farewell for now

Yes, it's true. The time has come for me to hang up my hat when it comes to this here blog (and really the hat I'm wearing is super cute so I'm not actually taking it off...k?).

Please, do not cry. I'll be back someday! But it will probably be a different blog altogether. I just don't know when.

Reasons why I'm ending all of the fun:

• Lately I've felt like blogging is a chore. I've kept this blog since I was in college, and that's kind of what it was for in the first place. My life is a lot different now, and, welp, I hate to say it, but not as interesting. Also I don't have a camera and I'm pretty sure if I did you wouldn't want to see pictures of my cubicle. I don't even want to see my cubicle. You know what I mean?
• Blogging is awesome and it's also the worst thing that ever happened. Because I read so many amazing blogs and then I start comparing myself/my life to all of these other amazing people, and I get kind of sad about it. And I feel like whatever I blog isn't going to "measure up." Yeah, I know, it's silly, but it's a real thing when you enter the blogosphere (p.s. that is a weird word via the internet). So I need to take a break from it for awhile. Blogging shouldn't feel like a competition, ya know?
• I'm getting tired of blogging the same old things. I've lost my creative juice. Also it kind of feels pointless to blog when nobody is really reading it (p.s. I can't tell you're reading it if you don't comment. kthanksbye). If you want scruff, go here. If you want foresty pictures, go here. If you want delicious displays of food, go here. Oh wait, that's my other blog that has 800 followers somehow! That blog is kind of like my "dream life." And that's where I'll be hanging out from now on. 

Peace out girl scouts (er..and boys scouts, if there are any reading this, which I highly doubt, unless Caleb is reading this, then hiiiiiiiiii Caleb!)

I guess I need to rename this blog thang

perhaps I'll rename it "that's so mckenzie"

Lately, I've had a lot of people tell me emphatically that I am not a redhead and therefore should not have named my blog thus.

Before I offer up photographic evidence that proves them all wrong, I'll just ask you for some ideas in the comments section. And nothing cheesy like "the life and times of mckenzie-girl." Heck to the no. There are already 1,000 blogs with a title almost exactly like that one.

I digress...

Last week I was a vegetable and quarantined myself in my room for most of those 7 days. Being sick is no fun. I hope this is all the sickness I get for the year. P.S. my journal entries from that time period are going to be a great case against drugs someday. F'real.

A little bit of randomness floating in my daylight-savings-ized brain (yep, I just verbed that word. And verbed the word "verb." I'm just that cool. Or I've been in school for far too long...)

• There are 20-something days of school left. Twenty. I can hardly believe it's real! I feel like I need to get out and do all my favorite things in Rexburg before those 20 days are up. And maybe finally climb R Mountain?? Who's with me?
• Today I taught my student from Japan what "swagger" means. I really am gonna miss this job.
• Spring is finally here. Meaning I wore a skirt to class today. Without tights. And my sweet shades which everyone thinks are expensive Ray Bans, but really they were a buck, just fyi.
• My freckles have begun to show up again, and I broke out my Chacos at last, so here comes the zig-zag tan. I have been waiting to see those two things since I returned from Mexico a year ago (?!). No foolin'.
• I applied for a job in Provo today, and started looking for housing, and pretty soon I'm gonna look for someplace I can take GRE prep classes. It's really happening...ahh! I still scratch my head and ask Heavenly Father if He's sure. Because I'm really not. Six months from now I know I'll be glad I listened to Him.
• I recently figured out that I like wearing scarves...right in time for all the snow to melt and the sun to make me all sweaty-like. Too bad.
• Even though I love writing letters (to the 50th power), there's nothing like seeing an envelope in the mailbox with my name on it. Especially from someone who didn't get one from me in the first place.
• I've taught a bunch of people my "super-secret" superhero handshake this semester. I'm trying to spread it like that Kony Video. I'll probably fail, but...at least I tried, right?
• I made lasagna and cheesecake and bread sticks for the first time evah on Sunday and fed it to 7 hungry people. I'm pretty sure feeding people is my new favorite hobby.
• I made summer plans that include grilled cheese sandwiches+picnics, bike rides up the heezy, eating contests, and learning new languages. Did I mention these plans were made with my 7-year old sister? Oh okay then.
• I found out Bon Iver is coming to SLC in May! Best news of my life. Well, okay, not the best, but still pretty amazeballs.

What's going on wit you people? Do tell. I feel like we haven't talked in forevers. It might be because you never comment. Or it might be because I was under the influence of Sudafed last week. Your pick.

why I don't read the news anymore

speechless is what I am.

usually we "save the date" for weddings. but...okay...I can work with this.

dude...we can predict earthquakes now. sha-bam.

