I HATE...

You know something is wrong when your heart starts pounding for no apparent reason, or at least you think. "Why is it doing this?" is one of the first questions that runs through my mind. This question is quickly answered with a quick glance towards the floor where my feet are happily resting. A rather large black object is hustling across the floor right near my feet. The only acceptable and understandable reaction is to jump towards clearer grounds-literally:

Just five minutes ago, while trying to be studious (didn't happen), I noticed this black object out of the corner of my eye. Yes, it was a roach...bah huhuh. I quickly jumped from my seat at the table and climbed onto the farthest chair with a whinny shriek. I hate few things as much as I do roaches. Call me superficial, but I think their ugliness unnerves me.

***I really can't help my reactions to the situation. At one point in my life, I wondered if I often overreacted to roaches because there were people around. However, after just one roach experience by myself, I realized this was not the case.***

My experience just now was no different. I was sitting at the table all alone waiting for my parents to come home when I saw it. It was crawling between me and any form of defense (besides distance) that I could have. Strangely I wasn't able to control the stream of words that escaped my mouth. Words like "no (several times)" and "Come on (pleading with the roach does nothing, let me tell you)" and "mom (who wasn't home yet, may I remind you)"

I, in a mortified state, watched (while doing a frightened dance- a cross between "I have to go to the bathroom" and marching) as it crawled toward my bedroom. "How am I going to sleep tonight knowing that it is maybe journeying to see its family?" Finally, in a flurry of adrenaline, I was able to grab the broom out of the closet. This action was brave in and of itself. The roach was guarding the closet. With a "uh no no no" I feebly lowered the broom onto the devil of the insect world. When my attempt, weak from fear and mortification, didn't do anything, I tried a second time. This time, I held control of myself briefly enough to knock the thing on its back and into the bathroom across the hall from my bedroom. "That would do until mom got home, ehh, I hope."

I anxiously skip-jumped back to the table with my computer to start this account, but quickly had to stop. My hands were shaking and my mind was racing so fast that I couldn't type. Finally, I began to write what you have, to this point, read. My mom came home and found the roach angrily crawling toward my room. Luckily she made it in time to save me and my sleep from future harm.

All this might seem to you as a bit of an overreaction, but if you knew the experiences that I have had with roaches, you would more than understand.

I couldn't stomach putting a picture of a real roach here...this is all you will get!

...Roaches burahh huh- gross!!!

Reflections from...

So, this has been an excellent Christmas break. Family, school, new friends, old friends and coffee...well let me just tell you a little about it:

Family time is always good...i was able to experience a lot of that before and during the Christmas week. How lovely it is! I choose not to linger on that because it is always enjoyable.

the following is a list of highlights from the break without lots of description...because that gets old:

1. I spent most of my first week (during the mini) tallying the number of times a fellow student interjected unnecessary stories from his life. Although that seems very pathetic and lame, his number hit 94 by the end of the week. YEAH, I KNOW....WHAT??? I did take the creative liberty to add a few bonus tallies because he cursed in a class presentation and he said that i wasn't important. I totally had the right to do that!!! So this was a student that i had the "delight" of having in my voice and articulation class a year ago. He offered without being asked that i sounded like The Nanny from a TV show in the 90's. Yeah, not a compliment...at all. I guess one could say that i already had a bit of a bias against the nanny man...but can you blame me? No, thanks.

2. I started the following week in a large class (50) that had also decided to take Philippians with me. I got to sit by my one of college long friends. That was quite enjoyable. This experience was elevated by the fact that our Professor was AMAZING. I have come to the conclusion that classes with professors that are extremely intelligent and a bit socially awkward are my FAVORITE. I had many of my friends in the class as well. We were able to talk for many minutes on how much we loved our Professor and how we would like to be able to speak and everything sound like a poem. We often attempted to do that...I have come to the conclusion that only very intelligent and a bit socially awkward Professors are able to do that. (you might be wondering why i continually capitalize "professor"...no it is not because i tend to do things like that on accident, it is more because i feel that our Professor deserves that kind of respect...i mean seriously, everything he said sounded like a poem.)

3. This week was accented by getting to go to lunch every day with good friends and having good conversation. On Friday to end our great week of joy with a bang, my friend (Jason) took me and my other friend (Ally) to his favorite restaurant: Spiral Diner. This just so happens to be a vegan restaurant. Can I say that it was such an exciting time. It seemed like such a different culture! It was so unique and enjoyable to watch those who worked there and those who journeyed there. I couldn't help but notice Jason's posture while we were there...a mix between relaxed and maybe a tinge of pride (in a good way). I got a BBQ sandwich (yes, i know that is a sandwich with meat..but have you already forgotten we were at a vegan dinner?). It was made with wheat protein instead. I very much enjoyed it.

4. Can i take a number (4, to be exact) to talk about the weather on these days? Ok, stellar, thanks! The days this week were so intense and lovely. I believe that this first week of 2009 found incredible joy in being extreme. side note: i believe it was attempting to set the standard for me this year! Day 1: freezing with rain-Day 2: warm and sunny- Day 3: i don't remember, but awesome-Day 4: slightly overcast and a little hot-Day 5: OH GOODNESS...so beautiful, like a painting crossed with purity.

5. Now I sit in Panera Bread with the uniquely beautiful Sara. There aren't many words to describe this time. I am not sure that many things surpass that happiness that i experience while sitting in a coffee shop with good friends and fun.

6. I feel like there are times in my life when the Lord just lavishes joy through things in my life. I am so thankful that this has been one of those times. The beauty of desiring The Savior and being able to see Him in your surroundings! How Glorious!!!

Just because I hate not having a picture to keep readers interested:

...a truly splendid break