Things that make me happy right now

There is much rejoicing in the land!

My cousin Kyle got his mission call to Lyon, France. He leaves in September.

These penguins named after the Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby penguin. Yes.

Also, Will, Kate, and Harry wave wands in Harry Potter world.

This really expensive, but effective shaving cream from Lush. Sometimes my skin is very sensitive when I shave, which is why I need to go all out sometimes.

The Salt Lake Community Co-op. (Yay for awesome veggies!)

A million and a half weddings this summer. Love is in the air.

Everyone is getting jobs! One of note is my husband: Sam has a new job at America First. (I guess that makes us DINKs now?) My mom also got a job as a kindergarten teacher.

This video by Mr. Hill and Mr. Hoye.

Yoga. Especially hot yoga.

Namaste.

We're finally getting married!

It's like Christmas Eve on steroids.

Tomorrow I am sealed to the man I love so dearly!

Just start watching at 1:15. That's what I've been singing in my head recently.

-Meg

21

Today, I would appreciate it if you would do something for me. Donate to your favorite charity, do your homework, smile at strangers, go the extra mile, protect free speech, floss, visit a nursing home, don't swear, wash your hands, refill someone's meter, write a thank you note, take a bubble bath, give up your seat on the bus, eat some chocolate, stay calm in traffic, use good grammar, adopt a puppy or a kitty from the shelter, listen to some country music, write a poem, draw a picture, quote a Disney movie, pick up a copy of The Daily Utah Chronicle, read your scriptures, do some yoga, dance in the kitchen, make your bed, call an old friend, tell a joke, listen thoughtfully, or visit your local library.

Because did I mention it's my birthday?

-Meg

I challenge you do do any of those things, (or any other wonderful acts you can dream of) and tell me about them!

(You might have noticed that I haven't done any Muffin Monday posts since the year started. That is because I am disbanding them. I will continue to make muffins every weekend, but I won't post about them unless they are super super good. I just have so much going on right now, I have to prioritize.)

Mood

Finals always makes me want to pick a different major.

Like Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Or Yoga. Or Tetris. Or breathing.

I've never changed my major. I suppose I could, but I do like linguistics. Sometimes though, I just hate doing syntax. I'm allowed to do feel that way, right?

But if there was such thing as a tetris major, I would seriously do that as my major. Just sayin'.

I guess what gets me down during finals is knowing that I am bring about my own stress, my own pain, and my own trials. It doesn't have to be this way. I don't have to procrastinate. I don't have to waste time. I don't have to get discouraged, yet I do. I let myself give in to my weakness as I freak out and panic.

On the instructions for my syntax take-home test, my professor wrote: Don't panic. Don't Delay. I am not trying to trick you.

Comforting, but still so hard. So. hard.

I can do this.

In 48 hours it will be summer and I will be freee! (Yes, with 3 e's) I'm going to celebrate by going to the park and listening to my ipod while I swing. It is seriously my favorite thing to do.

-M

Scenes from the week

The Wedding

Coming out of Mt. Timp. Temple

Brittni

Me(g)

Cami

Bridesmaids with awesomespice shoes.

Doing our duties

Mexico

More is coming! I just have to sleep and unpack and do laundry and school and all that fun stuff. I had a blast, and I just need to catch up and get back to reality.

-Meg

Othering, buttoning and gerunding

How did Thursday happen? Where did my Spring Break go?

It went to my super secret origami project, syntax, letter writing, letter reading, facebooking, blogstalking, hairdoing, refining my Pandora "Mumford & Sons" station and other forms of delicious othering. The night is still young. I can still get so much done.

I know I'm totally not a legit blogger. I'm kind of a wannabe cool blogger. And since I have so much homework, I decided to procrastinate by making a button for my blog. The best instructions on how to do this are found {here}. That is what I call amazing technical writing. Easy to follow instructions make my heart glow. Thank you! So easy peasy!

You don't have to take the button. Really, you don't have to. You can wait until I have a published novel and 1,000 followers. But then you could say you followed me before it was cool to follow me... right?

But I remind myself why I blog. It's kind of like a journal, and a way to get my thoughts out. It's mostly for me and my own benefit. Writing has never failed to help me feel better. Ranting, praising, thanking, and in general just figuring out life. Writing is a great way to think.

