The fabulous and excellent grand LES food tour 2013

On Saturday while we were at the MOMA* CJ and I decided, on a whim, to take a food tour** of the Lower East Side a la this BuzzFeed article.  We don't really frequest the LES so it was fun to explore a new part of town. (We also stumbled upon Babeland which is a really tame, non-embarrassing, classy sex shop for mature adults but even so I turned around and left pretty much as soon as I walked in because I felt I might faint. Basically I suck the fun out of everything.)

The first stop (after taking world's biggest detour which involved me swearing and a bus full of 100+ y/o Chinese people) was Vanessa's Dumplings.  Last weekend we went to Korea Town and got dumplings that were really good and cost about $8 for 8.  These were even better than those and we paid TWO DOLLARS for 8. This place is magic. We sat next to some people who ordered 50 dumplings (apparently you can buy them frozen...genius) and they paid only $9!!! The ladies who work there are all kinda mean and there is always a line but it's like WHO CARES.

I want these so bad right now and it's 10:30 AM.***

Next we braved the weirdo-ridden streets of the LES and walked to Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery.  We got the Chocolate Chip Extravaganza as per the BuzzFeed article and even though it looked so weird it was nothing short of divine.  Smushed up chocolate chip cookies + butterscotch pudding + whip cream all mixed/mashed together= heaven.  And they have cupcakes for $1.75.  I dare you to find a bakery anywhere that sells cupcakes (NOT MINI) for that cheap.

droolz

Then we decided to walk to Joe's for a slice  the best slice in the city, and we accidentally ended up in the shop where CBGB used to be (Hollaback Rufus and Lily!!) and that was cool but neither of us really care about punk music so...not that cool. Anyway we took our time strolling to Joe's and then we saw Mighty Quinn's BBQ (^__^) and we were like OHHHHHHHH now I know where we are! And I saw a guy come around the corner with a cone of them Pommes Frites and I said "WAIT CJ NOT JOE'S, FRIES" and he said "YES FRIES FIRST JOE'S AFTER" and so we found the fry place and those were also delicious. But I did not like them as much as the frites at Bruges, my one true Salt Lake love. And we didn't even go to Joe's after 'cause now we were too full.

we did not get cheddar cheese as pictured we got parmesan peppercorn dipping sauce.

We did all of this for only $12!! We didn't even need dinner after, it was all sooo good. And then we were like, what are we going to do when we live in California and we really want Vanessa's dumps? Cry? Then we laughed about how when we grow up and have kids and bring them back to New York they are going to think we are crazy because we are just going to be running all over town stuffing our faces with the best food in all the world.

At the end of it all CJ said "Today was really fun" and I said "Yeah" and he said "Would have been funner with friends though..." and I said "Yeah..." BUT then Sunday came and now we have some friendships in the works so STAY TUNED.

*We both get into the MOMA for free because of our jobs. On Saturday the woman at the desk said to me, "You can actually bring guests for free too, just so you know." Which I take to mean I can bring 20 guests for free if I want. So if you come visit we can all go to the MOMA for FREEEEE.

**I use this term pretty loosely. We only went three places, after all. If you come to New York I will take you on a for realz food tour.

***Yes, I took all these pictures straight from BuzzFeed. Yes, that is incredibly lame. You can criticize me for not taking any pictures ever once I have an iPhone, okay thanks.

TREATZ on TREATZ

I am constantly bopping around the internet to find great things to eat here in the city so I thought I would share the treats we've eaten so far! And what I thought was wonderful and what I thought was overrated. OK. These are not in any order.

Actually, I think I shall start with CUPCAKES.

Sprinkles YES
We all know I love this place. Make sure to read their tweets and go on a day when they have a secret code that you "whisper" to buy one get one free. Ate ours in Central Park. Bliss. Tried the lemon coconut one, it's a sham. I have found that most coconut cupcakes are a sham as they are vanilla/lemon/chocolate cake with vanilla/lemon/chocolate buttercream and covered in coconut flakes. The flakes being the only coconut component. HELLO. Flakes aren't even the best part about coconut!! So don't get that one unless you have a bizarre affinity for coco flakes. Strawberry is still my favorite.

Molly's YES
Started in Chicago and now she has an adorable little shop on Bleeker Street. Cannot beat the ambience here. But be careful if you use the bathroom because the lock does not work and someone will walk in on you. Molly's schtick is that her cupcakes are all filled! And delicious! CJ and I got the Cookie Monster one and it was really good and it has cookie dough inside so obviously it's the best choice. The frosting on it tasted like straight butter and befuddled me for a while. CJ can attest that I did not stop talking about it. "How do you think they make this?????" Side note: I have had the PB/chocolate one before too and it is also delicious.

Georgetown Cupcake NO
We kind of got off on the wrong foot because I noticed that they charge you for the box if you buy several cupcakes. That is morally wrong. I like this place because it's in SoHo and because everything is pink. I do not like this place because their cupcakes are dry. And kinda tiny. The end. Maybe I will give it another chance but probably not since I have about 100,000 better treats to try.

