Trials and Tender Mercies

A few weeks ago my phone's lcd screen went completely black and while I could preform every normal task on it I could not see what I was doing or read texts etc. I endured it for a few days trying to find repair places (since Sprint would not do anything but have me sign a new contract). Pretty soon I figured out that if I held my phone open precariously at a 45 degree angle I could read texts and see incoming calls and so on. This was 2 weeks ago. While I will probably not get a new phone for some time, I can at least perform all my normal activities with only minimal inconvienence.

This past Sunday I went to my car intending to drive to Mychal's ward to have sacrament meeting with her but this was not to be. After doing my regular routine for vapor lock, that is opening my gas cap and releasing some water pressure, the engine would still not turn over. To my dismay I realized Sacrament meeting with Mychal which I had been promising to attend, would not happen that day. I then did what any sensible, independent college girl would do. I called my mother. She diagnosed a possible broken fuel injector/pump, something like that. She had me try the accelerator and flood the engine a bit but to no avail.

Monday rolls around and I have been talking to every guy I know scoping out potential mechanics as well as calling around places in Provo for professional mechanics. Planning on having to call a tow truck, I tried the honda once more and it mercifully started up and got me all the way to the repair shop. Crossing tow truck manuvering in campus plaza parking lot off my to do list I am today preparing myself mentally for the phone call from mom about the mechanic's diagnostic. Just as my cell phone dilemma was appeased enough to provide me a workable alternative route, so was my honda ordeal made less chaotic with a simple answered prayer.

A grander scale predicament now lies in the subject of housing. Back in March and April when most continuing student wisely secure their fall/winter housing I was counting too much on arrangments that I had no doubt would fall into place. When those carefully laid out plans were disrupted by lines of students piling up behind managment office doors, I bought a summer contract at Campus Plaza and made dormant the fall/winter worries for the time being. Now, middle of summer, I realize gee if I don't have a signed and sealed contract for fall/winter my living conditions will be in reality non-existent. Shoot. So what do I do? Sign an expensive 4 person contract for Campus Plaza as a backup plan, upgrading my deposit and agreeing to come up with $500+ before summer is over. At this point I assume the tender mercy is that I at least have somewhere to go even if the financing for it will be more than a challenge. I am almost considering moving to Alta with Mychal however it is a 20 minute walk to the tip of campus. The nightmares of running late to class treking through a snow-filled parking lot, driving around endlessly looking for parking, or realizing too late once on campus that homework is at home and not having 40 minutes to run back and retrieve it. Yes the argument here can be made that this will force me to plan ahead and not be forgetful. I beg to argue that I learn that lesson enough as it is even living within 5 minutes of campus now!

When fall comes around I surely will have a plan laid out and housing secured. Tender mercies do not tend to fall very far from the trial tree.

A Lesson Well Learned...

Through trial and error this past semester I have discovered that contrary to what I may have thought when I was younger, physical affection affects more than just the surface emotions. Physical affection does in fact bleed deeper into the heart than a mere passing flirtation. My fondness for the term "cuddle buddy" has been placed in the proper category of Do Not Try This at Home...side affects include heartburn, heartaches, and in the most severe cases irreprable heart attck. Fortunately I found the "use only as directed" directions in time to stop overdosing on SCS's (semi-commital cuddle sessions). I had a roommate as well as a best friend warn me about the possible side affects but I took the over-the-counter, self prescription route and got a little carried away.

I vow (to the best of my abilities) to not involve myself in encounters that even dare to resemble physical affection unless there is that wonderful little C word (not cuddling) used by each party.

Commitment from the start. Good motto. Good day.