Perhaps I shall write a new post.

What about, what about...

There will be another dearth of blog posts from the me. Tomorrow morning, I will be departing with my family and heading up into some mountains far away from here for some camping. There will be walking. And pictures. And food. And cookies that are oh-so-amazing. AND A TRAILER. THERE WILL BE A TRAILER. Thank heavens. Last year both the tents leaked and there was much much rain. We had to cobble together beds in the backs of cars. Bad day.

I really wish I had taken pictures of my room last week or so. Why? Because I spent this weekend cleaning things and rearranging things. I still have cleaning and rearranging to do now, but there has been a big big change. A really big change.

My elbow is sticky, and WALL-E is an awesome movie. (Believe it or not, those two things are related.)

Well, mates, I'm off. It'll be August next time I post... and hopefully the start of big things!

Going Hiking

As several of you may have noticed, I have a new camera, and have been using it. Nowhere will this be more apparent than in this post.

See, I got off work today to hike to Timp cave with my family, and rather than blog about it with words, I'd much rather give you some pictures with comments. Easy for me. : D

(Oh, and I did not steal this from dearchilly. This was how I was planning to do this all along.)

We have arrived! The first thing Siri notices is the river below. The first thing the rest of us notice is the sign. "Walking on water is prohibited."
Patsy, holding Cait while we wait for Father to purchase our tickets for the cave. His indifference extends to both the baby and the person holding the camera.
Siri, looking entirely too cute with her hair up in ponytails. Oh, by the way, we did embark on this hike with a three-month-old and a four-year-old (as well as my 80-year-old grandpa.) You shouldn't worry about them, though. I was the one falling behind.
Here's Cait, all suited up and ready to hike... ride, that is. Mother carried her all the way up, and held her (as well as fed her!) all through the caves.
Boo is an amazingly cute girl when she stops to smile. This is about the best picture I have ever taken of her. She did surprisingly well the whole hike; just a little hyperactive, hardly any complaining. Huzzah!
There are 18 of these signs along the trail, and we stopped at each one so Father could read aloud from this book. Due to this, many many people passed us, and I was able to take pictures without falling further behind. Of course, whenever the camera comes out, Siri is quick to notice and get in the picture.
Here's... half? of my siblings, posing in a little tunnel. Behind them you can see a sign, one of many that my sister and I read in tandem with matching English accents. We were more than a little annoying.
This is a wall. Why does the wall have sharp rocks in it? So you won't sit on it and risk falling down, down down...
Red lines mean "High risk of falling rocks! Keep moving!" Some of these lines were incredibly long, and many of them were uphill. Often the walkway along them was frighteningly dented.
Somehow... I don't know... I took all these pictures up and back, but I didn't really care much in the caves themselves. Here's one shot, one that I decided to do without my flash. For no reason.
I had been stopping all along the way to shoot any trash I found, and on peeking over a wall, I spotted this hat. As I prepared to take a picture, however, my phone rang. Yes. I was halfway up a mountain, and my phone rang. I had a rather mundane conversation with the caller (probably mostly due to the fact that I didn't tell the caller I was halfway up a mountain), then took the picture.
Siri gets odd obsessions with certain numbers every now and then. Today was 13's turn, so i made sure to point out the 13 medallion in the ground. I took a picture mostly to help cheer her - she was seriously flagging by this point, and kept insisting she couldn't "walk properly."
"Um, where's Siri? Everyone, where's Siri?" "I assume she's with dad..." "Let's stop and wait, just to make sure." "Oh! There they are. Someone should probably take Siri; dad has Caiti already."
47!!!! (Also, we're over halfway down!)
What you see is nothing less than amazing. During the last quarter of the hike, my dad was carrying not only his backpack and Caiti, but Siri as well. Enjoy your hike indeed.
After conquering Timp, we tackled a nearby Wendy's. Mostly at my insistence. I really needed something to eat by then.
Not surprisingly, Siri was zonked at the first available opportunity. This was a lot for short four-year-old legs to go through. Her sleep was well earned.
Also not surprisingly, by the time Cait was through sleeping through the hike and being fed while Mother wandered the caves, she was alert, watchful, and... trying to eat her burp diaper.

So that was my day today. Man, I'm so tired.

I Spy With My Little Eye

Star Trek: Voyager. (Boy is Janeway annoying on occasion. Plus, many dudes, most of the holographic, are dying. And I wonder why that one alien guy is threatening the hologram with a gun. I mean... what's that going to do?)