Baked by Melissa NOOOO
Another cupcake I am feeling a little bitter about. Melissa's schtick is that her cupcakes are ACTUALLY bite-sized. As in ONE bite. Two if you're lucky or splitting it. This is an adorable idea except for the fact that each of them costs A D O L L A R.  Is it just me or is that a little ridiculous??? I'll let u have a bite of my cupcake......FOR A DOLLAR! No, thanks. I had to try it for the sake of trying all the cupcake places and they actually are really yummy. I think the tiny size helps to keep the ratio of frosting to cake just perfect and the cake itself is REALLY moist. But I will not be purchasing any more of her teaspooncakes because...personal ethics. I tried Cinnamon and Cookie Dough, CJ had Mint Choc Chip.

OTHER TREATS

Crack Pie from Momofuku Milk Bar YES
Listen to me. Eat this. Don't share.

Cereal Milk soft serve from Momofuku NAH
I just had to try this for myself, but I do not recommend unless your favorite pastime is drinking the milk out of your cereal bowl after eating corn flakes.

Ice Cream Sandwich from The Good Batch in Brooklyn NAH
We stumbled upon this delicacy at Schmorgasburg, a food fair in Brooklyn that takes place every Saturday in the summer. They had a few different flavors to choose from and we chose the Goodwich: vanilla ice cream drizzled with fudge and sandwiched between two oat chocolate chunk cookies sprinkled with sea salt. I thought it was really good but it was TOO SALTY. I understand a little bit of salt (a "sprinkling" you might say) for contrast but this was too much for me. Either way we ate the whole thing and I mostly enjoyed it but the salt left a bad taste in my mouth (literal and metaphorical.)

Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity 3 YEAH SURE MAYBE
Get this. But not if you have to wait very long. And don't plan to share it because there is an $8.50 minimum per person at this joint. It is noted in a corner of their mess of a menu in world's smallest print. I think if I knew that before I went I would be less put-off by it but whatever. This frozen hot chocolate, which will cost you about $9, is delicious and I think you should definitely spring for it. Plus it's one of those novelty NYC things that you "have" to do...but seriously if you have to wait like an hour or something just don't go and it's really not that big of a deal. Dunkin Donuts has frozen hot choc, too.

Cheesecake (Creme de la creme Cream Cheese Cake, as they call it) from Serendipity 3 NO 3X
No, no, no. CJ only got this because of the aforementioned minimum of $8.50 per person, and I didn't think it was very good at all. It doesn't come with anything on it except whip cream, I didn't like the crust, and it just wasn't sweet enough for me. Tasted like a bite of a brick of cream cheese to me. But CJ liked it so whatever. Just no. Get the frozen hot chocolate, do not get anything else.

Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery YEAH 3X
REALLY yummy. $5 for a cup but you can definitely split it between two people because it is so rich. CJ and I could barely finish. If you are going to Magnolia, this is the thing to try for sure!

I am in sweet sweet love with this city.

Days 1, 2, & 3 in NYC or "A Series of Unfortunate Events"

Yes, we made it to the Big Apple! If you have texted me over the past few days and asked me how everything is going I probably said GREAT, and it is great, but that's not the whole story.

It all started on Sunday when our flight was delayed an hour...and then another hour...and then another hour. Landing us at JFK around 10:30 PM. Fortunately the journey via the subway to our apartment went without any major incidents. Little did I know that hauling 3 suitcases through the subway would be the easiest part of the week!

As soon as we arrived we were basically starving since we hadn't eaten since about 12PM, so CJ headed down the street to our neighborhood McDonald's. Obviously. I took it upon myself as queen supreme wife to put our new sheets on the bed while CJ was gone. Everything was going well until I climbed over to the bottom right corner of the bed and CRACK CRASH BOOM BANG the entire bedframe came crashing down. I could have died...I felt like the worst wife of all time. CJ came home and I had to tell him that I broke the bed. It's about 1:30AM at this point. LOL!!! So what did we do? The mattress is connected to the bed frame by tubes (it's some fancy air mattress thing that is not very comfortable) so we did not have the option to move the mattress to the floor. So we fixed the bed and right as we were putting the last piece in it broke again. So we went through the whole process again and didn't put the last piece on and slept on it without incident. We finally went to bed around 3:30AM.

CJ woke up about 4 hours later for work and there was a rather curt note from the neighbor on the door giving us some "friendly New Yorker advice to not unpack and refurnish the apartment at 2 or 3 in the morning while our neighbors who have to work early in the morning are trying to sleep!!" Thanks, bro. Cool advice. Trust me, I wish we could have slipped quietly into bed when we got home!

Monday was one of the worst days ever. I slept so late because of the time change and everything and I was too scared to leave the house without CJ. I know, I am a dummy but I am pretty much over that fear by now as I basically traipsed through the hood yesterday while the old men kept saying "EY MAMA EY MAMI." And it was fine and I made it to the subway.

