Thank God for Small (HUGE) Favors

Well, I just saw my life flash before my eyes.
Mom and I had been doing some shopping.  I had been driving , but since I was just going to run into Tjmaxx to get a book, we switched places.  We pull into the parking lot behind this massive truck, the kind of truck a guy buys when he's overcompensating for something.  He drives past a parking spot and decides to back up.  But he doesn't do so slowly.  Of course not.  He hits the gas. If it would have taken my mom another second to throw the car in reverse, well, he would have had to buy us a new car.
Thankfully I wan't driving.  Thankfully there wasn't anyone behind us either.
So Truck Guy pulls into his precious parking space and gets out of his truck.  If there was ever an embodiment of the term "tool", "douche bag", or "asshole", it was this guy.  Tight white tshirt, jeans that looked more expensive than my entire wardrobe, and a backwards cap.  He was completely unfazed. I don't think the tool even realized he almost hit us.
And to be completly honest, if we would have died four days away from seeing my best friend again, I would have been so pissed. I would have haunted truck guy for the rest of his life.  

Defy the Stereotypes: Beauty

I grew up, as I'm sure many other girls did, believing that the pretty girls were always vapid and the Hermoine Grangers of the world were frumpy and too smart to bother with frivolous things like fashion.  There is no in-between.  You're one or the other.  You can't possibly be both.  You can't care what you look like and be intelligent.  Its simply not allowed.

Well screw that.

I shall enjoy getting ready in the morning as well as reading a good book at night.  I'll watch vintageortacky's makeup tutorials and then watch John Green talk about the French Revolution on Crash Course.  None of this "Brains over Beauty" nonsense.  I will take pride in my body and my brain and not let one discount the other. 

Pardon Me, I'm Going to Let My Mormon Show Briefly

'Till Death Do Us Part'

Look at that statement for a second.  Let the meaning sink in.
Or how but this one:

'For As Long As We Both Shall Live'

I think these are some of the most depressing phrases.
When I think about the person I love and want to spend the rest of my life with, I do not want it to end at death. 
For me personally, heaven would seem a lot like hell without my family (present and future) there with me.  I can't picture any kind of afterlife were I'm just floating around with no familial ties. 
It makes me so thankful for modern revelation.  The knowledge that families are forever is such a blessing.  One that I look forward to having some day with my future husband. 
Honestly, I do not have the words to express what this means to me.  I think I won't have the words until years after I'm sealed to my husband.  But I know its true docterine and its something that makes me so happy.

May We Never Forget

I would like to share another poem with you in honor of today.

I was young but I remember

the shock on teacher’s faces,
the confusion and pain of so many,
the anger and pointing fingers,
and the closeness it brought America.

I was eight yet I remember

fear watching the Towers fall,
the horror on nameless running faces,
so many speeches and prayers said,
and the hope that followed.

 Years have passed.
and memory grows hazy,

But I've seen where the Towers fell and I've heard,

the solemn silence that lingers there,
a mother’s gratitude for a choir honoring her daughter,
tears of reflection,
and a song of hope for bright mansions above.

I've been to Ground Zero and I've seen

the mural on the wall,
and the pictures loved ones left.
I've seen the writing on the bronze,
and pray we never forget.



It's My Blog, I'll Complain If I Want To...

Remember when this happened?

Knocking on wood doesn't work apparently...

I'm currently taking a break from packing all my stuff for what seems like the hundredth time in the space of a year.  I really despise packing.  I'm half tempted to just donate everything to DI (Desert Industries.  Utah's equivalent of Salvation Army/Goodwill), but then I'd kind of be stuff-less and I kind of like my stuff.  Although, there is a nice little growing pile of stuff to be taken to DI.
Of course this pile is on the floor.  My room is a very unorganized mess right now.  There's a pile of boxes on the floor by my desk.  Clothes strung all over the extra bed in my room.  Honestly, I kind of looks like someone broke into my apartment and ransacked my room.  Maybe someone already did and its such a mess I just didn't notice.  That's actually kind of a scary thought.
And on that note, I'm going to get back to work so I can get a little bit of sleep.  I feel like I haven't slept all week.
*deep dramatic sigh*

A Poem: Creative Inspiration at 4 a.m.

The problem with staying up

later than any sane individual would

is not that I end up wasting the daylight hours

or yawning insistently all the next day.

No.  The problem is much bigger,

much more important than any of that.