Baby swing. (Empty now. She's stopped liking it. Again. Even the white noise won't calm her.)

Draik holding Caiti. ("Hey little Caiti, what is with all the fight? Little bitty Caiti want to bite, bite, bite." See here)

Mother. ("Don't bother me.")

Bamboo 7. (Small and annoying, as always. Just finished yelling at Siri for being in his way.)

Siri. (Don't take away the cup... she will kill you.)

Shanna. (Sitting quietly in the rocking chair, in her own little world.)

Mac Mini. (Off, for once. Odd. Very odd. Oh, wait, it's Thursday - No Technology Day. Unless you've bought your own, as I have mine.)

Caiti. (Why am I holding her now? The rest of this will be very hard to type.)

Clothes. (How can we have so many clean clothes, yet none of them are mine?)

Wendy's. (Okay, so that's just wishful thinking.)

Oh, and I know you tagged me, Sam. That doesn't mean I have to comply! Ha ha ha!

I Was Wet and Cold, But Then it Was All Better

After not going to FHE, and then going to FHE, and playing in the sprinklers instead of listening to the lesson, and then ignoring my friends all the way home, I finally reached the safety and loveliness of my own home. I ate the happy, happy chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (oh heaven), and then decided I needed some real dinner (thank you, ward, for having sandwiches today). So I cut some potatoes, covered them with stuff, put them in the oven, and went off to take a shower.

Half an hour later, the potatoes were done. Being in a joking mood (why do I feel so good after ignoring my friends? This is a problem...), I listened to the steam escaping from the potatoes and told my mother, "They're screaming, mother! They're screaming!"

My poor, dear, sweet, and, at the time, very tired sister Siri got a very sad look on her face. "They're... screaming?"

Instantly I realized my mistake. "No, Siri! No! It's just the steam. I promise. They aren't screaming; they aren't alive."

Unfortunately, the damage was done. She was "sad" and "scared" (her words) for the rest of the night. Or until she fell asleep about half an hour ago.

Blast! I'll have to carry her down to my room as soon as Perry Mason is over...

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the potatoes are delicious.

Twister

Last night, after shedding anger and becoming light as a bubble, I made myself some gluten-free macaroni and cheese. While doing so, I suddenly shouted to my siblings and cousins that we should play Twister, a game that I have recently found myself enamored of.

Problem: by the time we had all eaten, and I had taken a shower, all my siblings under the age of 15 had been sent to bed. Also, Patsy had gone to bed 'cause he's smart like that, and Draik wasn't home yet. Also, my parent's door was open, and they had gone to bed, demanding that we be silent if we insisted on being awake.

Solution: well, before we got to the solution we had to do my hair. Which meant that I did my hair while my cousins watched Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged with me. Once all my hair was in curlers (and, luckily, my brother had come home again), it was time to tackle playing Twister while being absolutely silent.

"Too bad my room's a mess... we could play it there. It's right under mom and dad's room, but that's better than being just down the hall from their open door."

After some discussion, I came up with a great idea: play outside! Which meant we ended up at the end of the driveway in the light of a streetlight - or, we were in the light of the streetlight until it turned off. At which point we were in the dark until it turned on again. And then it would turn off.

This wasn't the only problem. Draik had brought a laptop out with him, and he somehow that that it was more important to chat than keep spinning, even when the three of us (myself and my two cousins) were yelling, half at him and half in pain, as we perched in our precarious positions. Our yells were even louder when cars would pass, because more often than not we were in positions that presented our rear ends to the road.

There was also the problem that I had: I could never win. Ever. Either the pain would be too much or I would lose my balance for no good reason.

After a good fifteen minutes of quick games, I begged out; Siri was with us and I knew she wouldn't go to bed until I went with her. I left my brother and cousins sitting on the Twister mat at the end of the driveway, discussing my brother's girl troubles.

As far as I know, my parents have no idea how we managed not to wake them while playing Twister last night. Somehow I don't think they'd much like the idea of us playing Twister at midnight at the end of the driveway.

Party at My Place

There was a party at my house last night (though I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this blog was either there or knew about it, so why bother saying so?). It was quite the fun party.

The first people to arrive were Board people, followed quickly by a few of my 'real' friends and more Board people. (Interestingly enough, Board people outnumbered 'real' people until the very end.) Within an hour, I had almost twenty people here. And an hour later, about half of them were gone. Whatever.


