The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done

Although German may quickly prove that statement wrong...I totally forgot to what extreme I love and hate art class.

Tonight was my first studio techniques class. Had to leave German early and still walked in late. Immediately started hyperventilating. How could I draw/paint/sculpt/fresco/intaglio in front of ALL THESE PEOPLE. Oh my gosh. Oh MY GOSH. I'm obviously the worst one here. I can't leave now...they all saw me walk in and take a chair from the front! Ok. I'm dropping this class. What was I thinking? I should be focusing more on German, right? My hands are shaking...how am I supposed to hold a paintbrush? They're all watching...they're all wondering who let me into the class...WHO let me into this class?! I can't paint. I can't freaking make a contemporary ink stinking landscape. They put a pile of junk on the table for texture and I can't make a single stroke. Why did I have to ask the teacher so many questions? Of course there are no more calligraphy pens. Am I just making everyone feel so much better about themselves now?

That doesn't even begin to cover it.

So after much agony and inward tears, this was my first painting:

And then when that turned out sooooo bad and I'd made friends with sweet Emily next to me I threw all caution to the wind and FINALLY relaxed and came up with this one, which is only slightly better:

And yet...part of me just LOVED it. I love painting. I love painting! And painting with Indian ink is soooo much fun! I have to get some.

It's fine. I'll make it through this. Thoughts?

I know you've all been waiting in breathless anticipation, so in an attempt to clear some crap off my desktop, here are some pictures of projects I've done at work. Keep in mind they were taken with my phone so just deal with the quality and don't judge.

Stuffing the zoot scoot as full as possible.

Side chair, Taylor Building.

Football service cart - I didn't do the actual seat, but they let me drive it back when they finished it. Watch for it on the field this season.

Luv sack. We were bored and had all this fake suede we tore off brand new ottomans.

Lounge chair, women's restroom, 3220 Wilkinson Student Center

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Love seat, ROTC.

Oh Yeah...This Why Nobody Likes School...

Day 2 began with a searing headache that naturally I forgot to take any meds for before leaving my humble abode. Thus most of class one (Theory and Methodology) was lost to bleary eyes and ringing bells. But from what I did gather, the teacher seems great, the class sounds like a lot of reading, and Trent from German is in the class.

Loooong intermission for lunch - two and a half hours that I will hopefully be able to go to work during because it was waaaay too long to be chilling on campus. I did some sun-soaking, met up with Graden for lunch, and started memorizing German verbs.

Next class finally showed up: Early Christian and Byzantine Art. And despite the teacher's boring reputation, I found it all rather fascinating. Nobody appreciates the early Christian or byzantine art. But the history and reasonings surrounding it are really quite interesting. I think I can manage to enjoy the class.

Back home I wasted some time doing things like this. Finally took some meds for my aching head. Set in on the first round of reading for HoP. Holy cow! These pages are sooooo long! Oh yeah. Homework. This is why nobody likes school. If I could just go to class and listen and take notes, I could love it. But I'm way too easily distracted to read a couple hundred pages each night. Needless to say, I promptly fell asleep. The good news is, said nap conquered the headache that has persisted since yesterday evening. The bad news is, now I'm awake again, desperately craving a danish, one more hour of my day wasted, and I still have to read. Sigh.

Some thoughts from campus today: Why are there so many people?! Yesterday as I walked around I had to remind myself I was going to class and not to pick an upholstery job or install some blinds. I got quite used to the emptiness of campus this summer. Today I focused on relearning how to walk fast and cleverly dodge every other mindlessly driven, auto-pilot student crowding the square and walkways between buildings without slowing down. It's an art I've decided. An art one begins learning in the wee young'n days of junior high. A few more days and I'll be able to do it while texting.

The funny thing about BYU is you come across scenes you wouldn't find on any other campus. Everywhere you look there's a couple holding hands, someone pushing a stroller, a group of preschoolers, couples kissing, and on a good day, someone proposing. Everything about this school screams courtship, marriage, love. But, when schooled in the art of people dodging AND PDA avoiding, one can observe many other interesting sights that are not so unique to BYU. I wish I had a camera in my hand for every stroll across campus - people are fascinating! The professor with the red and black polka dot tie, the group of freshman who've found each other for a picnic lunch on a lawn, the man with the fanny pack, the older woman returning to school determined to dress like the rest of the younger students...If I had nothing better to do, I would travel the country, sit in on random campuses, and people stalk with my telephoto lens.

Ok. I'm sorry. I'm done pretending to be philosophical. I've got three more classes to read for and some German to translate. I'll be sure to update tomorrow after my last first day - tomorrow I have my studio techniques class! And since I hate posting without pictures, here are some people stalking pictures from when I was very bored at Ashlee's graduation.