So I decided to get on CNN and read about the goings-on of the world. I was totally out of the loop while I was in Mexico (not exactly a bad thing considering all of the ho-hum-drum-bums in this world). And then a week after I returned, I was back in school. No time to look at CNN unless I really needed to laugh (it's all about the comments section, I tell you).

Well, I'm here to tell you there's no point. There's nothing worth reading about in the news these days. One article talked about how catching bin Laden was humiliating to Pakistan. I've taken a class on Pakistan so I was interested in it. It was alright, I guess. But the worst part was the comments....oh man...made me ashamed to be American, the things some people were saying. There are lots of close-minded people in this world. I may not know about every culture and understand every religion, but being in Mexico taught me that we don't need to be afraid of people who are different. That's not the way God intended things to be.

Then there's this Schwarzenneger bidnez. How do you even spell that guy's name? Anyway. I am really getting bored of all the politicans/athletes/so-called idols being thrown into the spotlight because they were unfaithful to their wives, or had a psycho breakdown because they just couldn't control their anger, or were caught using drugs. Sigh. I don't want my future children to have these people to look up to. Certain sports aren't the same anymore because they've been so tainted by cheating athletes. I hardly know when any politicians are telling the truth. And when it comes to movie/TV actors (a certain actor whose name rhymes with "mean," "bean" and "clean" comes to mind).....fuhgetaboutit.

From now on, I will stick to the regular ol' Wall Street Journal for news. It may not all be pleasant stuff to read, but at least some of it is interesting. Then of course there's lds.org. I would.

p.s. If you have been keeping up on the news like I have {not}...then you know something BIG is happening on Saturday. I hope you all have your 72-hour kits ready.

p.p.s. I really want to be there when the person who came up with this idea goes to bed that night without judgment day having happened. "Gee, I wonder what's taking Him so long..." BAHA. Dude, just read Matthew 25:13. That's all I gotta say.

/end rant.

the 2011 to-do list + an announcement or two

Lately I've had some writer's block when it comes to this blog. You probably don't want to hear the same ol' stories about Mexico. I mean, c'mon, it's just Mexico. Nothing too exciting here.

Ahem...that was a joke, by the way.

But then this morning, I had a stroke of brilliance! I remembered not too long ago, in the month of January (wow...that was kind of long ago, actually), telling my mother that I had made a really long "to-do list" for 2011. She demanded to see it. I told she could, but then the next day, I left on a jet plane. I never got around to showing her that list.

So why not show all of you? I asked myself.

And myself answered, I don't know.

Thus concludes the awkward conversation I had with...myself.

As for this announcement....I am now leaving Mexico on April 9th (a week early). I was originally leaving for my weeklong vacation on that date, but I feel like I need to be back in the states, specifically the Idaho one, earlier than 1/2 a day before my real life begins again. I'll see you all in...uh...just click here.

And now for the giant 2011 to-do list. Some of this stuff is kind of personal. But since I like you all (all of you who aren't lurkers, that is), I'm willing to share. Cause sharing is caring.

These aren’t in any particular order…

1. Go to Mexico and teach English and have adventures and meet new people and SPEAK SPANISH!!! Woooo! Ok, this is number 1 for a reason.

2. Read the Book of Mormon, D&C, New and Old Testament—that’s right, all of them!

3. Finish that dadgum booklist, yes I will.

4. Run the Ragnar with my family! I am so excited for this one, can you believe it?!

5. Start writing Jezka Black, Janna Mills, and CHELSEA ANN BEDKE! Sister Missionaries are people too!

6. Do Get Connected again

7. Go to the Salt Lake Temple and do baptisms

8. Hammock in my very own hammock

9. Visit Liz, even if I have to fly to California or Oregon or wherever!

10.Rafting trip, I WILL do this, no joke

11.I’m also going to climb R Mountain

12.Tackle Blitchford, Blainers, and Derek Hudson when they return. Or at least give them really big hugs. *for my readers, these are missionary buds who left 2 years ago*

13.Sew something

14.Learn “Moonlight Sonata”

15.Go rock climbing

16.Go to Moo-tana with Courtney Gopp!! Yes I surely will do it!

17.SNOWBOARDING PLEASE!

18.GO TO THE OREGON COAST. HECK YES.

19.Road trip somewhere, anywhere

20.Go on an epic, sweaty bike ride (ewwwww, awesome!)

21.Go to the taco bus with un hombre guapo

22.Lay out on the library grass at least 3x a week for some Vitamin D action

23.Be more friendly/interact with people at work

24.Have some kind of celebration at 11:11 on 11/11/11.

25.Run hardcore and get my weight to 130. I WILL DO THIS.

