Living in the moment

This week was much like the last one - no big assignments, no tests, no hard school stuff at all really. Just another week to relax and enjoy the Provo area and the people that reside in it. No complaints about that really, nothing possible to complain about. I even got people to start doing their own dishes - quite a miracle and it kept the kitchen cleaner all week than it has ever been before. Monday I got the kitchen clean and started instituting a program that for every dish that people left unclean in the sink, they would have to pay a quarter. So they have to load it in the dishwasher, or if the dishwasher is full, wash it by hand and put it away in the cupboard. It has worked magnificentally so far and I hope it continues to work for the rest of the semester. Monday night we had family home evening at the Roberts' home, he is second counselor of our ward bishopric. It was great fun - we just had a lesson, got to know each other better, and finished the night off with ice cream sundaes of which I ate wayyy too much. But hey, calories don't count on family night. Or valentine's week in general for that matter. So I keep telling myself. Tuesday was a fun day as well. Got slightly more studying done, but not by much - I read all the things I had to read and it didn't take very much time at all. I did get a good solid couple hours of practicing in though and it felt wonderful. The cello is amazing and I would do well to remember that and keep up my practicing all the time. Those two hours flew by so fast it was ridiculous and didn't leave much time left before I had to head off to my recreation class where we presented our favorite songs. I led mine, but was not my usual charasmatic, engaging self because I have been having really bad headaches recently. It really makes it hard to lead the party when you have to think through a cloud of fog at all times. But I got through it and it ended up being a bundle of fun and well worth it. After class, we came home and Jared threw a hamburger cook out to prove to us that he could make cheaper, much better tasting burgers than Legends Grill. They were certainly cheaper, but not nearly as good. They weren't terrible, but there was a huge taste difference for those who were eating. So Jared lost. Although it was more fun because a lot more people were involved. Not that they really bought anything, they just kind of subsisted off of Jared's mercy at buying all the meat, buns, and condiments. After burger night was over (which might become a commonplace occurence), I went to Tayler's 19th birthday party where we played Apples to Apples for quite a few hours. It's an amazing game, but once you have exhausted all the cards, it gets a little bit old. The cake was amazing though - spice cake has always been a favorite for me - nothing compared to red velvet cake made by my grandma, but definitely one of the better cakes known to mankind. Wednesday was temple day, which is always such a happy day. It is something I look forward to everyday is getting to go to the temple on Wednesday and enjoy the spirit there and the comfort and peace that it brings. All worries and concerns are melted away and life is so simple and pleasant and everything just feels right. No sadness or depression or anger or frustration, just peace and joy. Plus, my recurring visits have been noticed - most of the temple workers recognized my face and said they look forward to seeing me again next week. Also another plus - the devotional this week was about the blessings we receive by making time to attend the temple on a regular basis. Talk about awesome promises! I seriously can never wait for the next Wednesday to roll around usually. I just want to keep going to the temple so bad. Wednesday has also become crockpot day mixed with Psych day. Sherrie and I bust out one of her crockpot recipes and throw it all in before we head for classes in the morning and then eat it after getting back from the temple and then watch two or three episodes of Psych. Good times. Thursday is laundry, do homework, babysit (and therefore rewatch all the great Disney classics with Bryn) day. Plus I get amazing dinners and lunches. Family visiting = amazing, relaxing, a nice break from the hectic life of college life and friends. I also attended an extra credit lecture on Thursday night about the life of Charles Darwin. He is quite a remarkable man and has a huge list of achievements to his name and the lecturer was entertaining to say the least. It was well worth giving up an hour to go see it. Plus extra credit for geology is always a nice bonus. After the end of the lecture, I came back and watched the Shawshank Redemption (edited). Will had it and had been wanting us to watch it with him for quite a few weeks now so I suggested we watch it and we did. It was an amazing movie and very deep and effective and moving. Movies about prison usually are I guess. It also had a happy ending, which is always a good thing. Tragic endings are very effective at making the audience feel and think and all that jazz - but sometimes the audience needs a happy ending just to prove that the world is not all bad, that there is always hope, that good wins out in the end always. Greg and Jared headed out to San Diego Thursday night as well. I hope they are having fun. Friday was a fun day after I managed to make it through all of school and work. We went to LOL (a improv comedy troupe that does skits much like Jesterz in Tempe and also as clean) and had a good time laughing at other people. They were not quite as good as the people in Jesterz, but they don't get paid either so I guess they don't have to be. After that I came home and studied some and then proceeded to play ping pong and talk with Courtney and Rachelle and Will and Aaron and Brad and Regan until 1:3o when all the girls had to leave. Then we watched the new episode of Psych online and I went to bed quite exhausted and needing it. Saturday morning I woke up sick and with a headache and promptly went and got drugs for it, the same stuff Mom found for me last year when I was at home. Excedrin - killer good stuff. I then proceeded to try to organize a LOTR marathon, but I failed to get any people. They were all asleep so I ended up watching The Two Towers by myself while studying for my map test for history and my recreation midterm this upcoming week. Will joined me halfway through the movie and we plan on watching the other two and getting more people to do it by the end of this weekend. We will see if that actually happens. Saturday was also Valentine's Day (I had a date for the evening so it was not Singles Awareness Day as I had thought it would be). There was a huge dance that the Residence Hall Association threw for all the on campus housing in the Wilk. It was called "A Time for All Seasons" and it was amazing! There was minigolf, dancing, catered sandwiches from somewhere delicous, chocoloate fountains, lemonade stands, caricature drawing, kareoke, limo rides, and movie clips of kissing scenes from all sorts of famous and popular movies. It was awesome! I got asked by Karen Chandler who has become quite a good friend of mine since the Christmas Pary last semester that I threw. That had to be one of my most brilliant plans all semester because it is how I made so many good friends that I now have such as Regan, Will, and Karen. The problem is that everyone now expects me to pull it off somehow again this semester and I don't know if I am up for it, but I will try. Anyway, Karen and I had a great time. It was like being back in high school and going to one of those dances, it was just a blast that I got to have with a really good friend. Plus I got to ride in a stretch hummer for the first time ever! Talk about sweet! Today was ok, I had to work and now am trying to decide how to plan out the rest of tonight and tomorrow since it is a day off school and almost all my roommates are gone except Brad. I need to visit Kahi and catch up with him for one. Plus I need to meet Kelly Ann's friend who came down from BYU-I for the weekend. Plus I need to plan out at least one more segment of LOTR time. Plus a snow trip tomorrow for everyone. Plus going out to lunch tomorrow with Will. Plus tunnel singing tonight. Plus studying some more for the map test and the midterm. So I will manage to keep myself busy, no worries.

Thought of the week: from the Shawshank Redemption:
Andy Dufresne: That's the beauty of music. They can't get that from you... Haven't you ever felt that way about music? Red: I played a mean harmonica as a younger man. Lost interest in it though. Didn't make much sense in here. Andy Dufresne: Here's where it makes the most sense. You need it so you don't forget. Red: Forget? Andy Dufresne: Forget that... there are places in this world that aren't made out of stone. That there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours. Red: What're you talking about? Andy Dufresne: Hope.

Song of the week: "Ocean Avenue" by Yellowcard. Its an upbeat song that is fun to sing along with. Plus it accurately describes most college people's lives I decided. I am an anamoly by waking up early and getting to bed at a somewhat decent time.

Picutres of the week: Karen and I at the dance!