my Ben & Jerry's cookbook said it was for 'the connoisseur with discerning tastes' or something? The moral of the story: kiwi ice cream is delicious. But really. It's so good. Plus, I convinced myself that it's healthy, since there are 1.5 kiwis per cup of ice cream. Translation: I got like 3 fruit servings in my dessert after dinner last night (please don't do the math to figure out how big of a bowl that was...it's embarrassing.) Best. Idea. Ever.

My family was here for Memorial Day, and while the boys went to ride dirt bikes I went shopping with my mom and Haley. We went to DSW. I don't know if I ever mentioned this but I *love* high heels. So much. And I had birthday money.....you do the math (I don't mind as much here.) It was a good day.

I only got about 2/3 of the way done with "East of Eden" before it was due back to the library. I tried to renew it, but there are like 10 people on the hold list! Why? It's not even that fun to read. I decided to check it out from BYU's library instead of the Provo Library only to find out that my library privileges on campus have been revoked until fall when I start school again. Lame. So now I'm #11 on the hold list, and it will be August before I figure out how it ends.

I just finished reading "How to Win Friends and Influence People." I was disappointed at how earth-shattering it wasn't. I don't really think Dale Carnegie needed 250 pages to say 'Smile more, listen when people talk to you, and try to remember names and birthdays.' It only took me 15 words..... But it was like the father of self-help books or something, and now when I attend fancy dinner parties I'll have something to contribute to the conversation when it comes up. (Fancy dinner parties basically dominate my social calendar. It really is a nightmare sometimes, being so influential with so many friends...)

Suzy gets home on June 15th. That's two weeks from today. I am very much looking forward to having her back. It's lonely and quiet around the apartment without her. But she's having a fabulous time. Check out her pictures of the Swiss Alps. So jealous.

Working Hard...or Hardly Working?

2011-05-20T12:28:00.002-06:00

Free breakfast and lunch at work for the past two days.....
My job is the best!

Claire and me. We are the epitome of beauty and work ethic, as demonstrated by awkward pictures taken while at work...

On the Bright Side

2011-05-17T19:51:00.002-06:00

*I got a haircut. (Well, okay....just a trim...)

*My diploma came in the mail.

*I have been officially accepted to the Physiology and Developmental Biology Master's Program at Brigham Young University.

*I learned how to answer the phone in Chinese.

*I am getting better at eating with chopsticks.

*I just re-watched "The Young Victoria" which is an excellent movie.

*My birthday flowers are still blooming.

Crossword Queen!

2011-05-16T13:04:00.003-06:00

So I guess I'm not really the "Crossword Queen" per se...I only just finished my first ever New York Times crossword puzzle today...but I have grand plans to become amazingly talented at crosswords someday.

I am incredibly proud of today's triumph and hope to have many more similar triumphs in the future!

{Yes. It is a Monday crossword. Yes. Those are the easiest ones. Yes. I have been trying to finish a crossword for....ages....and only just succeeded for the first time today.
Please stop raining on my parade.}

22 As I Know It

2011-05-14T23:30:00.005-06:00

On Tuesday of this week I turned 22. Thus far being 22 has been an exceptional experience, and I highly recommend it.

On Monday evening I got back from campus around 6:30. I was on the phone with my mom griping about life in general {because my life is *so* hard. I don't even know what those pioneers were whining about, you know?} when I stepped through my front door. The singing, dancing 'Happy Birthday' chorus line (comprised of Suzanne, Natalie, Brynn, Madeleine, Annie and Seth) that greeted me left me completely stunned. Choreographed kickline, no joke. I just stood in the doorway open-mouthed until they finished. Then I sat in the special 'birthday queen' chair while we ate dinner. The crowning glory of the meal was the cupcake that was served to me with 22 burning candles embedded in the delicious cream cheese frosting. I thought it was going to burn the apartment down. They were *amazing* cupcakes that looked like this:

Best surprise birthday dinner ever.

Although I was genuinely confused about why we celebrated on Monday when my birthday wasn't until Tuesday. That is, I was confused until Tuesday night...

Seth came to pick me up to take me to dinner on Tuesday, but before we started driving he insisted that I wear a blindfold. I complied. When we finally arrived at our destination, he took off the blindfold... and we were at my Grandma Smith's house? I decided that it was a little strange, but thoughtful, that he'd decided to take me to see my grandma on my birthday. And then my mom answered the door. My parents came to Utah to have birthday dinner and open presents. It was so good to see them, plus we had my favorite chocolate cake and I got to blow out candles again :)

Suzy left for Europe Wednesday morning. Everything has been a little less bright and exciting since she left. I think everyone in the apartment can feel it. Natalie wore her shirt inside-out yesterday in honor of Suzy, and we wrote her initial on the milk even though she won't be here to help us drink it. Even though it's sad to have her gone, I loved my study abroad so much and I'm glad she has such an amazing opportunity.

On Thursday I ate delicious Thai food for dinner at a restaurant in Salt Lake. It was amazing. I love Thai food so so so so much.

This morning I volunteered in Orem with Habitat for Humanity. It was a lot of fun. We worked at a home that is mostly finished doing landscape work. I raked and leveled topsoil for around two and a half hours, and then I helped lay the sod. I'd never laid sod before this morning, and I have a sneaking suspicion that my sedentary little self is going to be sore tomorrow. I drove past that house again later tonight on the way to a wedding reception, and it was really cool to see a green lawn where there were only large piles of dirt this morning and know that I helped make that happen.

This afternoon Seth and I went and watched BYU play Utah in the Mountain West Conference softball championship. BYU won, which was awesome. That was the first game I went to this year, which is a little sad because it was also the last home game. I'm really glad they won.

I'm glad to be 22, and if it's all going to be this good I'm really glad I get to be 22 for an entire year!

Summer Reading List

2011-05-05T16:26:00.000-06:00

One of my Day Zero goals is to read 20 books recommended by 20 friends. I rounded up my list of recommendations and am beginning to cross them off the list. Here it is (no particular order):

East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Survivor's Club by Lisa Gardner
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis
Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
*My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt
Middlemarch by George Elliot
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordin
*The Danger by Dick Francis
Laddie, a True Blue Story by Gene Stratton-Porter
Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale
No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall

I read the books with stars this past week. I am currently working on 'East of Eden.' I will do my best to note my progress as the summer wears on.

Another of my Day Zero goals is to read 52 books in 52 weeks, so if I didn't ask you (or even if I did) and you have a book recommendation for me, please post a comment!