The problem with greeting the dawn

before my head hits the pillow

is that there are no distractions.

Nothing but my thoughts

to keep me company

and occupy my time.

Not nice happy thoughts either

of laughs shared with loved ones

or accomplishments grand or small.

The darker it gets in the world outside my bedroom,

the darker the thoughts that flit around my head.

Thoughts of people who played with my heart

like it was a childhood toy.

Memories of lovers who left me alone in tears

and a bed far too big for one.

People who hurt me stand like ghosts in the room,

each wound they inflicted fresh as the day it was dealt. 

No longer content with the wrongs I’ve been dealt,

my thoughts start on my own imperfections.

The features on my body I wish I could change

if only I had the money and no one would judge me.

A list of failures big enough to fill a thousand tomes,

each seeming monstrous in size.

I finally concede to go to my warm bed

when I see my fears slithering toward me from the side.

But sometimes sleep doesn’t stop them

and they creep into my dreams instead. 

In Which Chelsea Has Far Too Much Fun Making an Announcement and Gets Really Confused by Talking in Third Person (On a Side Note, Is This Title Too Long?)

We interrupt your normal blog posts to bring you a post that could actually be considered narcissistic.  

 As of the 25th of July 2012, Chelsea L. Conner, of Parkersburg, WV, has decided that she will not be returning to Southern Utah University, located in Cedar City, UT, for the fall semester, or, frankly, any semester after that.  Instead she has decided to put her educational goals on hold for the time being.  She plans on returning home to West Virginia at the end of August and job hunting in the hopes of raising enough funds for her to attend The Ohio State University in the Fall of 2013. When asked about this major life decision, Chelsea had this to say:

It was honestly a very tough, scary decision.  I felt prompted to switch schools early on in the summer, but by that time I had already missed deadlines and I unquestionably did not have the funds to pay tuition.  It never even crossed my mind to take the year off, so I planned on staying here and going to school and working.  I realized, however, that this plan was counterproductive for multiple reasons.

She proceeded to talk about how Cedar City had helped her to grow and that she was going to be sad to leave the city.  "I've met so many friends here," she said. "It's going to be sad to leave without seeing people. I said 'see ya in a few months' to a lot of people.  It never even crossed my mind to say goodbye."
Yet even though it will be sad to leave the 'temporary home' she made for herself in Cedar, Chelsea is 'beyond excited' to be returning home.  "If going away for college taught me anything, its that my heart belongs in West Virginia.  There's a reason West Virginia's state songs, whether they be officially labeled as such or just Country Roads, always talk about coming home.  Its where I grew up, where my family and friends are (except for those who have moved away), and its always going to be my home among the hills.  I'm so excited to be going back"
The exact date for departure has yet to be set in stone, but it will be sometime after the 22nd of August.

But... Reading IS Fun

I ran into a girl who was in my English 1010 class today on campus.  I had stopped by Outtakes to get something to drink and then I was  going to sit outside with my book and enjoy the weather and riveting words.  We exchanged pleasantries.  The typical small talk about why we were still in Cedar and that life was good.  We exited the store and she asked me if I was going to work.  (I still had on my housekeeping shirt).  I explained that I had actually just come from work and that I was planning on relaxing for a little while by reading a book outside.  I should be used to what came next.  With complete and utter sincerity she asked me, and I quote, "Wouldn't you rather do something fun?"
I stared back at her.  Didn't she know I owned close to a hundred books?  Didn't she know that I had read the fifth (and longest) Harry Potter book in the space of two days while I was still in elementary school?  Didn't she know that I can't go into a book store without finding at least a couple books I want to buy?  Didn't she know that I am so enamored with the written word that I've decided its what I want to do with my life; to write the books that will touch peoples lives as my life has been touched by books written by others?  I could have given an epic speech, but instead I simply replied, "But, reading is fun."
Honestly, I get asked this question much more often than is acceptable, but this time it struck a chord.  This is due to the book that I am currently reading: Fahrenheit 451.  For those of you who don't know, Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian piece in which books are banned.  If they find books in your home, not only will they burn your books, they'll burn your house and cart you off to jail.  But its not just the books.  Anything and everything that requires some thought is gone.  Philosophy, science, religion, art, theater, music, etc are gone.  And the saddest part?  It didn't start off as a government mandate.  The people didn't want to think anymore.  They just wanted to have mindless fun.
When I started reading it, I didn't think it could ever happen.  It was outlandish.  Then the above conversation happened and I was reminded that science fiction has a way of predicting the future.  When Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 there wasn't much mass to the media.People didn't spend hours and hours watching TV.  There was no internet or cell phones or iPods.  And yet he predicted how disconnected our society could become.
One closing thought before I leave.  I decided to read Fahrenheit 451 so I could participate in video bloggers John and Hank Green's summer book club.  They chose the book because the "novel" Fifty Shades of Grey has sold more copies than Ray Bradbury's books combined sold in his lifetime.  One of America's great writers has sold less books than someone who wrote complete smut.  If that isn't cruel irony, I don't know what is.      