I have a notebook I carry around with me almost everywhere. Some pages just have grocery lists. Other pages have little poems, or little lost thoughts. I love my little words.

Now for some homeworking!

-Meg

And that was that.

Owl-wise, I think I'm doing pretty well.

Other-wise, I'm just the usual Megan, cranky, ornery, eating too much sugar and avoiding the Oxford comma.

I want school to just freakin' end. I've never hated school this bad. I want spring break and I want it now! I can't do anything about it except grit my teeth and endure four more days.

This is also hard and fast evidence that I am just as selfish as I seem. I'm whining about my own life, but I'm lucky I even have one. People are dying in Japan and the Pacific, and I'm a white college kid with a great job.

Anyway, enough of that.

-Megan

11:58 p.m.

I was just thinking about all the stuff I have to do.

There's the usual stuff. Like reading about syntax--which I barely understand. I have to write a paper and cram for Spanish. (There's no studying ahead for Spanish. It is all cramming. We do so much and in so little time.)

Then there's the unusual stuff.

I have to do an observation for Anthropology and write about it.

Today I just finished helping out throw together a Valentines FHE. It felt so good to spend this day just working on serving other people.

It reminded me about 2 Valentine's Days ago. My great-grandma was spending her first Valentine's alone since her husband had died. I never feel comfortable with Valentine's Day, whether I'm seeing anyone or not. But I didn't want to mope, so I went up and cooked dinner with her and visited for a long time.

So I think I want to start a tradition for my Valentine's Days. I want to find ways to serve people every year. Because after FHE, I was still tired. I still had tons of stuff to do. I still am behind and my room's still a mess. But I feel so much stronger, and ready to go do anything.

I'm ready for the weird and tedious and boring and complex and the hard. I love being busy. I can do this. And I have some pretty amazing people by my side. I couldn't do it without them.

-Meg

This is getting freaky

This is a cool photo.

Today has been long and full of driving and dealing with jealous cars, elusive keys, and overbearing homework.

I hate it when inanimate objects try to ruin your life.

The biggest so called "inanimate object" that's trying to rule my life is this:

I think there is one in my basement. I can't prove it, but whenever it's dark I seriously can sense its evil presence. What is this thing? It's called a Weeping Angel. From the Wikipedia article about it--

The Weeping Angels are a fictional race of malevolent hunters from the Doctor Who television series, which have been featured in the Tenth Doctor episode, "Blink", and the Eleventh Doctor episodes, "The Time of Angels" and "Flesh and Stone". Created by writer Steven Moffat, they resemble the stone angel statues that can be seen in some Christian cemeteries. When they are not being observed by another sentient being, they can move very quickly and silently, but when they are being observed they become "quantum-locked", occupying a single position in space. In this state, they are frozen and indestructible. They cannot suppress this reaction. If two Weeping Angels were to look at each other at the same time, they would be trapped in stone form forever. To prevent this, they often cover their eyes when freezing - this makes them look like they are weeping.

So if I suddenly disappear, just know that the Angel in my basement probably got me and I'm now living in 1901 or something. I just thought I ought to tell you. I do hope that if the Angel does attack, Brian will save me. Or Dr. Who.

Anyway, I'm off to do some Spanish. Peace.

-M

My birthday

Yes folks, I am twenty. It's been a great 2 decades. But I don't want to stop and get all sentimental... I have plenty to do, plenty to see, and plenty to love.

I celebrated my birthday with family on MLK day.

But Tuesday I had school and work, so when I got home I had myself a big glass of milk and a red velvet cupcake from the Sugar Daisy Bakery while I read the paper.

Life is good.

Thank you, Jesus

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas was amazing, to say the least.

I got to spend time with my lovely family (and time with them is far from over).

I had our bi-annual reunion with my elementary school buddies!

I went out and met Brian's parents, and got to spend a lot of wonderful time with him.

I gave lots of presents and got a lot more than I deserve.

I'm going on a cruise in April! To Mexico. That's pretty cool.

But this Christmas was also a bit different because my great grandma has been not doing well... and it was the first Christmas Eve in a long time when she wasn't able to come to her own Christmas Eve Party. That party is famous and such a big tradition... and she started it.

And this morning she died.

But grandma lived a long, fruitful life. She was a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She was a teacher and she loved to read. I will miss her, but it's all reminded me about the true meaning of Christmas anyway.