Life Update

2011-05-03T19:30:00.001-06:00

So maybe I got a little behind on my blog? So what? Life is crazy sometimes, and blogging isn't always the #1 priority.... But it's time to get back on the horse, or whatever metaphor you prefer.

i am a college graduate.

On April 21, 2011 Brigham Young University held its Commencement exercises for the 2010-2011 school year. I am very much pleased-as-punch to inform you that I participated. See:

I am the one in the blue circus tent with the funny hat. Oh wait........ I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. I was there.

Daniel graduated too (summa cum laude, because he's just that cool). Our individual college convocations were on Friday, April 22nd. That's where we actually walked across the stage when they called our names and received our diplomas {cough*diploma covers*cough}. It was a really cool moment to march up there and shake hands with the dean of my college and know that after four years, I was done.

Our family came to support us on our big day(s).

*Please note the tassels have been moved to the RIGHT! That was a proud moment :)

Despite the fact that I was wearing the same outfit as approximately 8,000 other graduates, my parents had an easy time spotting me in the crowd. They attributed this to 1) my distinctive walk and 2) my red high heels. I finally got to wear them, and I think it was totally worth the wait. They looked especially good with my new

little black dress.

Which I sewed with the help of my mother and grandmothers. I don't have any pictures of myself sans graduation gown, so you will just have to take my word for it when I say that it is exceedingly classy, etc.

In other good news, my ceiling is as bare as my daily schedule these days, the paper chain having served its purpose in helping me count down to such a big day in my life. I took a few pictures of my empty ceiling space to post, but Suzy informed me that posting a picture of a ceiling with nothing on it was a little bit weird and silly. So look up at your own ceiling. Unless you are using that space to house a paper chain to count down the days to some event, it probably looks like mine. Empty. {Woot!}

Also worth noting, the weather in Provo has been gross at best with lots of spring rain...some rainy days more enjoyable than others...but it's finally starting to be sunny. Hallelujah.

Skydiving

2011-04-16T18:44:00.002-06:00

Wednesday this week was my last ever day of undergraduate classes. What a cool feeling.

Thursday this week I jumped out of an airplane and fell 13,000 feet back to the ground. Also a cool feeling.

Seth's roommate Hudson and his girlfriend Eve decided to go skydiving last week, and they invited us to come. I kept it a secret from my roommates, and especially from my parents. I couldn't imagine my mom loving the idea of me skydiving.

So we got up early on Thursday and drove to Tooele (aka: the middle of nowhere....) We watched an orientation video that convinced us all that we were going to die. Then we had to read over and sign these horrendous contracts in which we agreed our families/heirs wouldn't sue them when we died or were dismembered. Then we got all strapped in to our harnesses and climbed aboard the airplane (which was held together by duct tape....true story.) And then we jumped.

Seth and Me, prior to jumping

Seth had his phone in a pocket on the front of his shirt, and he got some awesome video on the way down. Check it out!

Some Cool Things to Look At

2011-04-15T15:45:00.001-06:00

Things We Forget: uplifting sticky-notes left to their fates in public places

Click HERE and when the page loads, click on the little squares. You'll be glad you did. (Make sure your volume is turned up.)

THIS bag is adorable, and I really want to make one.

How About Orange is always fun. Take a looksie.

AND, I really want to make my very own Jackson Pollock-esque painting. For a bit of fun, online practice, you can try THIS.

Oh, and by the way, I went skydiving yesterday. It was super fun. More on that to come, but I thought I'd post a picture of how cute I looked...minus makeup...plus jumpsuit, harness and hat.....oh wait....not cute. Still fun though!

Chopsticks

2011-04-04T18:51:00.000-06:00

On Friday I learned how to eat with chopsticks when Seth took me to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I was very bad at it. I decided it's hard to feel dainty and lady-like while using them. Perhaps that comes with more experience? Seth kept laughing at me, but in my defense he had a lot of practice during the two years he lived in Taiwan.

Regardless of my lack of skill, I am crossing this goal off the list. Especially since the wording of the goal was only to 'learn to use them properly,' not 'learn to use them with grace, elegance and poise.'

Soaking Wet

2011-04-04T18:12:00.004-06:00

I am not really a fan of getting wet. When Suzy organized an intramural 'inner tube water polo' team, I opted to 'coach' rather than play. It was a lot of fun going to the games and watching the team improve. I'm sure they owe all their success to my abilities as a motivational speaker and my water polo strategical prowess. I really do have a gift.

Team picture before one of their last games.

On the night of the last game, I was also able to cross a goal off the Day Zero list: jump into a body of water fully clothed. Although I would be lying if I said I enjoyed the experience, it's always good to do hard or unpleasant things, right? My roommate Annie jumped in with me for moral support.

Soaking wet and glad that goal is done :)

Festival of Colors!

2011-03-26T21:20:00.000-06:00

Today I crossed another goal of the list: attend Festival of Colors.

The festival is celebrated at the nearby Hare Krishna Temple to welcome spring. Mostly it just consists of a bajillion college students showing up and throwing colored chalk at each other.

I went with Seth, Suzy, Natalie, Brynn, Katie, Laura, and their friend Jessica. We ran into Daniel and Ashlee and some of their friends too.

This is us before:

And this is us after:

I have never been so dirty in my life. Getting clean was a bit of an ordeal, and I think my scalp will just be orange for a while, but it sure was a lot of fun!

Oliver and Co.

2011-03-22T11:18:00.002-06:00

On Saturday I went to Sandee's baby shower. It's always fun to see my old roommates (sometimes referred to as the 'domestic goddesses'). She looked so cute. I hope to be so adorable at 38 weeks someday. Her baby boy was due in April...

Except he must have been really excited to come to such a great family. The little guy was born Sunday morning. His name is Oliver, and I haven't met him in person yet but I already know that I love him and his mom and dad very much.

Oliver John Clark

Born Sunday, March 20, 2011

5 lbs. 15 oz.

Oliver had surgery yesterday. He's currently in the care of doctors at Primary Children's Hospital.

Please keep Oliver and company in your thoughts and prayers.

A Few Thoughts

2011-03-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Today is a beautiful day. I'm so glad spring is on the horizon. When I walked into work today there was a large arrangement of fresh flowers on my desk. They aren't actually for me...they are for a lecture my office is sponsoring tonight, but they're beautiful just the same. I love fresh flowers. I'm very glad that I work where I do. The people are friendly. The hours are good. There is an abundance of free food. All around, it's just a good arrangement.