Tacos, Broken Printers, Babies, and Norwegians

Well, sleeping in was nice. Despite my roommate who got in and out of bed about every 40 minutes between 4:00 am and 7:00 am. Not sure what she was doing. But once you hit 9:30 you start to wonder why the heck you don't have class until 1:00 and remember how bored you got last semester when you didn't have class until 4:00.

Fortunately I will be working 8-12 from now on. And fortunately I found a good excuse to go to campus early: can't get my printer to work so I thought I'd bite the bullet and pay 7 cents a page for a campus printer. Psych. How many printers in the Wilk can I try before one actually works? Um...three? Meanwhile I'm realizing how hot it is and regretting wearing my new button up plaid shirt (which after lunch smelled strangely like Subway the rest of the day...) even though it's 100% cotton because suddenly I'm desperately concerned that I have tacos. Dear BYU. Maybe you should take time to make sure the printers work before inviting the students back. Oh yeah. Then I got to the class I was printing something for and the teacher handed us each a copy of the exact document I stressed over printing. Well, at least I got free lunch and a walk to class with Cody. Busy morning. And then I realized I hadn't even started my day yet.

First stop: History of Photography. Soooo excited for that class. I can hardly contain my excitement. Really. It's with my favorite art professor I've had so far and let's face it, I desperately love photography. Should be a blast.

Next up, a brief break to visit with noob freshman friend Michelle and deliver an iclicker. Run into a million people I know. Then off to D&C with the oldest man on the face of this planet in the smallest most claustrophobic room of the JSB with the squeakiest chairs known to man. Wait. Why did it look like I was still in my freshman BofM religion class? Where are all the older students? JK. They're there. Disguised as younger students. Weird. I decided to take a shot at being social and introduced myself to the students sitting next to me. Psych. By chance I sat down next to someone who I did not know, but we soon discovered we'd had the previous class together.

So this prof. still uses an overhead. And he talks really low and quiet and I swear I had restless leg syndrome. Also, this is the first class I've ever had where someone brought their baby. Baby? Baby. Baby disappeared halfway through class. Disappearing baby? Only at BYU. Please don't bring your baby back. (I don't want your baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back. I don't want your baby back, baby back...)

Deutsch. German. German Reading. Aka how about instead of three semesters of German Language we'll give you one insane semester to learn how to read it. I am one of two in the class who is not married and probably one of four who is undergrad. I didn't bother mentioning that not only am I undergrad, but this is only my second year at the Y. (I always want to call it Y Dub. Don't ask. I don't even know what that means. And while I'm listening to my roommate microwave something, I should say if anyone has any ideas for a cheap toaster, I'm listening. To you. Not the microwave.) I didn't think the undergrad deet was necessary. Sufficient to say, I felt like 9th place in my class of 9.

Prof. Kelling walks in: "Hello. This is German Reading. I am Professor Kelling and if you cannot tell by my accent, I am Norwegian. Just kidding. I am German." Fortunately I read the Children of the Promise series and recognized the name Kelling as German because little does Professor Kelling realize that I wouldn't have known the difference between a German accent and a Norwegian accent considering my only experience with German - as I was sure to mention on my basic info paper I had to fill out - is that my last name is German.

"Okay. Open to page 9 and we'll take turns translating these sentences." What? Ist das dein Ernst? It's fine. I'm almost fluent now. Nouns are capitalized, -en is plural, er is he, die means feminine, what more do you need to know? Good thing I stocked up on index cards last semester... The good news is that I recognized the blonde girl who introduced herself as Nancy as she sat down across from me. She introduced herself as Nancy to me last night at ward prayer while she graciously offered me an off-brand Chewy Chips Ahoy! cookie. Study buddy? Check.

Well, that's day one, kids. Bring it one BYU. I'll take you. I'll take you DOWN.

Did I Mention I Bought A Contract?

Woot! Finally starting to pack my life in boxes. Or...at least some crackers and fruit snacks I bought on sale last week and what few clothes I own after a major closet clean out that caused me to realize I haven't done any real back to school shopping this year. And my printer. That's the box on top. So in this picture you can see my packed up life, or whatever I previously typed after using that cliche, boxes and suitcase (on the floor) inclusive (still have two boxes and a laundry basket to pack), the junk left in my closet that still needs to go through a major clean out, and the Thanksgiving Point uniform polos that I will never have to wear again after this Saturday because I am QUITTING. Such a relief.

I'm nervous but excited to move. I think I should sing a song called nervous, but excited. I found out two old friends from OHS Yearbook Staff are moving into the same condominium, so if all else fails, I've got some friends on the third floor. But I'm mucho excited to get back to school - hopefully it stays that way. I've finally got all my books ready to go and I bought a package of red/green/orange/purple pens to keep note-taking exciting.

