Tuesday, November 30, 2010

ay de mi

(that's a lot of spanish which basically translates to oh my goodness gracious)
Anatomy lab is over. OVER I TELL YOU. forever.
I wish I had kept track of all the many hours I spent in there over the course of this semester poking things with a metal probe and reusing gloves so I wouldn't have to spend 25 cents on a new pair. (yeah, I know it's gross and yeah, I know my roommates hated me for leaving them on the kitchen table. oops)
I learned a lot, I probably did a little less than mediocre on the final, but heck. When there is a little metal pin in a tangle of arteries, veins, and nerves, everything kind of starts to look the same and you're tempted to write smart aleck-y things on your paper.
Anyways, yeah. I'm outta there now and plan on never going back. It was real, it was fun (lie) but it was definitely not real fun my cadaver friends. PS. I will not miss your smell.
Thanksgiving might be over, but the thankfulness is not.
Day 29- Lysol wipes. Well, I came back to Provo greeted by much sickness. My wonderful roommate Sam  came down with the flu, Jordan had a bad case of feeling just plain crappy, and Pat had this weird cough sickness thing, and much to his dismay I was not about to come very close. Sorry buddy- I cannot afford for one minute to get any sickness. Needless to say, I am thankful for the power of Lysol! Especially the new kind, which have a scrubby side and just a smooth side so you can really tell those germs who is boss!
Day 30- Kidnapping food from my house. My mom is a champ when it comes to keeping a well stocked pantry... and I am a champ when it comes to cleaning it out and whisking it all off to Provo! Thanks Mom. :) All I know is between my cottage cheese the size of Texas and all my tomato soup, I have been a happy camper. Now we'll see if I can stretch it out til I go home for Christmas. :)

Well folks, I guess that concludes a whole month's worth of Thankfulness. It was a real pleasure thinking about all the great things, people, places, etc etc in my life because I don't do it enough, and I could probably go on for days more about all the other great things I've got and don't deserve, but there are many more Novembers. Now it's off to clean the kitchen and win the semi finals of intramural soccer.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

a bowl of tomato soup

and I can breathe again.
 Dear future: I am never driving home for Thanksgiving AGAIN. That short 5 1/2 hour road trip took us 9 1/5 hours to complete. Because of road closures, accidents, and pure white outs, my dad, who so graciously drove me and my friends back to Utah only to miss his flight home, is currently at the SLC airport waiting around for 7 AM to come around so he can go home, too. After dropping him off at the airport and continuing on alone, the interstate was an ice rink covered in about 6 inches of fresh snow. I was basically going 10 mph blazing my own trail, hazards blinking, as people whizzed right by me. If you think some Utahns are subpar drivers in ideal conditions, well, just add snow and they become even worse. Winter, I kind of hate you.
With that little gripe, onto something more important. Deep breath.
Day 26- my Dad. He  really is a great guy, and when I thought I was going to have to come back to Provo a couple days early due to the abundance of snow that was supposed to dump on Provo, he stepped up and said he'd get me there safely then fly home. If you read the above "woe is me" soapbox moment, you will note that he is currently sitting in the airport. What a selfless guy. Love you, Dad.
Day 27- BSU football. So, we lost. And it was probably the worst moment of a lot of Boiseans' lives. Heck though- I'm still a fan, and I'm so thankful for our team that wins most of the time, brings a city together, and gives my mom an excuse to make her caramel corn. Go go go big blue! Fight fight BSU!
Day 28- snow plows. I think you know why. They might be slow, but they can save lives.

