Techno Hoodies

Has anyone ever suffered from that age old dilemma of trying to get your headphones to go from your iPod to your ears while your iPod is in your pocket? Oh good. I haven't either. Old Navy on the other hand seems to think that many people struggle with this. Well get ready for a treat. Old Navy has recently come up with...TECHNO HOODIES! These marvels of modern technology have a plug in the right pocket which connects to your music device and the headphones come out the drawstring.

I learned about these on December 17th. It is now December 20th and they are completely sold out. It's completely understandable why these would be such a hot item. Now no one ever has to worry about the nuisance (oh wait, it was never really a nuisance) of taking the earbuds one and a half feet to your ears. Admittedly I would like to give Old Navy a high five for finding a way to incorporate technology into clothing, BUT I feel like they brought in a few new problems.

#1. The earbuds come out the end of the drawstrings and this is where most of my problems come from. Imagine you're trying to listen to music during school without your teacher noticing. Who ISN'T going to notice the fact that some kid has their drawstrings in their ear. Or, what if you're trying to tighten your hoodie while listening to music. Chances are you'll pull out your headphones. And what if you're just wearing your headphones and people are walking by. Nine times out of ten they will think you look like a weirdie for having your drawstrings pulled up to your ears.

#2. Drawstrings get in all sort of trouble on a hoodie. Because of their lack of attachment to the rest of the jacket they tend to swing anywhere and everywhere. Usually this doesn't matter, but at the end of these drawstrings there are miniature speakers on which the whole novelty of the sweater relies. If the headphones get caught in something and break you now essentially have a useless hoodie. Unless you'd like to wear it for real, which you wouldn't. Also, everybody knows that drawstrings are uneven at least 85% of the time. It would be ten times more annoying to have not only the drawstrings uneven but your headphones too. Unless of course the drawstrings aren't functional which would then make the point made in #1. invalid.

So I commend Old Navy for their first endeavor into the technology market. Not only that but great job considering this product sold out in three days. But in the future I hope their other similar endeavors are a lot less...how can I put this without sounding mean....stupid.

The Munchies

You know those days when you wander around your kitchen, opening every cupboard and every drawer trying to find something that sounds appetizing? Every once in a while something delicious is discovered in round one, however, more often than not you don't get that lucky. Usually you get stuck in a vicious cycle that goes a little like this: fridge, cupboard, pantry, fridge, go sit on the couch/sit in your room/fix your hair/etc. Wait five minutes. Repeat.

Sometimes you'll eventually find something and sometimes you'll have to wait until dinner or make a quick Wendy's run. But, every so often, after pacing the kitchen from anywhere between 5-30 minutes you'll finally remember that thing that once it's in your mind you don't stop craving it. For some it's something normal like a sandwich or cereal. For others it could be something a little less orthodox. Such as, I don't know, peas? Crazy, I know. I'm not proud of it, but suddenly this school year I have developed this weird love of those little green balls. The weird thing is that peas aren't even a vegetable that most people like. For example, everyone loves carrots, and celery, and potatoes, but the fans of peas are few and far between. I don't understand it, but for some reason on the days when I am moseying around my kitchen like a fat kid on a race track I end up craving those and nothing else.

Someone help me. I can't have the full college experience if I'm wanting vegetables (much less that vegetable) instead of pizza, diet Coke, or Twinkies.

Autumn

Utah is the most awful place on earth. One, It is cold-ish for 6-7 months out of the year, Two,... that's actually the only complaint I have. I love living here in the summer, but any time the temperature drops below fifty-fife degrees I wonder why anyone would voluntarily live here between November and May. But today I experienced an unusual moment when I was actually glad I'm here in the middle of November.

I was walking home from a friend's apartment this afternoon. This friend lives at the Branbury where there are lots and lots of trees. I was walking home with my hands deep in my pockets, hood up, and headphones in with the wind continually trying to push me off the sidewalk and rather than being miserable and angry at the current climate like I am every other cold day, I could only marvel at the brilliant colors of the orange, yellow and red trees with a bright blue sky behind them. I felt like a seven year old as I dragged my shoes through the build up of leaves in the gutters and it was all I could do to not pick up a big pile of leaves and toss them in the air. For those brief fifteen minutes I was 100 percent happy. Not even the sporadic flurries of snow could dampen my mood.

