My Hero

This is my hero.

Meet Evan Lysacek. The American skater who finally had what it takes to beat the Russian, Evgeni Plushenko. He took gold, baby. He took gold! HE FREAKING TOOK GOLD!!!! And he certainly deserved it.

I cannot tell you how happy I was. I really truly almost started crying with excitement when we realized that he had won last night! Me and my roommates literally jumped out of our seats and screamed! We were high-fiving and jumping and dancing...or maybe that was just me...haha... ;) I haven't been that excited about something probably since Michael Phelps pulled some stellar moves in Beijing, China. Dude, I freaking love the Olympics. The end.

I found this awesome segment from an article online (http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/19/lysacek-defeats-plushenko-olympic-gold/) . It pretty much described my thoughts exactly.

Question: How did you handle the stress of watching Evan Lysacek’s free skate? Did you leave the room believing if you didn’t watch, he’d win? Did you stay on your sofa but close your eyes for the jumps? Did you force yourself to watch every second of the routine thinking somehow that self-inflicted torture would sway the figure skating Gods in his favor? Or, are you sane?

Haha - I suppose I prefer self-inflicted torture.

I have faithfully watched the Vancouver 2010 Olympics since day one. Starting with the incredible opening ceremonies and continuing on to this very day. They are currently what I live for. Me and my roommates watch them together and have a blast. It was so fun watching figure skating together because we all had our favorite: "The Vulture Man" (Lysacek). And we all had so much fun being creeped out by "Weir the Queer" as we affectionately call him. Oh man...I could go on forever about the whole ordeal! The French Brazilian, the skeleton man, the fast spinner-guy, the guy with good taste in music, the actor, the crazy-eye man, Plushenko...oh heavens! 

I'm so confused by my love and attachment to the Olympics, for I, Jessica, despise most sports. I can't play them, so I don't care for them. But the Olympics brings something new to the table. It's so much more intense. I get so worked up over them! It's just one more thing to add to my list of obsessions. :)

Olympics + Jessica = Love

Jessica's Escapade

The birds are back! And they're not just the crows - they're songbirds. Walking out to the shuttle this morning was a lovely experience indeed. :)

I was walking home this afternoon, and was so enjoying the sunshine, despite how bitter it was. And I realized that I didn't have to be anywhere at any specific time today...and this brilliant idea slammed into my head!

I reached my apartment and walked right past the front doors and headed straight to the parking lot. I threw my backpack in the back of my car and placed the key in the ignition.

I was going for a drive. I love listening to music and thinking to myself. I didn't feel like I particularly "needed" a drive today, but I was feeling super good. :) Since there was still so much daylight, and their wasn't any wretched inversion in the air, I felt motivated to seek out "The Snowman."

My dad's cousin Paul, my uncle Chad, and other "various relations," built this GIANORMOUS snowman up Logan Canyon. My dad had showed me pictures of it on Paul's Facebook, and he told me that I needed to go check it out when I got back home to Logan. I was told that it's hard to miss as you drive along the road...it even made the front page of the paper. :) It's a couple of weeks old, but it easily stood 12 feet high...I figured that at least a mound and reminant had to still be in place. So I figured why not? :)

It was so fun driving the canyon. It wasn't busy and no one was riding my tail. I was on the look out on all sides for "The Snowman" and feeling like I was on a treasure hunt. After about 20 minutes of driving and wondering if I had passed it, lo and behold, there it was! Right where Pops said it would be- straight across from Rick's Spring. Oh my heart!

IT'S HUGE!

He was definitely still there - it hasn't been warm enough for him to even consider melting. I pulled off to the side and hopped out of my car to take pictures. There was a river stopping me from reaching where the happy smiling snowman stood. I took pictures from the river's edge, but it wasn't nearly as impressive. I had to get closer.

