Everybody has a story

There are stories all around us. Every day, every person-- stories surround us. We need to tell our stories. We need to tell the stories of our hours, our days, our lives. We need to tell the stories of our triumphs and failures. We need to tell the stories of our families. We need to tell the stories of our religion. We need to tell the stories that describe us.

How do you tell these stories? I believe that's why we have Art. Some stories are told through paint, others through music. Some are told over kitchen table; others are told as best-sellers. Some are told through dance, others are told through traditions. It is your story to tell. Tell it how your story needs to be told.

I used to think my life was pretty rote and boring. And then I realized that stories surround us. Finding these stories and sharing them makes our lives more fulfilling, for every story has a driving force. Stories aren't told for stories' sake-- they have purpose. When we can see the stories, when we are willing to tell the stories, then we might understand better why we have stories.

Spring Storm 4-16-07

Raindrops fall
Drippingly
Splash
Spattering the pavement
Dropping
Fast and hard
Parading in puddles
Heartily plopping
In pools
Stacatto strike
Of hail
Stinging, bouncing
Barreling barrage of thunder
Beating cosmic drums
Bang
More drops drip
Dappling pants
Spattering umbrellas
Splish of barefoot
(shoes in hand)
Spanking the sidewalk
Constant beat
Constant fall
Drips, drops,
Splat

Words

We use lots of words everyday. Sometimes we use more words than usual. In the past 10 days or so, I have written my 18 page paper. Yes, my mental trick of saying it was 20 pages worked!! When I got to 18 pages I was ready to finish it, and it totally falls within the requirements for length. I also ran out of time. I 'm sure I could have pulled another page or two out of it. BUT! Here's the big news. That entire paper, from beginning header to ending works cited, is 5,903 words long. Yes. I wrote that. I will sleep SO WELL tonight.

I'm done with words for tonight. I think that deserves a nice break.

:)

I am happy today/this week........

• It is Easter week and I get to have yummy Easter dinner with Grandpa and Grandma Price tomorrow!
• I got to spend last weekend with Grandparents Price and watch conference. Hooray for Elder Holland's amazing talk on the Atonement. I think he listed my name in the beginning when he said who his talk was for.
  
• Karly, on my tap company, not only drove me to the show tonight, she thought my eyelashes were fake! AKA, they look so long and luscious that she thought I had put false lashes on. Nope. 100% real.
  
• I bought food this week. Happy day for food you actually want to eat.
• My dance performance tonight went really well, even with a few foot-flubs.
  
• My hair curled remarkably well for the show, and it still looks good.
• I got to see several old friends at my friend Amy's bridal shower. It was good to catch up with them.
• I took a long shower today.
• I vacuumed the front room. I like clean things.
• I watched a cool, random movie on Hulu about a boy in Belfast, Ireland, who takes up dance to become a better football (soccer) player, then falls in love and wins the girl who far outranks him on the social ladder.
  
• I am halfway done with my paper! And while this post is clearly detracting from my progression on the paper, I am confident that I will be able to come of conqueror.
  
• My mom is coming to visit in about two weeks.
  
• I had a really good talk with my roommate last night.
• I drank some orange juice today... Simply Orange is the best ever!
• My taxes are done and I'm getting a fatty return. Go Savings Account!
• My bed is comfortable.
• I have an incredible family who loves me and cares about how I am doing.
  
• I realized that I give more service than I think I do. Of course, I should still increase that amount.
  
• I'm healthy... if you don't count my knee that has been acting out a bit more in recent days.
• Training went well at work this week, even if it cost me my mental capacities.
  
• I created a fun and effective review game for my training.
  
• I ate basically an entire bag of Reese's PB cups.
  
• My jeans are beginning to trend towards falling off. My favorite are the pair that don't require unbuttoning, etc.

Ok, this is longer than I expected. I am going to write something more useful now.... like the paper that's going to count towards my grade.

Peering into the future

So there's a common adage that history repeats itself. And, I'd have to say, I'm a believer. For example, my summer plans. There are most definitely some things that are new and exciting-- Europe!!-- but a few striking things seem like they will be the same. Namely, my roommate situation. It seems abundantly clear that I will be rocking out the bachelorette pad solo this summer. At least I won't have a bunch of engaged girls squatting in with me. Not that it wasn't nice living with them last year but...

Apparently my roommate has begun to "help" me with the transition process. Well, in all fairness, she is helping herself with the transition. She has begun to distance herself, to remind herself of my faults so she can have extra motivation to be happy she's leaving. I guess we all have our ways of dealing with things. To my credit, I recognized and fixed at least two of said flaws. I know not to talk about cooking, and I know not to talk about boys. So, my lovely blog, you've become my retreat. I will tell you how to cook and how dismal my dating situation is. You don't care and won't compare me to you. Just because you've been waiting longer doesn't make me any less eligible for happiness. There's no "take a number" for love. Sadly. But really, that's ok. And really, any decent cook will tell you that putting cold pans on high heat will warp the pans and isn't the most effective way to cook food.

Anyways, I did my taxes today. Talk about a REFUND!! I intend to put some in savings, buy a DVD player for Alex's TV (Alex, I do want it and I'll take it once my roomies clear out), and I really want a black pearl ring, so I think I'll put some to save for that. If there's no guy to be your sugar-daddy... take care of it yourself. Once I find the ring of choice, I'll show it off for ya'll to comment on.

Rainy Day-- it's raining outside

I should be working on my 20 page paper. Or I should be reading Virginia Woolf for class tomorrow. I should go tidy the kitchen, and maybe vacuum my room too. But this hasn't been much of a week for doing what I should do. Mostly its been, well to be honest, an avoidance week. I stayed at work late a lot, partly because I had lots to prepare for training (part of my new position!) but mostly because I just didn't want to come home. When I came home I ate a bit of dinner, then retreated to my room to watch various TV episodes online while "researching" for my 20 page paper. To be honest, I actually got a lot of stuff read yesterday to help me out. For some reason, home just didn't feel like the peaceful home I needed. But that really isn't the point of my writing today. I really intend to write about my calendar.

Yes, my calendar. Before you quit reading and recommend a psychiatrist for me-- well just keep reading. I won this calendar at a work conference I went to in South Dakota during October. I was BY FAR the youngest person in attendance, but hey, luck was with me and I won a prize! There was more than just a calendar in the basket, but hey, I ate most of that stuff already. So the calendar; well, it's a Utah calendar. And today I realized that I needed to turn the page from March to April. And honestly, as I flipped the page and jammed my push-pin back into the wall, I was hit with the beauty of the image and its parallelism to my current situation.

Poised atop a red rock cliff, the winding blue river unfolds like a sapphire ribbon, whimmering below. A golden sun peeks along the edge of the horizon, its rays reaching and radiating out from the white hot center. It lights the entire sky with a hazy golden wash, hinting at the promise of the day. (I think it is a rising sun.) You can almost feel the cold dawn breeze whipping at your hair as you gaze across the vista. It is beautiful. It is anticipation. It is natural. It is hope. It is my life.

I feel like I am standing on that ridge at Flaming Gorge, watching the sun rise into my life. Now there's a double entendre. Light is pushing away the darkness of the cold desert night, piercing it through like a sword in hopes of its eternal eradication. My stomach jumps a bit, perhaps from my relationship with heights-- perhaps from anticipation. I close my eyes, soaking in the faint warmth that promises to increase exponentially. And when I open my eyes, I will see without doubt the portending future.

Dawn is breaking.

Guess what...

I'm dating someone!!! For reals! After all this time.........



























haha April Fool's!
(c'mon, did you SERIOUSLY think that was for real?)