Hobbit Trailer Online!

Only 358 days til the Hobbit Movie! Yes, I really am that excited!!

Rant about work...sorry.

So, I work in the billing and video troubleshooting dept for Comcast. Today I had some really awesome people call in. So here's the skinny. If one channel, and only one channel, goes out then it is NOT Comcast's fault. It's the network provider who is having the issue.
Tonight there was some stupid football game in the Seattle area and the high definition channel went out in the 4th quarter. Yeah, I understand, it's the most tense part of the game. But the standard definition channel was working just fine. We had way too many people call in and yell at us because they couldn't watch it in their precious hd. Well guess what mister, it just goes to show how pointless your life is if a stupid football game gives you just cause to yell at someone else. It's just a game! Get over it! Watch it on SD! It won't kill you.
Why do we let these jar-heads make fun of us for being "obsessive" over a good book every now and then? We don't call people up and yell at them if the author does something to a character that we don't like. Hello, pointless.
Okak, I'm done now.

5 Weeks til Finals! Is That a Good Thing?

Okay, so I'm guilty of counting down til the end of the semester. I have a perfectly logical explanation. Sanity. Or rather the lack there of. I feel my sanity slowly draining away....
I like two of my classes just fine, but for some reason I got stuck in this consumer credit class. To be fair, I did pick it out of the list and signed up to take it. If only i had know better. Well, actually it's probably a good thing too. I discovered I can't stand the teacher and I needed to switch my major in order to avoid having any future classes from her. Whew, dodged a bullet with that one! But I still have 5 more agonizing weeks of her class. Ick! The only, and I mean only, redeeming factor about her class is that we can use an 8x11 cheat sheet during the tests. that little paper has been saving my poor little brain some.
I had a quiz today in Horticulture. Then next week, I have a test on Wednesday and Thursday. Luckily the next week is Thanksgiving break. I need the holiday. (I'm just praying my hubby and I get it off of work.) But I'm positive that the Christmas break will be such a welcome relief. A few solid weeks of no school. When all I'll have to complain about is my job. :) Here's to 5 weeks and counting!

Making Dinner

Why is it so hard to choose what to have for dinner. I think it must be one of those eternal struggle of man.

What should I make for dinner? (dramatic  duh da duhhn)

But seriously. Sometimes I'll look over at my hubby and ask him what he'd like for dinner. Like most men the traditional, "I don't know." Is the favorite response. I've found a new tactic though. I tell him that he gets to make dinner every so often. It's a relief to have someone else decide for once! The problem is that we are both so indecisive. It's bothersome. :p But somehow we make it through.

There are some weeks where we eat a lot of soup, because it's easy to make and others where we have pizza because it's even easier (lazier.)

Changes

The temperature has really dropped in the past week. I realize I'm not looking forward to this winter. I think it's going to be a long/cold one.
I think I've decided to change my major. I really do not like one of my professors this semester and I've found out she will be teaching several of my other required classes. I don't think i can handle her again. I'm thinking of changing to Family and Consumer Sciences, otherwise known as the "Mommy Degree." I think there are some things i could learn before actually being a mommy. I've got a few years to go, might as well do some preparing!
I hope i get to use the classes i've already take toward that degree. I'd feel guilty if it would take me longer to finish because of this change.
Ian is such a great husband. He forgives me all the time for my stupid little outbursts. I've found that my stress levels are extremely high lately. I don't know why I'm so stressed, but it's the only thing I can think of that would cause me to be so crabby all the time. I keep snapping at the stupidest things. Ian is so patient with me. He waits for me to calm down, then gives me a hug. Why did I get so lucky? :)

Forgiveness

One thing I've already begun learning is how to forgive more quickly. Sometimes I feel like my husband and I avoid talking about certain things because we don't want to make the other person feel bad. Last night, I lost my temper briefly. We were playing a stupid computer game and I let his competitiveness get under my skin. You see, when I play games, I play merely to have fun and just to play. i don't care who wins. It isn't about winning for me. My husband is very competitive. He plays to win and enjoys it. His family is very similar and he loves playing games with his siblings.
So last night he said something that really irked me. I lost my cool and let him know he was kinda being a jerk about winning. I don't care if he was winning, but he didn't need to rub it in. Of course he is  a sweet person and had no idea he was being so competitive about our little game. He got up and left the room. And I ended up feeling like a jerk for saying anything about it.
We then spent about a half hour talking about it. We both apologized and felt bad. And we both promised to do better next time. *sigh* I'm a lucky woman to have a man so willing to forgive me for being stupid about things. He says he's lucky to have someone to point out when he's getting to engrossed in things. (I think he was just being nice.) If you can't tell I still feel immensely guilty about the whole thing. I just wish I had kept my mouth shut! I'm learning.
It's easier to watch out for people's feet than to apologize for stepping on toes.