Anyway, I cleaned the apartment and unpacked all of our stuff and waited for CJ to come home. Also, our internet was down so there was actually nothing to do and I couldn't google how to get places etc because I also don't have an iphone or anything like that. McKay called me in the middle of the day and I just sobbed to him about all my problems and worries and told him he was the first person I had talked to all day. My sweet brother calling was one of the best parts of my day. Then CJ got home from work and I was so happy. For FHE CJ and I got a treat and CJ dedicated our apartment. It was wonderful.

On Tuesday I finally left the house! Dropped CJ's pants off at the tailor and went to the grocery store where pretty much everything is 4.99. BUMMER. Then I realized that my key to our apartment building doesn't work! HOW COMICAL. So I am standing by the door hoping someone comes down to leave when I think to buzz the neighbor. Yes, the same ones who had written the note. We told them what happened and they felt really bad and told us that they are in our ward and can help us if we need anything, etc. so homegirl buzzed me in. Then when I came up she asked me to return the favor and watch her baby for five minutes. So I did and now all is well with apt 614.

Then I traipsed through the wrong side of the barrio to get to the subway and this abuela helped me find which way to go. Good thing I speak Spanish! I was headed downtown to put our names in the Wicked lotto and meet CJ after work. You have to pay for the tickets with cash if you win so I hauled booty through Times Square to get to an ATM and that was pure misery. I hate tourists.

Alas, we did not win the Wicked lottery but we still managed to have a great night. We walked over to Sprinkles for buy one get one free cupcakes and ate them in Central Park...what a dream! Then we headed over to the High Line for dinner and the free stargazing that happens there every Tuesday night...amateur astronomers of NYC bring their telescopes, it's cool! We got tacos from Chelsea Market  (LOVE) and ate them at the park while we watched the sunset over the Hudson River. I LOVED High Line Park and definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the city!

We came home and were looking forward to watching Arrested Development all snug in our bed when it BROKE AGAIN. R U KIDDING ME? This time it was 10:00 so I didn't feel as bad for the neighbors but we basically just took the entire thing apart instead of trying to fix it again and our bed is now ON THE FLOOR inside the bed frame.

FFW to this morning after CJ left for work as I am sitting at the computer desk and I feel something crawl up my leg. I look down...the biggest cockroach I have seen in our apartment yet! I was so panicked that I didn't even think and I swatted it away. GREAT. Now it was loose in our house right by our bed. Fortunately I found it later and sprayed it with a vengeance.

Just some of our adventures here in Manhattan. Now I am off to meet CJ at the Gershwin Theater and put our names in for the lottery for Wicked tix. Basically my life is nothing like Friends or Gossip Girl or whatever but I DON'T CARE I LOVE IT.

50 things about me at age 21

 Got this idea from my dear friend Jaimie.

1. "i no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. but i was beginning to believe that very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together."

2. I actually love California after spending a lifetime thinking it was world's worst.

3. I eat out all. the. time.

4. Cracked an egg in my Ramen for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it changed my life.

5. CJ and I have been reading the Book of Mormon together and it is always one of the best parts of my day.

6. God has been more gracious to me than I could have ever imagined.

7. I am losing steam in school. I don't like it.

8. I'm not as excited for Christmas as I usually am.

9. Diet Coke, I just can't quit you.

10. I tried Weight Watchers for about 2 months but it just wasn't very fun. SEE YA.

11. I am convinced that Heavenly Father has sent this beautiful weather just for me because He knows my life is hard right now and He knows the sun makes me happy.