Wanderlust

Up until my sophomore year in high school, I was content where I was.  My traveling had been limited: Orlando, Florida when I was 4, Moorhead City, NC when I was 12, Kirtland, OH and Williamsburg, VA at 13, and Nauvoo, IL at 14.  Nice places to visit, but none of them moved me.  None of them ignited a desire in me.  Then came the choir trip to New York City when I was 16.
This was my first time in a big city (I don't really count Orlando since I was only 4). I remember seeing that famous skyline in person for the first time.  I couldn't stop glancing or blatantly staring at it, which I had plenty of opportunity to do since we sat in traffic for an hour before we reached the tunnel that would actually take us into the city.

First Skyline Picture

I remember stepping off the bus, and I'm sure we all looked ridiculous.  We were all staring up at these buildings that were impossibly tall.  Also take into consideration that our first stop that night was in the middle of Time Square!  Suddenly we were in a place that we've seen every New Year's Eve and in movies and TV, but never actually thought we would see in person.  Even more amazing than looking up at skyscrapers though, is looking down on them.  Is there a better introduction to the city that doesn't sleep than being up on the Empire State Building at night?  I think not.

Photo from the next year's trip since I had a better camera.

But my point was not to rehash the events of days gone by, or to talk solely of NYC.  (Even though if I had the opportunity to live anywhere in this country and money wasn't an issue, it would be New York City.)  No, my point is that this trip opened up my eyes to places, people, and things so unlike anything I knew.  I didn't know it then, but this trip would ignite a desire in me to see just what this world has to offer.
I didn't really see the point in traveling before this trip.  Other places looked cool, but I felt like I had everything I needed in my not-too-big-not-too-small hometown.  When you live in the same place, with the same people your whole life, you begin to think that thing's that are popular there are also popular everywhere else.  (I blame this phenomenon on mass media... and my own ignorance.)  Just a small example of this is back home in West Virginia people love Taco Bell (myself included), but here in Utah they kind of hate it.  There are franchises that have different names.  (Hardee's = Carl Jr's; Kroger's = Smith's).  Words are pronounced differently and have different meanings.  I think these differences between places even in the same country are just fascinating and cool.

I have a long list of places that I would love to visit in the US and all over the world.  I want to see the tourist traps.  I want pictures of the guards at Buckingham Palace.  I want to see Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower.  I want to buy a "I ♥ NYC" shirt, because even though I've been to the city twice, I don't own one.  I want to see what makes a place tick.  I want to find places the locals love.  I want to find the places tourists look past, but are as cool as the landmarks.  I want to learn the history that coats cities.  I want to see palaces, and churches, and monuments to people I have never heard of. I want to get out of my bubble.  I want to explore.  I want to be inspired.
I found a quote by Henry Miller that perfectly sums up how I feel about traveling.  He said "One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."  I want to experience things I would never get to in my day-to-day life.  The little traveling I have done has made me see things differently.  As my title would suggest, I lust after the next time I get to travel.  That may be awhile from now, but honestly, it can't come soon enough.
Adeus por agora!
(Goodbye for now!)

Occasionally, I Write Poems

I took an Intro to Creative Writing class this past spring.  During the poetry section, we spent a day or two looking at spoken word  poetry.  I became fascinated.  I had never written anything even resembling spoken word and I wanted to badly.  After a few discarded attempts, I have finally finished one.  Constructive criticism is always appreciated. (And yes, I realize its called 'spoken word' for a reason.  Take up the complaint with my webcam that refuses to cooperate with youtube.)
And now, without further ado...

For the Man Who Means More Than A Poem

Chelsea L. Conner

I’ve been trying to write about you,

but it all just comes out clichéd, and overdone, and

sounding like every damn love poem I’ve ever written combined into one,

which will not do,

because if that love was so special, why am I writing to you,

and not to the boy who first made me want to emulate Shakespeare?

