Security

Do you ever go somewhere and wonder is a deranged person is just going to open fire on you? Well supposedly the government is trying to stop that, but it seems as though it is only making it worse. I work at the University Mall. Every time I hear of a shooting at a mall I am afraid of going to work. The number of crimes committed is on the rise. When people are upset or depressed it seems as though the only answer for them is to go shoot up a school or mall. That is ridiculous. Why don't we as a people work towards helping these people before they hurt others? Let’s make it a goal as a nation to reach out to these people. We don't have to keep to ourselves and never talk to other people. Let us as a nation move toward becoming one. The first step is to accept everyone regardless of their ethnicity or appearance. Often these people that do these horrible crimes have been either ignored or mistreated. The best way for us to insure our safety is to embrace everyone. I want to feel safe when I go to school or work. It is my duty to be kind to everyone that I meet and make them feel accepted. Let’s change the world by inclusion.

Windshield Wipers

I always thought it was interesting that a car has to have a good set of wipers on their car. Now I am alive and here to tell you that wipers are not just there for looks, you really need them. Sunday night I was driving to the airport to be the kind friend that I am and pick up a co worker. As I was leaving my house there was a light drizzle but I did not think that that would affect my trip in the least. Well I learned fast that when the freeway is wet and there is traffic it might as well be pouring. So my forty minute drive through Salt Lake involved a great deal of prayer and faith. The best part of the drive was being trapped behind a semi. That was about the most fun I have had in a while. Don't worry I lived. I have come to realize that the safety inspections happen for a reason. Well you would think that the next day I would be proactive and get the wipers fixed. I didn’t. How is it that you can decide that you are going to change something in a moment of desperation and fear but then end up not doing anything once the fear is gone? Isn’t that how life goes? You decide to change but then never get around to doing it. It is time to change for reals.

Windows and Cars

So I get off of work on Wednesday and want to put my check in the bank. By the time I drive to the bank it is after five and the lobby is closed. I go through the drive through with no problems. Once I am leaving I attempt to roll up the window and what do I hear but an offensive grinding noise. I go home and try to take the door off and pull the window up. Well doors are harder to take off than they look. I decided I would just leave it down until the next morning when I could find a mechanic. As fate would have it I hear on the radio that snow is coming. Well I don't have a garage at my apartment and did not want to be sitting on snow in the morning. I called my sister's ex-boyfriend's older brother (confusing right). He told me to come on over and he would help me get the window up. I drive the ten mile drive freezing to death, cursing myself for going to the bank. When I get there he takes off the door and gets the window up in a matter of seconds. Getting the door back on seemed to present a little more difficulty for him. I stood in the road lacking sufficient clothing while he pushed and pushed on the door frame. Twenty minutes later we were still working on the door. Finally he hit the door really hard. Something snapped and the door fell into place. The door was on. What was the snap? We don't know hopefully nothing important. My sister does not know the details of my lovely adventure with her car. Hopefully you enjoy this rendition Anita

The cold from you know where

This last week I have had a cold. Now when I am sick I tend to plow right on through life still going to school and work. This time around my body has taken a toll. Two out of the last four nights I have not slept at all. Even with the help of multiple night cold medicines that supposidly help you too sleep. After two hours of not being able to sleep I simply throw in the towel. I go into the living room and watch tv. Well at four in the morning there is not much to watch. Sometimes if you are lucky there will be crazy acrobats on the spanish channel with a human firework. But mostly there are just infomercials. But I think the best part of the cold is the constant state of plugged ears and not really being able to hear what people are saying to you. When you only hear about 50% of what someone is saying to you life can get pretty interesting. There have been instances recently where responces that I have made have offended the other party. My sister was tellling me about work and I tried to piece together what she was saying in my groggy state. Turns out my responce or thats great was not the best thing I could have chosen to say. Living with a cold is pretty much awesome and the best part is when you do something not so great all you have to say is I'm sick and everyone will leave you alone.

Hawaii

Anyone in their right mind would choose Hawaii over finals right? Not me. After being invited to accompany my boss and her son to Hawaii I learned that it fell on the same week as finals. I could still get out of those or so I thought. I tried to talk to my teachers and learned that asking to take a final early is usually not the best choice one could make. One of my finals is a group final and the professor wouldn't even think about letting us take it early. Come on its Hawaii, you would leave early too if it was free. I think the most depressing thing is the fact that I have turned down not one but two trips to Hawaii in the last month. Seriously school just puts a damper on life. It will still be okay because instead of going to Hawaii over spring break I am going to work. Making money is much better than a trip to Hawaii with a guy you don't really know, right? I have convinced myself that I am better off not going to Hawaii. I can accomplish more here in school and working. There is always next year.

Sleep

Sleep is for the weak. This statement has been made to me over the last few weeks. I don't know about the rest of you but I need sleep. This last weekend I was up until around four in the morning and then had to be up and ready by eight the next morning. On Saturday I was working and my eyes started to burn. I physically could not accomplish the tasks that I needed to. During the school year my average night sleep is about five hours. This is just not enough. As a student it is essential to be healthy to ensure performance is at its highest level. From now on this semester my goal is to average around six hours of sleep a night during the week days and seven and a half on the weekends. I feel that as a student I will have more success. So sleep is not for the weak it is for the intelligent. How much sleep do you get at night? How is your performance in school? I urge you to ask yourself this question. You will do better in life if you are getting the correct amount of sleep. A well rested person is a happy person.

My crazy crazy life

Often when I tell people my schedule they cannot believe it. They ask me how I do it. Sure desperation and strong willpower are the answers. This semester I am taking 18 credits while working 30 hours a week and trying to maintain a social life. My mornings start around 4 or 4:30 depending on the day. I start will a run for about an hour and a brief upper body workout. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I leave the house by 7 for school. I am at school until close to nine when I go to work until around four or five in the evening. After work I generally have a group meeting for one of my classes or homework to do. On Mondays and Wednesdays I have responsibilities for my ward from 7:30 to 9:30. After that I work on homework until around midnight. Tuesdays are a special day; I go to school from 8 in the morning until 9 at night. Right now because of the snow I have to leave by 6:10 to have a ride. Thursdays I leave at the same time as Tuesdays but only have class until 4 when I go to work until around 9:30. Fridays and Saturdays are mostly work days and when I am not a work I have a ton of homework and family obligations. Most people would think that Sundays would be a relaxing day but for me they are not. I end up going to church with my little brother at 9-12 then to my singles ward from 1-4. Plus going to two wards I have meetings and firesides I have to attend and two different families to eat Sunday dinner with. If I make it through this semester it will be a miracle.

Snow

I have decided that snow after January first is very depressing. This past Sunday it snowed six inches by the time I woke up in the morning. Being the good person I am I went out and started to shovel the driveway and sidewalks. To shovel it all took around an hour. It started snowing very hard about halfway done and continued to snow for the next hour after I had finished. At the end of the day another three inches of snow were on the ground that I had shoveled. Nine inches of snow in one day is just too much for me. I hate being cold. Every time I go outside regardless of how careful I am my pants get soaked. Snow is beautiful and good for our area I'll give you that, but it really is depressing when it is always around. The worst thing is the fact that in Utah it could keep on snowing until May. It could get warm and then all of a sudden it will snow. There are times when I wished that I lived in Arizona. Maybe I will become like the old people that live in New York during the summer and Florida in the winter. Once I am done with school I am going to live wherever it is warm and rarely snows.