I think I need to try this....

David's sister sent him a link to this video.  It's pretty hilarious so I had to share!

Life Advice

In my business class today someone shared this video as part of the devotional.  I really liked it.  I think that everything he talks about is advice we should live our whole lives by.  If we do that, then we will live happy and joyful lives.  His name is Elder Bushe of the Quorum of the Seventy and he shared this in a BYU devotional in 1996.  It's a little long, but I feel like it's worth watching because it shows the love of Heavenly Father in our lives in that He gives us these great men to guide us in our lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgROrDllaPI

Christmas List

Ok, here's some of what I want for Christmas.  I doubt this is all of it, but here's what I have so far.

-school clothes
-blow dryer
-"The End" by Rodney Smith (just kitting, it's like $800)
-brown or black belt
-jump drive
-planner book (not huge like dad's, just a small one I can carry around in my purse)
-jewelry (necklaces, earrings)
-fancy-pants silver headband

Yeah, that's about all I have for right now.  That should give you some ideas.

Christmas

I think all of you should post a list of what you want for Christmas!  Otherwise you are all getting a can of pop.

Concerts, Concerts, Concerts!

This semester is another busy one!  Last week I played 6 concerts in 3 days, I played in a different concert on Friday, and next week starts the opera (Marriage of Figaro).  I was asked last night if I was sad the Halloween concert was over, but I had to tell the truth, I'm more sad that the concert we played in on Friday is over.  I guess it's mostly because I didn't feel like I really got the most out of the pieces that I could have, and they are beautiful pieces.  With the Halloween concert, we had 6 shows to really perfect the performance, but just one chance with the other one.  And the orchestra didn't quite know the music as well (our own fault).  I really do love playing in concerts.  I'm going to be very sad when I graduate and can't play with the Symphony anymore.  I'll just have to look more in to community orchestra's!  I hope that I always have the ability to play in one. 

Those were our last symphony concerts.  Now on to the opera!  For those of you who don't know, I actually love opera.  I think I really started liking it when I started singing in choirs and realized all the talent you need in order to do that.  However, I'm not as excited about playing in the pit orchestra.  Mozart operas have all the fun melodies in the first violin section.  And I'm in the second violins.  We get a lot of arpeggios, that's all I can say about that.  But it will be fun to listen to.

I don't have much more to say.  Life is extremely busy and I'm looking forward to a very nice and long Thanksgiving break.  But I will leave you with a video.  This was one of the pieces we played in our concert on Friday.  I really love this piece.

All I Need to Know....

All I Need to Know about Life I Learned from My Teddy Bear

---

• Hugs are even better than chocolate.
• There's no such thing as too many kisses.
• One good cuddle can change a grumpy day.
• Love is supposed to wear out your fur a little.
• It's okay to let your inside stuffing show now and then.
• Listening is as important as talking.
• Someone's got to keep their eyes open all the time.
• It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
• Everyone needs someone to hold onto.
• There's no friend like an old friend.

-Lulu Canard

All I Need to Know About Life I Learned from My Cat

---

• Life is hard and then you nap.
• Curiosity never killed anything except maybe a few hours
• Variety is the spice of life: One day ignore people, the next day annoy them, and play with them when they're busy.
• Climb your way to the top -- that's why the drapes are there.
• Never sleep alone when you can sleep on someone's face.
• Make your mark in the world -- or at least spray in each corner.
• When you go out into the world, always remember, being placed on a pedestal is a right, not a privilege. 

All I Need to Know about Life I Learned from My Dog

---

• If you stare at someone long enough, eventually you'll get what you want.
• If at first you don't succeed, beg.
• Don't go out without I.D.
• Be direct with people; let them know exactly how you feel by peeing on their shoes.
• Be aware of when to hold your tongue, and when to use it.
• Leave room in your schedule for a good nap.
• Always give people a friendly greeting.
• When you do something wrong, always take responsibility for it (as soon as you're dragged out from under the bed).
• If it's not wet and sloppy, it's not a real kiss. 

Saturday Walk

Last night David and I went on a short walk around town. Here are a few of the shots I took!