When I got to my own apartment which has 10 trees at the most and at least 60 percent of them are pine trees--which by the way only shed brown pine needles everywhere--my euphoria started to wear off, but I was glad I had a brief escape from from the dull gray existence which we Utahns call winter.

Disconnect

Utah Valley University is not the college of choice for most young adults in Utah. However there are a few positives of going to the state cop-out school.

1. The chicken fingers in the cafeteria are life changing

2. Almost every building is connected therefore you hardly ever have to go outside if the weather is undesirable.

One of the negatives of UVU is the fact that some of the buildings aren't connected to the main campus. And by not connected I mean pack your wagon and saddle up the horse, it'll take a couple days to get there. With some buildings it doesn't matter that they're so far away. The McKay Education Building for example (A)--A very small percentage of UVU students actually go to that building so it's no big deal that it's way across campus. The problem arises when a building that is pivotal to a student's success is .58 miles away from the center of campus (B) (For the record that is not an exaggeration. I Googled it). The building I refer to is none other than the testing center (C).

Sometimes the hike is marginally OK. On the days when the leaves are beautiful, the temperature is perfect, and the sun is shining but not so brightly that it blinds you. This blissful period of time is a 3-8 day block that can occur any time between mid of September to the end of November (welcome to Utah). Any other time the weather is either so hot you're sweating bullets or so cold and windy your nose starts running the second you step outside.

I had a particularly amazing experience on my way to the testing center today. It was pouring rain AND bitter cold. Oh, and my headphones were broken. How did I get so lucky? By the time I got back to school my hair was windblown, wet and tangled, my shoes were soaked through and my pants were wet up to mid-calf even after I painstakingly avoided all puddles.

I do try to find the positives in life though so two nice things about today? I wore waterproof mascara so my make up still looked alright when I got back to school, and my backpack shielded my back from the pouring rain. It's all about the silver lining right?... right?...

Product Placement

I know that reality shows aren't cheap. There are competitions, guest stars, lodging, food, bonus prizes, and hosts to be paid for. Not to mention $250,000 dollars has to come from somewhere right? But, if a large television network has multiple shows giving out that much money (or more) per season, you'd think that they would have enough money to hire better advertising specialists.

Tuesday night is Biggest Loser night. Always. Two hours of watching morbidly obese people getting their butts kicked. It makes me feel better about my exercise habits. While I love the show, it is THE single worst show at product placement that has ever been shown on television. It doesn't even attempt subtlety. The most frequent product is Subway by far.

The contestants will take a hike down to the nearest town. By the end of their strenuous adventure they will be starving and exhausted. As they stumble into town one of the trainers (usually it's Bob) will say, "Hey guys look at this! There's a Subway right down the block!" The next few minutes of the show will contain the name Subway at least 3 dozen times. This is a small portion of the conversation that goes on at Subway:

Bob: "Hey guys we're so lucky we found a Subway. At Subway you can get a delicious, heart healthy, filling, and did I mention delicious Subway sandwich. They even have breakfast at Subway. Subway's breakfast egg-white sandwiches are the perfect start to your day. Don't you love Subway?"

Contestant 1: "Bob, I am so glad you brought us to Subway. My Subway fresh fit sandwich is so great! I'm so glad that Subway offers healthy, delicious, affordable food!"

Contestant 2: Hey Contestant One! It looks like you have the Subway fresh fit black forest ham sandwich. It looks almost as good as my Subway breakfast egg white on an english muffin. Ha ha ha.

(If there's playful (scripted) banter in the conversation of course it looks more natural right?)

Bob: Alright guys, enough talk, we can't stay at Subway forever! Finish your Subway sandwich and then you guys get to run ten miles back to the ranch. I've already spoiled you too much with all this Subway.

By the end you are definitely craving Subway, which obviously is the point, and you feel ridiculous for even letting the thought cross your mind.