Now maybe I’m a natural born cynic,

or maybe the world made me that way,

but thus far in my life romance has been but a shooting star;

beautiful, rare, and it doesn’t last nearly long enough.

And I don’t want that for us.

There I go again, but it’s true.

You mean more to me than fleeting promises

we won’t mean tomorrow.

I want us to mean more than clichéd sentiments

penned by my younger self.

I don’t want us to be ephemeral;

I want us to be eternal.

I want us to write our own love story.

Something that will be better than fiction

because it won’t be perfect.

It will be perfectly real.

I want to steal your last name.

I want people at our wedding to say

they always knew we would make it.

I want to make babies with you by the dozen!

(Well, maybe not that many,

but we can sure try!)

I want to embarrass our kids when they’re older,

because we’re still madly in love

and we don’t care who knows it.

I want us to call each other pet names

like darling and dear

well into our sixties.

And to continue to hold hands in public

even if we get arthritis.

I want young couples to see us

and make them strive to have a love

that could even attempt to rival ours.

Maybe we won’t last nearly that long.

But darling, I truly believe

we can be much more spectacular than a shooting star.

We can be a super nova.

Not Your Average Father's Day Post

I really do not like today.  It reminds me in full force what I lack, and I don't like that.
For those of you who know me well (and now all who read this post), know that I do not know my father and, most of the time, have no desire to.  He's an alcoholic.  He's been in and out of jail.  I know he never went to college and I'm fairly certain he didn't graduate high school (I'd be surprised if he had).  Most of the time, I really don't like admitting we share some DNA for those reasons.
But sometimes I wish I could meet him.  These reasons are purely spiteful.  I like to believe that my Mom did an amazing job raising me.  She pushed me to be the best I could be.  She never wanted anyone to say, “Oh, she’s from a single parent home. You’ll have to excuse her.”  I graduated high school.  I'm receiving a college education, and earning my own money.  Because of family history, I've never smoke or drank and have no desire to.  I've never even been to the principal's office let alone done something big enough to get me thrown in jail.  I hope to be able to get a good job and one day get married and have a family of my own.
I want to meet him so I can show him that I am nothing like him.  That I am making something of myself, even though he never did because he couldn't change.  That him not being in my life, didn't make me just another statistic.  That I'm a better person, because I never wanted to be like him.

The Great Perhaps

The poet François Rabelais's last words were, " I go to seek a Great Perhaps."  Like Pudge who quotes these words in the novel Looking For Alaska by John Green, I didn't want to wait until I died to seek the Great Perhaps.  Like him, I thought it could be found in this life.
When I first read the book, I was getting ready to come out to Southern Utah University.  I thought of this educational journey as my Great Perhaps, since I really had no idea what I was doing.  (Hell, I still don't!)  I had only a vague idea of what the campus looked like, no earthly idea as to what the town was like, and, the scariest bit, no idea who I was going to be living with and who I was going to meet.  I had never moved out of Parkersburg, WV, and so for the first time in my life, I was going to be completely on my own in a place I had never even visited.  At the time, I couldn't think of anything scarier or more exciting.  Once I hit the middle of August, my life would become one great big Unknown.
To some extent, I still agree with my younger self.  Moving to Cedar City was a perhaps, but it was only a small one in the grand scheme of things. The Great Perhaps is not one solitary event.  It is continuously going on.  I believe now that the true Great Perhaps also goes by another name: LIFE.  Life is scary.  Just when you think you have it all worked out, it dumps another mountain of challenges and complications on you and skips away gleefully as it laughingly says, "Have fun figuring all that out!"  And ya know what? I look forward to figuring it all out.  I'm still excited and scared for it, but I'm ready for the unknown of this life long journey.

Walk Into The Darkness

Harold B. Lee once said, “You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and perhaps a few steps into the darkness, and you will find that the light will appear and move ahead of you.”
I'm trying to center my life around this quote.  The future terrifies me.  I remember being a kid and honestly thinking that the closer I'd get to twenty, the more I'd have figured out; that be reaching adulthood, I would have all the answers.  HA! If only.  Instead, I'm finding that I have very, very few answers and very little idea as to where my life is going.
When I do get some idea of what my next move should be, it isn't always what I would want or expect to do.  Such is life I guess.  Searching for answers only to be unsure or dislike what you find.
But here's the thing.  I've learned the hard way many a time that when inspiration comes knocking, you open the door and run after it even if you really have no idea where its taking you.  Just as Lee said, things will become clearer as you go.
Or at least, I hope that's the case.  