Today I got a paper handed back that was graded by three different people independently. Two of the graders were the TAs for the class. One of the grades was a peer review. Looking at the way they dissected my paper is making me laugh. For example: in the area 'Writing' (The writing is technically sound: grammar, spelling and punctuation are correct) I was given the highest point value by one grader, the exact middle point value by the second, and the lowest value by the third. Didn't they all read the same paper? Isn't the 'grammar and punctuation' category the most objective category when it comes to grading writing? Makes me question the validity and authority of those handing out grades, you know?

I am going home this weekend for Junior Miss. I love the Junior Miss program (hereafter referred to as Distinguished Young Women of America everywhere but on this blog....old habits die hard.) When I graduate in 42 {!} days, I will officially be qualified to judge Junior Miss, which is something I would love to do.

A few days ago I made funnel cakes. Some of my roommates didn't know what funnel cakes were? I'm not sure where they've been all their lives..... If anyone else is confused, this is a funnel cake:

You fill a funnel full of the batter and then swirl it into a pan of hot oil. It's kinda like little doughnut worms or something. Although they taste much more delicious than 'doughnut worms' sounds. I promise.

In other news:

*I got a haircut over the weekend. I love haircuts.

*This picture made me feel a bit inspired. It's called "Overheard on the Titanic":

What perspective, you know?

*The expiration date on the milk I bought yesterday was the date that Paul leaves Argentina. That mean's it's close!

By Way of Good News

2011-03-03T12:51:00.001-07:00

*Raisin tomorrow with the girls

*I stayed awake the whole way through Evolutionary Biology

*My homework is done before 2:00pm

*Jared got accepted to BYU

*Fun stationary website: Lovely Stationary

*BLTs for dinner this week

One of the Many Reasons I Love Suzy

2011-03-02T14:27:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to blog for a few days, but I haven't thought of anything blog worthy....until now. Suzy sent me this message today, and I laughed so hard that I felt like sharing.

15 things you are NOT required to know how to do in order to get a doctorate:

1. How to assemble non-ugly three-year review binders.
2. How to share empty cardboard boxes with one's playmates.
3. How to not handle all of the cookies when selecting one's favorite.
4. How to not lose dozens of sharpies regularly.
5. How to use a copier.
6. How to selectively print a FEW pages out of MASSIVE documents.
7. How to clean a scanner after getting sand all over it.
8. How to convert word documents to pdfs.
9. How to notice if mailboxes are ordered alphabetically.
10. How to sing the alphabet in one's head.
11. How to get an automatic stapler to staple.
12. How to keep an automatic stapler from rapid firing.
13. How to write polite things on co-worker's birthday cards.
14. How to respond to important emails.

and finally...

15. How to NOT BE AWKWARD!!!

With all my love,
from a quasi scientist to the real deal,
Suzanne

PS: All of the above are based on real experiences, many of which have happened since noon today.

ISN'T SHE HILARIOUS?

Red Weekend

2011-02-21T16:25:00.002-07:00

They say the first step is admitting you have a problem....so here goes {deep breath}

My name is Melissa, and I have a problem.

I like to think of myself as a frugal person. I take pride in the fact that I live on a starving college student budget in a tiny apartment with ugly carpet and virtually no drawer space. I walk the half mile to and from campus multiple times in a day, just to save on gas money. I bake my own bread. I buy things in bulk. It's been ages since I saw a movie anywhere but the Dollar Theater.

Frugal, right?

This weekend was a holiday, and because every exam or assignment that my professors could have even thought of assigning hit me last week, this weekend was deadline free. So I did something I haven't done in quite a while. I went to the mall, just to look around....

Right.

This weekend I splurged, not once, but twice, on completely fabulous and completely frivolous red purchases.

Frugality fail.

I probably won't eat anymore this month, but who needs food when you are the proud new owner of:

Lancome "Red Haute" lipstick

and patent red Steve Madden heels?

Yup. Me neither!

The 100 Best Experiences of My Life

2011-02-18T18:41:00.010-07:00

For my DayZero Project, I made the goal to make a list of the 100 best experiences of my life. While compiling this list, I tried to stay away from sweeping generalizations such as 'hanging out with my sisters,' etc., although I broke the rule a few times. For the most part, every one of these brief summaries recalls a specific memory that I have.

It took a while to make the entire list, and my mom helped me with some of the brainstorming. It was a good reminder of what a good life I've had. I highly suggest it!

The 100 Best Experiences of my Life

(in no particular order)

1. Walking down the south bank of the Thames on my last night in London
2. Test-driving boats with Mom and Dad the day in fifth grade that I stayed home sick from school
3. Taking PDBio 205 my first semester of college and falling in love with physiology
4. Staying up until the wee hours of the morning taking pictures with roommates on Mobi the laptop

5. Going to Macaroni Grill with the Domestic Goddesses
6. Hiking to the Y for the first time
7. Seeing the Nike Winged Victory at the Louvre
8. Running a half marathon
9. Deciding to share my skittles with the guy sitting next to me in genetics
10. Ripping up the old linoleum on the kitchen floor of the house on Shilling and then getting to go to Arctic Circle for dinner that night as the stain on the kitchen floor dried
11. Going to the beach in Spain

12. Revisiting the same little crepe stand in Paris three times to order delicious crepes in “broken” (understatement) French
13. Being born to such great parents
14. Reading the entire Nancy Drew series over the summer between third and fourth grade while watering the trees
15. Reading my scriptures one summer morning and feeling my prayers be answered
16. Reading my name on the list of girls who made the softball team my freshman year of high school
17. Performing Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 the best I ever have on a Steinway Concert Grand in front of an audience of 1000 people

18. Participating in the Junior Miss Program
19. Meeting Andrakay, who in a moment understood my humor and sarcasm better than almost anyone, and who will always and forever have better hair than me….
20. Finishing my last ever organic chemistry final
21. Buying my first journal
22. Making pasta for the very first time
23. Hitting two home runs in one softball game
24. Hanging out with Daniel when he first moved out to Provo after his mission

25. Going to the Library of Congress with my family
26. Walking around the Lake District in England
27. Doing my Christmas shopping on Oxford Street
28. Singing loudly and off key in the car with the windows down on the way to softball practice with Suzy
29. Going dress shopping for Junior Miss with my mom
30. Climbing to the top of approximately 400 stairs at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to look out over the whole city

