More stuff to learn, always more stuff (Finals edition!)

oh no! I don't remember what number I stopped on last time!
Don't worry, guys, it was 14. I figured it out. Just calm down!

15. The times I get the best ideas for blogging are usually at around two in the morning when I'm trying to get some kind of paper or large assignment done. It's terribly inconvenient, and an obvious procrastination technique, but I like to follow through with the urge anyway. Don't be too disappointed with me, mama. I'll get my assignment done, I promise. It's finals week, ok?

16. Finals week is the worst. Seriously. It's best to just go to the HBLL and shove your head in a book or your computer and go into some kind of freaky-zen-robotic-super-nerd-worker-bee trance until all your finals are done. You can have friends when you've passed junior year.

17. Last time I wrote about how sometimes you have a really good feeling about a test and then it totally drops a bomb on you. On rare occasions, the opposite happens. You walk out of that room thinking the worst, and then, bam! you didn't do so bad after all. This happened to me today by the way. No bigs. I'm just super awesome is all.

18. As crazy stressed and out of control you feel during finals week, it really does end. I promise. And when it's over, you know what you have to look forward to? Christmas. Family. Presents. Love. And most importantly, no homework. But that family thing is great too.

19. In the same vein, not only will the semester end, but lately I keep realizing that school ends. Seriously, guys. I'm graduating in four months. Who believes that? I certainly don't. But it's happening. I only have one more finals week to worry about in my whole life. And I'm only taking three classes. Piece of cake.

20 a. Finals week is the worst. Oh. Did I already say that? I've learned it lots of times. It pretty much turns me into a psychopath who has no control over my own emotions or anything I say or do. So I try to have as little contact with people as possible. Or if I do see people, I make sure they're the people who I know for sure will still love me with their whole heart when the week is over. (I'm looking at you, Keng.)
          20 b. Kendra Lynn Moberg has been in my life for a while, but very recently she has become a staple to my everyday survival.. I don't know how I could have gotten through the last couple of days without her, and I only wish I knew a way to express my appreciation for her. I love you, girl.

21. When you're as close to finishing college as I am (can I rub this in enough? No. I can't.), it's pretty much a lost cause to try to sell your books back. Especially because you bought them on Amazon for, like, 12 cents or something. So now you're stuck with The Book of Jewish Practice forever, and you'll just have to deal with it.

22. When that glorious moment arrives when you walk out of your last final, and you have zero responsibility for at least a second, do me a favor. Go to your room or a comfy spot that you enjoy, lie down, and think about absolutely nothing. If you want to cry, go for it. If you want to laugh maniacally, that's ok too. But just take a moment to let go of everything you've learned over the semester, so that you can prepare yourself for another four months of new information being crammed into your head.

23. After your moment of zen, have a dance party or something. Finishing finals is super exciting.



It kinda makes me feel like this. This picture is way too big, but I think that just emphasizes the excitement of it all, and I don't have the heart to change it.
Three more days.

Things I've learned (part 2)

Here's some more of this! I hope I can think of lots to say.

9. (Yes, I'm starting at 9) Sometimes there are people on campus who do weird things like sing out loud to themselves or dress up weird or start yelling in the Wilk, they're either doing some kind of social experiment for their freshman sociology class or they're super nuts. Either way, I've found the best approach is to just act as though it's completely normal and you don't even notice it happening.

10. When taking a test in the place where all happiness goes to die (also known as the testing center), there's this moment right before you look at the screen to see your score. You're feeling really confident or at least pretty ok about your test. This feeling is a trap. You did not do well on that test.

11. When you do actually look up at the screen, and happen to see that abysmal test score next to your ID number, it's best to save any emotion for a dark corner in your apartment. Or possibly eat your pain away at J Dawgs or Scoreboard.

12. J Dawgs is delicious. Eat there as often as you possibly can without wanting to hate yourself. But I don't know if you can hate yourself after eating a J Dawg. Get the special sauce. Seriously.

13. BYU chocolate milk is the best chocolate milk there is. That plus a doughnut from Sugar n' Spice and you'll gain that freshman 15 in no time.

14. As hard as you may try, Cosmo will probably never be your boyfriend. Even if he meets your dad and everything. Life is hard.


On a completely different note, I got an email from my mama yesterday detailing her plans for Christmas break and what everybody was doing. Needless to say, all I want to do now is go home and sit next to the fireplace and be with my family.

