Don't eat the popcorn!

Can you believe Halloween is over? Tomorrow is November 1st and a local radio station will begin playing Christmas songs. How crazy is that?

It was entertaining to walk around campus today to see so many people dressed up. Someone actually made me slightly scared. I walked through the door and there was this person sitting in a chair and all I could see was it's head which was a very convincing skull staring at me. Besides skeletons, I saw zombies, princesses, and even Captain Jack Sparrow.

My friend and I decided to dress up in our Harry Potter costumes and go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 in theaters before it comes out on DVD. It's amazing it's still in theaters when it comes out in just eleven days. We felt rather nerdy at the movie theater but it was so much fun. But don't eat the popcorn.

It tasted just fine until we got through the top part of the bag. Then the popcorn began to taste like dusty popcorn. It was disgusting. Later tonight, we found out their popcorn has led to food poisoning in the past. I feel a little queasy but I think it's just my mind playing tricks on me.

So don't eat the popcorn.

Needless to say, we had a little fun at the theater. The bottom one is me trying to show off my billowy Ravenclaw Robe and the first one...well we were just being silly.

Hope everyone had an awesome Halloween! Time for me to dive into left over candies!

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

Why do tests make me worry so much? I've studied. I feel like I almost know it and yet I sit here stressing about tests this week. I really shouldn't worry this much because so far, I have gotten excellent test scores when I thought I would get every question wrong.

Maybe it isn't the content of the test that makes me stress out. It could be the word "test" that makes sleep evade me and my brain to constantly think about this one test. It could be a psychological thing.

What I do love about tests is I usually get out of class earlier. I have a hard time sitting for almost two hours at a time listening to one professor talk endlessly about factoring polynomials. I try to stay focused and absorb what I'm being told but sometimes I get lost in my own little world. I might even do the head bobbing in class when suddenly, I come back to reality and remember where I am. So tests can actually be good for me. I can be lost in my own world about numbers and things for an hour or so and be done.

One thing I don't like about tests are the complicated questions. In my math class, everything is pretty straight forward:  Solve for x. Simplify this equation. I can do that. However, in astronomy, he takes things we have learned and twists them into confusing complicated sentences with multiple right answers. Sometimes I'll read the question and think, "Woah, what in the world did that just say?" Then I'll look at the answers and think,"Well, that one is true. And that one is true...just maybe not for this situation." It's more complicated than it sounds.

So basically, the plan for this week is to take a few tests. It'll be so fun...not really. But on the bright side, tomorrow is Halloween!

Free hot chocolate, impatient customers, just another day

Working at a gas station/food place can either be a fun experience, or a horrible day. It's either really busy, or so slow it's ridiculous. Today it was so busy I felt like I didn't have time to breathe. Before we knew it, we had 14 different orders with still more coming in. Of course, we told people it would take quite some time to get their food out, but for some, ten minutes was just too long.

The entire grill was filled with meat patties, pieces of toast, cheese, onions, mushrooms, buns, and hot dogs. The fryers were also completely filled. There are only four baskets I can work with and each basket already had multiple things in them to try to keep the line moving.

I had finally bagged an order and was about to take it to a customer when my manager walks in and says, "Don't worry about that order now. That guy left."

Seriously? What a waste of food! I glanced at the clock and noticed it had only been ten to fifteen minutes since I had taken his order. I told him it would be at least 20 minutes. I thought we were doing pretty good. Guess not.

Then it happened again. As I'm walking out to give this customer their order, my manager says, "They already left." I felt so frustrated. We had to throw that order away as well. What a waste of food.

Sometimes, while I'm working, and people complain about the time it takes to get their food out, I think, "We aren't McDonalds." When we get an order, that's when we make it. From scratch. We don't have piles of premade food lined up to be bagged. It takes time. If people want their food in two minutes or less, I think they should go to McDonalds. I don't tell customers that, but it's what I think.

On the bright side of working today, I learned I can have one free cup of hot chocolate in the size of my choice while I'm working. I'm so excited about that! Working there in the mornings is a little chilly, especially if you're in charge of running the window. It's nice to have something warm.

All in all, today has just been another day.

Harry Potter

I found the perfect Halloween costume today. Can you guess?? It has to do with Harry Potter...and a Ravenclaw robe! Well, actually, that's all it includes. I'm still toying with the idea of going to Walmart and buying a hot pink wig and saying I'm Tonks.

