Keep on truckin'

I'm still here!

I would like to announce that loud and clear everyone who cares. Life just gets busy sometimes.

So brief update:

1. I've graduated!
2. I'm teaching!
3. I'm surviving!

Now for all those debbie-downers out there who will be quick to point out that there is still six months left in the school year to survive, yes, I am quite aware of that fact. But so far, things are going great and there is nothing that I can foresee changing that. (Cross your fingers, ya'll).

Further updates:

• reading Frankenstein with my sophomores, progressing just how you can imagine sophomores appreciating Victorian literature. I've been pretty impressed with some, disheartened by others. The plan is to finish it by Christmas. So, if you have any AWESOME project ideas with Frankenstein, send them my way.

• just finished a WWI poetry unit with my juniors. They were pretty good about. Next up, short stories and the Roaring Twenties!

• American Imperialism with my U.S. history kids. It's been really fun to coincide my junior English and History classes. We investigated different views of Imperialism through poetry. BOOM! Cross-curricular awesome-ness.

• Seniors...boy. Seniors are hard. I remember being DONE with school. And I can only imagine that it's going to get worse as the year goes by. So...stick around for them.

Anyways, that is pretty much it! I think I am going to get back into the swing of things and blog more. I like it.

Till then,
Farewell.

Update: This is the 200th post! Wowza, folks! I'm prolific!

I missed the bus by ONE minute

So, I am still getting the hang of this whole public-transportation-thing here in Oslo. Surprised? I should think not.
Today was the first official day of classes. We started the day with three hours of Norwegian 101 and after a brief lunch period, we moseyed on over to the Oslo City Museum next to Vigeland Park.

This is the Oslo City Museum

Vigeland Park

We didn't get a chance to explore too much of Vigeland park today. We are planning on going back another time and really get to know the place. The Oslo City Museum was pretty neat. It was interesting to see the growth of Oslo from a little Middle Age city to the metropolitan capital it is today. Did you know that Oslo burnt down about the 17th century and was rebuilt by King Christian the IV of Denmark and then he renamed it Christiania? Later it was renamed Oslo again in 1925 after Norway finally claimed its independence again.
Interesting stuff, no?
Anyways, after walking around the museum, we went back to our classroom and had dinner with our professor and his family (who just arrived via boat from Denmark). The poor woman had to control five boys all under the age of 16. She should be sainted any minute now. ;) Actually, the boys are pretty good and it was fun to interact with them. After dinner, I decided it was time to make the trek home, and this is where the gist of this post comes from.
After I finally figured out the trikk system and got on the right one, I RAN (let me repeat, I ran) to the bus terminal, only to miss my bus by ONE FREAKING MINUTE. Seriously, my hand touched the side of the bus as it drove away. Ah the sweet sting of regret!
I was tempted to shed a tear or two, but I reminded myself that I'm a big girl now (very important) so I sat down on a bench and caught up in my journal. Wahla! No tears and I was productive in the hour-long wait between buses. And it was alright in the end, because I got home safe and sound and I was able to take a shower and watch Dr. Who (Yes, it's quickly becoming an addiction. I'm going to be very heartbroken when this Doctor regenerates into someone new. I've grown attached) and...I updated ye olde blog.
Very productive I say.
And now it's time for bed.
Goodnight.

And let the games begin...

Woah. So things are happening fast and furious down here in Happy Valley. I have, like, 3 close friends getting hitched at the end of this summer. 3! That is a lot even for me.
And I am going to Norway in like less than 2 weeks!
It's all getting pretty crazy!
So, this was my way of apologizing for the lack of posting. I was trying to be more consistent, but gosh darn it, it's hard to post something interesting every day. My life is rather normal.
Oh! Except I do have some posts about my (practically) first real concert concert and the symphony from last weekend. Okay, so keep an eye out for those. Otherwise, nothing really cool is going to come up until I am in Norway.
Oh! Except my birthday. That is coming up sooner, and we allllll know that is going to be really cool.
Otherwise, keep your eyes open.
Loves!

Wedding dresses and late night chats=the best ever

Christmas vacation rocks. I get to sleep as much as I want to, eat whatever I find appealing...and, I get to see friends!
School is great and all, but there are just some people that I can't find in Provo. Mostly 'cause they are here, at home.
TODAY was exciting. Lydia took me wedding dress shopping with her! We found a wedding dress. Cause she is getting married! In a pretty dress. That we found!
I love watching the TLC show "Say yes to the dress" and this was like, real life! Terribly exciting. I have never been involved in a wedding before and so this is something new. AND: I got to hang out with Victoria Maez Green. We have been friends since elementary school, which is impressive considering how many times we switched schools. And well, she got married and had an adorable baby girl and we just got busy, but this year, we got to hang out a bit. I just got back from talking with her. It was amazin just being two busy girls, handling life as best we can and like girls, talking until our mouths were sore. It's funny how we piece together the bits and pieces of what we know about mutual acquaintances so in the end, we know everything about everyone. It's beautiful.
Yup indeedy.
It was a good evening indeed.