 This house had pretty cute decorations, I thought

We went through an old abandoned house that was being torn down.

This is a rope swing in the backyard of the house.

I think he's pretty cute..... 

This one's for you Mom!  Cool tree branches!

Update

Well, I'm sitting here in the photo lab waiting for my assignment to get printed. For those of you who have never printed your pictures on a photo printer, it takes 2-3 minutes for each page. So I have some time to wait. I think I'm starting to get in my groove. I still don't look forward to Tuesday's and Thursday's because I usually don't get to go home till about 7:30, and that's after starting my classes at 7:45. I guess that's just what's going to happen for any senior.

The first few weeks of the semester are always hard just because I have to get used to everything all over again. I think a good judge for me of how things are going is Symphony. The first couple of weeks I feel like I can't play at all and I think "there's a good reason why I'm in the back!" but after awhile, I get used to the music and I can play most of the passages and it starts to get really fun. I think that's how things are for me. It takes me a little bit, but eventually I get the hang of things and can start having fun! I hope it lasts throughout the semester.

I think Fall semester is my absolute favorite to go to school. At the beginning of the semester it's still warm and nice and then all the leaves start turning those beautiful shades of orange, red, and brown and it creates such a nice atmosphere. Also, you have things like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas to look forward too! Pretty soon it's going to start snowing and it will make everything a different kind of beautiful. I can't wait!

A New Semester

I'm beginning to feel the stress of the semester. There are so many new things happening these past few weeks that I feel a bit overwhelmed. I'm taking a watercolor class right now that I feel so out of my element with that I don't know what to do. My first assignment was not good. But the assignment we're doing now is hopefully going to turn out good. I'll post the final project later.

The other class I'm worried about is Intro to Studio Lighting. I think it will get a lot easier as I get the hang of working in a studio, but right now I don't really know what I'm doing. I've never worked with lights or in a studio so this is also very different. I've been lucky so far that with both photo and watercolor that the teachers are extending the due dates of our projects so I have more time to complete them. I really really appreciate that.

The last thing that threw me through a loop was the calling I got. I am now the ward pianist. I have never had a pianist calling before and now playing in sacrament meeting is a little intimidating. I couldn't turn it down because I kept having the saying "don't turn down a calling because it's probably the calling you will learn the most from" going through my head. I'm glad I have 2 weeks to prepare. I don't know how this is going to turn out. Prayers will be greatly appreciated.

Another Video

I just thought this video was kind of funny. This is for you Mama! (and yes, that is Pavarotti singing!)

School So Far

I thought I'd share a few thoughts before I went to bed about my first day of school. The first day of school hasn't really changed much for me these past 5 or 6 years. Although I don't get as nervous about all my classes, I still worry about whether I can fulfill all the requirements and get and A. I still think I'm never going to have enough time to complete all the work (which I always do have enough time so I don't know why I still worry). And I still, ever since elementary school, plan out what I'm going to wear. I think that tradition will hold true for whatever life throws at me. My first day at my first real job I expect I'll still be picking out what I'm going to wear and having it all laid out (maybe even put the socks in the shoes!). I feel like if I can't do anything else to really prepare, I know I will have dressed to succeed.

I'd like to say that I love being an art major. Even more than that, I love being an art major at a church school. I get to learn about all these different ways I can be creative and express myself, but I get to do it while having teachers tell you how you can inspire yourself by listening to the Spirit. I love learning how there are numerous examples of how God is an artist and doesn't neglect the beauty of the planet. Many people today underestimate the value of aesthetics and I feel like I am that much more supported when I learn that God and even Laman and Lemuel (1 Nephi 18:4-thank you Readings!) are craftsman. I may not be a superb artist, but I know that if I do my best and pray for inspiration, that I will have help when I need it.

The last thing I'd like to say about the first day of school is that I am soooooooo glad the summer is over and I get to see David every day! This summer taught me a lot about patience, understanding, and learning to accept things as they are and make the best out of them. I am so glad that's behind us. I'm ready to have a real relationship after the first 5 months of "getting to know you" time. I am very proud of myself for having accomplished that, but I couldn't have done it without David. I was a pain in the neck sometimes, but he put in just as much or more effort as I did. It seems like everything is a million times easier now. I get the feeling that everything is going to be a challenge and a half, but I also know that we can work together on things. No plans for anything are being made, so don't worry about that. I'm just very glad he's back.

