On the 12th Day Before Thanksgiving Break

I cannot believe that I only have twelve days left until Charlotte and I go home! I love looking back on the last two months and seeing how much I've grown and all that I've learned. It's amazing, and so strengthening to see all that I've been able to overcome through faith and prayer. I've been so blessed, and I am so grateful for all that's behind me and for all that's still ahead. 

So, today, the 12th day before Thanksgiving break, I:

Dined on my favorite vending machine fare. On the menu today was my favorite breakfast of a honey wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese. These are pretty delicious, though the bagels are always stale. This is a common meal for me in between Music Civ and ELang, since those classes are in the same building, and said building houses the best vending machine assortment on campus.

Also got lunch from the vending machines.  EasyMac is a staple. Mmm.

Reconnected with my days as a preteen by listening to *NSync on my Pandora Christmas playlist. I'm actually disappointed that I got rid of my *NSync Christmas cd with the rest of their cds, because it's pretty decent holiday music.

Wore a new outfit, but sadly forgot to document before changing into pajamas and washing all my jeans. I wore my new flats, which was fun. It's my goal to wear a new ensemble everyday this week so that I have some good outfits to wear when I'm home. I love getting even just a couple new pieces for my wardrobe, because then I can do all new things with those plus what I already have.

Passed my cleaning check for the first time this year! I know this may seem surprising, as I enjoy cleaning, so allow me to explain. Our cleaning checks always take place on Mondays, and they don't announce each month's until the Saturday before. I never see the sign until Saturday night, at which time I don't want to clean. I don't like to clean on Sunday, either, so I end up trying to mask the dust and dirt. Our room really does stay pretty clean, but the cleaning days I select personally rarely match up with the scheduled checks. It felt good to get the sticker for once.

Only 11 days to go!

The Votes Are In!

I would first of all like to thank all my readers for their opinions and input on my boot contemplations. I took it all into consideration and have the results!

I went for a slouchy, buckled pair that I found in a little store in University Mall for $34. I saw them just as we entered the mall, and knew it was fate. I like to think that they found me. The store reminded me of China Town because there were no shelves, just stacks and stacks of shoe boxes. This meant that finding one's desired size required much digging through and toppling over of boxes and display shoes. There was not open seating, so I had to try on my boots while standing up and leaning awkwardly against an unstable stack of shoe boxes. I was on a mission, though, and I got my boots. They made their debut at church today, and I look forward to experimenting with them with skinny jeans and skirts this week. I've entered the world of boots, and I'm never going back!

Here's a closer view, in which you can see them in greater detail. The color is true charcoal, for it is dark, but not black, but not grey. I love that they have a heel, and it's not too high or too skinny, so they will not hinder campus traversing. I love them!

I have studied more this week than I ever have in my life. I've been so blessed, though, because I've actually enjoyed my week. I love the satisfaction of walking out of the library after focusing on something for three hours and thinking about how much more I have accomplished than when I walked in. I had papers for Music 201 and American Heritage due this week, and tests for ELang and Book of Mormon. This coming week, I have my hardest tests, which are in American Heritage and Physical Science. However, since I was focusing on the things I had due last week, I didn't get started on my studying for these harder tests until this weekend. Therefore, I pulled a Friday night study session in the library for three hours. I felt super lame, but got some good studying in. It was especially important for me to get a head start this weekend, though, because Saturday was game day, which eats up a lot of potential study time.

That being said, Saturday, Jessica and I went to the last home football game of the season. Since the beginning of the year, we have worked our way down from our seats at the very top of the stadium. Our tickets still say we should be up there, but we have friends who have closer seats, so we just sit with them. It's all benches anyway, so it's easy to fit extras into the row, especially when they are as fun as we are! :)

We got some "last time in the stadium" shots, and had a lot of fun. Andrew, the guy on the right, realized that since all the guys will go on missions next year, they won't be back in the stadium for three years! Whoa! I'm going to miss our guys so much next year; it's weird to think about them all being gone, and then coming back when we're seniors. Weird. I love that they're all planning on serving missions. I get so excited for missionaries and love doing missionary work. For the last few years I've loved the idea of serving a mission myself. Kristen, Kimberly, and I went with some guys from our ward to the call center at the Missionary Training Center, and it was so cool being in there! I'm such a dork, but I just get so excited about missionary work! My friend from home got his call to Cordoba, Argentina, and two of friends here already have their calls for Alaska and Anaheim. Way to go, guys!

After our shopping trip, we went to the library (not to study this time) because we heard that they were showing "The Sixth Sense" and "The Others" in the auditorium. To our dismay, our information was incorrect, but we were able to rent out a viewing room upstairs and watch "The Others" online. I love the adventures I have on campus with my friends. Last night, Tyler and I made a trip over to the JKB for vending machine treasures. Armed with our friends' id cards, we braved the confusing labyrinth that is the layout of the Jessie Knight Building. We decided that it's like Hogwarts, in that the staircases move, because nobody could possibly design a building to be that confusing. We found our way into the proper wing on the proper floor, and filled all the orders.