31. Watching ‘Les Miserables’ at the Queen’s Theater in London
32. Getting an A on my anatomy final…and not just any A…a 97%
33. Forging a forever friendship with Caitlin while army crawling in a formal through the upper balconies of an auditorium
34. Finding out that my little sister "Holly" was actually a little brother "Jared," and watching him grow up to be such a good kid
35. Finding a beautiful pair of green high heels hiding in a far corner of a shoe store…in exactly the right size
36. Writing and sending a ‘Christmas card’ from Penrose 85
37. Finally getting strapped into my seat on the Top Thrill Dragster after 2 hours of waiting in line
38. Eating Thai food for the first time
39. Going to a wedding dress fitting with Shauntelle
40. Eating Chinese food with Sandee on the grass in front of our dumpy little apartment one summer night
41. Eating an éclair at Borough Market
42. Going to the Nauvoo temple with all of my cousins when I was fourteen
43. Drinking my first cup of cocoa made with a cocomotion
44. Dissecting my first chick embryo
45. Dipping my French fries in my raspberry milkshake at Rupe's for the first time
46. Canning peaches in the kitchen with Mom and the girls
47. Calling my dad to tell him that I changed a flat tire in the dark, in the rain, on the shoulder of the freeway (He was very proud)
48. Buying my very first bottle of fingernail polish (navy blue with sparkles)
49. ‘Helping’ my dad nail the boards of the main floor into the floor joists
50. Getting my first pedicure
51. Missing class to go home and surprise Haley for her birthday
52. Getting rocked to sleep as a small child by my dad
53. Discovering the utility and wonder of an eyelash curler
54. Cutting my roommate Annie’s hair on the fly
55. Going to California with my family for a few days last summer
56. Doing homework on a bench at Kensington Gardens
57. Picking out Christmas tree ornaments for my mom at Harrods
58. Getting my passport stamped for the first time
59. Eating chocolate from Hotel Chocolat for the first time
60. Discovering that they give free samples at See’s Candies in the mall
61. Walking through Westminster Abbey
62. Visiting Butchart Gardens with my family
63. Playing Rumikub and eating brownies on Sunday evenings
64. Eating chocolate-dipped raspberries with AshLyn (Gray) Petersen
65. Having a ground-breaking ceremony the day we started building our house
66. Making my first purchase on Portobello Road
67. Hitting a change-up in the district championship game against Bear Lake
68. Going to the midnight premier of Harry Potter 6 dressed as ‘Professor Trelawny’

69. Seeing ‘Wicked’ in London
70. Standing next to the stage at the Globe Theatre during a performance of ‘As You Like It’
71. Holding my baby sister Haley for the first time and being excited that her hair has the same weird cowlick in the front that mine has
72. Opening Christmas presents in the dark the year the power was out on Christmas morning
73. Helping mom make (and eat) funnel cakes
74. Getting surprised by so many friends on my thirteenth birthday after spending the entire seventh grade year feeling like I didn’t have any friends
75. Going to Tucanos with my family to celebrate Daniel’s Brazilian mission call
76. Seeing my GRE score and knowing that I never had to take it again
77. Hanging out in Las Vegas with Mom, Suzy and Haley
78. Watching Jared’s state play-off football game on the internet with Suzy at my apartment
79. Finishing my gigantic paper chain the night before school started
80. Watching 'Bandslam' with Suzy and making 'I can't drive stick, I'll drive stick' jokes for the next five days
81. Eating hot dog relish for the first time
82. Walking to Grandma Harper’s house after school to decorate cookies to take to my first grade class
83. Going to the wedding receptions of my friends and knowing that they’ve married good guys in the right place
84. Posing for the infamous Domestic Goddess photo that started it all

85. Going to Anderson Ranch Reservoir for the day with my family
86. Getting a 5 on my AP Art portfolio
87. Listening to Shania Twain at full volume while cleaning my room with Haley and Suzy
88. Climbing in Mr. Coles’s classroom window with Rachel after getting back from lunch late, trying to avoid the ‘hall sweep’
89. Watching Suzy participate in State Junior Miss
90. Standing in two hemispheres at the same time
91. Painting the walls of my bedroom blue
92. Throwing a girl out at home from center field with no cut-off
93. Discovering the recipe for the best chocolate cake in the world
94. Having a water fight in my kitchen
95. Swimming an entire lap in an Olympic-sized pool using correct technique (breathing, etc.) without stopping
96. Getting an education at Brigham Young University
97. Watching ‘Waking Ned Divine’ with my family for the first time
98. Feeding an entire Elders Quorum brownies laced with methylene blue
99. Driving to and from Blackfoot with Grandma Smith
100. Sneaking off to go snorkeling in the middle of the night with Sandee and Shauntelle

A First Time for Everything!

2011-02-09T23:28:00.001-07:00

Today after work Suzanne and I went running. When I got home from running, I had no real plans aside from making dinner and doing some homework. When we walked in the door, Annie was sitting at the table with her computer. Her hair hung long to the middle of her back.

And I suddenly had a plan.

So I asked her if she had ever considered cutting her hair to her shoulders. To my surprise, she said that the thought had crossed her mind yesterday, but she didn't really feel like paying for a haircut....

So I volunteered my services, free of charge. Problem solved.

Tonight, spur-of-the-moment, before she had a chance to think about it and change her mind, I grabbed a pair of hair scissors from a neighbor, washed her tresses in the sink, and cut off around eight inches of Annie's hair.

Best idea I had all day :)

You've Got Mail?

2011-02-08T12:09:00.005-07:00

Yesterday I decided it was high time that I got to know my neighbors, so I baked them a plate of chocolate chip cookies and delivered them piping hot.

Yes, I have lived in my apartment complex for nearly a year...

And yes, I have lived next door to those exact girls for almost six months.

Despite all that, it was made very clear to me yesterday that a reintroduction was in order. The reason? This message I got from Argentina:

Yesterday I got a letter returned that I'd sent to you a little while ago. Looks like I put Apartment #6 instead of Apartment #5. I'll send it to you again soon I suppose.

That's right. Paul sent me a letter from Argentina but when it mistakenly arrived next door my neighbors stuck it back in the mail.

I suppose it serves me right for not being friendlier?

Vegetable Lasagna

2011-02-02T22:48:00.001-07:00

Tonight it was my turn to make dinner. Suzy requested that I make spinach pasta a few weeks ago, so tonight I did. I made vegetable lasagna completely from scratch! I'd never made lasagna before tonight, except for the kind from the freezer section of the grocery store. It was really fun...although time consuming.

Here are some pictures from the process:

Be on time? Check!

2011-01-24T11:59:00.004-07:00

One of my Day Zero goals was to be on time to every class for three weeks. This is something that I've really struggled with since coming to school. I was raised by a mother who believes that if you aren't 15 minutes early, you're late. I think she views the fact that I didn't take this policy to heart as her greatest failure as a mother. I felt guilty for not representing her well...but I guess not guilty enough because I didn't change.