One of the die-hard attendees, who was there until about two-thirty in the morning. But was she there for me... or my baby sister? The world may never know.

One of the high points of the evening was when yellow m&m called Sam looking for directions (he assumed) back to my house. Ten minutes and many directions later, he realized she wanted directions to the house of a girl she was supposed to be picking up. Amid much laughter, I took the phone and gave m&m my friend's number so she could get some helpful directions.

Another high point was my cake. First we couldn't find any candles, and then we found 39. And we decided to put them all on. Here's my cake, and my torso. And my name tag. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Everyone there knew my name, most of them both of my names, so I got creative.

While we were in the kitchen eating cake, my dad took over the TV and started watching a show about the world's 10 creepiest places. While this might sound scary, watching it with my dad, my cousins, and my friends made it hilarious. Unfortunately, after that we decided to watch another ghost show and were throughly freaked out. So we all fell asleep in the living room watching Men in Tights.

And now my brother, who stole some of my friends and skipped the entire party, is getting mad at me because I won't let him have the wii turn he thinks he deserves.

As the Swan in the Evening

Well, it is evening, and I am dressed in white...

Okay, I have a white shirt on. That's close enough.

This is a shout out to my good friend chillylint, not only because she is giving away a game... she's also totally awesome!

Anyway.

Chilly is someone I always love to chat with online. Talking to her brightens my day, no matter what has happened to me. Her blog is updated regularly with interesting stories and beautiful photographs.

For a writer, I sound incredibly second grade. : p

Did anyone have a good Fourth? I did. I was paid to watch the Stadium On Fire show (okay, I was paid to work, but that's basically what it boiled down to), and when all was said and done, my paycheck for that event was calculated to be about the same as what people paid to get in. And while Miss Cyrus is not someone I would pay to see (thank heavens for earplugs... those fangirls are loud), it was really cool to see Blue Man Group.

I think they got things the wrong way around. Miss Cyrus should have opened, and Blue Man Group should have headlined. Honestly... "I know God has an ultimate plan, so I'm stoked"? About the war?

Note to reporters: do not directly quote Miss Cyrus. It only makes her sound unintelligent.

My Genius Brother

I believe I have spoken of him before? Patsy McCoopington?

I shall now proceed to update my blog, periodically, with stuff I stole from him.

Maybe someday he will get his own blog.


"In My Living Room, October 18, 2007. The Unanimous Declaration of Me,

"When in the Course of human events, I get Royally Ticked Off by certain People in Charge, I decide to declare Independence from said People in Charge. Certain Peer Pressures push me to use their Computer and Printer one last time to do so.

"As the Declaration of Independence states, certain unalienable Rights include the Pursuit of Happiness. When People in Charge take away my Games of Video, it becomes my Right, it becomes my Duty, to Go Off and Do My Own Thing.

"Besides Confiscation of Games of Video other Grievances they have caused include -

"They have refused to give me substantial amounts of Money for No Good Reason. -

"They have made certain that my Freedom of Speech does not include Swear Words. -

"They have pressured me to get Good Grades in school. -

"They have forced me to go to Scout Camps in Cold, Leaky Tents. -

"They have allowed Scoutmasters to take me on said Scout Camps. -

"And they have said they Don't Give a Rip when I say I could use certain Portable Game Consoles.

"I henceforth declare Independence from these People in Charge, and I am taking the Wii with me.

"Signed, [Patsy McCoopington]."

!

Hey, guess what! I have another blog!

See, I've been thinking about putting book reviews and stuff like that on here, but then decided that I needed a hobby, so I made a blog entirely dedicated to books. Yes I did.

rompwithjoy.blogspot.com

You Never Give Me Your Money

Hello, audience! Glad you're here tonight! I hope you're having a good time!

Could someone please call my sister
Who has tons of cash and owes me a favor or two
I'm really hurting for spending money.
There's a sale this weekend
At the Bookstore, and I just don't have enough
Books overflowing from my room's bookshelves

Please, I promise I will pay you back
And remember all those dinners I bought

Tell me am I right to think that there could be nothing better
Than giving me some cash so I can gather more books together.

I feel I must interject here
You're getting carried away imagining books you could buy
With all the money that, you know, is mine.
So let me remind you, sister,
That I might want to purchase some new books myself
And you bought new books last week with birthday money.

So just hand over my piggy bank
But I want more books! I don't have enough

Tell me am I right to think that there could be nothing better
Than giving me some cash so I can get more books together.
You have so many books that they are piled up on your carrel
But my room is quite bare and having more books would suit me well.

