Neglected

Is anything worse than this especially when it is unintentional. Nothing can solve it. Nothing can replace the feeling. The best thing to do is work around it. Find other things to keep you upbeat and moving forward and hopefully the feeling will ebb away to unnoticeable or be solved by not feeling neglected anymore

Advice from Austen

Recently while completing my library shelving duties, I came across "Jane Austen's Little Advice Book" compiled by two distinguished female fans. Stopping myself from reading the whole thing right there, I checked it out to bring home and share. I chose a few areas I felt particularly applied to me and those in my similar stage of life and demographic, that of a single woman supporting herself through college and the intricacies of the dating world.




On the Ideal Man:
"All I want in a man is someone who rides bravely, dances beautifully, sings with vigor, reads passionately, and whose taste agrees in every point with my own".
~Sense and Sensibility

I would contentedly agree with all these points save the last one.

On Men Being Not That Big of a Deal:
"What are men to rocks and mountains?"
~Pride and Prejudice

I would preface this with, "When men are being insensitive and difficult and one wishes to be apart from them for a time". Not to be applied to all times because there is no denying that snuggling with that certain man in one's life is far preferable to rocks and mountains.

On Women's Loyalty:
"All the privilege I claim for my own sex...is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone".
~Persuasion

Unfortunately this very principle is why we have so many battered woman remaining with their abusive spouses for atrociously too long. On a happier note this is the part of us that can outlast the impatience of men and convince them to stick with us and be happy forever!

On the Attractiveness of Men You've Broken Up With
"She became jealous of his esteem, when she could no longer hope to be benefited by it. She wanted to hear of him, when there seemed the least chance of gaining intelligence. She was convinced that she could have been happy with him, when it was no longer likely that they should meet".
~Pride and Prejudice

I wholeheartedly agree and admittedly do and feel the same way after breakups no matter who broke it off. It is because of this that I am grateful to have never dated anyone in my ward or complex. Proximity is a killer for me and probably for most women trying to get over men. Ironically I find it almost harder to get over it when it was my idea in the first place....pondersome...

On the Enduring Double Standard
"...loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable...one false step involves her in endless ruin...her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful...she cannot be too much guarded in her behavior towards the undeserving of the other sex".
~Pride and Prejudice

Thankfully this does not apply as much to us in the context of gender as it once did in earlier times however reputation regardless is something to remember when carrying out risking actions in any environment or company.

On Love as Just Plain Craziness:
"There is nothing people are so often deceived in, as the state of their own affections."
~Northanger Abbey

How true this is. No argument, addendum, or preface necessary.

On Never Judging People by Appearances:
"Varnish and gilding hide many stains".

How often I have learned this lesson may I never know, for it would surely shock me.

On Why You Shouldn't Dump Your Girlfriend When You Get a Boyfriend:
"Friendship is the finest balm for the pangs of despised love".

to be continued...

Here comes the sun again

I took this sunny picture while visiting relatives in Cedar City. Sometimes I pretend to be a photographer and take supposed artsy pictures at odd angles. Not sure how this one turned out. May I perfect my art at some later date...

Summer is finally dragging its way on here. I do enjoy rain especially if it's warm but when it is coming between me and laying in sunshine by the pool I find it not so welcome. Here are some goals of mine for the summer:

• Continue doing yoga at least once a week hopefully more
• Bite the bullet and work more hours = more security in fall finances
• Stabilize my dating status/opportunities
• Get out of Utah/Idaho
• Finish all the books I'm in the middle of reading

My list seems lackluster at the moment and I might add or edit it in the future....or I might not. I have high hopes for a good summer and plan to make it worthwhile.

Sun don't fail me now!

We took roommate pictures today and I our photographer was so good that I almost had nothing to touch up on photoshop. More pictures to come soon!!

What to compromise

Sensitivity v. Sensibility
Creativity v. Consistency
Beginning with financial contendedness or ending with success of dreams captured

Efficiency and effictive decision making or the ability to lighten ill effects of bad decisions
Brave and Brawny v. Perceptive and Personal
Straightforward and Still v.
Flexible and Full of Life
Focused v. Faithful

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.”

Just makes me giggle uncontrollably

FUNNY THINGS TO DO IN AN AIRPLANE:

Attempt to promote Hinduism among passengers.

Bring a fake cell phone (like the ones with candy inside) and pretend to call God, say 'The reception is much clearer up here'

Call the stewardess nurse.

Disco dance in the aisle

Don't use deoderant, then accidently stick your armpit in someone's face

During the inflight movie, ask to share headphones with someone

Fart loudly and act shocked, looking around to see who did it

Get some rub-on tattoos and a leather jacket, pretend that you belong to a biker gang

Jump up and scream AAAHHH!! I left the stove on!!

Lead a bible study session in the back of the plane.

Lead a revolt against the first class passengers.

No matter what the meal choices are, demand rice-a-roni.

Put on a ten foot diameter sombrero and slouch in your seat, whacking everyone on the head.

Remark that perhaps you shouldn't have put superglue in your undies that morning.

Ride carry-on luggage down the aisle, yelling Yeee-ha!

Say, Did you know every time a plane crashes, an angel gets its wings? Then sigh and stare dreamily into the clouds.

Scream and dive under your seat for no apparent reason.

Suddenly remember that you left your iron on. Ask if the pilot would mind going back so you can check.

Switch accents and see if anyone notices.

Tap at the windows, saying Looks pretty tough then ask somone if they have a bat you could use to test.

Tell corny jokes and laugh like it's absolutely hilarious, then expect others to do the same 46.

Wear a hairpiece and switch it often, seeing if anyone notices.

Tell the person next to you your life story, from DNA to that afternoon.

Push the flight attendant call button and pretend it give you a shock. When you get everybody’s attention, smile.

Call the Psychic Hotline from the in-flight phone and ask if they know where you are.

Drop a pen in the aisle and wait until someone reaches to help pick it up, then scream, 'That's mine!'

Bring a camera and take pictures of everyone in the airplane.

Lay down a Twister mat in the back of the plane and ask people if they'd like to play.

Leave a box in the corner, and when someone picks it up ask if they hear something ticking.

Pretend you are a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the passengers.

Ask, 'Did you feel that?'

Stand really close to someone, sniffing them occasionally.

Swat at flies that don't exist.

Tell people that you can see their aura.

Scream 'Pillow Fight!'

Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering 'Shut up, all of you, just shut up!'

Stare at another passenger for a while, then announce in horror, 'You're one of THEM!!'.

Wear a puppet on your hand and use it to talk to the other passengers.

Listen to the airplane walls with a stethoscope.

Make explosion noises when anyone presses a flight attendant call button.

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.