So I made this goal: Be on time to every class. And it sat on the Day Zero list unattempted for an entire semester.

Then I made a deal with a friend. Every time I am late to school, work or church (for the record, I am not late to church...that is one area where my mom did succeed...) I owe him a quart of ice cream. Effective for the entire semester. Apparently that's what I needed.

We are now three weeks into the semester, and I have not been late to ANYTHING for the ENTIRE time. So I am officially checking this goal off the list.

In my time of punctuality I have felt unexpectedly empowered. I feel like I'm in more control of my life. I also have lost that annoying nagging in the back of my mind, placed there purposefully by my mother, reminding me that it's rude to be late.

Mission accomplished.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

2011-01-08T21:51:00.001-07:00

Back in September I blogged about a paper chain I made to count down the days until my graduation. It was so long back in September, but the semester flew by and the chain got shorter.

This is what it looked like then:

And THIS is what it looks like now:

Where did the days go?

My Last First Day

2011-01-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

Well folks, this is it. Today was my last first day of college. I cannot wait to be finished, although I'm not really sure what my future has in store. Sometimes that makes me nervous, but I suppose that I should not worry about things that I cannot control.

I am so, so, SO excited for my pathophysiology class this semester. I just bought my book today and I have spent most of my evening perusing it. It's so great!

(To clarify, pathophysiology is the study of diseases and how they affect the human body.)

At the beginning of class today, my professor quoted an address that Gordon B. Hinckley gave at BYU in 1992. I found it very enlightening, encouraging, and validating.

"Have you ever contemplated the wonder of yourself, the eyes with which you see, the ears with which you hear, the voice with which you speak? No camera ever built can compare with the human eye. No method of communication ever devised can compare with the voice and the ear. No pump ever built will run as long or as efficiently as the human heart. What a remarkable thing each of us is. We can think by day and dream by night. We can speak and hear, smell and feel.

Look at your finger. The most skillful attempt to reproduce it mechanically has brought only a crude approximation. The next time you use your finger, look at it and sense the wonder of it. While sitting in Symphony Hall in Salt Lake listening to a concert, I was in a position to see the fingers of the performers in the orchestra. Whether playing the strings, the percussion instruments, the brass, the woodwinds--all involved the use of fingers. One does not have to use one's fingers to sing or whistle, but beyond that, there would be little of musical harmony without the deft action of trained fingers."

I really enjoyed the entire address actually, not just the part about bodies, though I am partial to them. You can find the rest of it here.

Sweet, Sweet Victory!

2011-01-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today, after much coaxing and begging and pleading, we *finally* got a new dishwasher!

This, my friends, is what sweet, sweet victory looks like:

Blogging for the Sake of Blogging

2010-12-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

This month I made a goal to blog every day. Today is the 31st and this is my 31st post, so I guess I made it. I found pretty quickly that blogging for me is a lot more fun when I'm not doing it for the sake of blogging.

December was a good month. Here's a recap:

*Finished the semester

*Took my finals

*Hung out with my old roommates

*Celebrated birthdays with Daniel, Jared and my dad

*Read books for fun

*Made lots of food, from pasta to carmel

*Decorated and then undecorated several trees

*Celebrated Christmas with both sides of my family

*Spent a LOT of time lounging

*Downloaded lots of new music

*Worked on two sewing projects

*Drank more milk that all of fall semester combined

*Crossed several things off my Day Zero list

December was a good month for me. I'm also looking forward to January and my last first day of college. Bring it on!

Painting!

2010-12-30T23:16:00.004-07:00

Today I did lots and LOTS of painting.

It started in the laundry room. For Christmas the kids helped mom finish the laundry room. Part of the gift was new paint for the walls in a color of her choice, plus the promise that she wouldn't have to paint it herself. This morning Mom and I went to Home Depot and got the supplies. This afternoon Suzy, Haley and I painted. I really like the color she picked, and I really, really like how it looks on the walls.

I also knocked another task off my Day Zero list...or at least got it started. I made a goal to paint every fingernail a different color. I have to leave them like this for a week, even though it makes me feel a bit like a twelve-year-old. I thought Christmas break would be a good time to do this, since I own nearly every color of fingernail polish known to man, but pretty much all the crazy ones live in Idaho.

I was a little leery at first, especially since a week from now I'll be back in Provo and back in public. I kinda like the results though, even if they are tween-ish.

Incidentally, two of the colors that I used tonight I actually got for my twelfth birthday...

Another Great Gift!

2010-12-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

I have really enjoyed another gift that I recieved: a hot chocolate maker! My brothers and sisters knew who they were shopping for :)

They even bought me my favorite kind of hot chocolate!

'Anne' with an 'e'

2010-12-28T23:46:00.001-07:00

Picking up a book you haven't read in years is like running into an old friend. Yesterday I began reading "Anne of Green Gables" for the first time since I was eleven. Tonight I am the only person awake in the house, settled down on the couch with a blanket and Anne.

When I grow up, I want to be Anne. Although she is impetuous and finds herself in more trouble than any nice girl ought to, she is smart and kind and she appreciates the world around her more deeply than most. I think I see a little Anne in myself, but mostly in the slate-breaking, temper losing aspects.

I love that I already know how the story ends, because every time she refuses to look at Gilbert or acknowledge his existence, I know that someday she will love him and it makes me giggle.

I miss the days that life was simple enough that I could stay up to finish a book anytime I wanted. I am grateful that Christmas break has afforded me the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Anne Shirley, the feisty red-head who wishes she were called Cordelia.

Pasta!

2010-12-27T18:52:00.001-07:00

Today I made pasta from scratch! It was lots of fun. Santa Claus knew what he (she...thanks Mom) was doing when he picked my present this year :)

Here are a few pictures from my first pasta-making adventure.

Week of To-dos

2010-12-26T23:02:00.015-07:00

My family just got home from Utah. Well, my family minus Daniel. He stayed in Utah to work this week.

This week I have lots of plans...it's likely I won't finish everything on my list, but I'm going to give it my best shot:

*Sew a dress

*Finish a quilt

*Make pasta from scratch

*Paint all my fingernails a different color

*Paint the walls in my mom's laundry room

*Read

*Finalize my list of New Years resolutions

*Draft a contract

*Research in situ hybridization

*Draft my Personal Statement

*Catch up on sleep I lost last semester so I can start next semester with a clean slate (I don't really think this works, but it's worth a shot)

*Etc.