Married Life

So, there isn't really much different in married life. We wake up in the morning, rush around getting ready for school. Go to classes, come home and rush off to work. Then after work we come home, try to get some homework done before going to sleep and start the whole process over again. I guess the only difference is the "we" in the statement. I'm not alone anymore. It's a nice thought. Though, it doesn't always make things easier. Now I find myself worrying about 2 people instead of just one. Are we both getting our homework done? Do we have lunches/dinners ready to go? etc.
Still, it's wonderful to be married. It is one thing I don't have to worry about anymore. I know more challenges and worries are coming up, it's easier than trying to do it alone.

Less Than Two to Go!

It's crunch time people! That's right. Only 58 days til I get married. Luckily there isn't too much left to do but work. Money is once again stressing me out. I've paid all the deposits (except one) but still need to pay the balance for all of them. The only things entirely paid off are my gown, his tux (free rental), our shoes, and the cups and utensils for the reception. The photographer is the one with the largest outstanding balance. The decorator after that...*sigh* But I've worked out what we owe and the minimum we'll earn before the wedding and it seems to all work out just fine. I just hate the stress this is causing me.

I'm counting down for two reasons really. One, because I'm excited to be married duh. And two, because all this stress and planning will be done. Over. Finito. No more!!

And work, is just work. Don't really like it, but it pays the bills. Sad, but true.

I have a bridal shower this coming Thursday and another on the 9th of July given by my mom. I'll also have a third some other day in July, not sure when yet, given by my mother-in-law to be. what really ends up being irksome is that I don't know my work schedule til it's only 2 weeks out. So i feel like i have to scramble to trade the days i need with people. i only can hope people have a heart for my next two showers and my wedding/honeymoon week. (That'll be a pain to arrange because I'll need a total of 10 days off.)
As I said before, I'll be so happy when this is all over. I realize I be stressing over different things then, but this has stretched on for such a long time it just seems like a huge thing. i want to be done with it already.

I Hate $$, part 2 or 3 or 4...

Why are weddings so expensive? I felt good that we had paid 99% of the down payments we needed to make for the wedding preparations. Then I started to think. Duh! They're just the down payment. So I decided to add up what was left to pay. It will take me 4 paychecks to pay for everything. Guess how many paychecks I'm scheduled to have before the wedding? 5. Not a lot of wiggle room. I don't like it one bit!
Not to mention the fact that some of the people want to be fully payed before then too. Oi vay!

Worrisome

So I had my ever-so-exciting premarital exam today. The doctor was very upset with all previous gynos I've been to for not picking up on the fact that I have 3 main symptoms of pre-diabetes. Yup. Lucky me. But there is a bit of good news with this. There are apparently meds that can help prevent getting actual type 2 diabetes, if you catch it early enough. Keep your fingers crossed and my name in your prayers for the next bit. I'll need all the help I can get. I really don't want to be diabetic. I don't like needles and I get queasy seeing myself bleed. I can't do all that blood testing. I'm just way nervous about it.

So Ian and I started our new jobs at Convergys. So far, so good. I really can't complain. The pay is good and they have some excellent benefits. (If you are interested, they are hiring. Just remember to list me as your reference ;p) I'm just not used to the training schedule. They're fairly long hours and it takes me a while to wind down afterwards. So my sleep has been pushed back later than usual. It's not good. *sigh* Oh well, I'll get used to it in time to start my real schedule.