12. Politics=suck. I would like to thank the USA for making me world's most optimistic cynic.

13. My best friend is leaving on her mission and I don't know what I will do.

14. I don't care much about what most people think of me.

15. The people whose opinions of me mean the most are my parents, CJ, and McKay.

16. I am sick of people asking me if I am going on a mission. Have you met my boyfriend? Hello.

17. I don't have a smart phone. Well, I did for one day and then I took it back.

18. I LOVE Twitter.

19. I cry a lot. Out of sadness, happiness, gratitude, and sometimes for no reason.

20. My favorite part of music is when a song has clapping in it.

21. I have mostly stopped biting/peeling my nails.

22. I don't love my tiny fat hands but I like them more when my nails are long and painted.

23. I hate taking showers. 

24. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

25. I am obsessed with X Factor. It's stupid.

26. One of my favorite things to do is replace song lyrics while singing along to the radio.

27. My body wakes itself up every morning before my alarm.

28. I have a Costco card thanks to my Mom.

29. I would do anything to live closer to my family.

30. I wish I had unlimited funds for Christmas gifts. Buying things for the people I love is my favorite.

31. Pinterest is boring.

32. I love shrimp and it doesn't make me sick anymore.

33. I think I was Brazilian in a past life.

34. I love writing in my journal.

35. CJ's iPhone is the best.

36. Some of my favorite music ever has come out in the past year.

37. I don't know what to do about my hair. It's a situation.

38. I want a baby but I mostly just want someone to hang out with 24/7 because I hate being alone.

39. King Henry apartment 62 will always hold a special place in my heart. It made a woman out of me.

40. Terrified of all things involving sex and childbirth and bodies.

41. My boyfriend is one of the best people I have ever known and one of my favorites.

42. If I had my way I would have a huge garden and I would cook and dance around my kitchen all day.

43. Pretty sure I haven't been grocery shopping in at least two weeks.

44. I still hate Halloween.

45. I will be really sad when I have to move away from my best friends. Maybe the only thing I will miss about Provo.

46. I love doing yoga.

47. My family is the number one force for good in my life.

48. I am sick of working at Independent Study.

49. Going to Spain was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I made wonderful true friends and found the love of my life.

50. I think that I don't really like concerts.

This week in my classes I...

-read love poems in two languages.

-sang/listened to Colors of the Wind, Tonight Tonight, and Rollin' in the Deep.

-learned how to count syllables in Spanish poetry.

-debated whether baseball or football is America's pasttime.

-wrote a paper about chicken and waffles.

-drew a map of the United States with characteristics of each region.

-deconsructed and gramatically diagrammed sentences in Spanish.

American Studies is what we like to call...interdisciplinary.

Thoughts for a Tuesday

Working in customer service makes me never want to be rude to another customer service person ever again. Because there are people I talk to who make me want to CRY and there are also people who make my day when they call. So I guess given the opportunity I would rather make someone's day than ruin it.

I am not excited for school to start because I h8 homework.

I am excited for school to start because:
I get to see my friends.
CJ is coming back! And I will get to see him/talk to him most days! (revolutionary)
Taking a class with Trent Hickman is always a good idea.
Spanish!
Football!
No more working full-time. Hallelujah!
I will be on the Humanities Student Council with Abby.
SENIOR YEAR!

You may be wondering, "Caitlin, what ever shall you do when you graduate???" My answer: I don't know but I would love to move somewhere cool that's not Provo or Richland. Obviously hoping that over the course of this school year my dream job will present itself with a big pretty bow on top.

I am obsessed with Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. I want ALL OF THEM. My favorite of the three I have is Smitten. It's really bright.

My parents are here to drop off McClickey for school! Last night McKay said "I can't handle Caitlin!" and he has only been here for 3 days...oops. GET USED TO IT, BRO.

There is a macaron cart in the Riverwoods now...see you guys in the next life.

Just spoke to Tagg Romney on the phone. In other words, I am pretty much famous!

I have been getting rid of stuff left and right as I'm getting ready for fall semester to start which is honestly UNTHINKABLE for me because I am a hoarder beyond repair. Guess I am putting away childish things or something like that. (Literally. Threw away my Justin Bieber poster.)

Time to kiss the best/worst summer of my life goodbye!

Circa Charlotte's mission call 2011
Remember how tan I got last summer? I think I am even paler right now than I am in the middle of winter. Guess that's what happens when you work in a dingy office all day every day and never see the sun. Let's actually not even talk about it or I'll just be mad. Snow white.

Good things that make me happy

Beyonce.
Friends.
Sweets.
Fireworks.
Jem. (Jef+Emily)
Yoga.
Getting my hair done.
Missionaries.
Hikes.
Phones.
The beach.
Diet coke. (quit)

This.

Or do you not think so far ahead? Cause I been thinking 'bout forever...

I have to have things to look forward to or I will go absolutely insane. Also, the title of this post is from Frank Ocean. Listen to his new album (explicit), or at least his single (not explicit).

tonight: Batman with my friends! I don't really care that much about seeing the movie, but I can pretty much never pass up a midnight showing. My roommates and I have been to every Twilight and Harry Potter premiere since we got to college. It's a tradition!

friday: Driving Sam to the airport. I should honestly open a business for driving people to/picking people up from the airport...I have already been 4 times in the past month! The weird thing is I actually love doing it. You get to drive one way by yourself and enjoy solitude on the freeway, and the other way you get to talk to someone you like about their trip or anything else you want. It's a lot of fun. If you ever need a ride to the airport...hit me up.

sunday: BACHELORETTE FINALE. Hate on it all you want, but this season of the Bachelorette has honestly been one of main things that has gotten me through my first month of post-Spain life! I lovoovovovoovovoeeeeee Jef and I think **SPOILER ALERT** that she chooses him because of things that I have heard from reliable sources..but the previews for the episode make it look super dramatic and like I don't know what's going to happen even though I probably do.