Feels Something Like Summertime Playlist

Summer is right around the corner.  Finals are coming to a close and the weather is constantly improving (and so is my mood for the same reason).  Bright colors, pastels, and flip flops are being reintroduced to my wardrobe.  But most importantly, I have complied this year's summer playlist.
Once it starts getting warmer, I start making a playlist of songs that are upbeat, dancy, and/or just remind me of summer.  So, this year, I thought I would share it.  Without further ado, Chelsea's "Feels Something Like Summertime" Playlist.

• ABC-Jackson 5
• Accidentally in Love- Counting Crows
• All I Wanna Do- Sugarland
•  All Shook Up- Elvis
• America’s Sweethearts (South Rakkas Remix)- Fall Out Boy
• Americano- Lady Gaga
• Animal-Glee cover
• Baby Be Mine- Michael Jackson
• Bad Romance- Glee cover/Lady Gaga
• Bang the Doldrums- Fall Out Boy
• Better Than Drugs- Skillet
• Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)- Mika
• Blow- Ke$ha
• Born This Way- Lady Gaga
• Boys Boys Boys- Lady Gaga
• Bulletproof- La Roux
• Burning Love- Elvis
• California Girls- Beach Booys
• California Girls- Katy Perry
• Can’t- ALL CAPS cover
• Call Me Maybe- Carly Rae Jepsen
• Caramelldansen (Speedy Mix)- Caramell
• Crazy Beautiful Life- Ke$ha
• Daylight- Matt & Kim
• Dirty Little Secret- All American Rejects
• Dog Days Are Over- Florence & The Machine
• Don’t Rain On My Parade- Glee cover
• Edge of Glory- Lady Gaga
• Empire State of Mind- Glee cover
• Everytime We Touch- Cascada
• Fearless- Taylor Swift
• Firework- Glee Cover/Katy Perry
• Forever Yours- Alex Day
• Forget You- Gee Lo Green
• Friday I’m In Love- The Cure
• Gives You Hell- All American Rejects
• Gonna Get Over You- Sara Bareillis
• Good Gone Girl- Mika
• Good Vibrations- Beach Boys
• Heaven- Los Lonely Boys
• Hey Stephen- Taylor Swift
• Hey Soul Sister- Train
• Home- Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
• How Far We’ve Come- Matchbox 20
• Hum Hallelujah- Fall Out Boy
• I Don’t Care (Machine Shop Remix)- Fall Out Boy
• I Get Around- Beach Boys
• I Kissed A Girl- Glee cover/ Katy Perry
• I Wanna- All American Rejects
• International Love- Pitbull Feat. Chris Brown
• It’s Not Unusual- Glee cover
• Just The Girl- Click 5
• Just Dance- Lady Gaga
• Jessie’s Girl- Rick Springfield
• King of Anything- Sara Bareillis
• Kokomo- Beach Boys
• Lady Godiva- Alex Day
• Let’s Go Crazy- Prince
• Let’s Kill Tonight- Panic! at the Disco
• Lisztomania- Pheonix
• Lollipop- Mika
• Love Like Woe- Ready Set
• Love Today- Mika
• Love You Like A Love Song- Selena Gomez
• LoveGame- Lady Gaga
• Mamma Mia- ABBA
• Marry You- Glee cover
• Move Along- All American Rejects
• Move SHake Drop- DJ Lazz
• Moves Like Jagger- Maroon 5 Feat. Christina Aguilera
• My Paper Heart- All American Rejects
• New Indigo- Tom Milsom
• Nice Guys- Chester See, Kevjumba, and Ryan Higa
• Ocean Avenue- Yellow Card
• One Week- Bare Naked Ladies
• Our Time Now- Plain White T’s
•  Part Rock Anthem- LMFAO
• Pause- Pitbull
• Pavolve- Fall Out Boy
•  Raise Your Glass- P!nk
• Rasberry Beret- Prince
• Rhythm of Love- Plain White T’s
• Semiotic Love- Blaqk Audio
• Silly Love Songs- Paul McCartney/ Glee cover
• Since U Been Gone- Kelly Clarkson
• So What- P!nk
•  Stereo Hearts- Gym Class Heroes Feat. Adam Levine
• Stuck Like Glue- Sugarland
• Summer of ‘09- ALL CAPS
• Summerboy- Lady Gaga
• Summertime- Bon Jovi
• Sun- DHT
• Super Bass- Nicki Minaj
• Sweet Caroline- Neil Diamond/ Glee cover
• Talk Nerdy- Luke and Ryan
• Teenage Dream- Katy Perry/ Glee cover
• Story of A Girl- Ninedays
• Tonight Tonight- Hot Chelle Rae
• Touches You- Mika
• Travelling in Twos- Luke Conard
• We Are Golden- Mika
• Weightless- All Time Low
• Worth It- Luke and Ryan
• You and I- Lady Gaga
• You Give Love A Bad Name- Bon Jovi
• You’ve Got The Love- Florence and the Machine
• We Are Young- Fun.
• When We First Met- Hellogoodbye 