okay that is all for now. Happy to be in Provo in one piece... that is truly something to be thankful for.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

the day that trumps all days to remember what you're thankful for- it's great, isn't it?
Day 24- Macy's card. I never go shopping, mostly because I hate it. However, we were dropping Lindsay off at the Mall Wednesday, and I had boots on my brain, so I thought heck let's kill two birds. We went in and stayed for 5 hours. Yeah..... too much mall time? For sure. However, I did find the boots of my dreams. And I'm only writing about them because I got a killer deal thanks to opening up a Macy's account thank youuuuu debt! (And thank you mother for enduring the mall time I know you love so much!)
Day 25- On the coldest Thanksgiving of my life I am thankful for heat. My my my I don't know why the Abominable Snowman had to run through Idaho with such force, but I guess we'll deal. I'm thankful that although it feels like it is 30 below in Boise, it is nice and toasty inside my house, the shower is hot enough to burn me when I jump in, and Dad warms up the car for at least 20 minutes whenever we have to go anywhere. Thank you modern technology.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Mom says I'm slacking

so this is for her.
Day 19- Winco and their coupons. So last week I went out to check the mail and I stumbled upon the huge stack of coupons we get in our mailbox every week... mostly the only thing we ever get in our mailbox, actually. However, instead of just tossing them all in the recycling bin like I usually do, I sat down and sorted through them. Then I discovered a gem of an ad. Why a gem? Because everything on it was FREE! Winco was giving away free oj! english muffins! eggs! cereal! bacon! (nope, I did not get the bacon sadly) I went to the store as quick as I could picked up all my freebies nice and shamelessly as I threw all my coupons at the checker. Thank you Winco. I love you. (And I may or may not have eaten three English muffins that day)
Day 20- My wonderful roommates. Kelsey, Jordan, and Sam are the best roommates and friends a girl could ever ask for. Kelsey decorates. Jordan cleans. Sam fills the place with the sound of her beautiful voice. I mess it all up. Anyways, I came home from a marathon evening of Marriott Center cleanups Saturday night (yep, I still do that) and Kels and Jo had decorated the whole place for Christmas and it was just great. I don't like Christmas pre-Thanksgiving most of the time, but they made it all work. These girls better never plan on getting married because I like living with them too much.
Day 21- Little Antonio. In a world filled with touch screens and apps I stick with my little old battered and bruised blackberry. He is the best. Although everybody makes fun of him, he makes a high pitched screaming sound instead of vibrating mostly, and he's a little slow, Antonio is the best phone of my life! I've never had a phone as long as I've had him, and although he probably will give up the ghost soon, I will be forever grateful for his messaging abilities, Brickbreaker, and alarms. Thanks Antonio.
Day 22- Not dying through a blizzard. So yesterday Jill and I had to drive home to Boise through a blizzard/white out where we saw 12 slide offs/accidents within 2 hours, went 30 mph on the freeway for a good 3 hours, and almost got sideswiped by countless semis who enjoyed spraying us with snow as they ruthlessly passed me by. I. Hate. Snow. HATE. Do you understand me? It was cold and snowy, my windshield wipers sucked and I just wanted to pull over (but I was afraid I'd get hit) but in the end we made it to Boise despite the longest 8 hours of my life! I'm just grateful for my car making it, my mad driving through a blizzard skill, and Jill keeping me from going crazy.
Day 23- HOME! BOISE! I really just love being home. I like that my mom makes me food and takes me to the gym in her warm car. I like that Lindsay cleans her room for me and changes her sheets and keep that bloody cat out. I like that the dishwasher works and the water gets hot fast (so fast that I burn my hands every time) I like randomly running into high school friends at the gym and catching up a little. I like watching Kourtni sit on the couch dressed like a crayon eating a carrot whole. I like eating oatmeal with my mom while facebooking side by side. I really like home. I'm really thankful I get one week of this- thanks, Idaho.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Anita & Alyssa Cook

despite a lack of time for other things, there is always time to cook.
Yesterday we made gnocchi. Sounds pretty plush, right? Haha well, I'm sure it could be if you were sitting in an Italian Bistro right in the middle of Tuscany or something, but  not so much in Provo, Utah in the midst of my sub par kitchen. However, we made do. I'd never eaten gnocchi before, but evidentially Anita had because turns out that's not only a food she likes, but the name of her dog, too. Imagine that!
Here's a picture of the process
And the recipe
Meh, it was alright. An interesting concept, but coulda used more salt I think. Oh well, ya win some, ya lose some! (stay tuned for many wins... Thanksgiving= 7 days away and I shall be cooking up a storm in my own kitchen in Boise. I think I hear the angels singing!)

