Hello, my faithful followers. I'm sorry for leaving you hanging on my last, less-than-optimistic post about Provo. I'm here, and my first week was amazingly successful. Saying goodbye to my family was tough, but I felt none of the debilitating homesickness I felt last year. It was so easy to slip back into school life, and I'm really enjoying myself. My ward is fantastic, and I already know many new people and friends. I feel like a part of things here, which is wonderful.
My apartment is less than luxurious, but I'm okay with it. I've been blessed with the ability to see past the small things like a constantly dirty kitchen floor, messy living room, and sink full of dishes, and accept it as part of living in a college apartment with five other girls. The two roommates who I didn't know before I came here have been here all summer, and they didn't feel the need to make room for us new move-ins in the fridge, cupboards, or bathroom, or even tidy up. Since moving in last weekend, I've already mopped the kitchen and cleaned my side of the bathroom. I refuse to become the only roommate who cleans just because I actually notice dirt, but this initial cleaning was more for my psyche than anything.
I'll take some pictures soon to show the good and the bad at my apartment. My roommates, though adverse to cleaning, are into decorating and making our apartment cute, though their taste is not always spot on. I'm happy with the cute orange curtains, but I could definitely do without the monkey and sea horse sculptures. To each his own, I guess.
Class-wise, things are looking good. Taking the pre-requisites for the accounting program is great because they actually count for something. After a year of GE's, having direction is fantastic.
I'm doing so much better than I could have hoped for. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as I've been praying for strength all summer and I know that I have many friends and loved ones praying for me as well. I know that the strength and capacity I'm feeling is not my own, and I am so grateful to be the recipient of so many blessings.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
resisting
I thought I was okay with going back to school, but the pit in my stomach right now tells me otherwise. I hate seeing my home empty of all my stuff, and the thought of Provo no longer fills me with the excitement of a new school year. Provo seems far away, lonely, and not home. In just a week, I'll be getting back to my apartment from my first day of classes and work, and that's weird to me. Leaving is feeling more and more real, and accordingly, I'm realizing more and more how hard it will be to leave home.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
my findings
I have devoted a great deal of time and effort this past summer to researching the various fountain drinks anywhere they are sold. Driven by thirst, heat, and the joy of Diet Pepsi, I tested, analyzed, and compared products from countless establishments. Though bordering on obsessive, my passion for fountain drinks taught me a lot, and you, as my reader, are are fortunate enough at this time to benefit from my wisdom.
Gas stations are the most classic vendors of over-sized cups of chilled, carbonated, caffeinated soft drinks, but excellent products can be found in drug stores, grocery stores, and wholesale warehouses everywhere. If you live in a town with people and businesses, you are surrounded by fountain drinks. With so many options, how do you choose where to take your loose change and singles? Which establishments will provide you the best priced and highest quality refreshment? On a hot, long day, who do you trust to give you the optimally refreshing and rejuvenating 32 ounces of your favorite cola? To answer these important questions, I present to you my findings.
Gas stations are the most classic vendors of over-sized cups of chilled, carbonated, caffeinated soft drinks, but excellent products can be found in drug stores, grocery stores, and wholesale warehouses everywhere. If you live in a town with people and businesses, you are surrounded by fountain drinks. With so many options, how do you choose where to take your loose change and singles? Which establishments will provide you the best priced and highest quality refreshment? On a hot, long day, who do you trust to give you the optimally refreshing and rejuvenating 32 ounces of your favorite cola? To answer these important questions, I present to you my findings.
Emily's Official and Highly Scholastic Survey of Fountain Drinks
(All research was conducted in the summer of 2009, in the Denver area.
All products tested were 32 oz, diet cola beverages.)
(All research was conducted in the summer of 2009, in the Denver area.
All products tested were 32 oz, diet cola beverages.)
Best Value: The Circle K "Thirstbuster"
Circle K's pricing is what makes them one of my favorites. A 32 oz drink is just 79 cents anytime, any day, which is the best price I've seen yet. The cups are styrofoam, which, as the cups claim, stay "Arctic cold on the inside" while remaining "Bone dry on the outside." Not all Circle K's have the styrofoam cups, but their plastic cups have a decent, though not ideal, grip-ability. Also, plastic cups collect condensation, which can be an inconvenience. The occasionally wet hands are totally worth it, however, for paying approximately 2.46 cents per ounce. For Coke product lovers, however, Circle K is not the place for you. Only Pepsi products flow from their spouts, but being a Diet Pepsi lover myself, the lack of selection is not a setback.
Status Symbol: The 7-Eleven "Big Gulp"
7-Eleven is classic, but it's overpriced in my opinion. Their selection, however, is the best you'll ever find. Their machines dispense both Pepsi and Coke products, and many locations offer the flavor shots option, which is a nice way to shake things up every once in a while. With the flavor shots, you can choose from lemon, cherry, or vanilla flavoring to be dispensed along with your drink. I have tried cherry and lemon, but I warn against the lemon flavor; it was overpowering, artificial, and too sweet. A Big Gulp will cost you $1.19, which breaks down to about 3.7 cents per ounce. Refills are only 99 cents, however, and the cups are durable, so they're easy to hang onto in your car for your next drink stop. Overall, 7-Eleven is a classic, though not better enough than its alternatives to justify the $0.20 + difference.
Short-lived Favorite: Diamond Shamrock
I was so excited when I passed by a Diamond Shamrock in Littleton, CO and saw that between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., they observed "Halfy Hour," during which all fountain drinks were half off. Sham. Wow. I immediately made a stop and bought a 32 oz. drink for just 54 cents; it was truly thrilling. Diamond Shamrock has styrafoam cups (my favorite) and Pepsi products, which is fine with me. I thought for a while that Diamond Shamrock was the perfect gas station drink stop for me, so I spent the next month searching for a D.S. close to home or work. Once I finally found a few, I discovered that tragically, "Halfy Hour" was only a six-week-long promotion. Normally priced, a drink is still only $1.09, and the cups are as cute as a 32 oz styrofoam cup can be. Diamond Shamrock is definitely worth the stop.
