So. Freaking. Excited.

"I feel really warm around you, and my tongue swells up..."

... and that's pretty much how I am feeling right now. In a good way, though. I actually just heard this line while watching the movie "Elf" with my roommate. I know it's a special breed of cheesy, but I've been thinking recently that I need to be more diligent in vocalizing the things that I am appreciative of and express thanks to people in my life.

I'll give you a moment to catch your breath and dry your tears. That was, after all, the most emotion I've put out in the world for a while.

It just so happens that this sentiment seems to fall right in line with the Thanksgiving holiday, making it very convenient for me to be just another one of the crowd of seasonal thanks-givers. Nonetheless, I'm going to make the effort. A 10-day countdown to Thanksgiving day seems appropriate. I'll have to start on that tomorrow though, because I am definitely feeling grateful for a warm bed and the joy that is the heated mattress pad.

Sheesh

I am such a hypocrite. I spend way too much of my time checking blogs and when they aren't updated with some frequency, I am very much annoyed. So, I resolve to at least make a greater effort than I have been recently.

There has been so much going on in the past few weeks that I remember sections mostly in slow, dull, re-runs of work and school. However, I hope that the onset of the holiday season will bring some sort of reprieve to the monotony in which I seem to be stuck.

I purposely designed my class schedule this semester with the idea that I wanted to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. Being wholly immersed in school and work for the past three fall semesters made it difficult to appreciate the end of the year as being anything other than a mad rush; completing the semester and beginning to prepare for the next seemed to overtake November and December. So, although I know that I will be paying for my light workload when January rolls around, I am looking forward to the next month and a half. Things are looking up.

A Few Things

1. It snowed here in Utah on Saturday. Big snow, the kind that made me not want to drive home from Salt Lake to Provo. So I didn't.

2. Even in blizzard-like conditions, the Cougars won the football game against Eastern Washington. I'm happy that they did so well even though I wasn't at the stadium cheering. It will be the last time I miss, I swear.

3. With special care, you too can carve a Halloween BYU pumpkin.

4. 'Hocus Pocus' is a fun and fancy free Halloween cinematic accomplishment.

5. In 5 days, I will be among the masses of pre-teen girls watching Hannah Montana perform in concert. That's right.

Weekend in 3 Parts

If you are me, this is your weekend:

Friday

After work, drive to Salt Lake with Sarah to eat dinner at Trio and see a movie at Broadway. Trio is cool (included: hot waiters and great flatbread) and ends up lasting through movie starting time. Must reschedule. Drive home in torrential rain. Enjoy warm bed.

Saturday

Watch first session of General Conference prior to phone call from previous property manager at Oakpoint. Aforementioned torrential rain has caused flooding in basement bedro0m and closet. Wish that you had waited one more week before becoming active property manager. Prepare to spend the next week coordinating Emergency Disaster Cleanup and getting new carpet in basement. Also, prepare to fight insurance for tenants whose car engine has flooded in parking lot. Realize it will have to wait until Monday and enjoy second session.

Go Thai for dinner with roommate. Later, have girls over to house for movie/treats. Watch "Little Manhattan" and laugh self silly. Consume large amounts of chocolate and peanut butter. Read lots of Cosmopolitan and Glamour. Enjoy self immensely.

Sunday

Listen to General Conference and fall asleep briefly. Leave for Salt Lake in between sessions, drive via Sundance/American Fork canyon with friend. View beautiful scenery and marvel at snow on mountains. Remember that seasons change and it will be okay. Inexplicably, rear passenger window shatters while driving I-15. Drive to parents house carefully and clean up. Attempt to focus on second session before dinner with family. Swap cars with Mom. Drive home and watch “Planet Earth.” Prepare to enjoy warm bed. Ahhh.


*More to follow with the car thing, it was very strange.

Seriously Folks

I'm not gonna lie.

I have not liked this week one little bit. Between the hours upon hours of studying, botching a meeting at work, probably failing a test and not sleeping because of "the sound" I hear outside of my bedroom every 90 seconds (still a mystery) I am ready to be done.

It's a good thing I walked to The Riverwoods and bought these during lunch today:

Take that, week!

Busy Weekend

Although I didn't really accomplish much this weekend, it felt pretty non-stop. After a super long week of work and studying for the real estate license exam, I picked up a ticket and went to the Smashing Pumpkins concert. I can now cross one thing off of my "to-do before I die" list. I have sort of been in love with the Pumpkins since 1996, at which time I was a really awesome 9 year old. The show was well done and I enjoyed hearing my all-time favorites live for the first time as well as some new stuff that I am not as familiar with. I went with a couple of guys who were in my ward last year and am glad that they care about Billy Corgan as much as I do - it made the experience all the more enjoyable. I must have overestimated my energy level after the concert because I went to a friend's house and promptly fell asleep ten minutes into a movie. Not so much hard core.

Saturday began with the onset of freezing fall/winter temperatures and lots of rain, not much of a motivator to get out of bed. After peeling myself away from my heated mattress pad (the best money I've ever spent), I studied and attempted to do a few things around the house before heading to the mall with my roommates. Unfortunately, I haven't really been in the shopping mode lately so there wasn't much that caught my attention. I have high hopes that the upcoming winter will force me indoors and subsequently force me to 'shop harder' if only out of boredom.

I later went up to my parents house in Salt Lake to both watch the BYU football game (Go Cougs!) and celebrate Michael's 15th birthday. I suffered a little bit of shock when I realized that Mikey is a freshman this year! I can't believe how old everyone is getting. I don't feel like I've grown up much so it surprises me when other people do. Anyway, it was a good time and was only improved by a win over New Mexico 31-24.

I drove up to Logan to attend my best friend from high school's baby blessing on Sunday. It was fun to drive with her siblings and catch up a little bit with what everyone is doing these days; I must have spent at least half of my life between eighth and twelfth grade at their house, with their whole family being like a second to me. I was so happy to finally meet baby Madison, who I think is just an extra-small adult. Granted she was sleeping for the majority of the time I was around her but still... I'm probably right. She couldn't have picked a better time to be born, either. The drive through the canyons on the way was spectacular - the leaves are just at a perfect point of being vibrantly red and orange. My desire to pick up and take off for New England was somewhat satiated by the drive - good news for my schedule and checking account, I suppose. I'll have to post some pictures once I get around to downloading them from my camera. I think that pictures of a fun weekend may be the saving grace of this upcoming week. I am afraid that I am catching a cold and also have two major tests for school - boo !