Opportunities?

I'm excited about this. My English 292 (British Literature) teacher is amazing and I like his style. Because I am so impressed with him, I want to be the best student he has ever had. (I can't help it, I am a people pleaser at heart.) Anyways, yesterday he passed around a paper that called for papers to be published in the literary criticism magazine on campus. Normally, I just pass these flyers along, but this time, I actually wrote down the information. I went to talk to him today and I am really excited. I have no idea what I am going to write about, but I will figure that out later. The paper should be about 15-20 pages, which is a little longer than what I'm used to, but I can do it! It would look really good on a resume to say that I have actually been published. Even though I am not technically an English major (history major, english minor) but I think I can contribute. Also, there is an English conference later on this year, and my teacher is in charge of that. He basically guaranteed me entrance into the conference. WOo! Here's for being a teacher's pet!
So, basically, it is going to be more work, but what the heck. When have I ever said no to putting more on my plate?
I wonder if there is an undergraduate history conference? THAT would be exciting too. Oooh, I like pondering new things.
Anyway, that is what is new.

Busy Bee

It is a silly wish of mine every weekend that it will be opposite of my weekdays. But they are always as busy as everyday anyway. I'm not complaining. I love having my days filled with friends, family and acquaintences. I love people.

It is my biggest dream, when I grow up, to have this cute little house, and have it be warm and delicious smelling inside and having it stuffed to the brim with people. I want the kind of house that people can just run into, no need to knock, with kids (mine or neighborhood kids) who call me mom and I will always have something delicious to eat to offer to people.

Woah. Sorry to get lost on that sidenote. My weekend. So my roommate from freshman year turned 21! And to celebrate, we had afternoon tea at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. It was so fancy! And it was so good to visit with Ali and celebrate this milestone in her life with her. There was a handful of girls, mostly from her high school, but they were such neat girls, like it just reaffirmed the fact that if you are already friends with someone, the chances that you will like their friends is pretty good. So good afternoon. AND!!! It was hightened by the fact that I found this AMAZING dress for the party! I took Shannon shopping with me on Friday, but we couldn't find anything. Stupid mall. I tend to have a very specific image in my mind of what I want to look like. So most of the time, I don't find anything at all. I wish it was easier to make clothes. I would be so stylish. Hah! If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.

Anyways, Friday was fun but I still need a dress so Saturday morning, I went out on my own to a couple of places. And I found a dress that was perfect. So stylish, so flattering. And only fifteen bucks! I is a smart shopper. Mah! So I hurried and got some groceries and ink! (very important) So I dashed home, got ready in just enough time to fly (as in drive really fast) up to SLC and made it just in time for the party. Had a really fun time (so fancy) and then came back down to Provo to find everyone gone to Adult Session of Stake Conference. Oops. So I made banana bread and watched "Smokey and the Bandit" (burt reynolds...so funny) I will have to tell you about that later. (Only 5 bucks!) And then Debra called! Game night! So after the movie, I dashed over there and had a blast, chatting it up with really cool people. And we played Cranium. Me and Debra talked smak. *shrug* It's what we do. ;) Neither of our teams won. Ha! Then I came back home and went to sleep. Good day. Busy, but good.

I think life is never going to slow down. Ever. So I guess I will just have to get used to flying so fast.

zooM, zooM, ZOOM!

Before We Begin...

Who can guess which national landmark this is?! Anyone, anyone? GOOD! The Golden Gate Bridge! To get this picture, guess where in the USA, I had to be? YES! IN SAN FRANCISCO, BABY!

hmmm...yes. I took off on a fantastic roadtrip across the wastes of Nevada to the Bay Area the week before school started...

We saw "Wicked" the musical! "I am defying graaaavvvviiittyy!!!" We saw the Oakland Temple and the Jelly Belly Factory! (Wed)

Then we went jet skiing...I fell off and basically ripped my shoulder off... And then got back on and jetted off at 50 mph! Now, that is zoomin for me! (Thurs)

Then we went white-water rafting. Level 3 rapids, so nothing too bad...except the bottom of our boat completely deflated and almost fell apart. No worries though, we made it back alive. I saw the place where they first discovered gold in California!! (Fri)

Then we went ATV-ing. Learned a clutch, kinda. Stalled on every freakin hill I came to. Drove back in the dark. Still supa fun! (Sat)

Then we drove back Sunday. Completely trashed. As you can see...

*note: these are real people, not actors.

Then school the next day...gahh...who decided to come back?!

Some New Opportunities for the Fall...

So...I know that I have a lot on my plate for fall semester. I have to take a lot of credits (19). and I will be working (early morning again) but I can do all of that. But I got an email, the other day, annoucing T.A. positions in the History Department! Ahhh! How cool would that be?! I am way excited. So I turn in my applicaiton on Monday, and we will see how it goes, right?