School

I was never one of those people that wanted summer vacation to last 4 months longer than it actually is. I'm one of those people that likes learning new things and making friends and keeping busy. This summer has been a little hard on me because I haven't done much besides work and stay at home. But that trip to NC did make a nice change! I'm very ready to go back to school, to move into my apartment, to be able to see David again, to play in symphony, and all that other stuff that comes with the fall.

Although I am looking forward to all that, I'm also looking forward to having a little mini-vacation with my family! Next weekend we're going to Badger Creek and just having a fun time. I will have to come back to work for one morning, but I got the rest of the time off! I'm really glad I don't have to work every day during that time. I love little things like that that help break up this last month before school starts. It helps the time go faster and I don't get as antsy!

North Carolina

Well, I'm here on the east coast. Life's a bit different here and I'll be glad to head home for awhile, but I've had the greatest time here. My mom and sister were right, it's a dang good thing I came here when I did. I'm now out about $300, but I think it was worth it. I've been to an art museum, a symphony concert (in the rain), and had some real Southern cooking. All of this with someone who makes me really happy. Tomorrow we head off to the beach and then later that night to a bbq. I'm pretty excited about life right now. Well, at least until Thursday comes.

Future

At my Dad's request, I'm writing a new post because he's getting old of reading the previous one. This summer I have had much more of a chance to think about my future because I'm going to have to start taking some action here soon. I've mostly been thinking about my education. Even though my sister says that career I want is useless and going to be obsolete soon, I still want to pursue it because it's what I love. I would really love to work in an art museum, specifically as a curator, but I'd really love just to work there in some capacity. To accomplish this I plan on getting my Masters in Art History although I haven't picked an area of emphasis. I'm thinking either the Gothic Era or Renaissance. Now I just have to decide where I want to get my degree. Any ideas on excellent schools that could help me accomplish this?

Bones and Glass

Yesterday was the first rehearsal with our new music in Symphony. I can say this with full confidence that I'm going to love this next concert much more than the first one! That first rehearsal went much better than almost any other rehearsal for the other concert. I love this music so much more and am excited to play it! We have 3 pieces. A trombone concerto (that I don't remember the exact name of), Philip Glass's piece "Company" (I don't care that all his stuff sounds the same, I love it!), and Beethoven's 8th Symphony. I'm a big fan of Philip Glass and Beethoven so this will be fun! Here are a few clips of what we'll be playing.

This is the 1st movement of the Philip Glass.



And the last movement of the Beethoven. I'm not quite sure if we'll make it up to this tempo....

Frustrations

I've been very frustrated these last few days and I thought maybe if I got them out of my system it would help me feel better. Most of the things I'm frustrated about are things that I can't fix right now, but they'll be over soon enough and I have some ways that will help.

The first one is that my boyfriend is across the country. This isn't something that sends me into a deep depression because I'm a pretty self-sufficient person, but it is hard. But we finally figured out how to use Skype and being able to see him a little is helping a lot. I don't know how far this relationship will go, but it will be nice to see him again.
Another thing is my job. I feel like a put in a lot of effort for pay that's not much above minimum wage. But I am very grateful to have a job at all because it's how I'm paying my way through college. I guess it's just the type of job I have that I shouldn't be expecting much better. And I do get treated pretty well and am able to have this job during school because my boss is very good about working with my schedule. I just have to endure it a little longer and then I can get a job that I actually enjoy doing.
I'm also frustrated with the pain I've been getting in my wrists and hands. It makes life a little harder because I'm not able to do as much as I would like. It's a little harder for me to play my best in symphony because there's more pain than there used to be. Sometimes when I'm trying to sleep, it's harder because the pain or tingling keeps me up. I just don't want to have to give up playing my violing or piano or organ because of it, that's one of my biggest fears. But I ordered these fancy new fingerless gloves that should help a lot. I'm really excited for those to come!
I also really need to get my hair cut, but I'm always busy during the days and can never find the time. Hopefully I'll be able to have a little bit of time this weekend, though. That's not a huge thing.