Wish me luck!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T22:13:00.003-07:00

Today we woke up bright and early (I wouldn’t have minded sleeping in…but some of my brothers and sisters are still young children at heart.) Christmas morning was a lot of fun this year. Santa Claus brought fun things. My mom is a little sad that Santa doesn’t shop at the toy store anymore, but I think big kid toys are just as good.

For Christmas this year the kids had a lot of fun shopping for Mom and Dad. We facelifted our mom’s laundry room, with a new shelf, ironing board, rod for hanging clothes, and paint. We bought out dad a new binding for his waterski. Both of them were very excited about their presents, which is the best part.

This afternoon we went to Grandma and Grandpa Harper’s house for dinner, and then we hit the road to head to Grandma Smith’s. We’re lucky to live so close to family.

Christmas was really great this year. I find that the older I get, the more I look forward to the giving part, and the less I’m concerned about what I’ll be getting. I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Merry Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T23:44:00.000-07:00

Today was the same as most Christmas Eves at the Smith house. We baked a LOT. Some people were sewing. We watched "Christmas with the Kranks" and listened to the Carpenter's Christmas album.

Tonight we went to Grandma and Grandpa Harper's house to spend time with my mom's family. Uncle David and Aunt Elaine's kids acted out the nativity while we read from Luke 2. Jared was the donkey...

When we got home Dad helped us put together the finishing touches on Mom's present...probably more on that later.

Now Suzy, Haley and I are holed up in my old room. Suzy wanted to have a Christmas Eve sleepover. The last time the three of us attempted a sleepover it didn't go so well. It turns out Suzy isn't very good at sharing... We decided to give it another shot, in the spirit of Christmas and togetherness and peace on earth, etc. If it works, I will wake in the spirit of hallelujah.

Jared's Birthday

2010-12-24T00:04:00.000-07:00

Today my baby brother turned 18. Weird. I don't think I realize that I've gotten older until people younger than me start to get old. I suppose I can't still be seventeen if Jared is getting ready to graduate.

Daniel got home from Provo late tonight, so we waited to open presents until after he arrived. Jared's been pretty sick these past few days, but I think he's finally starting to feel a little better. There didn't seem to be any sign of bacterial infection when he found out that he has a new set of free weights....

Jared is a good kid and a great brother. We're lucky that he's part of our family. This time next year he'll be getting his mission call. He's already excited. Sometimes it's hard to watch my little brother and sisters grow up. I am so lucky to have the family that I do.

Carmels

2010-12-22T22:53:00.003-07:00

For several years, an integral part of my Christmas break has been carmel making. I love homemade carmel, and it's really not that tough to make. I thought I'd share the recipe:

Carmels

1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until soft ball stage. Pour the carmel into a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper. When the carmel is cool, cut it into pieces and wrap them in parchment paper.

Family Shmamily

2010-12-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

Today I went with my mom and Suzy to Idaho Falls. Suzy and I dropped my mom off at the Idaho Falls temple and then went to the mall to finish our Christmas shopping. (I'm *still* not done....sigh...)

We also went to lunch with three of my mom's brothers and their wives. This time of year I see a lot of my extended family, and it's always fun to do some catching up. I'm always amazed at how big my cousins get between holidays.

Tonight I also got to go watch Jared's wrestling match. I think I am much to faint-hearted to watch much wrestling. It's way too intense for me. When I expressed that to my mother, she rolled her eyes and told me to "just wait 'til it's my kid." Apparently that makes it harder to watch.

50 Things I Like About Myself (Part 1)

2010-12-20T23:10:00.001-07:00

For my Day Zero Project I made a goal to write a list of 50 things I like about myself. I decided to check that one off tonight, except it ended up being a lot harder than I thought... Don't get me wrong, I've got enough ego for myself, plus the next guy. But it turns out that it's kind of hard to put into words what I like about myself.

So after thinking, I came up with this list.

I like my

1. Brown eyes
2. Long fingernail beds
3. Softball scar on my left knee
4. Long hair
5. Height
6. Eyelashes
7. Metabolism
8. Shoe size
9. Cheekbones
10. Attached earlobes

Since I never made the goal to do all 50 in one sitting, I think breaking it down is completely acceptable. I think I about covered the surface stuff, so I'm probably going to have to start digging a little deeper.

Top 10 Best Things About Being Home

2010-12-18T21:46:00.010-07:00

In my opinion, the top 10 best things about being home for Christmas (aside from seeing my family, which is obviously the best part). These are in no particular order:

*Waking up after it's already light outside

*Staying in my pajamas as long as I want

*Large variety of entertainment

*Seemingly endless supply of ingredients in the cupboards

*Doing laundry for FREE :)

*Wrapping presents

*Not being responsible to prepare my own dinner

*Having a real piano

*Drinking hot chocolate by the fire place

*Having a Christmas tree that's too big to sit on the end table

Plus, it's looking like it's going to be a white Christmas! (Christmas, of course, being the only time that snow is acceptable....)

Good to be Home

2010-12-17T23:49:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to be home with one more semester under my belt. Overall I think things went pretty well. I am so exhausted from the last four months, and the last week in particular.

Tomorrow I get to go to Jared's wrestling match. I am pretty excited, although wrestling is a hard sport for me to watch. It's so intense. I probably need to toughen up.

Tomorrow I'm also decorating the family Christmas tree. Apparently life is busy in Blackfoot as well as Provo, and while the tree is standing, its decorations are all still in their boxes around the bottom. Should be fun!

The Honest Truth

2010-12-16T23:04:00.002-07:00

Tonight I really just feel stressed, overwhelmed, grumpy and hungry. I don't really feel like blogging. My computer is out of batteries and I'm only sleeping for a couple of hours tonight.

On the bright side, my roommates opened Christmas gifts tonight, and I live with the sweetest girls. They are so thoughtful and I love all of my gifts.

By this time tomorrow I expect my mood to be much improved. Please tune in next time.

<3

A Blue...Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas

2010-12-15T23:48:00.014-07:00

About a week and a half ago Apartment 5 made gingerbread men and delivered them to some of our friends and neighbors in the apartment complex. When we visited Apartment 19, we sang them an awesome rendition of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You..." because we are awesome.

Tonight, they returned the favor. So for your listening enjoyment, the amazing men of Apartment 19:

My only regret is that they didn't come into the kitchen. There was some pretty incredible hip-swinging going on outside the door, and the video just doesn't quite do it justice...

