Single and Childless

Hooray!!!!

Now let me explain why this is a good thing.

My first few weeks at BYUI I was in a small culture shock.  Besides the fact that everyone was Mormon, there were also babies...everywhere.  I looked at the young mothers and thought to myself "oh, I hope I never have to drag my little baby to class with me, or study in the library with a stroller and crying baby."  Don't get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for the girls who have kids and yet are still finishing their degree.  It think it's awesome and something I could never do.  This is why I am proud to say, I have survived college without having a child!!!  I mean, I do have one year left but I'm thinking the chances that I'll meet a boy, get married, AND have a baby in less than a year is pretty darn slim.  Can I go so far to say there's a zero percent chance of that happening? 

Yeah, I'm feeling pretty confident with that assumption.

The Current Bane of My Existence

Bane: a person or thing that ruins or spoils.

Group projects.  Don't they ruin everything?

Allow me to vent for a moment.  Just a moment, and then I'll stop.  This might be a lengthy moment, but if it were short, I'd actually have to start working on homework soon.

Soooooooooo...I have this group project.  It started the first week of the semester.  Basically, this group project is the entire class.  In a nutshell, we have to design a health promotion program.  This includes assessing our target population to make sure there's a need for a program, finding more data and research to back up the need, creating a program, putting together a marketing plan, a budget, goals and objectives, etc.  The only thing we don't do is actually implement the program. 

As I said, we've been working on it since week one.  The way the class is designed though makes it so that you feel like you're right on track for the first month and a half and then the last three weeks are just crazy.  The project is due on Monday and it definitely is CRAZY.  Especially when you're in a group of four people and only two of you are doing most of the work.  And now we're to the point where I don't even want the other girls to do anything because they have no idea what's going on AND the assignments they've had so far have either a) not gotten done in a timely manner or b) been done halfway or are just plain sloppy.  Uggg.  I'm so grateful at least one other person in my group is putting time into this!!

Here are my biggest issues with the two weak links (rude, but true).  

1) Most of our classes are "lab days" which just means that you have that time to work in your groups.  There have been other days though that are lecture where the professor explains how part of a project needs to be done.  The two rarely come to those lecture days which leaves the other girl and I to take notes, understand what's going on, and then take our group time trying to explain it to the ones who were missing.  This would be another reason their work isn't any good, they weren't in class to see what he wants!  What's worse is that I'll talk to them the day before and they'll say "see you tomorrow!" which would lead me to assume that they mean they'll be in class the next day since I've never just seen them around randomly.  But apparently, there's some hidden meaning in this phrase because they don't come to class and I don't "see them tomorrow."

2) They never volunteer to do anything.  Arielle and I will start saying "oh, I'll do that" or "I've already got that started so I'll just finish it" or "I already did that" and they'll just sit there....waiting for us to tell them what to do.  Both of us have just done things so that they'll be done and neither of them have put forth any effort to do something unless it was asked of them.  And we've both redone their stuff a few times because it wasn't professional or complete (one girl told me today she'd make sure her part looked cute.  I said "no, we need it to look professional.  You need to put it in Cambria font, size 12 like the rest of the project).  Today, we went to the professor to ask him some questions and get feedback on what we have done and they just sat in their desks, checking their phones, not really caring I guess.  

3) How do they think this stuff is getting done?!  Are they totally oblivious to the fact that some of the things we've done have taken HOURS to put together.  I've contacted multiple people to set up interviews, taken time to prepare questions and go interview them and spent hours creating marketing posters, a curriculum, calendar and more.  The other girl has typed up PAGES of interventions, goals and objectives as well as put in way too much time doing research for it because the others never did research to give to her. 

I could go on.  

