Spinning - Jack's Mannequin

I'm keeping quiet til there's no more sirens
Lately it's hard to keep the hinges on with all the noise
I'll find my words when there's no one talking
The room is spinning, I have got no choice
Be patient, I am getting to the point.

I can't remember when the earth turned slowly
So I just waited with the lights turned out again
I lost my place but I can't stop this story
I've found my way, but until then
I'm only spinning

I'm keeping quiet til the phone stops ringing
Lately it's hard to disconnect, I just want something real
I've found the words if I could just stop thinking
The room is spinning, I have got no choice
Be patient, I am getting to the point.

I can't remember when the earth turned slowly
So I just waited with the lights turned out again
I lost my place but I can't stop this story
I've found my way, but until then
I'm only spinning

Spin beneath the rooftop
Hold on, wait until the room stops
Spinning

I can't remember when the earth turned slowly
So I just waited with the lights turned out again
I lost my place but I can't stop this story
I've found my way, but in the end
We're only spinning

I keep forgetting when the earth turned slowly
So I just waited til the lights come on again
I lost my place but I can't stop this story
I've found my way, but until then
I'm only spinning

New Look!

My blog has a new look!!! LOVE IT!!!

* For those of you using Google Reader this is a hint to actually look at my blog.

Things I Thought About Today

1. My dad gave me some military snow/water proof pants (camo). They are lightweight and comfortable. I realized though as I was walking in the library that they are not very quiet. I sure hope our soldiers have quieter pants to wear. :S
2. I LOVE library self check out. That's right. There is a self check out on the basement floor of the library. No need to worry about if the Library assistants are there. Technology can help you out. Especially on those late night runs to the library.
3. I have this small dread of using the bathroom after 9pm on campus. This is the time that the custodial workers come out and begin their daily cleaning of the buildings. I would just feel super awkward if I was in there when they wanted to come in a clean. Silly. But true.
4. Discovery of the day/week/month: You can print on campus without your signature card at any printer that has a keyboard. You just need super fast fingers and your student ID memorized and you are good to go!!! It was a triumphal moment for us in the lab. There was cheering and high fives all around. Thanks Hannah for the tip!

General Petraeus' BYU Top Ten

As Gen. David Petraeus began his remarks at BYU Thursday night, the commanding general of U.S. Central Command shared his sense of humor by reading the following list, which was received by waves of laughter and applause.

General Petraeus' Top 10 reasons BYU grads make good soldiers:

10 — They have already been on many a mission.

9 — Army chow is no problem for folks accustomed to eating green Jell-o and shredded carrots.

8 — It's not a problem if they don't know what rank someone is, they just refer to them as Brother or Sister so-and-so.

7 — They never go AWOL. They just call it being less active.

6 — They will seize any objective swiftly if you tell them refreshments will be served.

5 — They know how to make things happen. In fact if you ever need a base built quickly in a barren wasteland, stride out to where you want them to start, plant your walking stick down and say in a loud voice, "This is the place."

4 — They have innovative ideas for handling insurgents — like assigning them home teachers.

3 — They always have a years' supply of provisions on hand.

2 — They are the world's most reliable designated drivers.

1 — They understand how far Iraq has come over the last seven years, and they think that Iraq's old spot in the "Axis of Evil" can now be filled by the University of Utah.

-Deseret News

My Week

Most recent looking back.