Book Categorization is a Strange Beast

I find it interesting how libraries categorize their books.  For instance, the library here has Harry Potter books in the young adult section.  They might have them in the kid section too, I didn't check.  In this case, I like this categorization because during my senior year I decided to reread them all, but I only owned the last two.  I hated going to the children section to get them, because the parents always looked at me like I was going to kidnap their kids.  (For the record, while kids are adorable, I would never kidnap one.  Mostly because its wrong, but also because I really do not want to raise one.)

However, the first time I went to this library, I was really just seeing what would catch my eye.  I found a few books when I decided to see if they had some Terry Pratchett.  Pratchett has been my favorite adult writer ever since Charlie lent me Good Omens (co-written with Neil Gaiman) and Going Postal.  Sadly, Mr. Pratchett's books were no where to be found which I quickly decided was a great disservice to the entire state of Utah.

Over spring break I ran out of books and decided to see if the library had a few that I had wanted to read.  They didn't.  Apparently to rub salt in my wound, I decided to look up Pratchett on the online catalog.  To my utter surprise, a couple pages of results sprang up.  I sat in shock.  Where had all these books disappeared to?  I knew the alphabet.  I knew where he should have been on the shelves.  I knew none of his books had been there.  So why was this computer trying to torture me into thinking they had his books when they in fact did not?

On closer inspection, this was because, according to the library, Terry Pratchett was a young adult novelist.

charlieissoconfusedlike

Remember when I said he was my favorite adult novelist?  Yeah, that's because every other library and book store I've been to has his books with other adult books (with the exception of The Wee Free Men, but that's because it actually is for teens).  His writing style is just not YA.  Teen lit is fast paced, where Pratchett has a style that almost meanders.  Also, YA is characterized by mostly first person narration, while he prefers to write third person omniscient. Young adult focuses on one teen character and their development, side characters are few in number, and adults are even more sparse.  Pratchett's characters are  every age, occasionally animal, and sometimes ambiguous (DEATH has his own book and pops up from time to time.)  Also, have you ever heard of young adult satire?  After consulting with Google., that would be no.

   

National Best Friend Day

So apparently today (or yesterday or sometime recently) is/was National Best Friend Day.  Sadly, my best friend can't read this until December, but this boy has meant the world to me for nearly five years.  We talk in pronouns, dance in cars, watch the four hour version of Jane Eyre in a small cramped space, and spend sunny afternoons at Special Tree.  He's my nonbiological brother and a better friend than I deserve.