I actually really like this project.  It reminds me of when my siblings and I would play "work" when we were younger.  It could be a fun class and I love our project and what we're doing.  I just wish I only had to do a quarter of it and not half.  If it was my only class, I probably wouldn't mind.  But seeing as I have three other classes, I can't really put all my time into this one.  I know the other girls are busy but WELCOME TO COLLEGE AND SUCK IT UP.  You signed up for this.  Don't think you're any busier than the others.  We all have jobs, we all have classes, we all have social lives and we all have this project that needs to be turned in by 4:00 Monday afternoon.  

Come 4:00, I will be one happy camper.

Second Chances

Remember this post from over a year ago?  Remember how embarrassing that little episode was?  Well I've FINALLY used up all that conditioner and had to buy some more.  I ran out of shampoo at the same time so I had to buy both.  I made sure to double and triple check them multiple times while in the cart and while on the checkout counter.  I made it home with a new bottle of shampoo AND a new bottle of conditioner.  I feel accomplished.

Banishing My Sweet Tooth

I'm now finishing day three with no sweets or chocolate whatsoever.  What makes it harder is that I have no time to go to the store this week and I haven't been there in a while so my non-sweet foods are dwindling fast.  And there's the ever-tempting candy bowl beckoning to me at work.  15 hours a week where all I do is look at a bowl of candy.  I can do this.  I'm going to make it until Saturday and then I'll treat myself to something fantastic :)  Wish me luck!! 

Breathe In, Breathe Out, Repeat

Today in my anatomy lab I learned that I have excellent air expulsion from my lungs.  Granted, my lungs aren't the biggest (they hold about 3 liters of air), but I can get those three liters out of my lungs in under 1 second.  BAM.  That's efficiency right there. 

Also, let me just tell you about what the rest of this week looks like...it's going to be a killer.  Today I had/ have class from 7:45-12:30, work from 12:40- 3, lab from 3:15-5:00 and fhe from 6:15- 9:00 (it's a big, LONG ward one).  Tomorrow I have work from 8-11, a meeting from 12:30-1:30, another meeting from 1:00-2:00 (tell me how I'm supposed to do that??), devo from 2-3, and a Food Services Board meeting from 4-5.  The rest of the week is equally as busy with class and work.  PLUS, I have a First Aid test to study for and take early because on Monday I'm skipping class to go play with my little cousins from SC that I never get to see, and because I'm taking the test early I have to skip a different class, so I have to get all the stuff for that class done early, and I'm also missing my anatomy lab on Monday so I have to get all the work for that done by Saturday.  AND I have a MONDO (I cannot emphasize this enough) project due in two weeks that has way too much stuff left to finish.  It's a group project which means we have to find time to actually get together to work on it and I work days, one of the girls works nights, one goes to hair school at night and the other one just never shows up for anything.  It's a joy ride.  I also need to exercise every day to get points for my Exercise Phys class.  Oh, and I almost forgot...I have a big anatomy test next week so I need to start studying for that. 

Okay, I think that's everything.  I'm not complaining.  Well, maybe I'm complaining just a little bit, but don't judge me, okay??  OH!!!!  My book came in at the library and I only have four days to go pick it up but once I get it I'm going to want to read it and if you haven't discovered already...I HAVE NO TIME FOR BOOKS.  What book, you might ask?  How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk. If you weren't judging me earlier, you sure are judging me now.  That's okay.  Bring it on.  I can handle you, and I can handle this week. 

Life is good :)

Yellowstone Day Trip

How awesome is it that I live an hour and a half from Yellowstone??  Old Faithful is practically out my back window!  Well I had the chance to go visit it last Saturday with some friends.  It was a little colder and windier than ideal, but we survived.

The group minus James, who was taking the picture.

I promise there's a geyser going off behind me...quite a famous one actually.

Con Hank...I was in the middle of giving Steven a "what the heck?!" face regarding the previous picture he took.