This scenario is played out with at least three other products throughout the episode. Yoplait yogurt, Subway, Ziploc, Extra gum, Brita filters, Biggest Loser protein powder and Luna bars are the products featured most frequently although there are definitely more. Not to mention, every commercial break will advertise for the same things again.

I really am OK with product placement to an extent. It is smart advertising to see a product in a real setting, but does it really have to be so blatant? Can't the producers work things in a little more naturally?

Headline: Local grocery store doing their part to help customers during the recession.

You know the days when you look through your fridge, pantry and cupboards and there's nothing you want to eat so you tell your mom, "Mom! you need to go shopping there's nothing to eat!" And then she goes off on you saying how the pioneers and the pilgrims had to eat weeds and rodents and I should be grateful that I have a fridge full of ketchup, salad dressing, and hot sauce.

What, that doesn't happen to anyone else? Dang.

Anyway, that was not the situation with me. I literally had nothing to eat in my entire apartment. Other than inedible things like baking powder, brownie mix, and vegetable oil, I had maybe a single tortilla and some peanut butter.

It should come as no surprise that my grocery bill was obscene. Imagine my excitement when my cashier handed me this:

Wow, what a steal. I can save 50 whole cents on my groceries next week! Let's get real. It would make sense if the promotion was get 50 cents off every $5 or even $10 you spend, but 50 cents off $50 is only 1%. Really?

It's talent week at the Glenwood!

So far life in my apartment has been great. There are a few downsides (the top drawer in the bathroom falls out if you open it too far, the kitchen table and chairs are wobbly, and our hallway slopes), but the positives far outweigh the negatives. There is one weird thing that I can't quite decide if it's a bad thing or a good thing though
Starting Sunday night Natalie (my roommate) and I kept hearing different things coming from another apartment near our bedroom. This is how it went down.

Sunday: Harp music
Monday: Guitar
Tuesday: Singing
Wednesday: Singing AND Guitar
Thursday: This one was the weirdest. We couldn't decide if it was open mic poetry night or someone reciting Shakespeare. Either way someone would speak dramatically, and then people would clap afterward.

Since then we haven't heard things as consistently as we did the first week. Sometimes I still get to go to sleep to harp music though, which is nice. My only question is who on earth brings a harp to college?

Here's your change sir.

It's been almost two weeks since school started. College is so completely different from high school. One of my favorite differences is that there are so many things and people to watch. Sometimes weird, sometimes hilarious. This happened today:
A guy was at the vending machine getting a soda right next to the table where I was reading. He paid with a $10. He got his soda and waited for his change. All of a sudden the vending machine started spitting out nickels. The fact that he got roughly $8 in quarters is funny by itself. But the best part was that instead of pouring the change into the compartment at the bottom of the machine the coins came flying out of it and landing on the ground all around the vending machine. It was all I could do to not laugh out loud. Either way, it completely made my day.

Exhausting!

If you’re under the age of twelve and your parents are crazy enough to let you go on an airplane by yourself you are granted the luxury of a chaperone. They usher you through security, get you to the right gate, sit next to you during the flight, and deposit you into the hands of your guardian waiting outside the gate. If you’re lucky enough you even get a neat airline pin that in reality is to classify you as child traveling alone, but in your eyes it’s a symbol of status.
Fast forward a few years. Most of the teenage population is just as inept as a twelve year old at navigating the airport, yet they don’t get babysitters. Sure being eighteen years old I don’t think I would like being watched by someone I don’t know, but I need as much help as I can get to get through the airport.
First, you print your tickets at a handy touch screen kiosk, not. If your parents pity your ineptitude enough they’ll make your reservations for you. It makes things easier, but once you get the the airport it may or may not turn out that you don’t have the information the kiosk wants. Wait in line, talk to the baggage check woman who is nice enough, but wants your information quicker than you can physically give it. But then you have a ticket and everything is fine. “Well, that wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected” you think to yourself. “All that’s left to get through is security” which everyone knows is a nightmare.
Everyone knows, that in theory that security is expected to be a very tedious and VERY long process of waiting in line, emptying your bag of electronics and metal, taking off your shoes, getting prodded by a metal detecting stick, and after you’ve done all that trying to get all your things together while other people’s cartons full of electronics, shoes, and bags keep piling on top of yours. Everything about that process is true, except for one. Getting through security is a whirlwind. Imagine that whole list in fast forward. Efficiency is fantastic don‘t get me wrong, but if I hadn‘t had flip flops, the extra step of tying my shoes may have caused me to have a break down.
Comparatively the process of getting on the plane is relatively simple, almost relaxing. Once you’re past all the metal detectors the rest of the airport seems quiet and calm. You plop down on a chair with metal arm rests (in my opinion the dumbest idea ever, especially during a long lay over), partake of the free wi-fi and spend the next hour watching you tube or Hulu, writing a blog, or checking the news feed on Facebook. The boarding call is made over the intercom and you shuffle into the line, walk onto the plane and enjoy the next few hours of your life reading sky mall and looking at cloud formations that are so close it feels like you can touch them. The plane touches down and you walk out of the airport ready to enjoy that well deserved vacation. Enjoy it, because five days from now you get to go through that wonderful process all over again.