Number 1 Choice: The Walgreens "FlavorRage"
Walgreens really is the all-around champion of fountain drinks. Not all locations offer them, but if you are stopping by a Walgreens with a "Cafe' W," you are in for a fantastic experience. The Cafe' W provides pebble ice, both Coke and Pepsi products, flavor shots, and good-looking cups. They have the best of everything, and at just 99 cents, the price is right. The downside is that Walgreens stores are bigger than most gas station convenience stores, so getting in and out may take longer. The benefit of their being larger, however, is that you can pick up your prescriptions, photos, and anything else you need while grabbing some much-needed refreshment.
Circle K's pricing is what makes them one of my favorites. A 32 oz drink is just 79 cents anytime, any day, which is the best price I've seen yet. The cups are styrofoam, which, as the cups claim, stay "Arctic cold on the inside" while remaining "Bone dry on the outside." Not all Circle K's have the styrofoam cups, but their plastic cups have a decent, though not ideal, grip-ability. Also, plastic cups collect condensation, which can be an inconvenience. The occasionally wet hands are totally worth it, however, for paying approximately 2.46 cents per ounce. For Coke product lovers, however, Circle K is not the place for you. Only Pepsi products flow from their spouts, but being a Diet Pepsi lover myself, the lack of selection is not a setback.
Status Symbol: The 7-Eleven "Big Gulp"
7-Eleven is classic, but it's overpriced in my opinion. Their selection, however, is the best you'll ever find. Their machines dispense both Pepsi and Coke products, and many locations offer the flavor shots option, which is a nice way to shake things up every once in a while. With the flavor shots, you can choose from lemon, cherry, or vanilla flavoring to be dispensed along with your drink. I have tried cherry and lemon, but I warn against the lemon flavor; it was overpowering, artificial, and too sweet. A Big Gulp will cost you $1.19, which breaks down to about 3.7 cents per ounce. Refills are only 99 cents, however, and the cups are durable, so they're easy to hang onto in your car for your next drink stop. Overall, 7-Eleven is a classic, though not better enough than its alternatives to justify the $0.20 + difference.
Short-lived Favorite: Diamond Shamrock
I was so excited when I passed by a Diamond Shamrock in Littleton, CO and saw that between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., they observed "Halfy Hour," during which all fountain drinks were half off. Sham. Wow. I immediately made a stop and bought a 32 oz. drink for just 54 cents; it was truly thrilling. Diamond Shamrock has styrafoam cups (my favorite) and Pepsi products, which is fine with me. I thought for a while that Diamond Shamrock was the perfect gas station drink stop for me, so I spent the next month searching for a D.S. close to home or work. Once I finally found a few, I discovered that tragically, "Halfy Hour" was only a six-week-long promotion. Normally priced, a drink is still only $1.09, and the cups are as cute as a 32 oz styrofoam cup can be. Diamond Shamrock is definitely worth the stop.
Number 1 Choice: The Walgreens "FlavorRage"
Walgreens really is the all-around champion of fountain drinks. Not all locations offer them, but if you are stopping by a Walgreens with a "Cafe' W," you are in for a fantastic experience. The Cafe' W provides pebble ice, both Coke and Pepsi products, flavor shots, and good-looking cups. They have the best of everything, and at just 99 cents, the price is right. The downside is that Walgreens stores are bigger than most gas station convenience stores, so getting in and out may take longer. The benefit of their being larger, however, is that you can pick up your prescriptions, photos, and anything else you need while grabbing some much-needed refreshment.
*Which one sounds best to you?*
*Did your favorite make my list?*
*What do you look for in a fountain drink?*
*Did your favorite make my list?*
*What do you look for in a fountain drink?*
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Countdown
1 day left at my temp job
2 more cleaning jobs
3 more knitting projects to finish
4 hours are what I need to spend to catch up on blogging
5 bug bites on my legs that are driving me crazy
6 days until Charlotte's birthday!
7 days left until summer is over and I'm back in Provo.
2 more cleaning jobs
3 more knitting projects to finish
4 hours are what I need to spend to catch up on blogging
5 bug bites on my legs that are driving me crazy
6 days until Charlotte's birthday!
7 days left until summer is over and I'm back in Provo.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Dust, Dander, and Dandelions, Oh My!
You know it's allergy season when:
You fall asleep with a tissue (Puffs, of course, because they are superior to any other brand) or two in hand because by the time your allergy medication wears off you can barely breathe because your nose is so stuffed up. When you make the bed in the morning, you pull out a few flattened tissues from between the sheets and from the sides of the mattress.
You are constantly itchy, especially when you forget to take your Zyrtec or when it starts to wear off.
You stay inside on lawn-mowing day.
You can't taste your breakfast because your nose is completely plugged up and the morning decongestant hasn't kicked in yet.
You always have a stash of Puffs in your purse, because without it, you end up blowing your nose with scratchy toilet paper from the bathroom at work. (What office doesn't have tissues?!)
You occasionally look overly-emotional when your eyes decide to water uncontrollably.
You get panicky if you forget to take Alavert-D each morning, because that little pill is your lifeline to a day of blissful breathability.
You are grateful for modern allergy medicine, Puffs, and years of allergy season survival under your belt, because you know you can survive another.
How do you survive allergy season?
What is your preferred brand of tissues?
What is your preferred brand of tissues?
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