26.Get up early for scripture study

27.Give away a Book of Mormon/share my testimony with someone

28.Bear testimony in church more often

29.Write a letter/note every week

30.Go to Zupa’s, bring Zupa’s home, eat it on the floor while watching Bones, all preferably with Tessa Perry

31.Fork Fest with Allie and TP, only this time it’ll be on purpose

32.Morning/evening/all the time prayers

33.Take my drawing materials with me to Rexburg and do some sketches on my free time

34.Keep up with the journal

35.Go to a concert, preferably of a way cool indie singer nobody knows about (this will probably be at Sammy’s…haha)

36.SIT UP STRAIGHT. Mamacita, this is for you.

37.Become more patient with my siblings and others…and myself!

38.Go to Manti again

39.Road trip to Zion’s!!!! Woo!!

40.Learn how to play the gee-tar, even if it is just one chord progression

41.Participate in a sport at BYU-Iderho

42.Be an EFY counselor, if I get in

43.Chill in the Spori more often

44.Go to more cultural events/concerts/and such

45.Don’t spend too much time on the 2^nd floor of the library…psyche. Find new places to study on campus

46.Invite people over for deener

47.Watch the classics (start with the ones dad has told me to, then branch out…I’ve got a list, ya know)

48.Shop more at the D.I.There are too many good treasures there to pass up!

49.Start doin’ that food blog thang.

50.Learn to swim laps…maybe I’ll take a class during the summer?

51.Speaking of classes, I want to do at least spinning/yoga…maybe both!

52.Stop going to bed so flipping late! Try to get to bed before 12am most nights.

53.Visit with Bishop Crams!

54.Write poetry, at least 3x a week; read from my poetry book

55.Re-vamp my wardrobe.

something crazy with my hairstyle (I think this will get checked off constantly)

57.Eat something I’ve never eaten before

58.Try mate (that Argentenian drinky-drink)

59.Speak Spanish with RM's

60.Write more thank-you notes to my parents

61.Drink two Nalgenes a day

62.Buy at least 5 new CD’s (I can use these as rewards for working out or good grades or something)—I already have them planned in my brain: Mumford and Sons, Phoenix, Blind Pilot, Gregory Alan Isakov, Josh Ritter

63.Start Jillian again after I get back from Mexico

64.Go to temple at least 3x a month when I return

65.Have a spontaneous adventure one night or day…probably night

66.Run another race besides the Ragnar (10k, 5k, whatev)àget down to 9-minute mile, maybe 8:30????

67.Start training for Ogden Marathon in 2012

68.Call people more, like grandparents, friends, family, etc.

69.Shred some ivory in the Snow Building for fun

70.Memorize more scriptures

71.Read conference talks every Sunday

72.Go to Yellowstone with Tessa Perry

73.Go camping, maybe up Af Canyon! Speaking of AF Canyon, I wanna go up there and build a fire with friends.

74.Alpine Loop in the fall!! Yes please!

75.Budget my money better and save, save, save

76.Learn to love the classes that don’t have anything to do with my major/minor (a.k.a. foundations…)

77.Go to a sports game…probably basketball

78.Play soccer!! I just love playing this sport, honestly, but I kinda stink at it.

79.Go to conference in the conference center!

80.Make friends in the ward

81.Make a mixed CD for a member of the opposite sex and give it to whoever it is in my regular craszy fashion

82.Get rid of some of my junk that I just don’t need any more. I need to simplify, simplify, simplify.

83.Start saving my favorite quotes (not the funny ones, I’ve got plenty of those…haha)

84.Give presents to my family this year. I will make sure I can afford it this time! Give more thoughtful presents, too…

86.Buy a new pair of red flats

87.Wear pigtails more often

88.Stop spending so much moolah on food, esp. ice cream and fro-yo. Oh dear.

89.Small acts of service each day!

90.100% Visiting Teaching all year!!!!!

91.SMILE even if I don’t want to.

92.Learn how to make those awesome headbands TP wears for myself.

93.Take time out for myself

94.Avoid sitting in front of my computadora so much

95.Take lots of photos with my new camera

97.Acquire new T-shirts via racing

98.Index 1,000 names by September, you bet I will!

99.I know I just said I was gonna get rid of some of my clothes, but I also need to re-vamp my exercise wardrobe. I have no shorts

100.Do an alphabet scavenger hunt

101. Spend as much time outside as possible

sorry the numbers are messed up...i copied and pasted this from word. silly word!

About the random change of my blog (again): I like blogs a lot, so naturally, I blog stalk people...a lot. And I get jealous of other people's blogs and their coolness. So I'm always trying to re-do mine, make it more me, and not as much fluff. Always trying out different templates and fonts. Forgive me while I go through this annoying phase.