 

tuesday, 24: Pioneer Day! Pioneer Day is like another 4th of July here in Utah. I used to think it was totally ridiculous but I love having the day off and what's not to like about barbecues and fireworks? Also picking Sam up from the airport.

thursday, 26: CJ goes back to California. No more trips! Hooray! (Since we left Spain he's been to Portugal, Morocco, New York City, the Bahamas, New Orleans, and Florida. Yeah.)

saturday, 28: Hair appointment! I am excited because I finally found a girl I like here in Provo. She doesn't talk too much, does a great job, and she gives me a diet coke. But I just remembered that I'm quitting for good. This Saturday. Going to jump out the window now k see ya bye.

thursday, 8: Flying to California! I can't believe it's still three weeks away because I feel like I have been waiting FOREVER for this trip. CJ is from Corona (near Orange County and LA) so I am going to visit him and meet his family. The only place I have ever been in California is Disneyland so I am really excited! I am dying to go to Sprinkles Cupcakes because I feel like it's Mecca for cupcake lovers, but mostly I'm just delighted to be with CJ since I haven't seen him in so long. And I love visiting new places. 

What are your favorite things to do/eat in Southern California?

DISCLAIMER: I DIDN'T TAKE PICTURES TODAY

I arrived in Spain today! A few things.

1. I really never know what day or time it is here or back in America. No me importa.

2. One Day with Jim Sturgess and Ann Hathaway is one of the worst movies ever. I watched it on the plane after I watched Glee in concert. I need to marry a man who doesn't think twice when I'm given the choice of like 20 quality movies and I choose Glee in 3D...

3. My mamá se llama Luisa and she is the world's sweetest. She loved the chocolates I gave her and she has two sons who are...eh hem...guapísimos. Her husband died like a month ago and she told me she is still getting used to him not being here. She mentions him every once in a while and it makes me really sad.

4. I love greeting everyone with besos!

5. It is so hard to speak in Spanish all the time. We all know I am a huge talker but I haven't talked that much since I got here! It feels like I have nothing to say. I can understand pretty much everything Luisa says, but when we were walking today and I could hear people talking it's not like i could eavesdrop because I don't understand well enough when I'm  not completely concentrating.

6. I found a frozen yogurt place...boom.

7. I already want Mexican food. Ay.

8. I stick out like a sore blonde American thumb. When I was in Russia nobody was the wiser, here they all gawk at me and I feel like a tonta!

9. I can't wait for my friends to get here!

10. Monday is Cervantes day in Spain, which is very exciting because I live just a few blocks away from the house he was born in. So it's a pretty big deal around here. Also, I am sad I missed the clasico last night but apparently Real Madrid won so hooray!

11. Also, craving barbecue right now.

I am going to go to bed to try and get back on a normal schedule if at all possible. I am so so so so happy to be here and even though it's scary I am ready to have the time of my life! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, and also one of the dumbest...but I'm sure that will pass. I hope my posts will be better in the future but honestly my brain is made out of mush and mini reese's cups right now. Besos!

The to-do list that will never be finished

I was thinking today about things I think about doing but never actually do. Things that I want/need to do and that I (probably) could do but just don't. Why?

Things I think about doing but never do:
Quitting sugar.
Quitting diet coke.
Going visiting teaching.
Chopping off my hair.
Dying my hair.
Writing that one thank you note that I forgot to write forever ago.
Visiting my old friends at Zupas.
Reading Life of Pi.
Attending certain on-campus events.
Meeting with my academic advisor.
Catching up with my old roommates.
Calling my grandma.
Wearing jeans to work.
Getting my camera fixed.
Buying a cover for my nook.
Changing my profile picture on twitter.
Talking to that cute boy in my class/ward/twitter feed.
Changing my headlight that has been out for two weeks.
Visiting my cousins.
Taking a nap.
Planning my trip to Paris/buying tickets.
Shopping online.
Buying red lipstick.
Going to the doctor.
Showing up unexpectedly at so-and-so's door.
Looking into that half marathon in September.
Packing up some of my stuff.
SKIPPING CLASS.

It seems that most of them boil down to fear.

One year ago...

About a year ago I wrote this post.

Think about where you were a year ago.

Did you think you would be where you are now?

Think about where you will be one year from now.

Turns out my predictions from last year were pretty close. My friends are starting to come home from their missions, and my girl friends have left/are leaving really soon...WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I'm actually getting ready to go to Spain for the spring, not Washington DC and I COULD NOT be happier about that. Yes...I am single...I know myself ALL TOO WELL. The running thing...hahahaha. I tried to run yesterday and I think I made it maybe one mile? It was so pathetic! Time to get my butt back in gear. I have a job that I love A LOT and it has nothing to do with nannying. My fashion sense has, in fact, increased significantly. Mostly because I have to wear business casual to work. I never started that club I had thought about starting. Finishing up Junior year is about to get really crazy. And I am actually NOT planning Abby's summer wedding. Heh heh.

This time last year I had about a month left in Russia. One of the greatest experiences of my life. This was probably around the same time that we got Tangled on DVD and watched it multiple times per day.

I have been on more dates since the beginning of this calendar year than my total number of dates since I got to college. YAY, ME. This was unforseeable.

I HAD NEVER BEEN TO SAMMY'S. Like, what?

