whoop, there it is!

Sore throats are so not the bomb.com. And whoever made up that phrase, well maybe they should have looked up bomb.com first and made sure it wasn’t some al-Qaeda fansite. Because some people are gullible…cough…and think anything with a “.com” after it is actually a URL! Although I dunno why anyone would think that way.

Um so my ears hurt a lot. They aren’t feeling stellar, haven’t been for a week or so. They are as plugged up as the dam that the Danish boy babysat. No bueno.

And my cough is close to “whooping” (hence the title), but only in the morning when the allergens are workin’ overtime. Then at night the throat monsters attack and I can’t swallow. So that’s why I’ve been heavily drugged on Sudafed/Aleve/Chloraseptic as of late. I’m sorry if I vandalized your car or swore in my sleep or…gulp…forgot to floss (that was an apology to my teeth, btw). YES. I just blamed drugs for my problems, on a family blog. I did I did I did. Sorrrry.

Lately on this here blog I have been waxing reminiscent. Whoa English major word. But sometimes, like now, at 11:30 at night, my stream of consciousness begs me to let loose a little bit and write what’s really going on in that grey matter. Particularly on the right side of the grey matter.

SO.

I’m stickin’ it to the man. And the man right now…is the stuff in my throat. Please dissolve soon so I can shleep. And let me write a happy list, mm kay?

1. Blueberry buckwheat pancakes with almond butter, say what? Yeah it’s THAT good, just go eat it and un-wrinkle your perplexed face (but don’t get me wrong, the wrinkles look good on you).

2. Trampolining at 10 o’clock at night, under the big dippah

3. Flowy dresses with fun patterns

4. Hitting appliances to make them work. What, you’ve never done it? Look me in the eye and tell me the top of your TV has never met the palm of your hand! Yeahhh, that’s what I thought.

5. 80’s hits, like: Don’t You Forget About Me, 867-5309, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (who doesn’t want to wake up to THAT? Honestly.)

6. Cheddar-cheesy Hallmark films. They make me cringe with over-joyed-ness sometimes. Especially the Christmas ones, oh man.

7. That bite in the air when you know autumn is coming…

8. When inspiration strikes, and it strikes you good. I’m talkin’ about when you are right about to fall asleep in a fog of cough medicine, staring up at the board slats underneath the bunk bed, and then you think, “Oh my gash! I know exactly what I’m going to do this semester!” Like a lightning storm in December, I tell ya.

9. Bon Appetit magazine. Oh and FOOD magazine( the Martha Stewart one). Better throw in any Rachael Ray, Barefoot Contessa, or Jamie Oliver Cookbook.

10. Spying on children while they color. They get really into it, their tongues sticking out, eyes slightly crossed, sometimes they even give the stick people voices. It’s awesome.

i just want to unwind in my time machine

Oregon always feels like a million miles away.

But really it's only 15 hours.

I think that maybe it's because every place I go to in that state

has some memory connected to it,

and memories that old feel far away.

We have to dive really deep sometimes

to conjure them up.

Places like...

The curb by Dayspring Fellowship,

where I tied my shoes before

embarking on another brutal River Walk

(all in the name of wrapping paper, yo).

The church with the kite-shaped roof,

where I showed mom my Ton of Reading

gold medal for the first time.

Funny how things that seem so huge

when you're a 5th grader

just end up in your closet years later.

Anywhere near Archie Lane, where I grew up

with my best friend, Liz.

River Road Park, which is all remodeled and

modernized now, but "back in my day,"

it was completely made of wood.

I think I spent 75% of my summer days

in that park

or getting dunked under the water at the pool

by certain persons who will remain unnamed.

The River Road Chapel,

where mom taught us that first year of seminary.

Where we met early in the morning for

scripture mastery, amazing race games,

and donuts.

I tried to find all of the secret hiding places

in that building (there's a lot, btw).

As we pulled out of my grandparents' driveway for what

could be the last time {in Eugene},

I started thinking about

how much of me is in Eugene,

and vice-versa.

And that made me kinda sad, because

I don't think I'll be going back for

a long time.

This time, for the 15-hour drive back home,

a few old memories from growing up there

started to take shape

in my brain...

watching Rugrats while mom fixed my hair and I waited

for the bus to take me to kindergarten

the smell of Pert shampoo and Irish Spring Soap...

every time I smell it I think of

Grandma Neda's house.

retrieving the wiffle balls from the other

side of the fence

when Ikey hit them over.