bounteous thanks

Day 17- Work lunches. Work is great for a couple of reasons, one of them being the bounteous amount of food readily available every day... one of the few perks of working with mainly women! When we have those dreaded staff meetings they are always counteracted with saintly drug reps who spoil us with all kinds of great selections of food. Plus it's less groceries I have to buy for myself :) Thank you UVP.
Day 18- Harry Potter. I may or may not be wearing Hogwarts garb right now, sitting in Anatomy lecture, and wishing I could fast forward to tonight. Midnight premiere. So excited. The mates and friends are all going and celebrating Potter-dom and I can't wait. This weekend was strictly devoted to watching the movies and preparing, and I think we're ready. I'm so thankful for my friend JK Rowling and her literary skill.
Here I am, sitting the library studying for my Psychology test, but mostly just wishing it was 12. PS I found my new favorite place in Harold... the isolation desks. No more will my studying be side tracked by my love of people watching. Oh, and my tie definitely says "I Love Dad" in little print all over (thanks Kels) and I learned to tie it on youtube getting it right on the first try. Booyah.
and now..... TELEPORT back to class :/
and watch this

Monday, November 15, 2010

a whole lotta thanks

well, not that much I guess, but a weekends worth.
Day 13- hair cuts. I never know just how bad my hair looks until I get it done and it looks about tenfold better thanks to the miracles of Aunt Teressa. She is the best. She fits me in when I inconveniently pull the family card and try to get me to fit me into her crazy schedule, and I will be forever grateful. Thanks Teressa!
Day 14- texts. I am not so much of a texter. Sure, I will do it, sure, I like seeing the little blinky red light on my phone, yeah, I will reply if you send me something. However, my phone is always on vibrate, usually burrowed in the confines of my backpack, and getting me to answer a call is more a game of Russian Roulette. However, sometimes my family texts me and I really like it. We don't get to talk much, so when we do I like it. Thanks technology.
Day 15- the ginormous apples I  got from Walmart. Yep, I admit it. I did grocery shopping at WM the other day when me and Kels had to run over there late. I figured I'd kill a couple birds with the WM stone, so I did a little shopping, and it was fruitful. (punny) I bought all these apples that are so delicious that they're already about gone. Usually I have to ration apples out so that they last me a week- I would eat them all in one day if I could- but I have done no rationing this week, so tomorrow my oatmeal will probably be kind of sad without an apple mixed inside. Thanks Walmart produce.
Now on to a week full of fun and excitement... well basically just excitement for Harry Potter. Thursday cannot come any sooner!

Friday, November 12, 2010

tee gee eye eff

THANK GOODNESS IT IS FRIDAY.
Work all day makes me happy to come home... and what is my perfect way to spend a night such as this?
I'll give you one guess. Cooking
I made this for dinner and all I know is that I see lots more of it in the future. Vegetable minestrone. Here's the recipe minus all the squash and zucchini and kale and other rich people ingredients I did not own.
anyhow, down to the thankfulness.
Day 11- the Latin Provo scene. On Thursday night me and my friend Pat went to this hole in the wall El Salvadorian restaurant called, "El Salvador". It's run by a family straight out of the country who hardly speaks any English, but when we got Daisy, our waitress, talking in Spanish... well, she just doesn't stop! Go there. This is what we ate: They're called Pupusas, which is basically corn masa filled with cheese and beans or pork or whatever you want. They make your stomach and your face smile. This is why I love Provo (whoa did I just say that?) There are so many immigrants and opportunities for my Spanish. It's great.
Day 12- FRIDAYS. I basically wrote it above, but I am so grateful for the weekend. I'm thankful that Jordan doesn't have any class so she usually cleans our apartment, that curfew is longer, and two days of bliss are always ahead. Plans for the weekend? Endless french toast at Kneader's, Harry Potter marathons, hair cut, Spain Reunion, cooking with Anita, and a negligible amount of homework.
And it just came to my attention that I'll be home in nine days.
Paper chain? maybe :)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

what a week!