Okay, and can we just talk about one thing for a second? Last year on Justin Bieber's birthday I spent like an hour making him a birthday sign. This year I could not have cared less. The other day I took down my JB poster and threw it away. Also, my JB calendar. And his new song is not good. SEE YA.

NEXT YEAR.

Almost graduated.

Having a blast w/ McClickey? (PLEASE.)

Getting ready to go on a mission.

Brown hair. (This is a joke.)

More sophisticated and wordly-wise..so I can at least stand a chance in this world.

Not even going to mention the fact that I won't have a boyfriend because I think we all know the two main facts about love: 1) It doesn't exist. 2) It especially doesn't exist at BYU.

Shopping with Abby for her wedding dress.

Cheers.

Scurred

Up until this point in my life, or at least a point in my very new future, my life has been more or less planned out. You know, be born, smash your cake on your 1st birthday, be a crazy toddler for a bit, go to school (beginning of the end), kiss a boy at recess, go to middle school and just be really weird, go to high school and care way too much about everything, get your drivers' license, get in an accident, become a senior and stop caring about everything except prom and college apps, go to college, realize what you've done, change your major five times, leave the country for a bit, keep going to college, graduate from college...

And. Then I don't know.

I. Don't. Know.

I DON'T KNOW!

Some like the prospect of being able to do anything they want/set their mind to, adventure is out there and blah blah blah, but right now that doesn't excite me. It terrifies me.

And I just want to crawl into my bed and forget about school and decision-making and careers and marriage and children and dogs and the world. Which is essentially what I've done...except for everything listed after school.

Congratulations, forces trying to bring me down. You win!

Texas Forever

So after a lovely Christmas at home, a road trip with the fam to my cousin's wedding, and one of the best weekends of my life in Dallas, I am back in beautiful Utah not quite ready to start a new semester.

Any goal I set prior to ringing in 2012 has been pretty much a bust. Which is my fault for not writing them down or being serious about them or whatever. I think resolutions are kind of bogus anyways...sorry. I like to set goals on my own time line.

The thing I like most about New Year's is looking back on the year and thinking about all the things I did/didn't do and realizing that life pretty much never turns out the way you planned, for better or worse. (Usually it's better, you just might not realize it right away.) And even though I don't like resolutions I do like the excitement a new year brings. You're all like, "OMG WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THIS YEAR?!?!?" and stuff.

But mostly I just want to write about Texas.

Highlights from the wedding of Kara Neaves and Skyler Thiot.

-Waking up at 3AM to curl my hair before my 6AM flight.
-Nicholas Sparks, The Lucky One.
-Texas.
-Texas weather at the end of December=perfectly sunny and in the 70's.
-Seeing Kara before she left the house to go get married!
-Bridesmaiding/Bridal Party.
-Seeing Kara and Skyler right after they were wed. So much love.
-Lots of Diet Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper, and Dr.Pepper.
-Running on 4 hours of sleep for a really busy day. I was out of control by the end of the night...just acting like a loon.
-Just the food in general. The entire time.
-If I'm being completely honest, being photographed was definitely one of my favorite parts.
-Meeting the families and friends of K&S. Such wonderful people.
-Reception. Everything about it. Location, decorations, dancing, food, CAKE, favors, flowers. Pure goodness.
-Using my bouquet as a microphone.
-How awesome Kara and Skyler are. They could very well have kept to themselves but they hung out with us during the weekend! They are so sweet.
-Dallas World Aquarium. Coolest aquarium ever.
-Being in such a diverse city FOR ONCE. (Provo, Richland, not so super much.)
-Dancing while sitting. In a car, while eating, any time really. AKA seat dancing.
-Hanging out with K&S at their hotel for a bit on New Year's Eve.
-Dallas quadruple quintuple double triple huge YSA dance. Didn't really know anyone there, didn't mind making a fool of myself and shamelessly giving boys the eyes.
-Then I was cursed by God for being so saucy and I ended up sick in the bathroom at the stroke of midnight. Missed the whole countdown confetti kit and caboodle. Hence, no New Year's kiss for me. For the billionth time. WOE IS ME.
-Blue Bell Ice Cream.

Making new friends, trying new things, a new year, and a beautiful pair of newlyweds.

90 things

via

Write ten physical abilities you are grateful for.

Dancing

Running

Singing

EATING

Reading

Writing

Affection

5 senses

Laughing

Hair (that counts, yeah?)

Write ten material possessions you are grateful for.

Bed

Cell Phone

Boots

House

Jewelry

Books

Clothes

Computer

Car

iPod

Write ten living people you are grateful for.

Mom

Dad

Siblings

Abby

McKenzie

Baylie

Veronica

Nana

Grandpa

Gran

Write ten things about nature you are grateful for.

Beach

Ocean

Mountains

Trees

Sunshine

Dogs

Fruits

Vegetables

Rivers

Sunsets

Write ten things about today you are grateful for.