I'm excited to cut back on the work hours...as much as I love my job, I'm ready to not be there 40 hours a week. (Last week I had a twelve hour day due to a mad rush to install blinds in the new Heritage Halls buildings before the newbie freshmen all moved in the next day. Campus is soooo crowded with little baby students and their mommies helping them find the bookstore and paying for their first month's groceries. It's nauseating. That's why I always told people I was a sophomore. Technically, according to Route Y, I was. No lies. No embarrassment. More attractive men in range. DONE. And speaking of work, I managed to give my stomach a blood blister with a pair of scissors yesterday. Don't ask questions. Just accept and silently mock. No pictures of that mishap, but let's just say I'm glad I've got standards to prohibit me from wearing a bikini because that would be such an awkward blemish to explain at the pool. How embarrassing...Almost as embarrassing as how awkwardly long I just noticed my toenails have gotten, cleverly disguised behind my french tips from our St. George pedicures as they are. Guess it's time to lose the white and give them a trim.)

Just in case you don't know enough about me by now...I will also tell you that I got a haircut for the new year (pictures to come if I decide I care enough), I dreamed I married Jake last night, and for some reason I'm incapable of taking advantage of a night that I'm at home to go to bed at a more decent hour. Ah, well, I suppose 11 is better than 1:30. Peace out kids.

Teach Me How to Jimmer

So...

I stalked Jimmer.

A little.

Today at the Upholstery Shop we took a field trip to the Smith Fieldhouse to replace some herculite panels that protect the walls when the javelin team is practicing. Exotic. I know. I got to ride thirty feet in the air on this:

I never want to be an electrician. Or window painter. Or anyone else who uses these things on a regular basis. Past 15 feet they get awfully wobbly and wavy and freaky-outy. It was fun.

ANYWAY...As we were a'workin', Lee came over and said, "Oh, by the way, Jimmer is playing ball in the gym next door." Um, what? Today, I got so excited over Jimmer. Talia and I didn't believe him at first, but a couple "casual" walk-bys proved that Lee was exactly right. There was Jimmer! (He didn't tell us until later that he actually went in and talked to him - jealous!) So we creepily stalked him trying to get some pics to prove we were in the same place as Jimmer.

Obviously we wanted to meet him. Obviously we were from then on distracted from our work. Obviously we were every bit as desperately plotting ways to get his autograph and a picture as we were plotting to meet Bronco when delivering some football equipment we made. Therefore, our sprinting down the track to peek around the corner when Will mentioned that Jimmer had just walked right past us without us noticing was totally justified. Am I right? Sure enough, Jimmer had just left the drinking fountain. Except...he was still there. Just around the corner we'd just run around. Picture something from a cartoon. We ran around the corner on adrenaline, froze in our tracks when we made eye contact, and immediately turned to sprint twice as fast away. Sooooo awkward. Oh Jimmer. (Ps - don't worry. We made sure to drink out of the fountain immediately after him.)

Well, our embarrassment talked our hopes out of going up to actually meet him. So we returned to the shop somewhat sullen-faced. Of course then I hear the carpet boys had a nice chat with him and what's more, there are already pictures on Facebook. Well...since we had to go back out anyway, I grabbed a sharpie so he could sign my shirt and we made a pitstop back at the fieldhouse for round two. (Katie, I grabbed some stickie notes to have him sign for Mace and Sav.) Psych! I was stoked.

Alas. He was already gone.

It had honestly only been five minutes.

My heart was broken.

Well, a roll of herculite on my foot, a frantic zoot scoot ride around campus to find Will for the Pro-Po when he butt-dialed 911, some ice cream, a discussion on dating, and a couple pair of hemmed pants later, I'm starting to get over it. Starting. Slowly. Painfully.

But I will forever remember today as the day that I ALMOST met Jimmer.

I'm stalking the SFH every day from now on.

Eh...something to say

Yeah. Haven't spoken in a while. I'm sorry. Life is busy.

The good news of the week is I finally bought an apartment contract! Woot. It's actually a little condo on 300 N. Rent is only 220 a month (score) and it's super clean with brand new appliances AND a washer and dryer. Deal. I'm psyched. Hopefully my stellar deal doesn't mean not-so-stellar roommates. Pics...someday. Maybe.

I've gotten almost all my textbooks in the mail now - just need a few from the bookstore and one more online. SO excited for classes. I'll probably hate them in two weeks, but that's okay. Because really, you just need incentive to start and you can bust your way through the rest, right? It's like cleaning your bedroom.

Work is awesome. Sewing like crazy. Learning to upholster. Pro at installing blinds in the new Heritage dorms. Quitting the Point (YEE-HAW!).

Now please enjoy pictures of Emily's diseased ridden legs (or...mosquite bitten legs) and a really great engagement picture.

The End of My Childhood

HP7.2

Saw it for the SECOND time at midnight. And for the second time, watched the end credits roll, sighed, and thought, along with everyone else, "Well, now what?" I started reading those books in first grade...what do I look forward to now?! Here's to 12 years of my life. Cheers.

Mason's Mustache