Charlie and I circa prom 2010 

I remember when he first moved to our ward.  All we knew was that a family with teenagers was moving into our ward and happy day for me, they were going to be living on North Side.  Literally every other youth in my ward lived on South Side.  When we found out, Danielle told me that she hoped there was a girl our age that would be at school with me.  Instead, I got three boys.  (I was sandwiched perfectly between two of them).  The oldest, Charlie, did not quickly become my best friend.  It was a slow process.  Probably made slower by our meeting.  Courtney and I looked at each other and said "Charlie, we're going to Candy Mountain Charlie" in accents when we learned his name.  He'd never seen the youtube video and most likely thought we were insane. (Which let's be honest, he's just as sane as we are...which is not very.)
Since there was a thirty second drive between our houses, we started hanging out at each other's houses.  His family became my second family as mine became his.  We celebrated birthdays together and a few other miscellaneous holidays.  (Sternwheel Festival is a holiday, right?)  One in particular is vivid in my mind.  Fourth of July 2008.  Charlie was over at my house and his mom called him because she needed the van.  My mom was still skeptical about me riding with new drivers so Charlie gave her this huge elaborate speech on how he was a safe driver and honestly we were just going to be going up the hill and his Mom would bring us back down.  In the time that he had been at my house though, it had rained and then stopped.  Unfortunately, it was just enough for the van to sink a little in the grass.  Let's just say we had to borrow a truck and some rope before we made it out of the yard, let alone up the hill.
Of course, I have continued to give him a hard time about this, but he gives as good as he gets.  I think our whole relationship is built on a foundation of sarcasm and jokes.  He even picks on me in our letters.  We do things just to torture the other.  Letters with sets of instructions, confetti that makes a mess when you open a different letter, or, once, a handful of silly bands that reason and purpose has yet to be explained.  Or when we were both back home, he'd call me up early (like 9 or 10), wake me up, tell me I had ten minutes to get ready because we were going on an adventure.  And though I would grumble that it was too early and that I hated having my hair in a ponytail, those adventures are some of my favorite memories from high school.
I could go on and on about memories with Charlie.  We had some interesting, fun, and crazy times together.  Get us together and things are never dull.  If nothing else, we'll talk a mile a minute, and jump topics so fast you won't be able to keep up.  And that is said from experience.  People have given up trying to follow our conversations.  I miss those crazy talks.  Right now, a continent and an ocean separates us and we can only communicate through letter, but you can bet that as soon as we see each other for the first time in two years this December, one, we will tackle-hug each other and two, only stop talking long enough to order two gyros at Buckeye Donuts.  

BEDA! Or BALA since I'm a slacker.

Many moons ago, a YA author by the name of Maureen Johnson created this thing called Blog Every Day in April or BEDA.  I have already failed the every day part of this challenge and seeing as finals are quickly approaching, I will be doing BALA, Blog A Lotta April.  Yep.  What can I say, I am a slacker.
Yep, that is the point of this whole post.  If you don't see another from me in the next few days, spam my Facebook wall or something.  (That was a JOKE).  See ya tomorrow (with any luck)!

Things I Miss About My West Virginia Hills

• Pepperoni Rolls.  I have lost count of how many times I have thought about walking to a gas station to get one only to realize that Utah does not have these rolls of greasy goodness.
• Green.  While there are grasses and trees, they have to water them constantly.  And the trees they do have are on the puny side.
• Going along with the above, I miss McDonough Wildlife Refuge.  I miss Special tree, and the pond, and the lookout tower, and the old oil well, and so. many. trees.
• I miss randomly seeing wildlife.  
• Autumn.  Nothing beats driving down the interstate when the leaves have started to change color.
• Mister Bee's Potato Chips.  I don't know why, but I have been wanting these so bad.  Along with the best tortilla chips that can only be found at Aldi's.  
• Sno Biz.  I saw today that due to the great weather, they would be opening soon.  Someone go have a root beer float shaved ice for me.  I need to live vicariously through you.
• Photography locations.  I had go-to spots for photo shoots.  Like the railroad tracks, McDonough, Fort Boreman, Front Street, the Old Marble Factory.  (Well, the last one is only in theory.  I haven't had an opportunity to go yet.)  All I have now is the campus. 
• And finally, my family and friends.  Whether your in West Virginia or you've moved elsewhere, I still miss you all.  

The "Cute" Problem

I am sure that whatever idea the title gives you, is not the direction I'm heading.  This is not a post about pink hearts or cats in cups.  No, this post hopefully has a bit more substance than that..

When I say I'm talking to some guy, the first question my female friends ask me is,

"Is he cute?"

Really?!  There are a few things that are just not okay with this, and since I apparently can't write a blog post without a list, these reasons are coming at you in list form!

1. Looks are completely subjective.  For instance, I find Zach Galifianakis attractive and I'm sure more than one person out there will disagree with me.  My telling you that I think this guy is cute tells you absolutely nothing about him which brings us to my second point.
2. If I am telling you that I am talking to someone, we're most likely friends.  Shouldn't you be concerned about anything else?  I don't know.  Maybe you should be asking if he's kind.  Or if he makes me happy.  Even what his major is would be better than asking if he's cute.
3. I thought women, as a general rule, were tired of being objectified.  Why then is the first question I'm asked about a guy related directly to his appearance?  If as women, we do not want to be objectified, maybe we should stop objectifying men.  Lead by example!

Whew.  Glad I got that out of my system.  *steps off soap box*
And for those of you disappointed by the lack of cute in this post, here's kittens in a cup.

Adorable.