Simple Pleasures

Today as I was pacing through my house trying to find something to occupy my time I found myself complaining in my head about how cold it was inside. Meanwhile I looked out the window and saw that it looked like a beautiful evening. I went outside and found the temperature was perfect so I sat myself down with my favorite book, turned on my favorite Pandora station, and enjoyed the next few hours in complete bliss. As I was reading I started thinking of how, with all the millions of things to do in life my list of favorite things ever doesn't include skydiving, paragliding, partying, traveling, or watching the Superbowl. Sure, I do enjoy doing some of those things and others are on my bucket list, but when it comes down to it my favorite things are those that are sweet and simple. These are a few of my favorite simple pleasures.
1. driving down the road with all the windows down and the radio blasting
2. reading a book/taking a nap/chatting on the trampoline on a perfect summer evening
3. swinging on a swings at a playground
4. drawing/doodling with sharpies
5. driving for no reason with your best friend
6. finding your favorite colors in a package of pens and finding any and every excuse to use them
7. running through the sprinklers
8. watching the clouds
9. sleeping
10. watching home movies and looking at old photographs.
11. watching lightning
12. playing in the rain.

Tree house on steroids

Today I saw this headline on Yahoo news.
Treehotel--a cluster of six 12' x 12' hotel suite cubes suspended in the air in the middle of a forest of Sweden. Not only are they individual hanging hotel rooms but they're also invisible. Somehow (i'm not sure how because the article wasn't terrible specific) images are reflected on each of the six walls so it just looks like the rest of the forest including the wildlife. Next to hanging in the air and being invisible, they are also extremely eco-friendly. All the material is recycled and it's solar powered and basically there's just a lot of green stuff going on. The craziest part is the toilets. Instead of flushing they incinerate the contents (I'm not sure how I feel about it because it just seems like so many things could go wrong.) Since the hotel is in the middle of a forest near the arctic circle the recreation in the area (as if observing the surrounding forest and marveling over the fact that you're in an extremely classy hotel hanging 18 feet in the air isn't enough) you can take guided tours and go hiking all over the Swedish wilderness. How cool is that!
I have no idea how to reserve a spot, and no doubt since there are six rooms the waiting list must be 3 years long, not to mention it must cost an arm and a let, and possible a hip and a kidney or two, I would still LOVE to go there someday. Maybe I'll put it on my bucket list or something... which would imply I actually HAVE a bucket list-which I don't.

Prank

This is the best prank I have ever seen. Can you even imagine what you would do if you were in this situation?

It's like the first day of Kindergarten...

From age five to fifteen I used to always be excited for school to start. When August came around I would start combing the ads in the newspaper looking for school supply advertisements. As soon as I saw the first one I would start begging my mom to go school shopping. Eventually my mom would deem it time to go shopping and I would get new binders, crayons, pencils and everything else I needed to fill my backpack. I also loved getting new clothes. They're so bright and perfect looking and they also smell amazing. Some kinds of clothes have a nicer smell than others. My personal favorite smell as a child was the smell of brand new... Underwear. No, I'm not joking. In elementary school that was probably in my top five favorite smells. Unfortunately my mom always washed my underwear before I was allowed to wear it. Weird right? So after we did all our shopping my mom would make me tuck the clothes in the back of the closet and store my school supplies in my backpack until school started. So I would eagerly anticipate the start of school so I could use all my cool new things.

