merry christmas to me

FINALS ARE OVER. And this wonderful ecstatic feeling is ruined by this:



It couldn't have waited just anouther THREE days for me to leave! No, it had to make my last day of finals worse. Not only did I have to drive 10MPH the whole day everywhere I went, but I slipped down the stairs on rape hill on campus on my way home from getting an A on my last final.









Figures.

blackberry

So I know I'm spoiled.

I'm lucky that for the last four years, I get a company phone from my dad. And although I feel like the company switches phones every six months, I've always had a good cell phone.

And now I found my favorite thing ever.

The blackberry. Not only does it have way cool features (like email--I get my emails RIGHT AWAY! its AMAZING!), but there's blackberry messenger, brickbreaker (the game i'm addicted to--current score, 17,940), and GPS.

NOW there's something that should not have been created.

It's so bad for me.


It is awesome.

Here's what my facebook screen looks like:


Again.. It's so bad for me. Now, whenever someone messages on my facebook, or comments on my photos or status, I get a text message of sorts. I LOVE it!

absurdly late nights (installment 2)

Finals week is insane.

Every night, I have been up until 2am studying.

Mostly at the library.

I have been surprised at my work ethic for finals week.

I, at this point, have 3 finals down, 2 to go.

My last two aren't that stressful.

But.... STORY!

For my most-detested class of the semester, ("Hearing Tests and Measures" is it's title), not only did my teacher switch the method in which he gives tests (from 6 or 7 short essays, to 150 MC questions), but he required the completion of one final lab, in which we needed the correct answers to complete portions of the test correctly. This wouldn't be so bad if we had been graded on earlier labs based on accuracy instead of effort!! I NEVER got the labs. I would work hours on them, but my answers were always wrong. As my last final effort for every lab, I would talk to the TAs and figure it out with their help. But for the final lab, of which now will be graded based on accuracy, I was not allowed any help from peers, books, or TAs.

I was literally screwed.

There is no other word for it.

Now, this would have been bad enough.

But NO.

On Friday, I planned on spending the whole day (literally) on this lab (knowing how much rides on its accuracy). So I got to the HBLL (Harold B. Lee Library for those of you who don't know BYU lingo/buildings) at 10am and started working. I was proud of myself. I wasn't doing too bad on the lab. I felt like I was doing everything correctly.

And then...at 1:45pm mst, the library computer crashed.

CRASHED!

And I had not saved anything... (I know I know. Stupid me. But the library computers NEVER give me any problems!)

The IT guys did all they could, but couldn't recover any of my work on the lab.

Hence, at 2pm mst, I angrily left campus and went home with the intent of sitting on the couch, eating cookie dough, and watching a movie to forget about my horrible day.

However, I couldn't forget about the lab. A lot of my grade depended on that stupid lab. So, Saturday after work, I went back to the library and spent hours there until midnight (when it inconveniently closed). I finished it, albeit not with the same patience I had the previous day, nor the same accuracy (I was sooo mad!!).

So, I took the final today at 7am.

I don't know my grade officially.

But I failed it.

My one solace in all of this?

If I fail the test hardcore, I still get a C- in the class.

This is good.

Why?

Because even though it will bring my GPA down, I don't have to retake the class.

And that is all that matters.

you know you're po' when... (installment 1)

I'm so po' i can't even afford the "or" on the end of "poor."

How do I know this?

This summer, gas prices were a PAIN.



And although it was expensive, I was working fulltime and it all worked out.

Then, October hit, and prices dropped drastically in 3 weeks.


And since then, it has continued to drop (I've seen as low as $1.35 in some places in Provo and Orem, UT).

And yet, today, I had to fork out $10.

For this:


Because I was so po', my car had been running on fumes for 4 days. Fortunately, I made it to school in time for my final without any mishaps. It wasn't until mid-afternoon when I was trying to go home that my car wouldn't start because it had no food. Hence, the 2 gallon gas can which I now own in case I don't happen to learn from my mistake.





Oh boy. The life of a po' college student.

there's so much to be thankful for

So I, of course, have been enjoying the chance to listen to Christmas music. This season is the first season I have owned Josh Groban's "Noel" CD. Amaaazing. This is my favorite song. It's called "Thankful" and I think it is appropriate for the holiday season. Enjoy the lyrics! (You should listen to it too.. its absolutely beautiful. Gives me chills every time).


"Some days we forget to look around us.
Some days we can't see the joy that surrounds us.
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.

It's up to us to be the change.
And even though we all can still do more--
There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves, there's so much sorrow.
It's way too late to say I'll cry tomorrow.
Each of us must find our truth.
We're so long overdue.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.

It's up to us to be the change.
And even though we all can still do more--
There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected.
Each of us can find each other's love.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.