Good News

2010-12-14T23:47:00.004-07:00

*Tomorrow night I'm having a Raisin with the Domestic Goddesses.

*This weekend I get to go home to spend Christmas break with my family.

*I am officially official to graduate in April.

*I am completely done with all me GE classes.

*Jared did awesome in his wrestling tournament today.

*There are only 104 days until March 24th.

Life is good!

The Joys of Finals Week

2010-12-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

Today was super busy. I had two finals and work. Yikes. Because I was so busy, I felt that I had earned a break...so when I got home tonight, I took things easy.

Katie made pizza for dinner. Delish. I worked on some studying for a while, but then we got a group of people together to watch "Bandslam" (best movie ever!)

The movie ended...and then the fun began. Suzy threw a glass of water on Blake. Mayhem ensued. About eight glasses, two squirt guns, a sink sprayer, two water bottles and a garbage can of water later, our kitchen had approximately two inches of standing water on the floor.

Now our kitchen floor just has several large towels laying out to dry. On the bright side, Suzy was mentioning this afternoon that we needed to scrub our kitchen floor.

Daniel's Birthday

2010-12-12T23:57:00.008-07:00

Tomorrow is Daniel's birthday. He's turning 23. To celebrate, my parents brought Jared and Haley to Grandma Smith's house where Suzy, Daniel and I met them for dinner. It was the first time that we'd all been together for Daniel's birthday in four years. For his 19th birthday party we all went to Tucanos to celebrate his mission call to Brazil. Tonight we ate prime rib and my favorite chocolate cake. It was so good to see my family. It gave me incentive to live through finals in order to see them again next week. I cannot wait...

The last time everyone was together for Daniel's birthday. Everyone has grown so much!

Apartment 5 Goes on a Date

2010-12-11T23:27:00.005-07:00

Tonight my roommates and I all went on a date. We took our dates to Temple Square to walk around and see the lights. It was so pretty. I really love Christmas lights.

After Temple Square, we brought our dates back to our apartment and made gingerbread houses. I think they turned out pretty good!

I am Grateful for Photographs

2010-12-10T23:04:00.026-07:00

We are so fortunate that we can capture our memories in snapshots that persist even after the moments have passed. From everyday occurrences to life-changing experiences, we take pictures. I love to look at pictures. My screensaver on my laptop and on my work computer is a slideshow of pictures of myself, family and friends. When I see those pictures, I am transported back in time to where those memories were made. And it makes me so happy. I am so glad that I live in a time where such a thing is possible.

I am Grateful for my Education

2010-12-09T23:33:00.054-07:00

The other day I read some statistics. I'm not entirely sure how accurate they were, but it made me stop and think. I thought I would share...

Reading that made me think about all that I have. I truly am blessed.

Yesterday was the last day I had classes this semester. A week from now I will be done with finals. A semester from now I will be done with my undergraduate education.

I'm so grateful for the opportunities that I've had over the past three and a half years. I lived with the most amazing girls my freshman year. They became my best friends, and we stuck together for our sophomore year as well. Last year I lived in London, my favorite city in the world, for four entire months. Now I live with my sister, something we talked about from the time we were little. It's been an amazing adventure.

But probably most important of all, I've gained so much education. I've learned about muscles and how they contract and relax. I've learned about bones and how they grown and harden. I've learned about kidneys, lungs and eyes. I've studied the inner ear and the endocrine system. I've studied embryos and how we develop from one cell into trillions. I have come to know and love the miracle of life--the miracle of my own body.

I've learned about geniuses like Shakespeare, Leonardo, Dante, Michaelangelo and Bernini. I've seen great architecture and marveled at the hands that built it. I've learned of relativity, plate tectonics and stars. I've studied international politics and my own religious heritage.

I have gained an incredible and diverse education from a wonderful university. For this opportunity, I will always be grateful.

And in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson,

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen."

I am Grateful for French Fries

2010-12-08T23:31:00.020-07:00

Tonight I was really, really, REALLY stressed out about the deadlines that I'm facing. I think the end of the semester tends to have that effect on people.

I'm not always a very nice person when I'm stressed. (Sorry, roommates...)

But then a friend shared some french fries. They were hot. And they were salty. And they really did help.

So tonight I am grateful for french fries.

But I am most especially grateful for good friends.

I am Grateful for my Dad

2010-12-07T16:01:00.003-07:00

Some of my earliest memories are of being rocked to sleep every night to the sound of my dad singing primary songs. He would count my piggies and sing until I fell asleep.

I remember when I was ten and I fell off the monkey bars at school and broke my collar bone. My dad came to take me to the doctor. He still tells people that I was too tough to cry.

I love that my dad can’t wait to give presents. I love that my dad can be counted on to pull my toes or count my ribs at least once every time I’m home. I love that my dad tells the wide-mouth frog joke in Spanish. And I love that I’ve never had to wonder if my dad felt that his family was important.

So, to the dad who taught me how to throw a ball harder than the boys, change the oil, wire an outlet, rotate the tires, and run the air compressor…

To the dad who tells me I’m beautiful, who understands the importance of pretty dresses, and who sings to me even now that I’m grown up…

To the dad that is both my biggest hero and my biggest fan…

Thank you for always taking such good care of me.
I love you.

I am Grateful for my Mom

2010-12-06T23:03:00.006-07:00

Today was the deadline for the large research paper in my capstone class. As is my usual, I was writing it right down to the wire. In my time of great stress and anxiety, I called my mom. I always call my mom. At least two or three times a day. Some days five or six or eight times. Moms were the best idea. And my mom is the best mom.

Today I baked a batch of fortune cookies. Yesterday I baked gingerbread cookies. Tomorrow I need to bake bread. I love to bake, and I know how to bake because of my mom.

When I was baking today and yesterday, I was wearing the apron I sewed over Thanksgiving break. It's really cute, and I know how to sew because of my mom.

The list of things my mom has done for me is endless. From shoe tying and reading to clothes matching and mascara applying, she has taught me so much. I will never be able to repay her.

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln

I am Grateful for the Plan of Salvation

2010-12-05T21:27:00.002-07:00

Today in church I was struck by how grateful I am for my testimony and my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. Knowledge of the Plan of Happiness, or God's plan for his children on earth, gives me hope. Knowing that I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father and that he loves me helps give my life a direction and a meaning. I am grateful every day for a loving Father in Heaven who only wants the best for me and is willing to guide me as I make decisions. I am also grateful for my agency--that Heavenly Father has given me the ability to choose for myself the path I want to take, even if it's not the best path.