I admit that I have spent a lot
But I need to expand my library.
Sis, you're the one with the steady job
Let me use my money for me
Just for me.

Sung to Nothing Better by The Postal Service

I Am So Full Of Drugs It Is Not Even Funny

However, that does not mean that you are entitled to a loopy, half-asleep post. I may have four different allergy drugs and some pain reliever in my system, but I will prevail! And will my eyes please quit itching!

Today we talk about... siblings.

We talk about Caiti, who doesn't like to go to sleep when she could be fussing.

We talk about Siri, who is definitely getting into trouble on purpose today.

We talk about Boo, who tried to take a half hour bath/shower, using up all the hot water and forcing me to write this post while I wait for enough water for me to take a bath.

We talk about Bamboo 7, who has been mildly annoying when he's been around. Thankfully, he's decided to wander off.

We talk about Random, a.k.a. the girl I have not seen since I got home three hours ago.

We talk about Patsy, who is turning 16 tomorrow, and is quietly playing DS after heroically getting the fussy baby to go to sleep.

We talk about Draik, who is actually showing his I'm-not-really-a-jerk side, and is quietly playing EV Nova and helping me yell at Siri.

Yes, we talk about all these people, and remember that I love them, I love them, Ilovethemilovethemilovethem, even when they act like brats, even when they won't shut up, even when they mess-and-run, and especially when they suddenly act like the mature guys they are (in the case of my two oldest brothers).

SIRI! GET DOWN FROM THERE!

Gotta run.

NO! NOT THE

Happy

I have fallen in love with Pandora Radio all over again. They have MOTAB stuff! And all sorts of nice church-y music I can listen to while I lie here half asleep due to allergy medicine. I just wish they had more MOTAB. But it's getting there. Man, I love this thing.

You want to know something? Allergies stink. I missed three days of work last week due to allergies. (And a cold, too, but whatever.) And now today I was all ready to wear a pink rose in my hair and be all cute at church, but then my eyes decided to rebel and I'm lying on the couch instead.

I'm asleep... which makes me wonder how I'm still typing this.

Ah. Listening to good choirs makes me so happy.

Bob Says Stuff II

My eyes itch.

I hate being sick.

I don't think I've slept that much in one day since I was a baby.

I sometimes actually get work done when I'm writing with Hobbes.

Caiti doesn't like getting shots.

What shall I eat for dinner? Everyone is having pizza. I can't have pizza. I've been almost three weeks without wheat...

I really, really, really like to read.

Children.

For Once, It's Stupid Pedestrians

WELL! Y'all should feel lucky that I'm willing to sit here and blog after the amazing and exciting day I've been having! (With perhaps more excitement to come!)

Item number one: My alarm was set for 7. When did I get up? 8:10. Not only did I have a doctor's appointment at 9:20, but I had to get my dad to work and go to an ATM first. And, of course, we got out of the house late.

Item number two: I hate that crosswalk, the one between the WILK and the law building parking lot. I mean, all the crosswalks on campus are things to be wary of, but this one is particularly bad. Here's a tip: If the red hand is flashing, don't start crossing unless you're doing it at a dead run. Today a girl started crossing when the hand had been flashing a few times, and was therefore only halfway across when the light turned green. I honked at her, at which point she looked up and started walking a little faster. I then hurried across before the guy who followed her across, despite the fact that hand had stoppedflashing, could get in front of my car. 'Kay, people, this isn't just annoying and selfish, this is flippin' dangerous. A few months ago, a little girl nearly got hit by a car because her mother unthinkingly followed some students who were crossing against the light.

Item number three: I had a doctor's appointment in Orem. What happens when bob leaves the safety and familiarity of Provo? That's right, class, she gets lost! Every blasted time! At least I was only 20 minutes late...

Item number four: I finally get to work, over two hours late and feeling like I'm about to throw up, and the fire alarm goes off! Actually, this was funny, especially since this was the second time it had happened that morning. I got to exchange a few words with my dad and... um... pace...

Item number five: There I was, sitting in my room having some quiet time, and I hear my sister Siri start screaming outside. I jumped up, put on shoes, and went outside. Poor dear got stung, and had to be carried inside, hushed, and told to hold some ice in a cloth over her finger. And then she fell asleep. : D

It wasn't really that bad of a day, actually. The crosswalk thing really upset me for a while, but 's all good. As long as it doesn't happen again.