I looked up the river and saw a spot where the river was less wide. I trucked over there and followed other people's footprints. The snow came up to my knees in some places, but I wasn't bothered by that at all. It was intense! Turns out there's a snowbank connecting both sides of the river, so there was no jumping required. *Whew. But I made it up to the hill where "The Snowman" resides. I stood next to it and had to tilt my head straight back to see his face. He has branches for arms and sticks for porcupine-hair. He just made me happy to look at him. Gracias relations for building him. :)

After taking some pictures, I found my way back to my car and headed back down the canyon. My all time favorite song, "Get What You Give" by New Radicals came on. Pumped as I was, I rolled down my window and cranked up the volume...and I threw on my sunglasses for good measure. One of my favorite things to do. The mountain air smelled wonderful! It's been decided that I cannot wait until Spring!

I emerged from the canyon and pulled back into the parking lot. I walked up to my room...it seemed as if none of that had happened. It seemed like I was just getting back from school. Huh...

But nonetheless, I decided that it's a good day to be alive. Super good day. :)

Grammatical Errors

There I was in aerobics class - admiring the back of everyone's T-shirt from my place on the last row. They were all cross-country shirts, which gave me a clear understanding of why I prefer my place on the last row. A black and white shirt caught my eye, and in big bold italic letters was the phrase

"To Legit To Quit."

It drove me crazy for the rest of class.

Didn't anyone notice in the process of creating this T-shirt that it should have been "TOO Legit To Quit"? The person who came up with it? The person who approved it? The person who placed the silk screen print on the shirt? Oy vey.

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Thursday, Communications Art Seminar. A lovely grad student was being showcased. After years of hard work, and a lot of traveling, this woman had been everywhere around the globe. She'd met a lot of people. She had worked hard in advertising -including advertising for Eddie Bauer and Target. She would take random pictures of random things because they made her laugh. There was a telephone pole with the shadow of a chain link fence cast upon it. She liked it because it made her think of an elephant wearing a fishnet stocking...? Mmm kay?...I'm not judging! :) 

She also took a picture of the side of a building in some other country because it said "No Striping." I'm not really sure what was meant by this, but this grad student was laughing quite hysterically as she explained to the audience that this building said "No Stripping." Everyone was laughing along with her...except me and Greg. So to her understanding (and apparently the audience's) "striping" was pronounced "stripping." ???? After all her traveling and work in the advertising field...she made a fool of herself, but no one would dare tell her that...I'm beginning to doubt people and their understanding of the English Language.

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Today in my political science class, Dr. Cann projected an e-mail that he had received up on the screen. He said he tried to get in contact with the person who had sent it, but they had used their friend's e-mail address to stay anonymous. He didn't mean to cause embarrassment, but he wanted to clarify something to the class. :) Thus began the e-mail -

Dear Prefessor,

I am a student in your political science 1100 class...(Dr. Cann said that he assumed that this person meant "professor" and continued reading the e-mail outloud.) Apparently this person "and the majority of the class" are upset about the fact that Dr. Cann leans very far to the left and is very liberal in his opinions. It's a well known fact that 95% of the class is Conservative and does not agree with the way Obama has done things since being in office. This person would appreciate it if he would try to be more balanced in his remarks. And this person also went so far as to call Dr. Cann's ideals as "Marxist and Communistic."

Sincerelly (yes, spelled this way), The student and the rest of the class. 

The whole class was laughing, and Lacee and I were on a roll. Oh heavens! Dr. Cann stood before the class and announced that he had tried his best to not reveal his political views and standings, but this called for some clarification. "I'm a Republican!" He helped in Bob Bennett's campaigning! That was the icing on the cake. :) I suppose Dr. Cann keeps things pretty balanced then eh? ;)

I wonder at people sometimes. Who would really have the nerve to write that kind of an e-mail in behalf of the class? I never once thought Dr. Cann leaned one way or the other - he keeps things very neutral in the class and explains both sides very clearly. I like him as a professor a lot!