My favorite part of the Plan of Salvation is that I can live forever with my family. My family is the greatest source of joy in my life, and I cannot imagine how empty eternity would feel without them. I know that the relationships I have with my parents, brothers and sisters can continue, even after our mortal lives have ended. With that goal in mind, I strive everyday to do my very best. Although I fall short at times, I know that Jesus Christ atoned for my sins and if I am willing to repent, He can make up the difference. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the infinite wisdom of our Heavenly Father.

I was also so grateful tonight for the opportunity to get to listen to the Prophet speak. If you didn't get a chance to hear the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, you can find it here.

I am Grateful for my Roommates

2010-12-04T21:11:00.012-07:00

I am so grateful for the girls that I live with because

*They are tidy
*They are sweet
*They like to be silly
*They have beautiful testimonies and live the gospel standards
*They look after each other
*They all put up with me
*They are beautiful

My Month of Earrings

2010-12-03T23:30:00.010-07:00

For my Day Zero Project, I wore a different pair of earrings every day for a month. Frivolous? Probably. But it was a lot of fun. I don't really own that many pairs of earrings since I'm normally not much of an earring wearer, but my roommates helped me out.

Here are a few of the fun pairs of earrings I tried out this month:

LOVE This Blog!

2010-12-02T22:32:00.002-07:00

I was recently told to check out the blog How About Orange. And I LOVE it! There are all kinds of fun DIY projects and ideas, as well as links to fun downloads.

I love it! Check it out!

Here is one of my favorite projects:

Magazine Page Gift Bows

Merry Christmas Apartment 5!

2010-12-01T20:17:00.001-07:00

Last night was the first evening that all my roommates were home since Thanksgiving break, so it was officially time to decorate for Christmas. We pooled all our decorations and innovations as we sung Christmas songs and decked the halls well into the night.

Several weeks ago, snowflake production began on Sunday afternoons. Our kitchen ceiling now rivals any winter wonderland, as it it thoroughly bedecked with the paper creations.

Frannie is looking festive. Our little tree twinkles with holiday cheer. The stockings are hung on our wall with care, and Annie is currently on the lookout for some mistletoe to hang. Even the refrigerator is happy that Christmas is coming.

Life of Pi

2010-11-22T11:24:00.002-07:00

A few of my friends have recommended to me that I read the book The Life of Pi. The first suggestion came from my friend Allie in London, so I bought it to read on the ride home. Then I slept on the plane instead...

Another recommendation came more lately from my friend Seth. He was incredulous that I own it but have never read it. So with his urging, I have commenced. It's slow going right now due to school obligations, but I fully intend to finish it over Thanksgiving. It's been good so far. I read a quote the other day that I really liked, so I thought I'd share:

"To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."

Life Update

2010-11-06T21:21:00.001-06:00

Life has been busy lately, but busy is good. I am enjoying my classes. I recently decided that I like my cell biology class much more than I had previously supposed.

Here are a few thing that I have been thinking about lately:

*I am very excited to be graduating in April.
*Living with my sister is really fun. Sharing clothes is the best idea anyone ever had. When people ask me if it bothers me that Suzy wears my clothes, I just laugh. What a silly thing to be petty about.
*Paul gets home in March. I'm very excited to see him again.
*Jared won his football game last night. I am so proud of him.
*I really like Missy Higgins. My friend Seth told me about her. I listen to her music when I'm getting ready for school and it makes me happy. If you're interested, I love the song "Steer."
*Today was one of the most beautiful November days I've ever experienced.
*I am grateful for all the people in my life that are concerned for my welfare and well-being.
*I started on my goal to wear different earrings every day for a month. It's been really fun so far. Today I wore large yellow earrings that didn't match anything else I was wearing. It felt refreshing.
*Although I am not very crafty, etc., I recently decided that I would like to be better at sewing. I am brainstorming ways to work on that.

I saw this photo on a blog the other day. It reminded me of how great it is to be a sister.

GRE? Check!

2010-10-28T15:14:00.002-06:00

Last week was long and pretty crazy, but I made it. I feel like things went quite well. On Tuesday I took the GRE. It was long, and a bit nerve wracking. When you take it, you get your scores back as soon as you finish (since it's a computerized test) and I am happy to report that I will not be taking it again!

Week at a Glance

2010-10-19T07:41:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling a little bit frantic this week...one of those times that being a student gets me a little bit down. Here's a brief rundown of the next seven days:

Tuesday:
GRE practice test @ 8:00 am
Chick embryo lab work @ 11:00 am
Work @ 1:00 pm
Relief Society Activity @ 6:00 pm
Homework? Hopefully? 8:00 pm?
Write paper about the themes of the Aeneid (who cares?)
Sleep....perhaps

Wednesday:
Class @ 9:00, 10:00, 11:00
Paper due @ 11:00
Class @ 1:00 and 2:00
Work @ 3:00
Homework @ 5:00 until I fall over dead, or just fall asleep at my computer

Thursday:
Work on 10-20 page research paper on 'The effect of maternal nutrition on the fetus' like a CRAZY woman @ 7:00
Class @ 11:00
Work @ 12:00
Work on research paper like a CRAZY woman @ 5:30
Make dinner...sometime
Work on research paper like a CRAZY woman until I am dead or it is finished

Friday:
Class @ 9:00 and 11:00
Work @ 12:00
Drop off three copies of research paper to professor @ 1:50
Class @ 2:00
Leave for Idaho @ 3:00
Watch Jared's last home football game @ 7:00
Stay up late talking to family

Saturday:
Study for the GRE all day. Like crazy. With the intention of cramming in everything that I was supposed to learn as an undergraduate...
Haley's play @ 7:00

Sunday
Crash. Thank heavens for the day of rest.
(Also, attend church...I'm not sure what time...)
Drive back to Provo @ 5:00

Monday
Genetics homework @ 8:00
Class @ 9:00, 10:00, 11:00
Genetics homework @ 12:00
Class @ 1:00
Embryology test review @ 2:00
Work @ 3:00
GRE practice @ 5:00
FHE @ 7:00
Go to bed early. Stop kidding myself into thinking that practicing for the GRE the night before will make any difference.

Tuesday
GRE @ 8:00 am in Lindon.

Not really excited about any of this... Always trying to remember that things could definitely be worse. Like my dad would say 'Count your blessings, Meliss.' I'm trying Dad. I promise.

Hey Jude!

2010-10-10T20:52:00.002-06:00

When someone who's practically your sister has a baby, that makes him practically your nephew, right?

Welcome to the world
Jude Starr Clark
It was very nice to meet you!