I think that I need a little vacation or something to help get my mind off these things. And it probably would help if I got more sleep on a consistent basis. I'll just do my best and know that if I can make it through this, I can make it through everything that is easier! I just have to keep telling myself that it isn't going to last forever and that things really aren't as bad as they seem. Maybe I'll start exercising more consistently too. That couldn't hurt! Ok, well maybe it will because I haven't really exercised a whole lot lately.....but you get the point. ;)

Work....

I've decided that I'm looking forward to the day when I can go to work and actually look forward to it. I've been working about 30 hours a week for the past few weeks which is nice because it gives me the money I need to pay for stuff, but this job isn't what I would call ideal. But it works for what I need it to do.

My birthday was pretty great. I had a wonderful time with my family, playing in symphony, and almost passing out. Ok, that last one I didn't have the most fun with, but it was a great day anyways! I got plenty of suprises from David (aka Bob or Playdough) and had a great dinner with my sisters, parents, and Tyler. Today I got a letter from Andy. It has Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck on the front and when you open it it plays the theme for Looney Tunes. He also had all the elders in his apartment sign it. The envelope is addressed to "Abbigail Mitchell" and the return address is from "Da Eldas". It was funny to open and I appreciate his thoughtfulness!

I'm playing in Sinfonietta this semester and that's going really good. I love playing in there and it helps keep me busy. Our concert is only 2 weeks away! (I hope you all can come!) I was made 1st Violin which was a little suprising, but I think I'm handling it very well. It's the first time I've been in this section and I think I like it a lot more. The music is more difficult but I feel much more engaged and I like the challenge! We're playing Borodin's Sinfonia and Schumann's Symphony #3.

That's most of what my life has consisted of these past few weeks. I'm hoping this summer goes by very quickly!

Cinco De Mayo

So a couple people have asked what I wanted for my birthday and since they are 2 of the 3 people that actually read my blog, I thought it would be easier to just put it on here.

~Books. It's summer once again and I need something to keep me busy.
~Large Barrel Curling Iron. I like the size that Joni has. The gold one that's in the bathroom. I'm not sure exactly how big it is.
~Kitchen Junk. Mostly things like measuring spoons/cups, mixing bowls, stuff like that so I don't have to keep borrow my roommates.
~Cute Flats. I've realized I need more casual shoes that I can wear to school. I think I have enough heels.
~Violin Polish/Cleaner. My violin could use both of these.

That's what I got so far. I'm open to anything else you think I might like, this is just a list of suggestions. I'm not too terribly picky.

Summer

I was a little worried for the summer for a few reasons, and still am, but I think it's going to be all right. The first reason is that most everyone that I have become good friends with over these past 2 months have all gone home. I'm sad about that and now I don't have much to do. I have managed to go see one friend yesterday before she left to go home and I went to visit this girl I work with at her house because she got a new puppy! I think I just have to get over my fear of social situations and I'll be fine.

Another reason is that my main man David is in North Carloina at home. He's off track and basically has the same plan as me: live at home so you don't have to pay rent and work a butt load so you have enough money to live for next year. It will be interesting to see how that all turns out.

I'm also one of those people that likes to stay busy so summers are hard because I don't have school junk to keep me busy. I've found a few projects though that I hope I'll be able to accomplish. They're more like goals I've set for myself so that I will be productive. A few of these are to keep practicing the oragn so I don't lose all my new knowledge, work 2 jobs, see if there's a symphony I can join (either on campus or maybe a community one), and build up my photography portfolio. I also want to go hiking a lot like I've done with my mom and sisters for the past few summers. I really enjoy that.

That's my basic plan for the next 4 months. I think everything will work out, I'll just have to focus on things one day at a time or I'll be driven crazy because I'll focus on how slowly the summer is passing. Yeah, I think things will be all right.

Dream

I've been trying to figure out what to blog about because I haven't posted in awhile, and then I read my mama's blog and thought it was a good idea. So I decided to post my dream I had over the weekend.