Plus...to write to someone who has their doctorate...don't you think you would use spellcheck and write a more rational paper? Maybe that's just me...

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Now I realize that it's important that I watch what I say because I know that I'm not exempt from pulling moves such as these- I'm FAR from perfect! But these were little PUBLIC things that made me laugh. :)

God Bless America.

Thigh Highs

I'm on a blogging spree! I really love blogging...and I really love avoiding my political science paper. :P

You must come to appreciate the moments of randomness that exist among college students. Thus I give you:

Thigh Highs.

So that you may admire Mallory's awesome face-making skills
that I mentioned in my previous post. :)

Recognitions for the Roommates

Can I tell you how much I adore my roommates? For the past few weeks I've been taking notice of all the little things my roommies do that make them so unique. They deserve to be recognized!

Michelle

Michelle is my roommate roommate. We came up to USU together, and I tell you what, if she hadn't been there to keep me on the ball, I don't know where I would have wound up. :) Michelle is pro at DDR (Dance, Dance Revolution). She plays the piano to relieve stress, and she's so talented at it. She is always singing or humming. She eats Kashi Go Lean Brand foods, which Kelsie has believes resembles "Kibbles and Bits." :) Miss Michelle does everything that is healthy for her, and I admire her more than anyone else in this regard! She exercises most mornings, she eats healthily, snacks healthily, and sleeps the recommended hours of sleep each night! I cannot believe her motiviation!!! She utilizes every hour of her day with productivity. She studies her scriptures so diligently and will do her calculus while she eats her meals. She loves receiving e-mails from her brother who is on a mission and is always willing to share with me his successes, and his hard times (I have a new respect for missionary work). Michelle is 4'11'' and is still able to buy many of her clothes in the "kid's section." Her favorite color is pink and she has an awesome pink sparkly belt. :) I think of Michelle as my personal planner - she remembers the dates and times of all the things I need to be to! I would flounder without her there to remind me! There is rarely a moment that there isn't a smile on Michelle's face - EVEN WHEN SHE SLEEPS!!! I have yet to come across someone who is anywhere near as thoughtful as Michelle - she has brightened my day on more than one occasion. I'm glad I have her around.

Mallory

Without Mallory, our apartment would be dark and dank. This girl is incredibly crafty and LOVES color! You should see her room! I love her sense of style (she owns purple pants and rainbow galoshes!) and when the day is done, you will most likely find her in comfy sweats. Mallory is the tallest of all of us, but she has such grace. She did dance when she was younger, and you can definitely tell by her easy movements...and her pirouettes in the kitchen. She owns a seizureous phone and is in contact with everyone...even when they're right next door. *haha. :) She is an avid Facebooker. She has awesome lingo that I have subconsciously incorporated into my own vernacular - "Holy Sheva!" is my favorite...oh and "Nube." She's the queen of our Quote Wall and keeps it updated and current. She even has her own quote book and saves hilarious quotes to her phone all the time. Mal has a thing for beef ramen noodles and she definitely likes cereal. She has THE BEST funny faces - if only you could see them! Our dear Mallory also sleeps like a rock. Weekends are among her best of friends. Speaking of friends, she has several who are dear to her heart. She has momentos all over her room. She's an instigator of Taco Tuesday in the apartment and is a natural at making taco soup. And I love her taste in music - we have VERY similar tastes. When I grow up, I want to be like Mallory. :)