I didn't really mean to buy a Ravenclaw robe from a Halloween store. I really didn't. My friends and I went to a second hand store and found nothing. Then we ventured over to good ol' Walmart, but, of course, all the costumes were either gone, or way too slutty for my taste. So the idea came to go to Halloween store #1. But the racks were nearly bare with nothing to spare. Luckily for us, we remembered a Halloween store in the mall right across the street!

And there it was. The perfect Halloween costume. It was hanging there, so innocent among other Harry Potter accessories. It was almost forgotten behind Slytherin robes and Gryffindor robes as well as Harry Potter's glasses and wand. Even the Sorting Hat took a part in hiding the perfect Halloween costume. But it was still there. Ravenclaw robes.

Okay, fine, you can call me a nerd. I don't mind. I figure it's healthy to have a mild obsession. It's not like I'll go around in public wearing Ravenclaw robes. But why not be excited for one dance tomorrow night and just one Halloween night. And, okay, I'll probably wear it to Walmart when the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie comes out.

To make this costume even better, I have the Horcrux locket and Hermione Granger's Time Turner. I just can't decide which one to wear. I could wear both. But that would be a little much. Maybe I could wear my HP pins as well.

Basically, I'm all set for Halloween. The anticipation is building! I hope everyone else has an awesome costume!

Colds

Colds. Apparently not  bundling up in the cold weather doesn't actually cause you to have a cold. But somehow I'm finding this to be false information. Yesterday, it was freezing, however, I didn't think it would be that cold. I just wore a short sleeved sweater, jeans, and boots. I froze. This morning, I woke up to a stuffy nose, little voice, sneezing, and coughing.

Lucky for me, I have "Zicam" which is supposed to make colds shorter and easier to deal with. I don't know if it will actually work, but it's better than nothing, right? Maybe if I believe it will work, it will happen. The power of your brain is amazing.

When I was little, I caught a horrible cold right around Halloween. I coughed until I threw up, I couldn't breathe through my nose, and I had no voice. School was hard because I couldn't exactly ask questions in class. I remember sitting in a math class and I raised my hand to ask a question. But no sound came out of my mouth. My teacher started pointing at things he had done on the board until I nodded to indicate, "YES! I don't understand that one!" For Halloween night, my mom made a sign for me and put it around my neck, like a necklace. The front said, "Trick-or-Treat" and if I showed people the back side of my sign, it said, "Thank You!" I should have dressed up as a mime that year, but I wore a poodle skirt instead.

Halloween is right around the corner and I'm wondering if I'll have any voice at all. I think it would be kind of funny if I didn't have a voice. Then I really could dress up as a mime. I don't know what to dress up as anyway. Of course, I won't be going Trick-or-Treating this year. I'll probably be handing out candy to little kids. But there are a few dances I would love to go to.

So maybe having a cold right now isn't such a bad thing. Maybe it could just mean I have an authentic Halloween costume.

Halloween Spectacular!

It is so close to Halloween I can hardly wait! It doesn't feel like Halloween is seven days away. I don't even have a costume yet! This Friday, I'm going to a 2nd hand store to find costume ideas. I was thinking about dressing up to look like I'm from the 80s. Can't you picture it? Big hair, leg warmers, etc. It could be so much fun. I had also thought about dressing up as a flapper from the 20s. I think that would be my ultimate choice except every costume about the 20s I've seen cost more than I want to spend. I've also thought abut the 50s with the poodle skirts. My grandma has a poodle skirt she made when she was in high school. Maybe I could borrow it?

This Saturday, I'll be going to a Halloween dance with my church group. I'm so excited! It will be the perfect opportunity for me to dress up and just have fun.

I'm also looking forward to carving pumpkins. I usually do the traditional triangle eyes, upside down triangle nose, and the goofy grin. Maybe I'll do something different this year? I'm not very artistic but you can get different patterns to follow off of the internet.

This question might sound a little dumb and it probably shows how sheltered and dumb I am. Now, I know Halloween is the "day of the dead" and it can actually be a religious thing. But do other countries besides
America do the whole dress up and trick-or-treating thing?

Needless to say, I am so excited for Halloween! I can't wait!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Little Thoughts

Books are my downfall. I can walk all through a clothing store, try clothes on and still walk out empty handed. I guess I'm just a bit picky when it comes to clothes. However, when you put me in a bookstore, I'm a goner. I always find at least one thing I completely fall in love with.

Today, I fell in love with The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. It has golden edged pages, a purple hard cover with golden designs. It's beautiful. It has 972 pages of the original fairy tales! Needless to say, I fell in love. Sure, it did cost me $20 dollars; but it was worth it.