I recently started dating this guy, David (in real life, not just the dream) and he has a best friend, Kellen. In this dream, I saw David hanging out with this chick in a gym on campus. Not just the regular hanging out, it looked like they were on a date. I was hurt, mad, and confused.

I later found Kellen and he told me he really needed to find David because he was having problems with this girl and he needed David to help work them out. In my mind, I was thinking "David is NOT the one you want help from because I am PISSSSSSED at him right now! I don't want this to happen to some other poor girl!" But I took him to find David anyways.

We got to the gym and I went up to David to confront him about him blowing me off for this random girl. He just shrugged his shoulders and said "It's ok Abby, I'll hang out with you tomorrow. It's not that big of a deal." I can't tell you how mad I felt towards him at that moment! I went up to him and slapped him right across his smug little face as hard as I could. Then the girl he was with turned to me and said "I don't know why you're freaking out so bad, we didn't think you'd mind." That pushed me off the edge. I went up to her, punched her in the face, and then wrestled her to the ground.

As I was beating the crap out of her, I was thinking to myself that I wished I didn't actually do that because I'm going to get in such trouble. Right then my alarm went off and I was very glad it was all a dream.

Just had to share.

Someone showed this video in my business class today. I thought it was pretty funny so I thought I'd share! Sorry the video quality isn't the best. Enjoy!

Concerts!

Tomorrow and Friday night the symphony I'm in will be performing Brahms' Requiem. The orchestra part is not the most exciting (very boring in some places), but I'm really excited! I love concerts and playing and everyone getting all dressed up. I don't know why, I just do. I think it will be a great concert. I wish I could sing and play, though. We got to hear the choir for the first time today and it really does sound good. Normally I would hate to put so much time into one thing so close to finals, but I love it. Anyways, if you have a chance, please come! It will be wonderful!

My Family

Well, it's another one of those nights where it's hard to fall asleep. So I thought I'd write a post since I haven't written one in a couple of weeks. It seems like this semester has been going in overdrive. All the weeks seem to be melding into one big glob and it's hard for me to keep one day seperate from another. But today was a good break. While I was sitting in church, the thought just kept coming into my mind how much I love my family. They really are the greatest. We've all certainly had our troubles because I'm pretty sure we have the worst luck ever, but we have each other to laugh about all of our troubles with. Here's why I love my family:

Dad-My dad is such a hard worker. He taught me that if you start out with a disadvantage, you just have to work that much harder to keep up. It's been very annoying at times, but I believe that I am stronger than most other people because of it. I also know that if I ever need anything done for me, he will be willing to help. When I got in a car accident a few years ago and was having a minor panic attack, he was there to help me straighten everything out and get things taken care of. I really appreciated that.

Mama-I can talk to my mom about almost anything. She's very good at listening to me complain about things and is there to celebrate with me in all my successes. I can't begin to count how many times she has lent me a shoulder to cry on. She helped me out a lot in my drawing and design & color classes by lending me her supplies and helping me with technique and all that fun stuff. It's also been great to share with her all my art knowledge and I look forward to going on our art trip with the school together! She's probably my best friend. Life hasn't been easy, but she's always been there to help me through it.

David-Growing up, David was my absolute favorite. I still remember cruising around in his orange car listening to the Beatles and going to see The X-Files at the movie theater. Now that he's moved and we're both going our seperate ways, it's a bit harder to see him but he still manages to make us laugh when him and Joni get together and mock things. I don't approve of some of the topics, but they can usually get me laughing pretty hard.

Emily-Emily isn't the newest addition to my family, but I still haven't gotten to get a chance to know her as well as I know my biological sisters. Emily is a very sweet person and I respect her for all the hard work she puts into raising her family. I can't imagine it is easy with 2 kids and a job. She always tries to stay so upbeat and look for the good in every situation. I admire that.