tests. quizzes. papers.
these are things for which I am not so thankful for... and this week they've taken up all my time. So let's skip ahead to some great things in my life so I can get back to burying myself in my Anatomy book!
Day 8- Family dinner. My extended family is great and I really love having them all live within a 10ish mile radius of me because every other Sunday we can get together and stuff ourselves silly and it's just extremely fun and makes me happy. Especially when there are like 50 desserts and lots of delicious rolls. Mmmm tasty
Day 9- My studying skillz. Yep, I got a 83 on my Accounting test (which is fabulous for me I was stoked) and it was all thanks to the library and my study guide and a whole lotta praying for a good grade. And it paid off! Maybe I won't fail :)
Day 10- Macy's cones. I've said it once and I will say it again. I love 50 cent Macy's ice cream cones, and I love it when we can pressure our friends into buying the King Kong cone.... which is literally a 2 foot tall ice cream cone for 1.29. It's ridiculous. Today we got Brooks to buy one and he ate THE WHOLE THING. It was amazing. I just stuck with the small... and I think it was still too big for me.
Anyhow, that is what I'm so happy to have in my life today/thus far this week. Life is good (even though it snowed today and I had to break out the winter coat. ) Til next time

Sunday, November 7, 2010

catching up on a little thankfulness

Day 5- All Abs at Golds. I am pretty good about going to the gym, running on the treadmill, doing arms a couple days a week, but if there is one thing I really don't like to do on my own, it is definitely ab workouts. I don't push myself hard enough, so I am never sore/make any kind of progress. Oh boy though- let me tell you- I went to class on Thursday night and Susan kicked my butt- or my core- she kicked something, because I am STILL sore. But it's a good sore, and so that is why I am thankful for Tues/Thurs at 8.
Day 6- Norm. Norm is my Accounting teacher. Our class is online so he never really does any actual teaching except for when our dreaded tests come along and he holds 5 hour review sessions. Yes, that is right, people. We talk accounting for 5 consecutive hours, and I actually learn some things and gain a small glimmer of hope that I won't completely and utterly fail his test. Only at BYU would people actually fathom spending a Friday night in such a marathon review, and I guess I'm one of them. Thank you, Norm.
Day 7- Snapfish. I should have done all my homework yesterday, but instead I put together photo albums of my life on snapfish.com. Why did I do this, you may ask? Because they were having a sweet deal of buy one photo book, get 2 free, and all my summer pictures from Europe and the like were beginning to rot  in my computer. It had to be done.... and although each book probably took me a good 4 hours to complete, they are all DONE and on their way out of the printing press as we speak! (maybe). Anyways, I guess what I'm thankful most about snapfish is that long are the days of scrapbooking with Jelly Pens and coordinating paper and fancy handwriting fonts, but heck- I think I can handle drag and drop, zoom and crop.

Now it is to the whirlwind of homework I've left in my backpack. Happy weekend, ya'll.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Anita & Alyssa Cook

and other thankful musings.
We came, we cooked, we conquered.... Tomato Soup.
here it is.
And, yeah, it was pretty good but I've had better. I usually mark the deliciousness of a recipe in terms of how much was left over. In this case, I'd say it was more than usual. Oh well- lunch today, tomorrow, and forever. Maybe I just wasn't hungry because I made this wonderful guac while I was waiting for Anita to make her appearance. Oh my gosh it was good. Where have avocados been all my existence? Far too many have not been in my stomach, I do know that.
Anyways, Day 3 thankfulness- today I was thankful for the best fall weather you could ever ask for to grace Provo. The sun shone. I like that. These days are going to dwindle into the depths of winter and overcast, so I was real glad for the 50ish degree weather for one more day- and all the leaves and color.... because oh, this place to going to too brown too soon for too long. 