Of course, no bookstore trip would be complete without stopping at the Starbucks cafe inside the store. How could anyone pass up a wild blueberry muffin and hot chocolate? I know I couldn't. It's the perfect ending to a perfect bookstore visit.

One of my favorite things about my bookstore is the smell. It has a new book smell mixed with coffee, hot chocolate, and baked goods. Right as you walk through those tall, dark wood, double doors with brass handles, the smells find your nose. It's such a comforting sensation. It's almost like home. For me, I can easily get lost among the many shelves of books for hours. It's like heaven.

Money, money, money

Money sucks when you don't have it and it's awesome when you do have it. Right now, I'm trying to save up to go to Australia next summer for four weeks. It kinda takes a lot of money. But I just found out blogger has this thing where you can put ads on your blog and when people click on it, you get paid (basically). Of course, I can't click on it myself. Technically I could but then I would get in trouble and wouldn't get paid at all and...well it would just be bad news.

I'm kind of worried about the ads they're going to put on my blog though. I'm not really sure if I have a say to what will be put on here. And also, how much money will I get paid per person who clicks on an ad? And then of course, there aren't many people who actually read my blog. I just can't see a huge income coming out of this. But it's worth a shot.

I think I'm going to look into fundraising for my volunteer trip next summer. I'm just not sure what to do. I know you can get sponsored by businesses but I'm not exactly sure how to go about doing that. One suggestion I've had is to ask family for money. But I just don't want to do that either. That's the problem with fundraising. I don't like "taking" people's money, even if it is for a "good cause." I want to earn my own money. I feel like it's more honest that way. Maybe I could do a car wash or look into selling things like candles or something. That way, it would be fundraising but the other people would get something out of it as well. 

Papers, papers, papers, math!

I think I might have already put up a blog post for today. But it might have been yesterday. The past few days have been a huge blur.

First graders are so cute! There was one little first grader who was in tears because he forgot his homework and he never forgets his homework. It reminds me how innocent they are. I love being around them and I love helping them with their school work. It's amazing when they call me, "Teacher." I don't feel like a teacher. But when I think about it, even though I'm just observing, I'm helping them with their assignments and helping them learn. So maybe I am like a teacher?

I'm struggling with writing a paper. I just can't think what to write about. The more I try to expand on an idea, the more I think I'm being redundant and boring. However, when I don't expand, I'm not getting the detail (or the length) I need for a well written essay. There just isn't much I can say about blog writing. Luckily, I'm only turning in about half of the essay tomorrow and I have the rest of my weekend to figure out what I'll do with it before the completed draft is due.

I also am struggling with my math homework. Not so much with the math content, just the attention span to complete it. I find I am easily distracted when it comes to math. I think it's because I have a harder time with it and I don't want to do it so I find excuses to not do it. But that really only hurts me in the end.

For my EDEL class, I'm supposed to make a graphic organizer about ten things teachers do or are. I'm excited to start mine because I have a great idea (at least I think I do)! I want to make a story book like a child would read. I want each page to say something like, "My teacher teaches me how to rhyme." Then (because I love photography) I want to take a picture of a poem or something along those lines and put it above the words. Then I'll put, "My teacher is a doctor." I want to stick this picture down with four band-aids. Wouldn't that be cute? What about, "Our teacher teaches us new songs to sing." Maybe I could switch every other page between "My teacher" and "Our teacher." Maybe I could even just say, "Teacher helps me...." I think it would be so cute! I can't wait to get started. I just have to get this paper and math out of the way first. This graphic organizer isn't due for two more weeks.

I feel totally exhausted. I didn't think going to college and working would take so much out of me. I'm not looking forward to working Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sundays should be my day off. I go to church. I relax. I catch up on some reading and homework. I love Sundays! But this Sunday, I'll be off checking people out with their ding dongs and donuts. How fun.

Yesterday, I went to the temple with one of my amazing friends. It's a pretty building isn't it?

I love the temple because the spirit is felt so strongly here. You feel at peace while you are there and sometimes you get answers to questions you had. I need to attend the temple on a more regular basis.

Things to think about

Life is so confusing at times. I'm going to Australia next summer! I was...am so excited about it. But at the same time I am so scared and nervous because so much money is involved. Part of me feels like this organization hasn't been completely honest with their prices.

So now I'm beginning to question my decisions. I have a lot to think about before I start making payments towards this volunteer organization.

Honesty is the Best Policy

The weekend is finally coming to a close. I know, I know, most people dread for the weekend to be over but this weekend was one of those weekends that don't feel like weekends. You know?