Taylor

I'm pretty sure Taylor was born in the wrong era. If we were to decide on an appropriate time period to send her back to, it would be the age of Princes and Princesses or the '40s and '50s. :) Taylor loves Disney Princesses. Her room is flooded with cute princess things! She even buys princess fruit snacks...she doesn't like the orange ones, so she saves them by putting them in a plastic baggie to give to her dear Tyson who DOES like them. :) Taylor loves Jazz music, and accordingly, loves to dance to Big Band Swing. I love this about her! Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzegerald - send them her way! Taylor is my fellow blogging roommate. We always talk about the things we need to post to our blogs. She went to Holland with her mom this summer and has awesome Holland-ish things about the apartment...namely cheese slicers. :) She's really close to her mom and is always in contact. She's also always in contact with her sweet Tyson. She has brown boots that she affectionately refers to as her "Gaston Boots" and she recently obtained new gray boots, that she really truly loves. Taylor is one of those people who doesn't have to wear make-up, she just looks good naturally. She is the one responsible for my feddish for cottage-cheese dip and veggies. *Thank you!* And she also has a love for photography and has awesome photo-capturing skills! She's genuine and sweet and refers to people as "cutie." Did I mention that she's brilliant at chemistry and is planning on becoming a pharmiscist? She's pretty much Wonder Woman- she doesn't realize it yet.

Kelsie

Kelsie, Kelsie, Kelsie. :) Kelsie will have been a member of the church for one year coming up on February 7. I cannot even tell you how impressed I am with everything that she knows! She has a strong testimony, that I can assure you. Kelse has a missionary named Alex. He's serving in Mexico, but has returned temporarily for a month to get surgery for a hernia and will return again and end his mission in May. She saw him last weekend - and she's been lighter than air since. Kelsie LOVES the weather channel, and if you ever have a question concerning the weather, Kelsie will shpill it off to you like she's a professional meteorologist. She's always on the phone with her family, especially her "Paco" (dad) and keeps in close contact while he's on business trips. Kelsie is an amazing cook! She cooked me biscuits and gravy the first week of school back when it was just me and her...delish! And her BBQ chicken pizza? Mouthwatering. She's amazing at counting callories and has amazing self-control. I, on the otherhand, do not. So I just sit and admire. Kelse is thoughtful beyond belief and makes friends with everyone she meets. She's a fellow high school FFA girl, and it's fun to relate to her in that regard. Up here at USU, she's a member of the forestry club and loves backpacking trips. She's very talented at drawing. Kelsie also has rather bad eyesight without her contacts...like to the point of legally blind. :) This roommate of mine is also very into donating blood as soon as she can. We're all pretty confident that she will be the first of us to get married at the rate she meets, dates, and talks with boys. :)

Free Ones

It's been one of those days....

As soon as my alarm went off, I suddenly had a very overwhelming feeling...a pit in my stomach. I laid in bed and realized how much I need to accomplish this week. If I put any of it off, come Friday, I'll be an emotional wreck! So I got up with an already stressed mind. Not a great way to start the morning.I don't recommend it.

I remembered that my Business Statistics quiz score was posted online. I was excited to check it because I felt soooooo good about that quiz in comparison to my last quiz! I was ready to stare down an awesome score. I hopped  online and was devasted to find that I had done even worse than last time...oh boo - that whomps....This is supposed to be the easy stuff. If I can't get it now, what'll it be like in a few more weeks? I felt hopeless.

To be accepted as an art major at USU, you have to make a separate application and portfolio that the faculty and art department will review. They accept approximately 40 students as art majors each year. If only you could see how many wannabe art majors there are!...ugh...I started putting all my works together and writing up my application letter and e-mailing my advisor last week. The application is due today, so that was one thing weighing heavily on my mind. I realized that I should probably place my application into a report folder, but realized I didn't have any on hand. No biggie, I thought to myself. I'll go grab one at Lee's this morning! So I set out to do just that....but Lee's didn't have what I was looking for. They had fancy versions of report folders, but of course, nothing I was really willing to pay for. Then I got looking at other supplies and realized that I jypped myself on 10in x 13in folders that I bought at Wal-Mart...they were a lot cheaper at Lee's...so they don't have what I want and I'm kicking myself over a few dollars I could have saved. My day was plummeting and it was only 9:30 AM.

I almost slipped on the ice -saved myself- but it didn't help the mood I was in.