American Studies

York

Friday

My job at IS

Chewing gum

Waking up on time

Finals weeks

The stage

Exhibits in the HFAC

Baking

Write ten places on earth you are grateful for.

Richland

Chicago

Downers Grove

Moscow

Provo

Salt Lake

Disneyland

JFSB

The Outer Banks

Hawai'i

Write ten modern inventions you are grateful for.

Phone

Couch (?)

Vending Machines

Elevators

Airplanes

Curling Iron

Wikipedia

Cameras

Twitter

Movies

DVR

Write ten foods you are grateful for.

Pickles

Diet Coke

Peanut Butter

Sammy's Banana Cream Pieshake

Sticky Bun Ice Cream

Burgers

Tomatoes Tomatoes Tomatoes

Chocolate

Milk

Quinoa

Write ten things about the gospel you are grateful for.

Jesus Christ

Love of God

Holy Ghost

Temples

Book of Mormon

Other Scriptures

Prophets and Apostles

Missionaries

Visiting/Home Teaching

Tithing

Thanksgiving

Highlights:

Scoring the winning touchdown in the Turkey Bowl. 'Twas awesome. Someone made some snide comment like "That was just dumb luck!" And I said, "No. That was 12 years of dedication!" Dedication to the Turkey Bowl, that is.

The Muppet Movie and the singing that has ensued since we saw it.

Having 20 different types of pie at our annual piefest after Thanksgiving dinner...the best pie I had this year was Cambria's Key Lime with White Chocolate. Ohhhhh my.

Going to the temple with my family and coincidentally running into the Larsens there...small Richland. We did work for over 40 of our family members and for some reason I got baptized for like 30 women. Guess we aren't in Provo anymore!

Not shopping on Black Friday.

Watching Super 8 with my family and screaming the whole time. And holding on to Chloe for dear life.

Sh'bam class at the gym with my momma.

Picking out our Christmas tree even though it wasn't the one I wanted...tyranny of the majority was evident.

The food. The whole time. I am sick of living off food in a can and pieshakes. But I'm actually not sick of pieshakes.

I love my family but you already know this I talk about it all the time they are hilarious and wonderful kthanks, bye.

Day two..ish

Yeah, okay. So blogging every day until Thanksgiving was just a little lofty. But I will proceed as if I haven't missed a single day.

Today I am thankful for books.

I spent last night and this morning reading True Grit for my Western Literature class and I loved it so much! Oh my gosh. You have to read this book. If you have seen the movie, awesome. But you should read the book, too. If you haven't seen the movie and you haven't read the book, read the book and then watch the movie! This story has some of the best characters ever, especially Mattie Ross: the main character who at 14 years old sets out to kill the man who killed her father and stole his horse and money. This is one of my favorite books now. I have read some really good books in this class, but this one tricked me into thinking I was reading a book that I wanted to read, not because it was assigned for school, but because reading is my favorite. And that's why I'm thankful for books today. Because last night reading for a class was fun for once!

Some of my other favorite books are:

Gone With the Wind

The Hunger Games

East of Eden

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Blue Bloods Series (don't hate)

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

Chasing the Red, White, and Blue: A Journey in Tocqueville's Footsteps through Contemporary America

As I am making this list, I am realizing that I like pretty much every book I read. And I love a lot of books and I get really excited about them when I read them. And I read a lot of books. So...these are just a few of my favorites, and I am having a really hard time separating everything else out in my head. Basically, it's impossible for me to decide on favorite favorites. I guess I should start keeping a running list of all the books I have read because I know there are some from like elementary school and even a few summers ago that I loved but don't remember.

As a side note about my Western Lit class, I might cry when it's over. Real tears of sadness. Because it is the best class ever and I will never be in a class with all of those wonderful people again.

As another side note, tonight I am going to leave work, go to the fireside for potential missionaries, go home, take a Nyquil and maybe watch a movie or listen to the Bon Iver station on Pandora, and peace out from the world. My test this morning was...purely hellish.

Please tell me your favorite book!

Get me out of here!

I would rather be...

1. Giving birth.

2. Buying a puppy.

3. Making cookies.

4. Getting married.

5. Eating food.

6. Dancing around.

7. Laughing.

8. Walking on hot coals.

9. Sleeping on a 13 hour flight across the world.

10. Sleeping in my bed AKA Cloud 9.

11. Walking around in a Guy Fawkes mask. Like I just saw two guys doing. In the library. Those are the cool people.

12. Running a half marathon.

13. Reading a book I WANT TO READ.

14. Barfing.

15. Buying people Christmas presents.

16. Watching V for Vendetta.

17. Watching that Zooey sitcom. Yes, I like it. A lot.

18. Snogging in the stacks.

19. Being on a mission.

20. DRIVING AROUND IN MY CAR LISTENING TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC! ALONNNNEEEE!

than sitting in the library doing my homework.

I would rather be on a date with...