I wonder why he never got them...

going to Christmas fairs with my mom

and sometimes Cheryl (lizzy's mom),

Once they caved and bought us

one of those ridikkilus

cinnamon rolls.

You know, the ones

as big as your head.

going to many soccer practices

but hardly ever playing in any games.

all of them were on sunday,

offf course.

Splash!

The wave pool with expensive tubes for rental...

of course, we knew that all you had to do

was wait until someone dropped theirs,

and it was game time, baby.

the old brown furniture in the front room

at 311 Mint.

I jumped on it, made fake commercials on it,

sneakily ate on it,

and yes, once I peed on it.

But I was sleepwalking, ahem.

the many trips to the Oregon Coast.

this time when we visited

I tried to take my time walking on the sand,

looking at starfish,

and breathing in that fishy smell.

the scrapes on my legs from the tide-pool-incident

are almost gone....

Camp Alpine--from the first time I visited

at age 8, to the last time at age 15,

I always said I'd rather go there

for summer vacation than

Disneyland.

Why?

Because at Disneyland, you can't

share a 2-man tent with 6 girls,

prank the 3rd year's latrines,

wear ridiculous beanies,

eat dutch oven deliciousness,

leave mail for your secret sister,

get lost on an unmarked trail,

swim with water snakes,

go on a solo hike at sunset,

or make up jingles all day long.

watching the following shows

which aren't on anymore

but they should be:

just don't forget to remember the olden days, mis amigos.

now go enjoy the present!

*mcfrenzy*

15 hours in a car

me, at our final destination, with a senior pic of a guy who i look like

When we left Grandma Bonnie's at 9am-ish yesterday morning, I figured I was gonna be okay with the next few hours.

I mean, I've done the Rexburg-->Utah, Utah-->Rexburg trip

about a bajillion times.

But that's only 8 hours.

Only 8. Double that and add in a few of these adventures:

A stop in Paul, Idaho. It was pretty quiet in the cemetery, nobody else was there except a guy mowing the lawn. Mom took the opportunity to talk about the resurrection. Then Caleb, completely serious, looks up at her and asks,

"On resurrection morning, will there be dead zombies rampaging?"

Yes, Caleb, dead zombies rampaging.

Has anybody lent "Day of the Dead" to him recently?

Please come forward.

Major rainstorm in mountains, lightning striking

right by the car. Ellie plugged her ears saying "Make the rain noise stop! I don't wanna heaw it!"

Mom had to pull over a couple of times cause we

just couldn't see. It was a tad scary.

The Burger King in Pendleton had no tomatoes, lettuce, chicken, or pickles. Soo what are we supposed to eat then, Mr.

Burger King? I thought you said we could have it our way.

Wrong-o.

A stop in Troutdale revealed that Ellie does not have the greatest

manners in truck stop bathrooms.

I'll only say this: there was an incident with

wet toilet paper, a few "you fiend's!" from

the madre which I think other people in the bathroom heard, and a poor woman getting

shoved out of the way of our little princess.

Bring on the trip home, baby.

I promise I only ate 2 aussie bites...

whoa....

Yes, 'tis true.
Ikey is gonna be across the hall from me again
in less than 24 hours.
Weird.
You've done us all proud, Elder.

Welcome home!!!

New Blog(s)

So...I decided that this blog wasn't big enough for all of my thoughts.

Nevermind my six (that's right, six) actual journals which I keep on various topics outside of this blog.

So far I only have one blog that's up and running...which is an accidental pun because the blog is about--you guessed it--running! Apparently it's a good way to keep track of your progress and get all of your "running angst" on paper...virtual paper that is.

If you are brave (which I think you are because you're already reading this blog), click here to find the newest branch of this crazy blog tree.

p.s. this blog is still under construction, so I apologize in advance for its lack of coolness and gadgetry. Just you wait...

Next look out for a food blog (yep, I finally caved) and a writing blog...wahoo!

you made me lonesome when you left

Yer gonna have to leave me now, I know
But I’ll see you in the sky above
In the tall grass, in the ones I love
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.

-Bob Dylan-

remember that post I wrote awhile ago?

remember how I said I would go somewhere and cry?

well

I've tried to get away from school stuff, to do just that

But Griffey, that stubborn guy

He wasn't going to wait around until

finals week was over

and frankly, I wouldn't have wanted him to.