Other note. Yesterday Grant was trying to watch a movie on the XBox, and he was all, "How do I set this thing up?" Then Keola said, "Think outside the box." Hilarity ensued.

Last note. B flat.

Chanticle

I asked Dani Bakker what I should write about and she said, "me." Deal. Dani makes delicious cookies that I should just not try eating because then I want to steal all of them from everybody. She tells me that I dress outrageously, but in a really nice way that makes me feel good about myself.

After this exchange with Dani, Cambria Hill grabbed a cupcake, broke off the top, flipped it over, and made a beautiful icing sandwich. Blew my mind. That deserves to be recorded for the masses.Also, she likes me because I help her think of words and correctly place commas. Then this guy:

was all, "Will you mention my name in your blog? That would be awesome." And I told him, "I'll do you one better, Keola Goodman. I'll put your picture up there." Also, yesterday we spent an hour reading first world problems, and I kept being able to relate to them. Awkward. He's the nicest person ever.

A couple minutes later Grant Gagon asked why I've never blogged about him. So, I love Grant Gagon. He's the best home teacher anyone could ask for. He's also the best at paying compliments to me.

A few more things: Mackenzie Walker is a delight every time I see her smiling face. Scott Moberg is always willing to go to the temple with me, and thinks my baptizing form is impeccable. Mickell Walker pretty much lives at his kitchen counter doing accounting homework, and it motivates me to park it right next to him and edit my brains out. Drew Reid and Cherie Abiang pretty much make me pee my pants out of laughter every day. Bri Barrett, Aubree Street, Sadie Cervera, and Hannah Johnson are my favorite roommates. Wouldn't it be awkward if I had a fifth roommate? I don't.

Basically the moral of this story is that my friends are great. They are the best friends. I don't know why they like me because they're all way cooler than I am. Sometimes they make fun of me for the stupid things I say, but they hang out with me anyway. Right now I am sitting among them, and they aren't judging me for blogging. So that's pretty great.

Things I've learned at BYU (part 1)

Seeing as how I'm graduating in April (!!!), I have been thinking lately about all the things I have learned in my years at Brigham Young University. I decided to do a 17 part series (I may be exaggerating that number a little) of things I have learned at this higher institution of learning.  So here goes something:

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a class at or before 8 a.m. Everyone thinks they can handle it. I remember very snootily telling my brother that I didn't go to four years of early morning seminary for nothing and waking up at 7 would be easy and blah blah blah. Yeah. I also went to bed at 9. Early morning classes = no bueno. Even if you are one of the rare people who are capable of waking up for 8 a.m. classes--and good for you--don't pretend like you like it. We all know you don't.

2. Even though they got rid of the required physical education stuff, everyone should take one sporty class, unless you really, really hate sports. They are so fun! I took Volleyball and it's the best class I've ever taken. Next semester I'm hoping to take either bowling or racquetball. or tennis. or flexibility. or ice skating. The possibilities are endless! Find something you're interested in and take it!

3. Things that were nerdy and lame in high school are suddenly cool again in college. It's basically my favorite thing because I am a super nerd. I spend a large amount of time playing Super Smash Brothers and other N64 games. I have long conversations about Star Wars and Power Rangers and TMNT, and everybody thinks I'm super cool. I'm not really sure why, but I do appreciate it.

You know you and your roommate will get along when you both bring your Rubik's cubes  to college.

4. No matter how hard it may be to climb the RB stairs, or walk up that ridiculously steep hill, it is not kosher to act like it is hard. This shows weakness. I have actually developed a technique of wheezing while still looking completely normal.

5. When you are a freshman, you will stay up way later than necessary doing absolutely nothing, just because you realize you can and your parents can't get mad at you.

6. If a group of people ask you to go do something that sounds random and stupid and dorky, always say yes (unless they are strangers in a creepy van, because those people are probably lying to you). It will always be a fun time and make for a great story later.
ex.
Inviters: Hey, we're gonna go throw stuff off the JFSB roof and probably yell at random strangers. Do you want to come?
Invitee: Absolutely I do.

Spend the night outside Denny's in February? Perfect.