I walked back up to the apartment to grab a folder, and I was surprised to see that my roommate Kelsie was home - her biology class was canceled. I went to my room and debated what to do about my application from here. I want to be able to show that this means a lot to me and that I didn't just throw it together! I started reviewing over some things and the process of earning a degree in Art and all the classes I'll have to take, etc. It felt as if there was no hope for the future...I kept having this nagging feeling in my head to "just ask Kelsie if she has a report folder." So I finally did.

Kelsie rummaged around through some stuff and realized that she didn't have any, but she said I should try the bookstore. She was looking at them last week and told me an exact price and everything. I hadn't even thought of the bookstore! And the price she was telling me was a heck of a lot nicer than what I saw at Lee's.

I left the apartment feeling a little lighter on my feet at the realization Kelsie had given me about the bookstore. I walked to the bus stop and went to my political science class.

I waited for the class before mine to get out of the room. I managed to squeeze inside the room and continued to wait for the rest of the students to leave. While I was standing there, I suddenly heard "Hey, uh...girl in the purple coat." I turned to the lady standing sort of next to me. "I like your hair." Oh man...that really made my day! I didn't even know this lady and here she was, helping me get rid of my "mean-reds." :)

After political science, I went to institute and had a lovely conversation with a girl I just met. Turns out that we both have political science together. She told me that she remembered my sweater. I don't know why, but that really made me feel good inside. And then we preceded to have a wonderful lesson about Lehi's dream.

I trekked to the bookstore after class and had no troubles finding what I was looking for. And the report covers were cheap, just like Kelsie had said! I checked out and the cashier lady was so nice to me. I couldn't help but smile. As I walked out of the store, I saw Eric Russell from my home ward, and he pointed to me and waved. It was nice to see a familiar face and to even be aknowledged for that matter.

I put my application together and dropped it off at the art office. The ladies in there were all talking and one seemed rather annoyed that I had walked in and was trying to talk to them. I handed her my application, but depsite her rather annoyed appearance, I couldn't help but smile and act so genuine to her. I didn't really care if she was mad, my day was getting better all the time - so I smiled and thanked her graciously, and as I turned to leave, I think I saw a smile creep across her face.

One more class. I went and sat in some really awesome soft chairs in the Engineering Building while waiting to go to Earth Science. The room is nothing but glass, so sunshine was warming the room. It just felt so nice and cozy- another thing that literally brightened my day.

Once class started, my friend Becky from my ward came and sat next to me. She had a bag of gobstoppers that she laid out on the desk and offered to share with me. It had been so long since I had had a gobstopper...it tasted so ridiculously good! I perked up really quick and managed to pay attention during the rest of class.

And just now! As I sit here writing my blog, my roommate Michelle comes in and starts telling me about someone she ran into. She was excited and smiley and her contagious attitude boosted my spirits inside. Then she told me she had a surprise for me. I turn around and she has a Gossner's milk carton in her hand - Orange Creme Flavored!!!! We had stopped at Gossner's together on the way home on Friday and I picked up one of these little cartons. It was so delicious! And to suddenly see that small box in Michelle's hand and the fact that she had thought of me!...Wow!!!! What a good day! A guy in Michelle's science class had brought a whole bunch of these milk cartons to share with the class and he had plenty of extras - so Michelle picked one up for me. :)

From crummy day, to wonderful - it's just all the little things that add up. Had I not been having a not-so-great day this morning, all these little things probably would have gone unnoticed...but I think Someone wanted me to learn a lesson.

Our neighbor Phil used the phrase "free ones" in a testimony or a talk in church once. He used it to describe all the little things that he sees the Lord play a hand in from day to day. Things that make your day, or give you extra guidance, or make you open your eyes - tender mercies! All day I've been thinking of that. The Lord has given me so many "Free Ones" today...I can't thank Him enough. I know that I can make it through to tomorrow. I know I can make it through this week. I know, because of my faith in "Free Ones."

Heavenly Father is watching out for me. :)