It's up to us to be the change.
And even though the world needs so much more,
There's so much to be thankful for."

"We are at home again. We are exhausted..." --Mark Twain

Mark Twain said this. And I can't wait to agree with him on Wednesday Dec 17th at 11am mst.

"We are at home again. We are exhausted...We have full comfort in one reflection, however. Our experiences...have taught us that in time this fatigue will be forgotten;...--and then, all that will be left will be pleasant memories...memories we shall call up with always increasing interest as the years go by, memories which some day will become all beautiful when the last annoyance that encumbers them shall have faded out of our minds never again to return. School-boy days are no happier than the days of after life, but we look back upon them regretfully because we have forgotten our punishments at school, and how we grieved when our marbles were lost and our kites destroyed--because we have forgotten all the sorrows and privations of that canonized epoch and remember only its orchard robberies, its wooden sword pageants and its fishing holidays. We are satisfied. We can wait. Our reward will come.

To us...to-day's experiences will be an enchanted memory a year hence--memory which money could not buy from us."

I'm not quite home yet. But I am already exhausted.

temple open house

Salt Lake has 2 temples!! Draper is basically all built now and the open house starts in January. And I reserved tickets for me and several members of the Ogles clan here in Utah (my mom's side of the family). So I am SUPER excited to go through the Draper Temple! Yay!! Updates next month on how amazing it was!

absurdly late nights

Very tired. I wouldn't normally complain considering my normal bedtime is between 12am and 2am. But last night? I was AT WORK UNTIL 1AM!!! Yes, I am being serious. And since I was wide awake when I got home, I didn't end up going to bed until 4am. I watched Kung Fu Panda ("There is no charge for awesomeness... or attractiveness" hahaha)and made chocolate chip cookies to share with friends. Hence, I am now at work AGAIN just 8 hours after I left. I can't wait to go home tonight.

joy

Things to be thankful for:

6 more days of class

17 more days until I leave for home

1 more lab

2 more quizzes

2 reading days

2 more days until I retake the GRE


Things to continue to be thankful for:

Where would I be without the gospel? I am thankful for my testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. I know my Heavenly Father loves me because He has provided the Book of Mormon and a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson to guide me in the right direction.

There still isn't snow! Hallelujah and knock on wood!

My family is amazing and I love them! They keep me going and are such good examples to me! They also continue to amaze me with all of their talents and personalities. I am getting to know them better each day and I love it. My family also makes me laugh everyday. Who knew my family had such a sense of humor?

I get to go to BYU. (Go Cougs!) I have parents willing and able to pay for tuition. I got in. And somehow, I am graduating in April. Whew! It's about time!

The sun. Oooo I love the sun. I am a true California Girl.

Granted, I could go on forever--about roommates, friends, work, school, and every other aspect of my life. I'm so happy to be who I am!

christmas spirit

I am one of those people who generally hates listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving and after New Years. I can't stand the fact that radio stations start playing the music the day after Halloween. And you even see Christmas trees being set up simultaneous to the Halloween decorations being taken down in stores. It usually bothers me. But for some reason, this year, my Christmas spirit snuck up on me. Now, I'm not saying that I have changed. Only to a point--as in a few days before Thanksgiving. =D I had this sudden urge to listen to Mariah Carey--her Christmas album. Love it. I grew up with it and I love it. It's not Christmas without Mariah Carey singing "All I want for Christmas is You" in the background.

Well, my early Christmas spirit can probably be more understood by knowing that I didn't have a Thanksgiving this year. At least, not a real one. My Thanksgiving weekend was chaotic and absolutely extraordinary. I loved every moment. My family came up to Utah for my Aunt's wedding on Friday (yes, the day after Thanksgiving). But since her reception included a dinner, we decided we didn't want to make a huge dinner for the 60-someodd people in my family--TWICE. So we had to forego our Thursday turkey feast. I never had a real Thanksgiving dinner. The reception dinner was exceptional, but the only food of the evening remotely resembling Thanksgiving was the turkey. Oh, don't worry. I got all of my favorites (mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes with brown sugar, etc)--I just didn't eat them all on the same day. Literally. I had mashed potatoes on Wed. Sweet potatoes on Thursday. Turkey on Friday and stuffing on Sunday. Such a bizarre Thanksgiving. Hence, the strange Christmas spirit coming on to me early.


One of the things that gets me most excited about Christmas (besides spending a TON of time with my family) is the twinkling lights everywhere. On houses and christmas trees....just everything seems to twinkle.



And on my Thanksgiving weekend, I was able to enjoy an evening stroll with my family around Temple Square in SLC to enjoy the lights. I had so much fun taking pictures and trying to keep my fingers and nose warm. And afterwards, we went out to a late dinner at Zupas where we all had hot soup and panini's. It was delicious!