Thank you, Jesus.

-Megan

12:13 a.m.

We totally won the rivalry game. "Totally" probably isn't the right adverb, but basically, I'm so stoked we came out with some sort of victory. I know it was a bit undeserved, but I'm going to take it.

OK, now time for a late night post from this Scribe--

Dear Blog:

I always come to you in these late nights, looking for some sort of solace. But I know that if I just do my homework and study, I'll be much more at peace.

It isn't that I'm unhappy. Quite the opposite.

I'm crazy and life is moving at lightening speeds, but yet I don't feel like everyone else's is speeding up. It's just mine and I'm leaving things behind.

Oh my gosh I have this phonology assignment that I'm FINALLY doing. It's due in 9 hours. Exactly.

I just have to get out my feelings though, even if I'm not sure what they are. I am happy, and I'm upset that I'm not more sad about things that ought to bring me grief. I'm stressed, but not about things that ought to make me stressed, and things I should be freaking out over are suddenly so insignificant...

You know, for now I'm just going to blame it on my period.

That was easy.

Good night! Happy Phonology everyone!

-ME

All sorts of exciting

Holy Whoa! I deem the first week of school a success.

Looks like working at the Chronicle is going to consume my existence, but I'm alright with that.

I love copy editing, but it's grueling mental work. The trick is to not necessarily know ever grammar rule, but to be attentive to spot where there could be an error, and to know where to find the answer. But anyway, I don't want to bore you with the subtle nuances of editing.

On the other side of the coin, page designing is a taxing session of creative gymnastics and larger-than-life tetris. I justify playing tetris now by saying I'm practicing for page designing. Heck yes.

Syntax and phonology blow my mind, although we're in the slow beginning stages were we have to define everything, and that's getting old. I'm ready to jump into the thick of things!

Choir is going to be sublime at the very least. To be singing again feels wonderful.

I received Elder Hill's last letter from the missionary training center! He's off to the land of Fiji. He's so excited, and so am I. I'm nervous for him, actually, but I know things will be great.

And tomorrow... I see the LION KING! My childhood fantasy is about to be fulfilled.

-Meg

If Essays were Babies...

It was one of those days that didn't start at all.

I was still some sort of conscious at 3 a.m. working on my essays, the memories of the evening earlier fuzzy in my memory.

I finally got to my page limit, (barely) sent my essays off to my mother to be edited in a few hours. I crawled into bed and fell into a fitful rest.

I awoke seven hours later to my phone going off. My mom texts me and tells me she's ready to go over my essays with me. They are due today at one.

I stumble upstairs to grab the house phone, because something's wrong with my cell phone's speaker, and whenever I talk in it it sounds really muffled to the person on the other end. Besides, I don't get reception in the basement.

But the power's out.

I stumble back down stairs, put on a bra and some jeans, shove all my school paraphernalia in my back pack. My laptop's battery is almost spent and can't go more than 20 minutes without being plugged in, and besides, I need the internet.

I grab a protein bar and capri-sun and dash over to the library. Even though I try to find a secluded spot (that's near a plug), I'm not totally out of earshot of the other library patrons. I call my mom and she offers suggestions, but whenever I try to respond, she can't hear me. I try yelling as much as I can, but she keeps going, and there a times when I need clarification, or I just need her to slow down so I have chances to fix errors.

It's not working. She can't hear me and I don't dare raise my voice in the library. I'm really tired and when I'm tired I get really emotional and so I start crying. Like full out crying in the library. I hardly care that I look uber pathetic: absolutely no make-up, a disgusting bun, glasses, a t-shirt. And I'm bawling.

I hang up and rush outside. I can yell out there, but I look around for one of those out door plug things and I can't find one. (I swear they're everywhere until you need one!)

Out of necessity I collect myself and call my mom. I can yell and not disrupt people, but my battery has limited juice and the sun is so bright. I try adjusting the brightness, but nothing works. My screen is just too shimmery. I move to the shade. No luck. I put my laptop on the bench and kneel down and lower the screen. I look stupid, but it works for a few minutes.

All the while my mom is telling me stuff I need to fix and stuff she thinks I can add to more safely manage my page-limit. I'm trying to focus and stay calm, but I see the green battery icon rapidly slimming down.