Day 4- I'd say I am just really thankful for close parking spots at my apt complex and my mad parallel parking abilities. While some pay 80 bucks to park below Liberty Square, I get my parking for FREE (and we just won't count that parking ticket incurred last week by the Provo Police... but that is a story for another post. Let's just say the PP are a thorn in my side) and sometimes I score some right outside my door. Maybe I'll change my tune in the dead of winter when my car is nice and frosted over all the time though. Meh- we'll cross that bridge when we get to it :) 

and now it is off to class. let's see if I can keep my eyes open today

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

November. finally.

please admire my psychology notes- can you tell I couldn't stay awake? Because I couldn't. I'm just chugging along, taking notes on sleep deprivation, then suddenly my eyes close, my writing becomes sloppier than usual, I scribble gibberish, my hand slips, and I am abruptly awoken with a nice line across the page. My favorite part was that class was on consciousness and sleep... half the class was doing just that.
So happy November ya'll! It's finally HERE and I like it. When I was little November was such an annoying month- Halloween was over and Christmas seemed so. far. away. But now I just get to bask in the glory that is fall and color and cook good stuff with fall-y foods and life is good.
Speaking of food, here is the Halloween update. Halloween was fabulous this year. We celebrated for weeks, I probably ate my body weight in candy corn, (and vowed to not touch any til next Halloween... which I was doing good on until I found THANKSGIVING candy corn at work. Curse you, UVP.) and had some fabulous costumes ie a blackberry, and then Indian. 
We celebrated with plethoras of "scary" movies and then Sunday we took over Sam's house and cooked up a storm. I went all out and made soup in a pumpkin (and it was great) and then these fabulous pumpkin bars from this website. Seriously, everything on this site is good. Anyways, it was paired with the most random things- guac, Colombian rice, mocktails, potatoes, rolls, salads, steaks, apple crisp, key lime pie, cupcakes, and the list goes on. Anyways, thank you October. You served me well.
Now onto November. I'm stealing an idea from a fellow blogger and it goes like this: Thirty Days of Thanks. I think even the dimmest of light bulbs could figure out what I'm talking about there, so we won't do much explanation. I missed yesterday though, so we'll do two today. 

Day 1. I am thankful for my job. Oh Utah Valley Pediatrics, Mondays are the longest days ever, (besides Fridays) but you give me a little money to pay rent and buy groceries, so for that I am thankful. This job is great. I've got great coworkers, I get to have my ear talked off by moms who want to know why their child has a rash in region A or a million page document to be scanned and sent to Office B (NOW) while scanning medicaid cards and explaining flu clinics, and every day it is an adventure in the real world. I like leaving BYU sometimes and getting out into the real world with my semi-real job where I interact with real people and I can forget about class a little. 

Day 2. I am thankful for my mediastinum, common carotid artery, cuboids, manubrium, linea asperas, styloid proceses, and zygomatic arches AKA all fancy words for my healthy body that works right most of the time. Tuesdays are Anatomy days.  I wake up early and study, go to class, go to the Anatomy lab for roughly 4 hours, and then if I am not feeling completely and totally drained I head over to Anatomy lecture for another 2. It's a loooooong day with way too much vocab and formaldehyde, but along with the lingering stenches I am sure do not leave as I take off my gloves, every Tuesday I am reminded how miraculous the human body is, how much of a blessing it is to me that I have one that works right, and just how important it is to me not to do anything that's gonna mess it up. Hopefully you can learn the same lesson just with a little less rifling through muscles the muscles of cadavers and yelling "coming through!" while hoisting specimens above your head. 

Until tomorrow. Buh bye