On Friday, I went to work and dumped an entire food order all over the floor because I tripped over a floor mat. I honestly thought I was going to cry and I was so shaky and scared I was going to get yelled at. Luckily for us, the customer was a very patient, kind, and understanding person. We were luckily able to quickly redo her order and get it out to her with no complaints. The people I work with were also very kind and understanding. They were constantly telling me stories of them dropping food all over the place. So a bad thing had a good ending.

The next day at work, a grouchy old lady came in asking about our soups. We make soups from October to April. I've only worked there for two months so this is my first time dealing with all that soup. This lady asks me (not grouchy), "Are your soups made from scratch or are they from a can?" I tell her I haven't worked there for a very long time and I've never seen the soups being made and I don't know. I also ask another coworker who says he doesn't know because he's never been at work while the soups are being made. So she repeats the same question except very grumpy and not very nice. So I say, once again, "I don't know." She asks again. I give the same answer. It was a frustrating conversation that was going no where. Finally, she said, "Fine then." Then she turned around ans walked away. My coworker, being the awesome person he is says, "I'm going to flip her off for you." I don't usually like it when he swears or does things like that but it was kind of funny when he flipped her off while her back was turned.

Everyone keeps saying I should have just said, "Yep, they're made from scratch!" But that would be lying. Well, it might not have been, but for me it would have been lying because I have no idea how those soups are made (I eventually found out. They aren't from a can...but they aren't made from scratch). I would have felt bad if I had lied to her. I would much rather be honest.

This past Saturday (October 8th, 2011) there was a temple ground breaking in a town close to where I live. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this occasion because I had work. But I am very grateful there will be a temple being built closer to my home. It is so exciting and I can't wait to see the temple finished and I can't wait even more to go inside!

Weekends

It's finally the weekend.

When people hear the word "weekend" they think parties, beer, and parties. But that's just not me. I don't party and I don't put myself in situations where there would be beer and stuff like that.

So what do I do for fun on weekends? Lately, I've been working. Which isn't exactly fun, however, I get paid for it. When I'm not working, I have some friends come over and we'll watch a movie. A few weekends ago, my friends and I went to a dance at the institute building on campus. Those are always fun.

Weekends are also a time for dating. But I don't get dates. The last time I went on a date...around June. I don't know why I don't get dates but I don't. It's annoying but what can I do?

So you may be thinking, Wow. This person lives a really boring life.

But the truth is, I love my life the way it is. I love not having to worry about parties where cops could show up at any moment, I love not having to worry about going to places with beer or anything else like that, and I love my time with friends when we just watch movies and hang out. It's a good life and it's mine. I wouldn't change it, even if I could (except maybe have one or two dates!). 

Wednesday Thoughts

Today the weather has started to change. Not really started, just Hello! Cold weather is here! We're actually supposed to get snow up in the higher elevations. How fun would it be if we got snow in our own yard? No, really, I think it would be a lot of fun!

Whenever I tell people I'm excited for the "bad" weather they give me the look. It's the look that says, "Are you craaazy?" Then they say things like, "I wish it was warm all the time." If you want it to be warm all the time, move to Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, the equator! You probably shouldn't live where it's cold if you hate the cold. Just a thought.

Today, two of my four classes were cancelled. I wasn't exactly thrilled about them. If I had known the first class had been cancelled, I could have slept in an hour longer and I wouldn't have gone to the university (about a half hour drive) just to sit around to wait for my next class to begin. Then my third class was cancelled which left me a two hour break before my final class.

Sometimes I think I would rather have classes to go to. I want to be able to feel productive when I'm at school and sitting around at the institute building doesn't exactly qualify as productive.

I love the institute building because I have learned all the cute guys are there. However, none of them speak to me. It's rather annoying. No, I take it back. I get the weird guys who you want to stay away from. Those guys always talk to me.

The last time I went on a date...a few months ago. I need to become more involved in things. I try to be involved but time just doesn't seem to allow me to be involved. I need to be more involved in my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). I go to a young single adult ward and there are a lot of nice people there. They have "family night" on Monday's, I just don't know where they hold it. They also have Institute meetings every Tuesday. And occasionally there are ward activities (but lately I've been working every time there is an activity).

I've mentioned my church a few times on here. And I worry that readers won't know what my church is and try to Google it. But I'm afraid if you search it, you'll find the anti-Mormon things out there. Those are like twisted truths. They are lies that seed from truth. If you read those, don't believe it. 