Second Archive Post of the Day

Board Question 6961
Posted: July 29, 2004

From time to time, the Board Writers have found themselves defending Utah Mormons, often because one or more of them is/are one/some. Sometimes they are unwilling, as was Cognoscente in Board Question 43460 ("There goes all my rebel street cred"). However, unlike that question and many others along the same lines, #6961 is an understanding, rational, more-or-less unbiased review of Utah Mormons done by a Utah Mormon. Lovely Rita knows that some Utah Mormons need to get their act together, but she also knows that it is these few who are giving the rest a bad name, and on the whole, Utah Mormons are a good bunch, if a bit more conservative than usual.

I myself am a Utah Mormon, from Happy Valley (Provo), in fact. Yet I believe that I am not really part of the stereotype. This is probably largely due to the fact that while my father lived in Orem all his life, my mother was a Californian. We do take things like modest dress, swearing=bad, and other things for granted, but we don't eat Jell-O in excess, turn away from people drinking Coke, or snub people of other faiths. In fact, some of our good friends are from Christ Evangelical Church.

I like this question because, for once, a reader was writing in to show that they can be rational, write well, and have a well-based opinion. It sometimes seems that only the angry write in to the Board. Clear thinking is much appreciated, and as we know, angry people are not always wise.

Also, I must laugh with Eowyn at this sentence: "...you have to resort to chastising people for drinking caffeine-free Coke (for it is like unto regular Coke)."

Happy Birthday To Me...

Today is my birthday! I am 20! No longer a teenager!

It was an exciting day, with me somehow ending up looking very cute for church, which produced lots of compliments; my birthday was announced in Sacrament Meeting, since I'm the chorister; I got to eat a really nice dinner (thanks mom!); and I've been happy birthday'd to within an inch of my life. 'S good stuff. Oh, and I got a kiss... a chocolate one. : D

Yep, sweet twenty and never been kissed. Ah well, it's sure to happen someday.

One last thing - who would have thought that the word 'pulchritude' meant 'beauty'? Or that mine was stunning? Not me.

Books!

Well, a lot has changed from this morning. I'm $82 poorer, and I have many, many books that I didn't have before. : D I still want all the Jane Austin novels, minus Pride and Prejudice, but I now have about half of the Discworld books.

I love books, and I love sales at the Bookstore. I also love getting money for my birthday.

I Love Books and the Bookstore

Today, at the BYU Bookstore, SF&F and fiction books are 25% off. (And with the added discount I get from my dad, I get almost 50% off.) In honor of this sale, here is the first installment of Books I Want But Do Not Yet Have:

All Terry Pratchett books except for Thud! (own it), Guards! Guards! (own it, though I may need a new copy soon), The Color of Magic (own it), Good Omens (which I plan to buy today), and The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld (which I believe Goober is going to buy for me for my birthday. By the way, did I mention that my birthday is tomorrow?)

All Jane Austin, aside from Emma, which I already own.

There are probably lots lots more, but since I don't work in the SF&F or fiction sections, I can't think of any more off the top of my head.

I think I'm going to allow myself to spend $30 today. I love books so much... oh, though I must remember to leave enough money to pay for gas...

Oh EFY, I Hardly Knew Ye

No, really, that's true. This is my second year being on BYU campus a lot of the time during spring/summer, and I still haven't been inconvenienced, or annoyed, or driven to the point of insanity. Yeah, there are a lot of younger kids on campus, but I'm more interested in watching them than cursing them.

Of course, this might be due to the fact that I never was in EFY, so have no embarrassing memories that resurface when EFY season starts. Also, I work in the Bookstore, a place that doesn't seem to be frequented by these hordes of young 'uns.

Mmm. Lunchmeat.

And then there's the fact (there are a lot of facts) that I am much more likely to laugh things off than most people. EFY students in my path? I take a detour, using the extra time to watch them for character ideas. Loud EFY lunch-eating? I try to recognize the songs and eavesdrop on the conversations.

What? My food is almost gone, yet I'm still hungry? I am so not walking all the way from the HFAC back to the Bookstore so I can get some more food. Deal with it, stomach!

Working the Event Staff

Oh yay for BORING BORING GRADUATIONS.

So I had to work some graduations recently. Or, I had to work one graduation today. For Lehi High.

Without being all rude and everything like I was earlier, I would like to relate two things that I learned today.

One: I often get really snarky when I have been forced to listen to bad musical numbers.

Two: A bad place to get openly snarky is a high school graduation.