This Just In:

It's cold here.

I was freezing this afternoon.

It rained.

It was cold, cold rain.

Of course, it's most likely not colder than the place I left behind.

My mom told me they had already shoveled three times today when she called me this afternoon around 4.

Craziness.

Surprise!

By the time this posts, I will have surprised my sister and her kids in sunnier-than-Utah (at least I hope so!) CA.

It'll be a quick trip (I'll be heading back home on Friday) but I'm excited.

It'll be fun to spend some time with them.

It's Christmas Time!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I can't tell you how much I love the Christmas season. I love the constant reminders of our Savior and His birth, and consequently His life and example.

Although it's not Thanksgiving, I'm going to list a few things I'm grateful for:

- my family
i have learned so much from all of them, and i love spending time with all of them - which i think is in and of itself a blessing
my gratitude here is also for all of my in-laws who are wonderful additions to the family

- the gospel of Jesus Christ
i absolutely know that my knowledge and belief in my Savior and my Father's plan for me has and will continue to be the driving force behind my choices

- my life
i really am thankful for this life that i have lived and get to continue living. by no means has it been perfect, but it's been great

There are many, many other things I'm grateful for, but I think they all stem from the above three.


I hope you all have a very Merry and wonderful Christmas!

Blast it All, it Makes Sense Now

I'm sick.

I've had a sore throat and runny nose for most of the day.

I have a rotten, rotten headache right now.

BAM.

Mystery of sleepless nights solved.

Yay!

But, blah.

So Cool

Christmas Excitement?

Is that why I've been having a hard time sleeping these past few nights? Flashbacks to Christmas anticipations as a kid? Not that I don't get excited for it now... it's just generally not the excitement that keeps me from sleeping for multiple nights before Christmas.

Maybe it's because of a phantom kitty whose purring I swear I can hear right now.

But I'm not sure where she is.

Maybe it's because that same kitty breaks out of her phantom-like state and jumps up on my bed to crawl onto my stomach and purr in my face.

Pretty cute, but it's less cute when it happens
at 4, 2, or even 5 in the morning.

Maybe it's because I want to be awake to enjoy every last minute of not being in school and having to worry about assignments.

Which I will admit, is a pretty awesome feeling.

Whatever it is, I wish it would still let me fall into the blissful unawareness of sleep.

Here's hoping!

ps - let me just say how much I'm hoping that the
kitty and my pup will end up liking each other
as much as the two in the picture.
they have about a week to get
to that stage.

I don't know that it will happen.

Scenes From Temple Square

Complete Four Finals -

I Love It!

I've blogged a bit about this movie before, but I just had to again.

This is my "go to" movie (I'm not really sure what I mean by that, so don't ask.).

I can put this movie on at any time, in any mood, and I will love it.

I love the cast.
I love the story.
I love the soundtrack.
I love how clean it is.
I love it!

It's excellent background noise for me. All the music in the soundtrack is soft and soothing (I own the soundtrack too. It's beautiful.). I have all the dialogue memorized (practically), and it doesn't distract me at all to have it playing in the background. I've watched it probably four times in the last week/week and a half (mostly as background, so I haven't necessarily watched it four times).

It's one that I feel I can recommend to anyone and regardless of their movie standards, I don't have to warn them about any scenes or language. It's fantastic.

it's playing right now.
while I study for my last final.
I just had to take a break to share the
fabulousness of "Sabrina" with everyone.

ps - I feel as thought I should add that I am definitely partial to the Harrison Ford/Julia Ormond/Greg Kinnear version
The three of them are fabulous.
I love Audrey Hepburn, but her version of the movie just doesn't do the same thing for me.
I've never been a Bogart fan (though I do love Casablanca), so that's probably a big part of it.
However, personality-wise, I can definitely relate more to Julia Ormond's character than Audrey Hepburn's. Technically they're the same character, but Ormond is more introvert and Hepburn more extrovert.

That's just my take on it.

Watch it and let me know what you think!

pps - some of my favorite lines:

Sabrina - I don't like to think of anyone as a lost cause.

David - You're talking about my life!
Linus - I pay for your life. My life makes your life possible.
David - I resent that.
Linus - So do I!

Sabrina - More isn't always better Linus, sometimes it's just more.

Okay, I'm done.
Promise.

Going to Washington DC

I just found out that I got accepted to attend a Health Education Advocacy Summit this coming March!

I'm hoping to get there early so I can tour the city a little bit. Never been to DC before.

I'm so excited!

It's About Time

I finally changed the two clocks in my room that I have neglected since this past time change. I actually have three clocks in my room, but one of them is atomic and takes care of itself.

I think what got me to do it was the fact that I still need to prepare for a final that I'm taking today at 3 and I need as much time as possible to get ready (hence the blogging... wait... hmm...).

All right, all right - back to business!

One Down, Three to Go

I completed my first grad school final today.

Hmm... let me say that again.

I completed my first grad school final today!

It wasn't horrible.

It wasn't fantastic.

But whatever it was, it's done.

done!

Three more left.

Tomorrow's may be not fun at all, but it may not be horrible.

We'll just have to see.

Thursday's will be the easiest (it's a group final, and really won't be bad).

Friday's is kind of a wild card.

This teacher was slightly unpredictable with the midterm, so we're all a little unsure of what to expect from the final.

But either way, by 2:00 pm Friday, 18 December 2009, I will be officially done with my first semester of grad school!

And Rebecca, to answer your question - I really do love grad school.

I don't necessarily love everything about it... but I love it!

Merry Christmas!

Ta Da!

Classes are done.

Four finals to go.

I love grad school.

Inner Struggle

I've been trying to be healthier ... I lost 20 lbs. this past summer and just recently have lost 5 more.

I want to be healthy.
I want to lose weight.
I want to take care of my body.
I want the benefits that come from exercising and eating well.

Right now...

my taste buds are saying -

(I don't care how cheap they are, their cheese pizza... mmMMmm!)

and my mind is trying to remind me that I really like these things -

Let the Madness Begin!

So... I started my training today. If you've looked at the schedule you'll see that next Saturday I'm supposed to run 12 miles. The farthest I've gone since the marathon was 6.2 miles and that was just a couple of weeks after the marathon. Other than that the farthest I've gone is 3.1 miles and that was on Thanksgiving. Other than that... well... I really haven't gone running.

I'd ideally take it much slower in training, but the training schedule that I like to follow (Jeff Galloway's walk/run plan) is a 32-week training. I don't have 32 weeks. I have 19. Of necessity, I've got to jump right in. Luckily this Saturday I get to warm up with only 4 (I still love how I now think of these distances as 'only,' when only a couple of years ago it was more like 'four whole miles?! no way!') before I hit myself with 12. However, because it's a walk/run thing, I can take it a bit slower than I normally would and not feel badly about it.

Thanks for all the well wishes for the marathon. I need them! (:

My Life for the Next... Months

just looking at it scares me.

sorry it's blurry.
when you click on it to enlarge it's clear.

Apparently, I Dare

I did it.

I signed up.

Not for the half either.

For the whole 26.2.

anyone know where I can find a cheap treadmill?

Do I Dare?!?

I've had the Salt Lake Marathon registration page open in my browser for over 24 hours.

Not sure if I want to do the marathon, or the half marathon.

Both would be wonderful.

Argh!

I Think It's a Good Time of Year For This

Go here, and take a minute to say thanks to our brave soldiers.

I Don't Think I Can Embed This One

go here.

I Need to Listen to Her More Often

she soothes me.

can't understand a word she's saying,
but I love it.

I pretty much love this whole cd.