So finally after a month of anticipation, the night before school started would finally come. I had been packing and repacking my school box and backpack. I asked everyone's advice on what to wear on the first day, enlisted my sister to do my hair, and placed my outfit carefully on a hanger and went to bed as early as possible so I would be able to wake up on time the next morning. Before I would go to bed I would ask sister if she wanted me to wake her up the next morning. She would tell me that I was weird for liking school so much, and I would just smile and fall asleep.

The first day of school was finally here, I woke up to my three alarms at least 2 1/2 hours before I had to leave for school. I would meticulously get ready and prepare everything a final time. If I had spare time I would usually attempt to make a special breakfast celebrating the first day of school (it was never very special because for most of my life I only knew how to make scrambled eggs) and eagerly waited for the time when I got to go pick up my good friend Lyndsie, let her mom snap a few (hundred) photos and go off to school.

This is how things went until about sophomore year. After that I dreaded school and was always wishing summer could go on for a few more months. This year though, by the end of June I was so ready to go back to school. I want to go get school supplies and pack my backpack already and school doesn't start until the end of August. College is going to be so hard and chances are that by the end of the second week I'll be begging for summer, but right now I just can't wait for school to start. So this year it's going to be just as fun as it was my first day of kindergarten (maybe). Not to mention I'll have a few more perks than before, a new laptop and an apartment for example.

Best Show EVER!!!!

So I realized the other day that I complain on this blog ALL the time. So I decided to write a positive blog for once. And maybe if it's fun I'll do it more often.

So anyway I have this friend at work who watches a lot of TV and one day we were talking about shows that have been around for forever and have started to get stupid (Heroes, Law and Order, ER, etc.) . Naturally Lost came up because that show has been around for ages and I told him I thought six seasons was too long to be stuck on an island (not to mention I heard that somehow aliens or something weird like that are involved in the show and that's just weird). It turns out that he loves Lost and one day he brought season one for me to watch. It is easily the best show ever. (as far as dramatic series go-Chuck and the Office are the best shows ever). It's super intense and every episode is a cliffhanger. The nice thing about having TV shows on dvd is no commercials and you don't have to wait a week to see the next episode. The down side is that you can crank through 4 or 5 episodes and not even notice--this only happened once, but I was so confused when all of a sudden it was three in the morning.

So far I'm 75% done with season two and it just keeps getting better and better. I keep trying to get people to answer questions I have but usually they won't because it would lower the suspense but I don't think it would. I just want to know if Jack and Kate ever get together because obviously they're meant for each other.

Graduation part two-finished!

Timpview's graduation wasn't as painful as I thought it was going to be. My biggest worry going into graduation was that I didn't know the people who I was sitting by so it was going to be so boring because I wouldn't I didn't know the people I sat by but they were both super nice and that part turned out ok. I sat next to this girl named Bette Pauling and a boy named Jake Partridge and it was just fun making fun the Dr. Bayles and the overall ridiculousness (is that a word?) of graduation. Practice was two and a half hours long. 90%t of it was spent sitting in green folding chairs (which thankfully had cushions) waiting for things to get worked out. The other 10% was spent practicing the entrance at the beginning of graduation, or watching the A's of my graduating class rehearse the getting their diploma process. So although I would rather have been at home sleeping, quite frankly I suppose it was as good of a rehearsal as I could have hoped for.

Graduation itself wasn't too bad. Maybe I brought a Nintendo DS maybe I didn't (but for the record I am positive that at least 30 other people had a portable gaming device too) So I spent a good chunk of time playing Mario Kart and Lego Star Wars. The other chunk I listened to the speeches. Maybe they were cheesy or monotone but I didn't mind.

So while the whole experience wasn't my favorite, I didn't actually mind it. The only part that I was completely unprepared for and was totally miserable for was the part where I had to navigate my way out of the events center. There are about 7 Zillion people trying to make their way out of four doors. Imagine trying to find your family, gown return, friends, and an exit all the while suffocating.