Hopefully other people post pics on facebook that I can steal for my blog :)

As Fast As You Can

I've been running lately.  Have I mentioned before that I actually do love to run?  I didn't like it much in middle/ high school because I don't like people telling me how far and how fast I have to go...but just running for the heck of it is quite enjoyable for me.  Today I did 3 miles in 26 minutes.  I realize this is not a huge accomplishment and people run way faster than this all the time.  But it's pretty good for me!  Hopefully by the end of the semester I can get that down to like 24 minutes :)  Good, now that I have a goal written down, maybe I'll actually be able to meet it!

Homemade Fast Breaks

The Reese's Fast Break.  A relatively new candy bar.  One that I honestly never really buy.  Although I bought two in the last few weeks (maybe the only two I've ever bought...).  The first one was for Alexis because her boyfriend left the country.  I thought she'd enjoy a package in the mail including her favorite candy bar.  Well, I may have had a chocolate craving that night (not unlike any other night for me) and I ate it myself...So I had to buy her another one.  And yes, this one actually made it to her so she could basque in its glory.

Enter my confectionary class.  I make nougat.  I have no idea what to do with a huge slab of nougat.  Dallin suggests making Fast Breaks.  Candy making history is made.


 Homemade Reese's Fast Breaks

Ingredients:
Homemade nougat (I made almond so that's what we used...I think I would prefer plain nougat if I did this again)
Peanut Butter
Powdered Sugar
Vanilla
Chocolate

Step 1:  Mix together some peanut butter with some powdered sugar.  I have no idea how much.  Maybe a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio??  Just get the peanut butter so it's not sticky.  It becomes playdoughy.  Also throw in a few drops of vanilla because vanilla just makes everything taste better.


Step 2: Cut the nougat into whatever shape or size you want.  We did a variety of rectangles and squares.

Step 3:  Melt some chocolate and put a thin layer on a sheet of waxed paper.  Set a piece of nougat on top and then make a rectangle of peanut butter and place it on the nougat.

Step 4: Take MORE chocolate and dollop on top.  Use a spoon to smooth it around and down the sides.

Step 5: Take MORE MORE MORE chocolate (can you tell I love chocolate??) of a different color and drizzle over the top for a nice finishing touch.

Step 6: Just look at those insides.  You're jealous, aren't you?  We were pretty excited with the way they turned out.  You will need a glass of milk handy, they're quite rich and even I, who can eat a seemingly endless amount of sweets, had to stop after one.

Step 7:  Don't think about the calories you're consuming.  It ruins the taste.

104% Senior

Two tests in two days and I've scored 104% on both.  That's how I roll.  Tomorrow I have a beast of an Anat & Phys test that I should be studying for.  I think I would pee my pants if I pulled a 104% on that one as well (this teacher gives bonus, so it's possible!!...just not likely)

As a side note, I registered for classes today and it's the first day of registration!!  That's reserved for people with 110 credits or more.....oh my goodness where has time gone?  When did I get that many credits?!  When did I become a senior?  Anyone have ideas for what I should do with my life, because I'm pretty much stumped.  And as a sad side note, I think I'll be here three more semesters instead of two like I was planning.  Being a super senior for one semester won't be that bad, will it???

Also, I was thinking how old people seemed when they were juniors and seniors in college.  When I was younger I saw girls in my ward/ stake go to college and was totally baffled when they weren't married their first year away.  I couldn't believe they could make it that far into college without getting married!  Oh boy.  I sure am glad I don't put the same judgments on myself as I did them haha  I'm perfectly content with the single life at the moment.... but I won't turn down any dates either :)

For Noelle's Amusement

This post was inspired by Noelle, who commented to me how funny the end of this post was.  She loved the picture of Brittany and I dressed for the Prom in Peru compared to us dressed for a party at BYUI.  We felt so gosh darn pretty at that Prom...and we kind of look a little trashy haha  Well, I wore my "prom" dress to church today and...there's quite a difference there as well. 

