End of April

As most of you know, April was kind of an insane month for us. We were given the okay at the end of March to terminate our lease with our (crappy and horrible) apartment complex. (We still had to give 30 day notice and we could only give it on the first of the month and we had to pay for the entire month of April but whatever.) Which meant we had to find somewhere new to live and also that we were packing and cleaning the entire month.

Besides all the stressful stuff that went along with moving, we had some fun moments, too.

Clark's birthday gift to me was the promise of going to The Secret Garden at Centerpointe Legacy Theater. My moving gift to him was winning tickets for the same day that we moved (because who doesn't want to see a musical the day they're moving and look gross?) I was really, really excited to see "Lily's Eyes" performed live and I was not disappointed!

Clark's parents were kind enough to invite us to dinner the day after we moved (because they're SUPER nice like that!) and Azucena discovered the swing by the slide and also the taste of Creamsicles. :)

  

This is why we can no longer go to WalMart with an awake Azucena. (She's holding six. And she refused to let go for ten minutes, which meant we looked at Mother's Day cards for ten minutes.)

Travel List

Things I need to remember for my next vacation:

1. Don't travel pregnant (at least, during the first trimester)
2. Don't travel pregnant with a baby
3. Don't take the nice camera you were gifted less than six months ago
4. Pack an extra camera, just in case
5. Fly as much as possible
6. Avoid layovers
7. Pack more than two books to read in a one week period

Emo Woes

Why does this economy hate me and all the stores I love? In the past year, four establishments I love have either closed or are in the process of shutting their doors forever. This post is a quick shout out to these companies.

1. Ottavio's. Easily one of my favorite Italian places EVER. I used to take my bakers there at the end of a semester to congratulate them on working hard. Also celebrated Mo's graduation there.

2. Borders. Some of my favorite childhood memories involved going through the fantasy and science fiction part of Waldenbooks (partners with Borders) in Jefferson City, MO. The news that they started closing stores last year around this time broke me heart. Another special connection is that some of my maternity pictures were taken inside Borders.

3. Roberts Arts & Crafts. It's a pity they're going to "online only" sales, since I don't know how productive that will really be for things like scrapbooking supplies.

4. F.Y.E. When I got the news about this chain closing, I got very upset. I mean, where else could I buy TV series for not $40 - 60 a season?

::sigh::

Random Rants, the Honor Code

If you attend BYU (or any of its affiliates), you're aware that students must adhere to an Honor Code.

Considering how specific this code is, there is an awful lot of debate about what it means to follow it. And the BYU-Idaho campus has even more restrictions.

Today, a new rule was set up there. (See this article.)

I have a few thoughts about this. But first, let me share a couple of personal examples:

1. Walking on campus, I passed a girl who was wearing modest attire: a long-sleeved top, boot-cut jeans, boots, and a jacket. However, her jeans had horizontal slits up past her front pocket lines. (I have actually seen the horizontal tears more than once, but this was the highest up the leg that I'd ever seen them. Usually they stop mid-thigh [which is technically still against the Honor Code]. I've also seen them on both endowed and non-endowed students.)

2. While visiting Clark on campus, I passed several girls who wore long-sleeved tops, boots, skirts, and leggings. However, their skirts did not even extend past the reach of their hands. (Did your mother ever enforce that rule?)

3. I remember that it started raining one night while I was headed home. I had a lot of trouble walking because I was wearing flip-flops (permissible on BYU-Provo campus) but they had no tread. I also remember silently denouncing the Honor Code because it specifically states, "shoes should be worn in all public campus areas."

Now, I don't share that last example to say what a saint I am compared to these other girls I have mentioned (and don't worry, while all my examples include females, I've seen plenty of guys try and flout the Honor Code, too), I just wanted to share it because it's not always clothes that are in question. Also, to say that I don't always have warm fuzzies for the Honor Code.

However, I was a student then and I had signed the Honor Code which meant I had agreed to follow the rules. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to come to school here, so I just went with it.

I was listening to a talk by Elder Neil L. Anderson a couple of months ago and he said the following: "There are times we honor our agreement simply because we agreed to it." A few minutes later, he continued, "obey them [the rules] because you signed your name, saying you'd obey them."

What other argument can I make? When an apostle of the Lord says that you should hush up and buck up, you do it. No arguments.

New Neighbors (and a rant)

We have new neighbors.

Not that we were that attached to the old ones (we saw them in person, what, like, eight times?) but at least they were considerate!

Our new neighbors moved in at some point this weekend (we don't know, we were out of town) and have been kind enough to let us know that they wake up before 6 a.m. How do we know that? Because they wake US up before 6 a.m. And I don't mean five minutes beforehand. I mean 5:10 in the morning.