Here are some sights I would go to if you have no idea what my church is. It doesn't matter what country you are from:  

 http://mormon.org/

http://lds.org/?lang=eng

I hope you like these websites! Here, there are people sharing their own personal experiences with the church and also our Prophet's words as well as our 12 Apostles and other General Authorities. 

PooPoo Paper

Yes, you read the title right. PooPoo paper. Now for those who don't know me, you must know I have an interesting sense of humor. And finding PooPoo paper in my college bookstore was a very funny and exciting thing for me.

You see, elephants aren't very good at digesting their food. When they poop, a lot of the grasses they had just eaten goes right back out. Grass = Fiber. Fiber = Paper. So someone thought (and I never thought anyone would come up with an idea like this) let's get the elephant poop and clean off the nasty stuff, sanitize it, and make paper! I think it's funny and interesting.

A friend of mine doesn't find this paper as amusing as I do. I jokingly told him I would send him some PooPoo paper for his birthday in November. But he was very against it. He emailed me and said, "Once it goes down the toilet, I really don't want to see it again." And, "I don't need poop."

First off, elephant poop doesn't go down a toilet. It comes from an elephant. Elephants don't have toilets (I pointed this out to him). Now, because he is very much against this paper, I'm going to send it to him anyway. But I'm going to be sneaky about it. I'm going to unwrap it so the label can't be seen. Then I'm going to put the information about PooPoo paper (how it was made, etc.) inside the blank book Sneaky, right? So he'll have to touch it and then he'll see what it really is. And of course, I'll write on the inside saying, "A journal for your "crappy" days." Get it? Crappy?

So here's my dilemma. Am I being mean sending this paper to him when he clearly doesn't want it? I know it's not going to hurt him at all. It's sanitized, germ free, and I've given someone else this paper for their birthday and they are just fine.

But is it being too mean? I hope not because I'm going to do it!

And here is a website about this paper:  http://www.poopoopaper.com/

Autumn, Fall, Leaves!

Fall weather is approaching. I can feel it in the air. Soon, it won't be 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I love warm weather but I love cooler weather even more. I can't wait to wear sweaters and scarves and jump in those brightly colored leaves that seem to cover the entire ground.

I love the sound of leaves crunching under my feet. Sometimes I purposefully go out of my way just to step on a leaf. Does anyone else do that or just me?

A lot of the trees here are still green but you can see them turn yellow and pink and red. And several are already lining the streets and my campus sidewalks. While walking to and from class, I make sure I step on at least one leaf. I probably look like an idiot but at least I'm enjoying myself.

I bought two new movies off of Amazon.com. The Sixth Sense and The Others. Both are scary (ish) movies with a twist at the end that makes you want to watch it again because now you see the truth. It's like watching a movie twice but you view the movie so differently the second time you watch it that it feels as if you're watching it for the first time...again. Make sense? Except I've seen these movies so many times. But they never get old. If you haven't seen them, I would HIGHLY suggest them, especially with Halloween on the way!

Which brings us once again to autumn. Halloween!! It's this month! I am so excited to see all the Halloween decorations and all the costumes. Really weird question (but it's an honest question) do most countries celebrate Halloween like USA? I mean, do some of them dress up and do the "Trick-or-Treat" thing? Or is it celebrated as if it were still "Hallows Eve?"

Hopefully next week I find out what country I can do my volunteer work for next summer. Keep your fingers crossed for New Zealand or Australia! Or South Africa! Even though I was told I would find out next week, I'm keeping my hopes up for finding out this week. I'm not sure I can wait until next week! I'm so nervously excited!

In my English class, I'm supposed to write a paper that talks about a "common view" and then my own "surprising new view." Well, I thought about blogging.

Before I started blogging, I always thought blogs were for mothers who were just trying to pass the time. Which, I suppose, to some extent is the truth. But I'm not married or a parent. So therefore, not all bloggers are mothers. But that's just what my paper will be about in a nutshell. I might add that blogging provides writers a way to express their opinions in a positive way and receive feedback for their work (hence the comment options at the end of each blog). However, I'm slightly worried that I won't be able to write that much about blogging. I'm not sure how I can drag this paper out to meet the length requirement without making it sound like a bunch of unnecessary fluff. But it's the only subject I can think about even trying to do. I'm pretty much stuck with this topic at this point because I've already done a lot of homework assignments on it so it would be extremely time consuming to redo it all.

I think it's time for me to do homework, do some (or a lot of) cleaning, and listen to the storm outside.