So I hang up again (it sounds rude, but she can barely hear me anyway). I waddle over to the Union as the tower clock strikes 11, only to find that my ordinary floor is undergoing some renovation, of course. I wander around frantically and finally spot a table near a plug! It's right by the men's bathroom, but sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.

I resume my conversation with my mother, and after working for another hour, it's complete! Both of them! You know, writing an essay is kind of like having kids, and I just gave birth two twins. What labor!

I look back and wonder what I could have done better-- the copy editor in my nags that it didn't check enough. I should have read through just one more time. But I can't look back. I can't stop. I'm not out of the woods.

I eat Chinese food to lighten my mood. I'm exhausted, so I catch a shuttle because I'm lazy, even though it's actually shorter to walk... but the driver must be asleep because we don't take off for what feels like forever and so I decide to walk anyway.

The moment I step off the bus it takes off. Wonderful.

At work I'm told it's my last day. I'm happy. I'm sad. I'm confused about how I feel about people there.

This whole day I've had a hope inside me that a letter will be waiting for me-- a triumphant reward for the crazy past few days.

No letter.

But scrabble with one of my best friends! And a party with my beloved family!

(The real party was last night-- my grandparent's 50th anniversary celebration. More on that to come.)

I still have a final to take. One last one.

And then I'm off to the Shakespearean Festival! Rapture in my soul!

Study Day

Study pad:

Study cards:
Study hair and study glasses:

Study tunes:
Study cursive:

Study toast:
Study fuel:
Study storm:
Study rain:
Study flower:

and in the end, I realized that a final for another class was due today, and I forgot to do it. So I turned it in an hour late. I suck at life sometimes. I set aside an ENTIRE day to study and work on homework, and yet I still can't get it right. I obviously don't use a planner enough, and the stress having a job and trying to be on my own is too much. I want to do it all, but instead I fail at like everything!

I know this is so depressing. I'm just down on myself. I keep messing up. I don't want to fail! I keep trying but I'm just not good enough right now! It's late, and I need to sleep. Tomorrow (today) is a big day.

And I really need to post about my dating life, because that has been interesting! But I'm not quite sure how to do it. I feel guilty that I am dating when I really should be a slave to my school work, but I have had some fantastic dates recently! I love boys!

But anyway, I'm signing off. Megan is sad and disappointed herself, but she knows things will work out in the end. Some nights are just hard.

Sleep tight, readers. Stay in school. Don't miss your finals. Don't do drugs.

Yours truly,

Meg

Here, there, and everywhere

{edit} Internet is Working, so here are some pictures!

Behold the Sego Lily. The State of Utah's flower. They are beautiful, and edible, but I've never tried them. Legend is that the pioneers ate them to survive on the prairie.

My mom being so brave! Her horse, Society, stepped on her toe. She's soaking it in cool stream water to keep the swelling down.

Me wincing after getting stinging nettle during a photo shoot of some flowers. I always get into trouble when I go into the wild brush to take pictures of rare foliage.
My daddy looking so swell in his ostrich cowboy boots and cowboy hat.

My beautiful sisters! We made a music video, that will be uploaded shortly.

Me, Megan Many-Faces. We relearned the meaning of that nickname this trip. ;)

The deer that came up right by the deck!

Cowgirl sisters!

Ah, the view is beautiful! I love riding horses.

Okay, now the blog post:

I just keep wondering if I'm ever going to be sorted out quite right.

I'm here,

and there,

and everywhere.

I wanted to post some lovely pictures of my vacation but alas, my laptop isn't getting wi-fi today. It's like Peter Pan, lost its shadow. After 4 days of no internet, I'm DYING to get on! I'm such a tech nerd, and I'm so addicted. Right now I'm on my grandma's computer, which somehow is blessed with internet connection.

I left my make-up and brush and scriptures up at the cabin. Luckily my family is bringing them down for me. I'll see them on Saturday, we're all running the 24th of July 10k.

Everything is crazy, and I can barely keep up with everything. Looks like I'm not going to be failing my English class after all, though. I have a lot of work to redeem myself though.

I love the cabin. It is so romantic. I want to take the love of my life up there someday, and we'll ride horses here and there and everywhere, all around the valley. Now that I'm back in SLC, I'm bitter about all things love and romance; I'm back to normal! I just don't know what I want, actually.

Okay, now I'm going to go make myself some avocado toast.

-Megan