That's right, kids, 5:10.

Call me old fashioned, but I've always been taught that there's a sacred bubble between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8/9 a.m. You are quiet. You don't do things like vacuum when there are neighbors downstairs or throw a dance party with open doors in the middle of a complex. And you don't freakin' yell at whoever else is in the house and have loud, personal conversations at who knows what noise levels at 5:30 in the morning. Or, for that matter, have a soccer tournament(?) before 8 in the morning. (That's my best guess--there was a lot of laughing, muffled noises, and a big WHOMP against the wall that's right next to my head when I'm still in bed trying to sleep.

Rant over. I just really wanted to vent. And have it down in writing should I need to get more proactive (seeing as it's only been two and a half days . . . )

Side note: is it evil that I keep thinking, I'll have a newborn in about three weeks and she'll keep whatever schedule/volume she wants and won't that teach them?

Random Rant

You know what sucks? When you're a people-pleaser but you can't make the person happy. ARG.

Take one of these and call me in the morning

Disclaimer: I know there are several different strains for the common cold, which is why there is no "cure."

I hate getting sick. It seems like all I've been really good at for the last couple of months is to get sick as soon as I've recovered from something else. Granted, I have no idea what it is half the time (and, usually, whatever I have doesn't last longer than a couple of days) but this is getting ridiculous.

For example, the Saturday we were at Vegastastic 2009, my throat started to feel a little scratchy. Nothing to worrying, since I was in a new environment and I knew there are different plants down there than my body is accustomed to. Sunday wasn't too bad either. Just a little scratchy, drank a lot, didn't share water bottles that day, etc. Monday and Tuesday at work were kind of interesting because I had to talk on the phone all day. Once again, not too bad, I made sure I had water near me at all times, just in case, and I got a full eight hours of sleep. However, Tuesday night I started getting a crazy headache that wouldnt' go away. I had no idea what caused it and, when I woke up on Wednesday discovered I could hardly swallow and couldn't really move. I spent the day at home. Thursday and Friday were similar to Sunday and Monday, and Saturday I woke up feeling fairly normal. Little did I know that Saturday afternoon, I would start to experience the signs of an allergy attack which fully escalated just before midnight. Sunday was pretty miserable, since I hadn't really slept the previous two nights and couldn't breathe or pronounce my n's and m's (which made choir really, REALLY fun). Lucky for me, the church has a bathroom with lots of and lots of tissue paper. And here I am, on a Monday morning, trying not to let calls last longer than a few minutes, since that means I have to get up and get a drink of water since my throat is completely dry and sick-feeling. Bleh. I thought I was better!

Seriously?!

Sometimes I fear for the human race.

I mean, they should really rename the term "common sense" because it seems like almost no one is born with it anymore.

A Little Princess

I am not a very nice person when I'm stressed/tired/hungry. And you can take those dashes to mean "or" or "and." Whichever.

Frustrated

Slow drivers are frustrating. But the reason I find them frustrating is because they're not going the posted speed limit. I mean, when you're stuck on a small back road, or whatever, and you're trudging along at a 15 mph pace when you know you can be going 30 (or even 45) how many of you don't roll your eyes and hope that they'll take the next driveway home?

The one thing even more aggravating then someone who is not going the speed limit is the punk who rides your tail even if you are already going over the speed limit. First of all, it's unsafe to be driving that close to someone. If something (like me, stopping suddenly) were to happen, you'd be all up ons and I would, hardcore, blame the accident on you*. Second of all, take a moment to look at the posted speed limit. Sure, it's frustrating that it's 25 mph which doesn't suit your expensive little sports car, but, hey, if you want to drive fast, get a job that requires you to commute for twenty minutes on the highway. I'm already being risky and driving 5 - 7 over and I don't appreciate you making me feel unsafe and squimish the entire commute.

*You is obviously a very loose term in this case. I'm 99% sure that anyone who reads this blog has never ridden my tail.

Customer Service

I think my least favorite phrase right now is "I know it's not your fault, but. . ."

This phrase completely negates itself. In fact, you should have stopped at "fault." No, it isn't my fault. No, I can't fix it. No, I can't make the people whose fault it actually is fix it. There is nothing to be done so please stop yelling at me.

At least when I was at Wal*Mart on Monday night to pick up the new Rock Band (which doesn't exist in UT county as of right now) with my friends and the employee was telling us he didn't know where it was we didn't blame him. On the downside, he kind of blamed us.

Everyone in this world should have to work a customer service job for at least 3 months. And "renew" their "I've experienced the crappiest of crappy experience" license every 5 years. Then maybe peace and goodwill could exist between us all.