I Have Problems

Most people are afraid of somewhat rational things like snakes, rats, strangers, dark alleys, things like that. Some people have more irrational fears like closets, insects, or the dark in general. I think my fear is a little beyond irrational.

I have a severe aversion to band-aids. I HATE them! Used band-aids are by far the worst, but even new ones are pretty horrible. I usually can't even bring myself to look at them, let alone touch them. I can't explain why. They are just horrible. It might come from my childhood days at the swimming pool when I would see a used band-aid floating in the water (I am gagging as I type this). Whenever I see a child with a band-aid on their clothes, "just because", I can't look at the child anymore.

Stickers are just as bad. I know, I'm messed up. I think it's because stickers are like band-aids masquerading as cute little rewards or something. The worst part about high school was the week of study body elections. Everywhere you went people were trying to plaster you with stickers reminding you to vote! Are they crazy! I spent the whole day avoiding people in the halls and removing the rogue sticker that somehow found me.

My family and friends think I'm crazy. They're right. I can't even bring myself to put a picture of stickers or band-aids on this blog. My poor children are doomed. When we go to Broulims (the grocery store), what's going to happen when the cashier offers my kids a sticker? I'm going to have to watch for that one.

Do they have therapy for this kind of thing???

SuperDaisies

Tyler buys me daisies every once in a while. They are my favorite flower, and they usually last about a week before they start to fade. This batch, however, is amazing! Tyler brought them home ten days ago. They looked pretty amazing then, but they haven't even started to fade! They are still just a huge, full, and white as the day they came home. I think someone slipped steroids in the water or something. Great job on picking the good ones honey!

Oscar and Spike

I spent another fun-filled afternoon with Nathan and Emily. Abby was also there joining in the fun. While I was there, I got a few shots of my families bizzaro pets. We have often wondered if weird animals are naturally drawn to my family, or if being around us makes them turn weird. Almost every one of our animals has had a very strange personality (as do all of the people in our family!).

Oscar, my mom's Lhasa Apso, loves to lay on his stomach, make strange ET noises, and hold his paws like a rabbit. Today he also had one of his favorite toys in his mouth. He also has an interesting relationship with one of the cats, Spike (a.k.a. Gandalf Salrong Mitchell The Grey). They like to gnaw on each other all day long. Spike actually got his name because Oscar used to chew on his head when he was a kitten. The hair on his head got all wet and stuck straight up. I know, gross.




Here are a few videos of these two "playing." Enjoy!

Baby Time

Don't get excited everyone. I'm sure by the title you were expecting some big announcement.

Nope.

Anyway, I decided to take a few pictures of my weekly playtime with Nathan. David, Emily, and Nathan all live in Chubbuck, and whenever they are in Rexburg I'm usually in Idaho Falls at class. This semester I started scheduling in some time on Wednesday afternoons to go out to my parent's house to hang out with Nathan and Emily. They stay there on Wednesdays and Thursdays for Emily's orchestra rehearsal and David's work. It's so much fun to spend time with them. Nathan is such a goof! We're hoping they move back to Rexburg when David finishes school.

Temptation

So I'm a little bit of a klepto when it comes to pens and mechanical pencils (I hate the regular kind). Anytime there is one lying around I always want to take it. Whoever left is not coming back for it, right? I started feeling guilty about it a few weeks ago, so I've been trying really hard to break my habit. Lately, though, someone seems to be testing me! Pens and pencils keep getting left by the computer in one of the lecture halls I teach in. There is now a little collection of them. They are nice ones, too! I am still being a good girl, but it is not easy.

Grrrrrrr

There are few things in life more annoying than going to the gym, getting to the locker room, and realizing that I forgot half of my stuff and won't be able to work out. Grrr!!!! That means I'll have to rearrange my schedule and go later today.

Parking Plans

Parking at BYU-Idaho has become somewhat of a nightmare. Granted, compared to many big schools we have it pretty nice. When I was in grad school, I had to plan for 15 minute of walking every day, and I had it better than most.

Anyway, my mom and I came up with a way to kind of beat the system. Most days I go to the gym right around noon, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays I go first thing in the morning. I finish right about the time my mom gets to work. I call my mom, tell her where I'm parked, and she "conveniently" shows up to my parking spot right at the time I am leaving!

We tried it for the first time today, and it was awesome. Fair? Maybe, maybe not. But I'd much rather give my parking spot to my mom than some other parking vulture.

I Am Amazing

Here it is. The epitome of grace and poise. I'm sure your all jealous of my obvious talent.



Notice the flawless form.



I'll be giving lessons this weekend.

Posting Pictures

Everytime I try to post a picture that is tall (a vertical shot), it comes out like this.

Does anyone know how to fix it???

A Lesson in Humility

This weekend I went to the BYU-Idaho viola studio retreat. We stayed at a cabin in Island Park and went cross country skiing the next day. Tyler was stuck in Rexburg doing a recording project. Friday evening was fun, with movies, the traditional lasagna, and a very strange game called Quelf.
Mark had to hold a plunger like a knight's sword throughout the entire game.


Poor El and Clarissa had to keep their arms and legs straight the entire game, except when it was their turn.


Saturday was the real lesson in humility. If have grown up downhill skiing. Our family used to spend all winter, every winter hitting the slopes. Because of that, I figure cross country skiing would be a piece of cake. WRONGO!!!! I felt like a crippled person who needed to canes just to walk in a straight line. The balance in these skis and boots are so different than downhill skiis. The smallest little hill sent me crumbling to the ground. I felt more pain by far yesterday than any other ski trip I've been on. It was still a lot of fun, though. We were all pretty bad at it, so we just laughed at each other as we failed miserably at going down a tiny little slope. It was also a great workout! I am always so paranoid about freezing while skiing, because I usually do. I put on several layers, but still went pretty light since I knew I would be working. After 30 minutes of skiing, however, I was sweating! I am sore today, but I can't tell if it's from the exercise element of skiing or from all of my falling.

Tyler will definitely have to come next year. Stay tuned for a possible video of my attempt at skiing!