Proud Reader

Quite a few people in my life are amazing, yes really, amazing writers. I'm not one of them. Well, I can get my blah blah blah boring thoughts out, but nothing creative. At least, not in the way it is in my mind. I've found that my mind deals with images more than words. I can dream up amazingly beautiful worlds and people, but for some reason, I can't get it down on paper. I've tried, but it just doesn't work.
But I am good at reading. I don't think about it too often, but i get reminded occasionally. Most recently, my fiance noticed I finished a book and then had the next one done in a day. He said, "I couldn't do that." I just smiled. I must admit, I am a bookworm at times. Devouring book after book is one of my favorite pastimes. I usually carry a book with me to school and work in addition to having them around my apartment. I guess I just don't like down time without anything to do.
Also, what would writers do without readers like me? I guess we all have our purposes in life. Mine is to read what is written. And once in a while, I still jot some little thing down. :)

To all the writers in my life, keep writing. I love reading your words.

85 Days

Counting down til the wedding? Guilty as charged. I find it helps relieve the anticipation a bit. It helps me to keep focused on each day and week. That way I'm not continuing with the 4 months, three months, two... Months seem sooooooo long. But they're really only about 30 days. It's easier to keep track of the small things and let the bigger ones take care of themselves. :)

Long Engagement = no bueno!

So Ian and I had talked about when we should get engaged. We figured conference weekend would be a good time. We'd have been "dating" for 6 months and we'd only have a 4 month engagement.
Little did I know that He would cave to the social pressure of the never ending question, "When are you getting engaged?" So on my birthday a little more than a month before we planned it, he proposed. What was I supposed to say? Sorry, you'll have to try back at a later date?
Every once in a while I'll turn to him and say, you know this extended period of waiting is all you fault! (with a big grin on my face - teasingly) Though I must admit, it's a lot harder when you actually have that ring. You have to seriously start planning things and keep your head away from the idea of being married already. School has been doing an excellent job of keeping us busy. And this summer we'll both be getting a night job as well to help pay for everything. But I find it actually easier to not spend time with him. It's too tempting.
In our Preparing for an Eternal Marriage class, which by the way I really recommend to people, our teacher presented an idea we're going to try. (Well, we're planning on doing.) No kissing a whole month before the wedding. Thus less temptation! Hopefully we can do it. Laugh all you want, but we'll do it!
Well, I have two tests tomorrow and I need to study. Have fun!

Last Month of School

I have a large calendar on my wall. Each day is marked with the homework and stuff I need to do. I keep looking at it thinking, three more weeks of classes and one week for finals and I'm done! Well, until next fall anyways.
I'm working on a second bachelors. I'm crazy I know. But, during a mission, I realized that my first degree in Elementary Ed. wasn't for me. I realized I was doing it to make my mom happy. And it wouldn't make me happy to do that. So I went back to school. At first I planned on working on a masters in library science. However, I realized that once again I would be limited to only one option as a career with all that time gone. (And that i was paying an arm and a leg more than necessary.) So I switched to a 2nd bachelors in Family Finance. There's a list of jobs I can do with that! If you really must know you can read through the small print!
Family Finance Emphasis. Majors choosing this emphasis will be prepared for careers in financial counseling, advising, and education. Coursework focuses
on the financial decisions that individuals and families face relating to insurance, investing, credit, budgeting, and home ownership. Students will complete an
off-campus practicum and a Financial Counseling practicum at the Family Life Center on campus. At the Family Life Center, students will encounter various
types of financial experiences, including new home buyer counseling sessions and workshops, as well as financial problems related to credit and budgeting. The
Family Life Center’s housing and financial counseling services are approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and provide
counseling and education to the community. Employment opportunities include consumer credit counseling services, credit unions, the armed forces, corporate
employee assistance programs, employee benefits counseling firms, college financial aid offices, bank loan offices, hospitals, corporate credit offices, bankruptcy
courts, community housing programs, Federal Home Administration, Housing and Urban Development, personal banker, mortgage loan officer, credit
counselor, financial counselor or educator, consumer relations coordinator, military financial educator, debt collections coordinator, credit investigator, fraud
detective, insurance broker, stockbroker, and financial planner. 
Students in the Family, Consumer, and Human Development major receive the necessary preparation for graduate study in a family, consumer, and human
development-related field.