7. If you ever do something embarrassing or clumsy around a large group of strangers on campus, or a small group of strangers walking home, or even around your closest friends, always laugh at yourself before they get the chance. Like if it's winter and you fall on the ice and bruise your butt, or if you accidentally punch yourself in the face with your umbrella, or maybe you leave a classroom because you think it's the wrong one, and then you realize it was the right one and you have to go back in there and explain that, or if you run into a pole, or even a building, or maybe you fall up the stairs, or get off the wrong floor on the elevator. There are so many ways to embarrass yourself, it's hard to cover them all.  These are just a few examples of things that I have witnessed first hand, as in they were done by me. I know I wouldn't have survived life if I hadn't immediately after said, "Well that was dumb" and jauntily skipped away, only to trip on nothing and face-plant.

What I mean is, don't sweat it. Everybody does dumb things, and if you try to act like it didn't happen, or run away crying, people will just laugh at you harder. You have to beat them to the punch. And hey, you can always remember after you've done something stupid, "It's ok, I'm sure Erica has done this same thing before, and people still think she's cool." Seriously, guys, why do any of you even think I'm cool?

Sorry. That was a long one. But it's an important lesson, so there you go.

8. Is my favorite number, so I will end on this one. If you are lucky enough to have family around, spend time with them. Sisters are really great when you are sick of your roommates. Brothers are awesome to take classes with. Other brothers are great at having kids and a laundry machine and Mario Kart. Eat dinner with them, go bowling with them, and most especially, make sure they know how much you appreciate them. Maybe in the form of a blog post. I am so thankful for my family and that they are around to play with. Also, call your parents every once in a while, you big jerk.

Bowling times are the best times.

Next installment coming soon if I feel like writing it.

Mormons, Tabernacles, and Choirs

The thing is that I'm in Basic Editing Skills, and the Chicago Manual of Style says to use the Oxford comma. So I am. So if any of you are thinking, "What?! I thought she was totally opposed to that! Faker," then you probably are a little too concerned about things like commas. In which case we should be friends, because so am I. The start of this post did not turn out how I expected. Anyway, Pace McCulloch, my dear cousin who now thinks I'm cool because I have a blog, suggested the subject that is introduced in my title. I am finally getting around to it. So here we go.

First and foremost, I am a Mormon. Thank you, Richard G. Scott for making it ok for me to use that term. It was Richard G. Scott, right? That would be embarrassing if I was getting that wrong. EDIT: It was M. Russell Ballard! Thanks, Tracy. You know that big ad campaign happening right now where everyone is all, "I rock climb and go skydiving. I wrestle cougars. I am more interesting than the Dos Equis guy. And I'm a Mormon."? Check it out. I want to do one of those, except all I can think of to say is, "I am a pretty awkward person. I have an opinion about whether Captain Kirk or Picard is better. I have probably seen Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie more times than you. And I'm a Mormon." I don't feel like that is motivating to people. Regardless of how nerdy I am, being Mormon is super awesome. Most of you have probably noticed that my church is all kinds of all over the place in the media lately. For those of you who read my blog that aren't Mormon, thanks for being my friend. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. There is a lot of nonsense being spread around lately. I know you all have beliefs of your own and I respect that. Thank you for respecting mine.

I am undead, I like brains ... and I'm a Mormon. Happy October!

There are two things that I want to say about Tabernacles.  When I first was brainstorming about this post there was only one, but now there are two. That's crazy. Am I not getting to the point fast enough? Sorry. Let me say the weird one first. My nephew, Kyle, likes to pretend he has brothers and sisters and daughters and sons and a whole imaginary family basically. One time we were asking him what his daughter's name was and he responded, "Tabernacle." Hilarious. More serious one: At the end of last year, the Provo Tabernacle caught fire and was pretty much destroyed except for the outer walls. I used to go there for Stake Conference. It is a beautiful building and a pleasure to drive past, and many were devastated by the loss of this building. Nine days ago, President Thomas S. Monson announced that the Tabernacle would be rebuilt. I was thrilled! ... as the second temple in Provo. WHAAAA??! I am doubly super crazy thrilled! That is the most exciting news, and I hope they get it done quickly, so I can go.

This past week, I was driving to work, and passed the remnants of the tabernacle like I always do. Someone had made a banner and stuck it on the wall surrounding the building. It says, "Happy day!" and gives me chills every time I see it. Happy day, indeed.



I don't really have anything to say about choirs. Should I just talk about these guys?

Well I'm not going to.