So in between projects/tests/papers

I would read mom and dad's blogs

and cry a little bit

it was really hard not to let it all go

right there in the library

because I loved that dog

I loved the white tip on his tail

I loved the way his whole body moved when I scratched his tummy

I loved it when he braved the sprinklers

Just to eat the pie dad threw in there...(?)

I loved the way he jumped in the snow

I loved that face he made

When he was being protective

He was majestic

But he could still stick his nose in the mud

I loved walking him to the field

And feeling him tug on the leash

Pulling me places I didn't really want to go

I guess there was a life lesson in there, huh.

Griff, I miss you a lot, lot, lot

But I'm comforted by the fact that

Christ's resurrection covers every living thing.

Even He loved my dog perfectly.

And that is the good news.

In 1909, the First Presidency (Presidents Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund), stated: “God … organized the earth, and all that it contains. … He made the tadpole and the ape, the lion and the elephant; but He did not make them in His own image, nor endow them with Godlike reason and intelligence. Nevertheless, the whole animal creation will be perfected and perpetuated in the Hereafter, … and will enjoy ‘eternal felicity.’ ” (See Improvement Era, November 1909, page 81.)

In the October 1928 general conference, President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “Death is not the end, neither of man nor of the earth. … The Lord intends to save … not only man … but all things which he has created. The animals, the fishes of the sea, the fowls of the air, as well as man, are to be re-created, or renewed, through the resurrection, for they too are living souls.” (See Conference Report, October 1928, pages 99–100.)

thank-you note to Spring 2010

this has nothing to do with finals.

i just really dig the aesthetic-ness of it.

me=super impatient.
me=wishing for a fast forward button.
me=one semester away from being a...senior.
me=kalfjdl;sajfdls;akjfd;la

today was my last sunday in the 45th ward for 6 weeks
After choir practice and before church
Chels and I wrote a poem for the Bishopbric:
Every Sunday they arise
Because they are the coolest guys
Bishop Cram's gots the GTO
Got a question? He's in the know.
Brother Hastings digs football
And always magnifies his call
Brother Blake/Bro. Luigi
Went to Italy, not to Fiji
All in all, they rock the ward
With their service to the Lord

We recited it to the Bishop (he was the only one present) after church
Apparently it was a "knee-slapper"
He laughed and laughed
Then shook our hands and said seriously,
"Thank you."
We tried not to laugh at ourselves.
We made it to the door of the Romney Building.

Ohh, Rexburg.
I'm really excited for Utah.
But as always, I am sad to leave you.

So I would like to return the favor. Thanks for:

da roommates. they treat me right.

Spanish 321 (remember when I was scared of that class?)

here's a conversation I listened to
going on behind me in the middle of
a grammar lecture in Spanish on Friday:
John #1: Dude, do you think you could eat your arm? I mean,
if you were starving and had to do it. Would you?
Levi: Probably....yeah...yeah, totally, I would.
If I had to. I would. What about you [me]?
Me: Uhhh, no. (stifling laughter....remember this was during class)
Isn't that so endearing? I think it is.

British Lit. Because of Brother Brugger,
my writer's notebook is full of
jokes and inspiration.
Mostly jokes.

Doctrines of the Gospel.
I know so many things about the gospel now
that make me love it even more.
Thank you Brother Allison,
for teaching with the Spirit.

The 1st floor of the library.
You housed me more
than my own apartment.
However, you never provided me
a date. I thought that was a
guarantee if I studied there...
Hmm. Maybe I read the
contract wrong.

Marie, my women's health teacher,
for reminding me that
the best teachers love their students so much
that they tell them to eat their pie
for breakfast
and then to exercise every day. :)

The R.C. As usual, I got
a plethora of funny work memories.
Some people...just don't know
the difference between
a verb
and a noun
But I think I straightened them out.

The lovely view from my window.

Broulim's, thanks for providing me with
overpriced produce.
You made me thankful
for my parent's garden.

Everyone who served me this semester
even though they didn't have to
ash, for making me gluten free goodies
taylor, for offering to fix my car
lori, for driving me to class
chels, for being my friend
anna, for helping me study
the temple workers, for getting my backpack :)
dan, for driving me to utah and back 2x
court, for making me laugh
bishop, for always listening

Heavenly Father, for leading me here in the first place.

Oh yeah. And I can't forget...
the taco bus,
for making me remember
that food can taste good.

Seee youuu in Septeeemmmbberr.
(with Ike)
{our last fhe}