Lisa-Being the first girl couldn't have been easy, but Lisa has laid down a good path for the rest of us to follow. Not necessarily going into music or teaching, but she has shown how much importance she puts on following her dream and making sure the gospel is a big part of her life. It's been a long time since we shared a twin bed, but we still manage to stay close by having out ditcher time and keeping up the tradition of stealing each others clothes. It's nice to run into her at the Snow building every once in awhile and be able to talk about the music aspect of my life with her. I can't wait to go support her at her big concert this weekend!

Tyler-Tyler is the most recent addition to our family so I've know him probably the least, but he's been a lot of fun. It's always fun to make Lisa mad when I tell her about the dates I went on with Tyler (and we've gone on a few!) I know that he takes good care of Lisa and that makes me happy. He's also brought something to our family that we don't get a lot of - Cowboy yodeling! I still remember the first time he brought his guitar over to our house for the first time and sang Chime Bells for us. I hope he teaches Lisa how to yodel just like that!

Joni-It's been an interesting time with Joni. For about the first 20 years of our lives, I'm pretty sure we were banned from talking to each other because we would always fight. But now she is one of the people that can usually make me laugh. We have so many inside jokes that people have said it's like we have our own language. Anything from "panclocks" to "why don't you just drink poison?" we can have whole conversations just quoting things to each other. I guess all those years of sharing a bed/room together is finally paying off. When she gets a job and moves away, I'm really going to miss her.

Andy-All growing up people always thought we were twins (although lately Joni and I have been called that) because we would do everything together. Our favorite summertime activity was playing with the hose in the mud and grass out front or spending the day perfecting our fort in the forest of our backyard. Once I hit high school, I felt like his second mother because I'd have to drive him everywhere and make sure he got his homework done and all that fun stuff. And after he graduated, him and Joni and I spent the summer bonding at home together going on pop runs with Oscar and watching ER. He's one of the funniest, quirkiest kids I know. Now he's in New York and I really miss him. But I'm so proud of what he's doing.

I love my family so much and I'm so thankful for phones and the internet and all those other means of communication so that we can hopefully continue to stay close. I've always kind of thought of our family as like the Mafia. I think we're a little bit intimidating and very close. I will always stick up for my family and try to do everything I can for them. They are the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Who says cellists can't rock?

Last thursday I went to a concert called Guitars Unplugged. It's where a bunch of bands play and the best ones get chosen to play again on the last night. Most of the bands were normal college bands with a drummer, a couple guitarists, and a vocalist. There were a few single acts and a few tambourines thrown in every once in awhile, but there was one group that was my favorite. I may be a little biased because I knew all of them from Symphony and one of them is in my ward. They all play the cello, so they decided to play a song by the band Apocalyptica. I thought it was awesome. They didn't have an electric guitar, but they did have a drummer. It was hilarious to see them on stage banging their heads because I'm used to seeing them on the Barrus stage playing Bruckner. I told my friend later that night that I thought they did amazing and he said his head hurt like none other! I guess that aspect of things they'll have to get used to a little more. I looked videos up on youtube and I'm pretty sure this is the song they did.

Good News

These past 2 weeks have been horrible for me. It seems like everything that could've gone wrong, did. I didn't know if I was going to make it through and I did get behind on a few things. But I'm beginning to get out of that. And today I got some really good news. Well, not so much for me, but for my good friend. I met Alex about a month ago and when I first met him I just knew he was one of those people that's always happy and can make good out of any situation. But there was one thing about him that made me sad. Alex has cancer. I'm not exactly sure, but it's some type of skin cancer. He has a very good attitude about it and isn't afraid to talk about it and even does so jokingly with a smile on his face. A week ago he went home to California to get some tests done. We were all very nervous for him because these tests were to decide if his treatments were doing any good. If they weren't, he was to stop and eventually he would pass away. He got back to Rexburg last night and dropped by my apartment today. He told us that he is one of those lucky people (he said 1 in 200) that is going to survive! It made me so happy to hear that because he is so adorable and kind and I'm so happy for his good news. So after all the terrible things that have happened, that was definitely a high point. Today was a good day.

Laughter is Contagious

I love this video and I thought you would all enjoy! Laughter is the best medicine!