My eyes are a little squinty from the sun but at least my hair isn't slicked back and greasy!!  And sadly, I've almost completely lost my tan by now :(

Business in the Front...Party in the Back

I know, I know, I KNOW, you're sick and tired of me blogging about my job.  But I just love it and the people so much!  Granted, there are days when I would really rather stay home and take a nap or watch a movie instead of go to work, but once I get there I usually have a good time.

Yesterday we had a work party at the Director of Admissions' house in Rigby.  It was a blast!  We had almost all of the student employees there as well as quite a few full-time employees with their wives and children.  Can I just say, those men did well.  They all had absolutely GORGEOUS wives and cute-as-a-button kids.  It was neat to see them interact with their families and not be dressed in suits.  Most of them aren't more than 10 years older than me so it's fun to talk with them and their wives and hear their stories.  Oh my goodness, I just love them all so much!

Can I also mention how incredibly awesome it was for our director and his family to open his home to us for this shin-dig.  His wife organized a big cooking lesson and taught us how to make everything we were going to eat.  She teaches culinary classes in Idaho Falls and her food is spectacular.  We made mini pulled pork taco things for the main course and then creme brulee for dessert...we even go to torch our own!

Molly, one of the new front desk workers.

Kevin and Annalise.

Okay, time to talk about a few people.  This is my first semester working with Kevin.  He started last semester and is also in my Program Planning class.  Annalise and I have been working together since Spring 2011.  She's amazing.  So amazing, even, that I'm living with her in the fall!!  

 Hilary here is also new for me.  She started last semester while I was away.  Hilary works part-time at the office, is taking 17 credits AND has an internship that she does 20 hours a week.  I have no idea how she does it all.  Oh, and she's preparing for a mission and can't wait for her call :)  In the back we have (from the left) Johnathan, Jason, Jason's wife and Brady and his wife...plus lots of children.

 We played a nice friendly game of kickball in the backyard.  Somehow we managed to split up all the couples but I think that helped the competitiveness of the game.  I didn't play the entire game (as I wanted to help with the cooking a little more) but when I left, my team was winning.

 (From left) Vi, Janeen and Emily.  I honestly don't know Vi too well as she works mostly in the back room.  Janeen and Emily I've known for a while but I've really gotten to know them better this semester.  They both used to be readers (of applications) in the back and have now moved to the front lines.  Oh, and lets not forget Boston being a man.

Kevin wanted a picture looking like a hick...

 A not-quite-in-focus picture of my food.  Soooooooo good.

Here's a few pictures of most of the group just chilling after food.

 Jordan and his cute little family.  He's worked as a counselor starting the winter after I started and has been a HUGE help in me learning the counseling job.  We love when his wife and chunky little boy, Boston, come to visit us in the office.  Sadly (for us), Jordan got an internship in Belgium for the fall so he won't be working.

Torching our creme brulee

Brady and Adam playing with fire.

Christina and Janeen.

 Jeana and her husband Trevor.  Jeana is the only one of the students who's worked longer than I have.  She has a plethora of knowledge and has also helped me immensely in learning my new job.  She and Trevor just got married in December and they're expecting their first baby at the end of the year!

 Adam and Brennan.  Adam started in the office just after I did and has been my boss for part of the time.  He's listened to my rants about life and boys way more times than he probably would have liked, but I always appreciate his advice and insights.  He and his wife are the managers of my apartment complex and we're next door neighbors which is fun.  I like being able to look out my window and watch his son play out in the grass :)  (and I say that in a totally non-creeperish way)

 Kaylani here is half Samoan and she's gorgeous.  This is also my first semester working with her.  She's a sweetheart with some spunk and always has funny stories from work.  It took me a few weeks to realize she lives in my apartment complex too haha

Adding sugar to my creme brulee before torching it.

  And here's our wonderful director and his wife who so graciously allowed 30-40 people in their home for an afternoon.  They're amazing examples to me and I hope one day I'll be able to have people over to cook in my home :)

Overall, I'd say it was a pretty successful party!