So that was graduation. A right of passage that I have passed thank heavens.

Graduation part. one... Mission accomplished.

Seminary graduation was today and although it is much shorter and less painful than high school graduation, I think it would be helpful if they had a rehearsal like the one I have to go to for Timpview. Granted, I probably would have known what was going on if I had come on time, but when you go to any kind of gathering in Utah one would automatically assume that the clocks were running on Mormon standard time. This apparently is not the case with seminary graduation. I walk in probably 4.5 minutes late and I go to sit next to Kristina's family in the back. I misunderstand her questioning looks as "why are you late?" as I walk up to her I find out that I am supposed to be sitting in the front two rows with the rest of my graduating class. Great. Well it's no big deal I'll just go sit in that space on the far right on the second row, no problem. But no. I am in the fourth ward which is on the far left of the very front row which I find out after having a semi loud whispered conversation with the woman in charge of seating.

So given the kind of stressful beginning seminary graduation was pretty nice. I wish Timpview Graduation was as simple and short as seminary's. It was an hour and a fifteen minutes long at the very most (and that is including the time it took to eat refreshments--BYU brownies, what else), I was sitting on a relatively soft seat, and I was sitting by my friends. Timpview graduation on the other hand I will be sitting on a hard folding chair, sitting next to two people who I have never met (Michelle Paulson and Jacob Partidge?), wearing a cap and gown that are practically made of plastic, sitting listening to speeches and watching people walk across a stage for two+ hours. I truly believe that everyone who comes of their own free will to high school graduation is a genuine saint.

But I would rather suffer through high school graduation than the alternative, which is being a super senior. School is almost out and I am SOOOOOOOO excited that I would almost gladly walk through fire to be done. So even though it seems like I'm complaining, I'm really not I'm just running my mouth which everyone knows is an everyday occurrence for me.

4 days, 17 hours, 25 minutes, and 52 seconds until graduation!!!!!!!

The Hunger Games

To say I exaggerate things would be an understatement. A severe understatement. But, in this case everything I say is completely rational and true.

The other day I was buying some shoes on Amazon and needed about $5 of merchandise to qualify for free shipping and since I would rather spend money on something I want than shipping I decided to get a book. This book in particular has a waiting list of 200 people (no lie, when I got put on the waiting list I was number 191). Since I would be in my mid to late 20's by the time I got to read the library's copy I just bought the book. It came in the mail yesterday and let's just say I did nothing all day. This is the best book of my Life!!!

I though about describing it in my own words but since I can't really summarize well because it's next to impossible for me to be brief I just decided to copy/paste.

"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capital surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capital is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor to his or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capital wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rules.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her impoverished district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before – and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love."

I literally couldn't put the book down all day. The only time I wasn't reading all wednesday evening when I went shooting for mutual, and while I was there I told everyone I came in contact with about the book. I finished it at 11:45 and wow, I am in awe that a book could almost tie Harry Potter for best book on earth.

It's like when you're watching an intense movie or TV show and you are so entranced in it that you don't notice anything around you and when a commercial comes on you literally can't handle waiting to see the rest. This is how the book is. It's almost as intense as TV. How cool is that? I would get to the end of the chapter and freak out a little because I wanted to know what happened next and then I would realize that all I had to do was turn the page.
Wow is all I can say

Youtube

So I don't spend too much time on the computer, there are days when I spend more time than I should online, but I feel like it's alright to indulge every once in a while. One of my favorite ways to spend my time is on Youtube. There are millions of videos and while there are a zillion stupid/gross/graphic/egocentric videos on there there 10 zillion more hilarious ones. These are a few of my recent faves.

The Disappearing Oreo

Pretty Sure I am responsible for 30 of the 95 views this video has

Berries and Cream

6 times I watched this in 15 minutes. 6. And it still never gets old.

Hot Kool-Aid

I tell everyone I know about this video.


Where's the Chapstick?

I don't know if this is real or fake, if it's real I don't know if I should laugh or feel bad for the lady but I laugh anyway.