1. Guy Fawkes

2. Doc the dwarf from Snow White

3. The guy from Barenaked Ladies

4. Old Yeller

5. The talking lips from the DQ commercials

than sitting in the library doing my homework.

I hope you like Dickens, chickens.

I honestly don't know when/why I turned into a terrible blogger.

Maybe it's because I go to school, go to work, do schoolwork, do homework, do housework, and have loads of fun when I'm not doing any of those other things.

Maybe it's because a lot of the things that have been happening to me are journal things and not really blog things.

Maybe I am no longer funny. (This isn't a real possibility.)

Maybe my blog is no longer my emotional outlet. Maybe instead of getting really sad and blogging about it, I get really sad and burst into tears and blubber about it to my roommates or my mom or really anyone who happens to be in the room.

Anyways, whatever it is, I like my blog still and I am going to keep blogging. Even if it is sporadic.

It's the best of times. It's the worst of times.

I have had a lot of fun in the past few months. I love my roommates, I have friends who aren't my roommates (shocker), my ward is a blast, King Henry is full of wonderful people, I've been on six field trips, I've been to Arches National Park, Salt Lake City, Park City, Cornbelly's, Salem, Spanish Fork, the middle of nowhere, almost Wyoming, Temple Square, and A DATE (you never thought you'd see the day), I love my calling as a Sunday School instructor, I've discovered a love for Sammy's that will never be satisfied no matter how many banana cream pie shakes I eat, and I made pumpkin muffins on Saturday. HOWEVER. I don't have time to run anymore. You may be like half the people I talk to and you may say "You have to make time!" Okay, chap. When you figure out how to MAKE time, you let me know. Because I would love a few extra hours in the day to just run my little heart out. And do not suggest waking up at 5AM, yeah? Just don't. I never see my cousins anymore, and they live like ten minutes away. Showering has become a struggle. It takes too long and I have to get up early to do it. And then my hair is wet. Oh, and laundry. I don't do it. I can't do it. Waaaaaaaahhh wah. Basically, I don't know how to prioritize and I have far too many things to do.

It is the age of wisdom. It is the age of foolishness.

I am learning A LOT in school and I could tell you a million things about the American Revolution but my brain is occupied with so many things that the simplest tasks like...acting like a normal human do not come easily.

I have everything before me. I have nothing before me.

This is how I feel almost 100% of the time. There are so many decisions I am trying to make right now. And I thought I would have a really long time to make them. But suddenly the classes I take next semester depend on what I am going to be doing next fall, as a career, after graduation, et cetera. And I typically don't plan that far in advance. Actually, I don't really plan at all. So this is a little new for me, especially with decisions of this caliber. Mission, internships, graduate school, applying for jobs, graduating in a timely manner, potential weddings (not mine), buying a dog...you know, like, what the hell am I going to do? On the other hand, I have no money, no food, and no clothes. You are probably also going through a similar crisis. Know how I know? Because this is what everyone likes to call "real life" or "the real world." And you are in it, and I am in it. And it is wonderful and terrible. And this is how you get through it:

1. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

2. Mom and Dad.

3. Roommates and best friends.

4. Beyonce.

5. Ice cream. Preferably Tillamook.

Things Mormons Love

This is pretty much targeted only at Utah Valley. I STILL LOVE YOU, THOUGH.

Ranch

Barbecue sauce

Fry sauce

Harry Potter

Lord of the Rings

Narnia

Their teeth

Overstated clothes/bags/everything

Fake nails

Hot mom syndrome

Wearing workout clothes and a full face of makeup

GOLD'S GYM

Fads, especially involving being healthy and getting skinny

Home security

Acting like they live in California

Local novelties

Huge flowers in they hair

Frozen yogurt ("We have more froyo places than most towns have bars." -Abby. True.)

Ice cream in any form

Really anything cream-based...Alfredo, Cream of chicken soup.......

Donuts

Going out to eat in general

White cars

Their children and making sure they aren't defective by putting them in 1290 extracurriculars

Diet coke

Jimmer

Hawaii

Overuse of commas

Games, games, games

Les Miserables and Phantom

Weird fruit/not fruit combinations

Exercising

Letting their children stay up very late

Vinyl lettering on tiles...all over their homes

Blogs/blogging

Scrapbooking

Lake Powell

Mindy Gledhill and her weird butterfly wings

There are a billion more but my brain hurts.

This got really random really quick.

This summer I want to...

run a 5k in 27 minutes or less.

go to Seven Peaks a lot but make sure to wear sunscreen.

and that's all I can think of. HA! I have other goals but these are just the fun things. What is fun in Utah? What do I need to add to this list?

Since my race is on Saturday, my training program has me not running today or tomorrow...and I miss it. A lot. I guess that means I love running! You don't know what you got 'til it's gone, baby.

I feel so nasty. It's because I ate crap yesterday and I ate crap today...ENOUGH OF THAT, THANK YOU. EW EW EW EW EW EW EW.

I love my little seester and she got a cell phone and I get to see her next week. EEEEE!