Andy

Today, my baby brother left on his mission. I really love my family so it was very hard to say good-bye. I'm going to miss him a lot, but I know he's doing what he should. The last thing he said to me was "You sound like a man". Him and Joni decided to call me at 7:30 in the morning. It woke me up so I still had my morning voice. It was a very special moment. Here's a video that he would listen to every once in awhile. If I was ever on the computer, he would always have me look it up. So Andy, here's to you buddy.

Sick

I'm just now starting to get over some sickness I have had for the past week. It was probably just a bad cold, but it made life pretty miserable. I spent last friday night watching 4 movies with my roommate. I've realized that when you're sick, everything seems a lot worse because you can't do much without making yourself more sick. So the frustration comes into play. So you get mad and frustrated, which is not a good combination. But things are much better now. I was very glad to be feeling better because yesterday we had our pass-offs in symphony. I'm still not quite sure how it went. Twice, our conductor who we had to play for said "Well, it could've gone worse". I don't know how to take that. But he didn't say we had to come back and play for him again so I'm guessing that's a good thing. I have a feeling things are going to start picking up a bit more in school. I'm not too excited about this, but I guess it could be worse. I'm taking a few easy classes so it shouldn't be too bad. I just hope no more sicknesses come my way!

Horoscope

Joni read me my horoscope this morning and it said I should write in my journal and that it could change my life, so I figured this was the next best thing. This week I've been very stressed. Things seem to be building up all around me. I've been doing pretty good in dealing with it so far, but I think things will be getting just a little more hectic in the next few weeks. School will probably get a little more difficult and my friends are wanting to spend more time together. I think I'm going to have to ask for a few less hours at work. I'm really trying to stay on top of things and I'm worried that with all this stress and being in the flu season, I'm afraid I might get sick. This is a little disjointed, but I just need to get it out of my head. I look forward to the end of the semester because then I'll have a nice, long break. Maybe a little too long. But at least during the summer I can work on perfecting my portfolio and trying to figure out what to do with my life after graduation. I have a few different options including just trying to start my own photography studio or going to more school to get my masters degree in art history. I'm going to try and figure things out. But until then, I'll just do my best taking life one day at a time.

Goals

I've decided that this semester I'm going to have a goal. It doesn't have anything to do with school because I don't need much more motivation to do good in that area. I haven't really had much trouble getting myself to do homework or do my best in classes. I know sometimes my grades don't reflect how much I do try in classes, but I do my best. No, this goal is on the social side of life. I heard once that you should be balanced in 3 aspects of life: Education/Career, Social, and Spiritual. I think I'm doing fine on the outer 2, it's the middle one I've always had a problem with. This is my goal, to do something social at least once a week and to go out on a date with a normal boy (not a weird one which is usually the kind of boy I attract). I try to fool myself and say that I don't have time for a social life because I'm taking 14 credits and I have a job, but if I really wanted, I could set aside one night to do something with people. I don't have a problem doing things with people, it's just getting it started. I never know who to invite or what to do or any of that stuff. But I'm going to try. Even though most of my friends aren't here this semester. I'm going to try. As for the date, I don't know what to do about that. I could either ask the guy on the date (which I've heard a lot of guys don't really like, but they never ask girls on dates so that's annoying), try to flirt a lot which I'm not the best at, or get other people to fix me up on dates. The guy I was trying to date last semester seems to have lost interest so I'm back at square one. Although, every time I talk to his friend, he makes little comments about how I know everything about what's going on with this guy and how we always hang out (which we don't anymore). So maybe there is still hope. Or maybe not. Maybe him and my mom can get together and get this guy to get on the stick! (just kitting mom...I really don't want you to talk to J-dawg, but I might have a talk with Adam and see if I can get him to figure things out) So those are my goals. I don't know how well this is going to work out. If anyone has suggestions for social things I can do or any advice for dating junk, let me know! I need the help.