And so, I've been toiling away for a whole semester starting this new bachelors. I'm not regretting it. Even if I don't end up getting the second degree before having a family, I'll still be able to apply the things I've been learning to my family.
Ian is still trying to figure out what he'd like to do. He's working on his generals and getting used to school life again after a mission. I still don't think he'll be fully prepared to be married, work, and go to school. We'll have to work on balancing all of it. I've talked him into taking a class called Balancing Work and Family, next fall. Hopefully it will help. :)

Creating My "Dream Home"

So I found this random, and funny site. Take a little quiz and it tells you about your dream home. I tried it a couple of times. It's fun! http://www.directhomefind.com/dream-home/

Your home is a Magic Gamer's Castle                         Your kitchen is stocked with chips, dips, and assorted caffeinated beverages. There's a pantry with emergency backup caffeinated beverages. You also have some breakfast cereals in there, but you haven't had breakfast since last Spring. Your master bedroom has blankets printed with images of Mario and Link. Your study includes unread copies of various gamer magazines, each purchased for the free demo CDs. One of your garages contains a life-sized X-Wing fighter, and KITT. (KITT was a gift from a well-meaning uncle.) Your home also includes a roost for griffons. You've never actually seen a griffon, but you keep the roost ready anyway. Your guests enjoy your collection of every console and associated game ever made. Except the Intellivision -- those controllers drive them NUTS. Outside is the moat that protects your home from goblin invaders and extended family. And, you have a pet -- a koopa named "Shelly". Below is a snippet of the blueprints:

Real Estate

lol, and...

Your home is a Wizard's Stronghold                         Your kitchen is manned by a team of Keebler Drow Elves. There's a Chocolatessen, which is rapidly becoming your favorite room of the house. Having one is also becoming a trend among your wealthy neighbors. Your master bedroom is decorated to look like the treetop village of the Galadhrim. Your study has every fantasy novel ever written, including multiple editions of the Silmarillion and advance copies of Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition. One of your garages holds your collection of ferraris, and is measured in acreage. Your home also includes a roost for griffons. You've never actually seen a griffon, but you keep the roost ready anyway. Your guests enjoy your home theater with hi-def plasma screen TV, and the thrones you watch it from. Outside is the moat that protects your home from goblin invaders and extended family. Below is a snippet of the blueprints:

Real Estate

Waiting for the Ring

I'm impatient. We all know this already, right? I know I'll be getting a ring some time in the near future. I just don't know when!!! It's hard being so close to that. People keep asking too. Can I help it that I haven't received it yet? NO.

It'll happen when it does, until then....wait, just like me! I'm more anxious than anyone really. I guess I just want proof it's really going to happen. Hmm. I'm just a normal girl after all.

New Semester

If I haven't already told any of you, I'm currently working on a second Bachelor's degree instead of a masters. (It's way less expensive.) I decided that a degree in Family Finance would be much easier to use, in the work place or otherwise. It's week two of the spring semester at USU. It feels like it's been a month really. I already have my first tests next week! It's crazy. I'm going to have to get used to the lower level classes again. It's weird.

I do have some really cool classes though. An FCHD class I have, Balancing Work and Family, is great. There are three teachers and the current one is so funny. His direct words are in our text book. (Because it was written by my professors.) So I'll start the readings and stop to make sure I haven't already read this chapter, when I realize it's something he said in class. :)

I'm also taking Institute Choir again. I love institute classes. You get to study the gospel in the subject matter that interests you. Not to mention the classes there are free, unlike the university. Anyway, choir is great this semester. We have our first concert this Sunday, and it is going to be amazing. We also get to sing at a fireside with Elder Ballard!! He'll be coming up to Logan in February. (They've even been having extra night practices from 8:30 to 10pm on Thursdays to get ready. I haven't gone because I've been too tired/lazy to.) 

Everything is still going well with Ian. Though I think we need some time to just talk. We do a lot of activities together, but i haven't had an intellectual conversation (not just swapping mission stories) for a month or so with him. It feels like something is lacking in our relationship and I think that might be it. I've told him we need to talk more. Hopefully it happens in the next day or so. :)

New Year - No Resolutions!

I've decided not to make any new year's resolutions. I've found that they never turn out anyway. I have, however, created a to do list. I have things I want to get accomplished and I've broken them into manageable steps. I'm going to put it on my wall or mirror, haven't decided which, then I'll be able to see what I still need to get done and work on it when I can.

I'm hoping that this will help me actually accomplish something this year. :) Wish me good luck!