So, how do you smuggle this:

many beverages up to the fourth floor of the library?

Simple. You thank your lucky stars that you come from a family that values large purses.

We still maneuvered past the security guards with caution, but our mission was successful, and I got enjoy the movie with my Sprite Zero. Ah, refreshing.

The library plays loud music at quarter to midnight every night to rid themselves of all studious stragglers, and last night, the selection was especially happy. I thoroughly enjoyed myself by dancing my way down the stairs and out the building, rejoicing in a fun, productive, weekend, good friends, and a good life.

Photo Updates!

I feel like I'm finally getting a grip on life here. I went through a couple weeks in October of homesickness, where I just wanted to get in my car and drive home. One of the downsides to working data entry for up to five hours in a day is that I have plenty of time to just think, and when that thinking is about all the things I miss from home, those five hours seem very long. It's a good thing my office is in the back where nobody can see me unless they make the specific effort of actually coming back there, (that is, if they even know there is an office back there) because I can be sad and maybe cry if I need to. One Friday a couple weeks ago, I was so close to driving home as soon as work was finished. After looking up air fare, and deciding that I didn't want to spend $200+ to fly home that night, I texted Mom, asking "how crazy would it be if I drove home tonight." To my dismay, she responded that with my car, that would be pretty crazy. That was probably wise, seeing as I've never driven that far by myself, and my car really isn't as reliable as I like to pretend. A Saturday at home, mopping with Mom would have been pretty Shamazing, however.

Part of my homesickness came because at home, with my family, I am my truest form of Emily. Being here, I miss doing some of the things that make me that way. I don't have time or resources to acommadate the baking I did at home, cleaning, and piano practicing. I miss our King Soopers grocery store, the high school choir community, my ward, and most of all, my family (Duh). Last week, therefore, I decided that I needed to do those things that make me feel like me. Monday night, I put on my favorite cleaning shirt, and attacked the hair, dirt, and grime that filled our bathroom. I used a considerable amount of Clorox Cleanup, and I'm pretty sure I was getting high on the fumes by the end, but the cleaning was wonderfully therapeutic and satisfying. Tuesday night, I took my ever-increasing stack of ironing down to the basement, and pressed all my t-shirts and jeans as only a daughter of Denise would. The rest of the week went well, and I was able to get on top of my school work. 

The week culminated with Halloween, which I spent with my friends at the condo. Our plan was to make homemade pizzas with homemade pizza crust, which failed when the dough I mixed up was severely floury. It didn't even hold together. Leaving behind the failed dough, I drove over to the dorms to pick up the two carloads of party guests. (One of my friends really needs to get a car.) On the way back, we picked up some pizza crust mixes, but by the time we got back, one girl had found a way to repair the dough. Thus, we had four pizzas, and enough dough leftover to make a pan of cheesy bread and cinnamon sticks. The pizzas turned out deliciously, and we topped them so that when they were cut into pieces, each piece would look like a piece of candy corn. (See pic below for visual)

The Halloween pizza! It was actually pretty delicious.

Patriotic cheesy bread. Even things without minds had their minds on the upcoming election!

Making Halloween houses

Monster dough.

There was more that I had to report, but I'm too behind, so I'm going to move forward. 

Contamination!

Just moments ago, I was taking a break from the large stack of quizzes I'm entering into the computer, commenting on Susan's blog, when I noticed a funny taste in the baby carrots I was snacking on. (Previously, I had purchased a vending machine meal of EasyMac and a "Carrot Dippers" pack. I hate vending machine lunches, but on Mondays and Wednesdays I have work right after class, so they are a sad necessity.) When I first opened my carrots, I could tell they weren't fresh, but they looked edible. False. After eating over half, I looked down to see the horrific sight of black spots on a few of the carrots at the bottom of the package! #*!@&%! Gross! In a panic, I ran (yes, I actually ran) out of my office, back up to the third floor bank of vending machines, and frantically purchased a bag of trustworthy Wheat Thins and a Dasani. Phew.

Back in my office now, I am munching on my sanitary Wheat Thins and drinking my purified water, hoping to clean my mouth of any mold or other nastiness from those stupid carrots. It's a good thing I didn't crack open the ranch dip that came with the carrots; who knows what state of aging that would have been in?!

Attention! Alert!

Attention all bloggers! Freshmen t-shirt sighting in the Harold B. Lee library, second floor, periodicals! With Charlotte as my witness, I declare that students actually bought, and wear said shirts. (She and I just happened to come to the same area to study this lovely fall afternoon, and have been sharing Wheat Thins and Facebook messages back and forth. Later today we're going to see High School Musical 3. Good day.)