Hopefully these made life a little bit funnier. I'll probably have more in a few days. Youtube is more addicting than Facebook.

Senioritis

Senioritis: (seen-your-eye-tiss) a colloquial term used in the United States to describe the decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their High School career.

Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors alike all claim to have had senioritis since the day they walked into high school. I was one of them, but I had no idea what real senioritis was until the senior year started. It is so much worse then I could possibly fathom.

Don't get me wrong, I still go to class, I still try to get good grades, but the nearer I get to the end the harder it becomes. The only thing that keeps me in class is the ridiculous attendance policy and the fear of what my parents would do to me if I ever skipped class and they found out. But soon it will all be over and I am always informed of how long it is until that day. I have a paper chain in my bedroom, a countdown on my computer and iPod, and I tell everyone I come in contact with how many days until graduation.

Don't get me wrong high school wasn't a terrible experience. I missed out on most (if not all) of the more tragic and scarring experiences that many teenagers go through (i.e. being thrown into a trash can/locker, having rumors started about me, etc.), but I am definitely ready to escape all the drama.

So, for all the Freshmen--Juniors, you think you have senioritis, you don't, but don't worry you will, and I won't in...
14 days, 17 hours, 44 minutes, and 6 seconds, 5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3 seconds... Kidding

End of Semester.

Question: why on earth does BYU end so much earlier than Timpview?
Answer: No idea, although I wish the two schools' semesters ended closer together.
-Granted college is a lot harder than high school so they do deserve to get out sooner than us lazy high school students, but considering that three of the five people I see 3+ times a week have left since they got out of school I am bored at home a lot more than usual. Jenny and Kyle who are over at my house 90 percent of the time have gone out of the country (jealous). And Natalie my BFF/Cousin has gone to her house which is 6 hours away and is probably having a blast with her awesome family without me. The fact that they were here is most likely the reason why the last 8 months flew by and now that they're gone the last month of school is ticking by slower than a broken clock.
I do have two consolations though. My two best friends in the world still only live a block away so I'll survive, but it would be a lot easier if school were out....i want summer.

p.s. (21 days until graduation!!!)

I love love LOVE Yoga!!!

Yoga is probably one of my favorite forms of exercise for a number of reasons-some of which being: I feel great during and after I do yoga, I'm sore the next day (and I'm pretty sure that's a good thing), and it's really relaxing. It's so nice to just stretch and feel so limber and great for like the whole day after you finish.

Right now I'm in an aerobics class and I was soooooo incredibly excited when my teacher said we were going to do a yoga unit. So while my P.E. class is super duper relaxing, it's also the funniest part of my day. In general I don't laugh out loud when I'm doing yoga, but the guy who does the video is so funny, I just can't help it. His name is Baron Baptiste and while he is incredible at yoga he has a ton of really weird, quirky phrases that he throws in every now and again that pretty much make my day. These are two of my favorites that he uses the most frequently:

"Angels fly because they take themselves lightly"
"Fasten your spiritual seat belts"

Doesn't that just make you laugh reading it? Now imagine some weird, indie, spiritual yoga guy with stretchy pants, a baggy muscle shirt, and bandanna around his head saying that in a nice soothing voice. Who could resist at the very least a small giggle on the inside?

These are a few other highlights of Baron Baptiste Yoga:
1. Even though Baron Baptiste doesn't so much as touch a yoga mat the entire session, he is dripping with sweat by the end... go figure
2. I'm not sure about the exact year, but I know for a fact that the video was made in at least the 2000's. So with this in mind, why does everyone in the video still wear work out clothes from the 90's?
3. I think yoga moves have had the same name for a long time (possibly centuries? I'm not really sure if yoga terminology changes like fads or something) but I personally love doing yoga moves even more when I think that someone a long time ago somehow visualized an Eagle in the same pose that I feel like a little kid trying not to pee their pants... I'm just sayin'
4. I know for a fact Baron Baptiste waxes his eyebrows.

My New Journal...

Blogs were made so you can keep up with your friends even if you don't see them all the time. Considering that I'm the only one that will EVER read this blog it's pretty much just a glorified journal.