The First Week

Well, I've successfully made it through the first week of school. It was a little difficult, but I think I've found my stride. I'm actually really excited for my classes. This is one of those semesters where I love being an art major. I'm taking two classes where pretty much all we get to do is look at works of art. This may not sound like fun for some people, but I love it. One of my many plans in life is to get my Masters degree in Art History (or something equivalent to that). I love doing the readings for class and I love hearing the discussions about it. Why wouldn't you love it when there are so many pictures to look at? I'm also taking 2 music classes. Symphony is always fun and I enjoy it. But this semester I'm trying something new. I'm taking a class called Group Organ Instruction. It's supposed to give us the skills so that we can be the ward organist. The path that led me to this class was very frustrating, but I think it's going to be fun. We had our first class yesterday and played a little bit. The teacher told me she thought I was going to be very good at playing the organ. We'll just see how that opinion holds out for the rest of the semester. I'm also taking a business class. It's going to be interesting because I've never taken a class like this before. But it will be good for me. I think it will take a lot of time, but it will all be stuff that will help me in starting my own studio.
The roommate situation is definitely starting to get better. I'm learning that I don't have to hide in my room all the time (although sometimes I do just because the rest of the apartment is so cold) and that the girls I'm with are actually pretty nice. It just takes awhile for me to get used to new people. But I've successfully talked to all of them at least a little bit, except one. That's the other roommate who always hides in her room. I've tried a couple times to start a conversation, but no response yet. I'll just keep trying. But I think this semester will actually turn out to be pretty fun. I'm looking forward to it.

And Now We Begin

This week is the start of many things for me. Today was the first day of school and the second day in my apartment. School wasn't too bad. I don't really get that nervous for classes (although in some cases I probably should be). My classes I went to today are both going to be very interesting. I'm taking a business class for my cluster. When I went to class, I was 1 of 4 girls in a class of about 30. I'm used to classes being female-dominated because I mostly take art and music, so this will be a new experience. My other class is a class I probably should've taken when I was a freshman. It's Art 101- Intro to Visual Arts. I feel very old in that class because most of the other students are freshman and I'm a junior. But it does seem like a fun and easy class, so I'm looking forward to it. I was supposed to have another class, but the teacher won't be here the first week so we'll meet for the first time next tuesday.
My apartment is pretty nice. It's a lot bigger than either of the other apartments I've lived in and I get my own room. I'm just not quite sure what to think about my roommates. One of them is very nice and will talk to me and try to get to know me. I found out tonight that she's going into nursing. The other roommates are going to be interesting. They're not the most.....happy bunch. I don't see them smile or joke around as much. When I walk into the apartment and they're in the living room, I usually try to smile and say hi. The response I usually get back is a blank stare and sometimes I'll get a hello back. If we're both in front of the vanity getting ready for the day, I try to at least make eye contact once and smile, but I usually don't get any response. It's a little difficult for me because I'm not the most outgoing person and tend to rely on others to get the ball rolling. I have been doing my best to be friendly. For me, I think I'm being really outgoing and getting out of my comfort zone because it's hard for me to make friends with someone I don't feel is giving back those friendly vibes. Other people might not see my actions as that bold, but I'm doing my best.
Well, that's all for right now. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because I kept having this dream that I was married to this guy that seemed to only tolerate my presence. I think it may have represented how I think my roommates view me. And also because I'm very afraid that I'll marry someone who doesn't really like me all that much. That I would just be settling for that. But I kept having that dream over and over throughout the night so I didn't sleep well. So I'm going to pray for better dreams tonight. Sweet dreams!

New Year

I thought I should blog for the first time this year and mention all the new things that will be coming with this new year.
Today I started moving into my new apartment. There are good and bad things about this. It is a lot bigger than my old apartment and I get my own room this time. Some bad things are I have to get used to brand new roommates and start all over with the getting-to-know-you game. I really hate that game. But it's always good to make more friends, I guess. I'll miss all my buddies at Greenbrier, but I can always go back and visit them I guess. Another bad thing is I have to move away from my kitty. I love Burns.
Next week I start new classes. It's going to be interesting. I'm taking 2 classes I should've taken when I was a freshman and a business class. I'm not sure what to think about that. But I am taking a class with one of my bestest buddy so I am looking forward to that. And I did manage to fit Symphony in my schedule again. It always makes me happy when I can get that accomplished.
Those are the immediate changes happening in my life. I'm not sure if they're all for good, but I really hope so. I want this to be a good year.