I received a scholarship for my internship in England. Kinda cool! Last night there the History Department held their Annual Student Awards Banquet at the Provo Marriott Hotel. I didn't realize it was going to be such a big deal. All of the History Department professors were present and there was a guest speaker. I took my friend Geoff Nelson. I hope he had fun time. Part of the evening included a presentation of certificates for papers, scholarships and awards. We each got to walk up to the front and receive our fancy paper and shake hands with a professor (I have no idea who he was). It was a great evening. Here is a picture of three of us. We all got scholarships and are all going to England. Hannah, me and Cassie. YAY for Family History.
Another neat moment, Thursday's school paper had an article in it about student's involvement in the Census. See if you recognize anyone in the article ;)
It was a good week. Robin Gleaves and I went up to Sandy for the BYU vs. Utah Rugby game. It was at the Real Salt Lake arena (aka Rio Tinto Stadium). What a beautiful venue! The game was SUPER CLOSE! Our boys played well. We lost by 2 points. We were super close.
One of the best parts of the evening was watching the people around us. There was a New Zealander sitting in front of us. He knew what he was talking about. He was cheering for BYU as he was drinking his beer. He was such a good sportsman. He would always make fun Utah but also was very willing to pick on BYU when they were playing sloppy and when the ref was making poor calls (which he was). Here is a picture of a scrum.
This was the last game I could attend this year. There is one tomorrow but I will be doing other things. I am excited for next year though. I can't wait to see them play again. I am also excited about going to games in England. I discovered that there is a Rugby, England (just 2 hours from my home!!!!) The place where Rugby began.
Sunday was a beautiful day. Patty, Chelsea and I went out to the lake to have a picnic. It was great! We walked around the lake a bit and I even got some sun! I also took a drive around the lake. I love drives.

This was from a few weeks ago, but I went to the Brian Regan Show. The pictures didn't turn out very well but here is just a taste. Good times!

Idle Conversation

This is all we do now-a-days. We have "idle conversation". Conversation that is just filled with fluff. It goes no where. We learn nothing from it. It is forgotten as soon as it is said. Yet, this is all we do! We get together and "hang out", but to what end? The conversations we have are meaningless and worthless.

I have found that the conversations I enjoy the most are discussions. These discussions are ones that have purpose. I learn something new from these discussions. I come away still thinking about the conversation. I think we need more of those discussions. I need more of those.

Today we spend our interactive time watching movies and tv shows. We put on music. We get together and "play games". What do we learn about the people around us by doing these things? Very little, if anything at all!

I think this needs to change.

Learn the Art of Being Content

Paul declared, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). He further taught, “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). It is tempting to complain and murmur when life is challenging and things don’t appear to be working out as we wish. We learn from Nephi in his great afflictions on his journey: “I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions” (1 Nephi 18:16). The people of Ammon “praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword” (Alma 24:23). The act of thanking and praising has great power to help us endure and is one of the surest methods for increasing happiness. It is also a way to define our relationship with God, from whom all blessings flow.
God reminded the Israelites that He gave them “great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not, when thou shalt have eaten and be full; then beware lest thou forget the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). He has similarly blessed us. When we recognize His hand in all things we naturally desire to express thanks and praise. We realize that He knows more than we do, that He doesn’t relish our suffering, and that in the eternal balance we are still in His debt. If we consider our blessings, we come to realize that if we were blessed on the scale of our best efforts, we would enjoy far less than what we already enjoy.

-March Ensign 2010 page 48

Lesson Learned

I'm home sick with a cold. Perfect timing. I have a million and one things to do including writing a 20 page paper, study for a midterm and read tons of books not to mention all the things I need to do for my internship. So where is the lesson, you ask.

Well, on Sunday I had been pondering all the things I need to do in the next few weeks and got overwhelmed but had a plan of action. I was even going to get a blessing from my home teachers for that extra help. However, my pride got in the way. That's right. I decided I didn't want to bother them and I would be fine without the blessing. Tuesday night I began feeling a little ill so I stocked up on cold medicine and orange juice just in case. Wednesday the cold was at its full strength. Not cool! I have so much to do and I don't have time to be sick. I took off work to go home and hopefully "rest it off". I got a call at about 8 from my home teachers saying they heard I was sick and wanted to know if they could do anything (including giving me a blessing). I was humbled and took them up on the offer for a blessing. Today I feel much better, my head is still a bit fuzzy, but my health has improved a lot.

Lesson:

1) When you feel prompted to do something, DO IT! OR ELSE! (The "or else" part isn't pleasant)