Deception and Deliciousness

I love the Book of Mormon. We’re studying it in Sunday School – something I’m new to, since I was in nursery second hour in Tuscaloosa – this year, and I really want to keep up with the chapters we’ll study each Sunday. For those who aren’t familiar with the curriculum, this weekly quest involves searching anywhere from three to fourteen chapters a week. This week’s count is ten, plus some catch-up from what I didn’t finish last week, so each morning I dive into Alma and attempt to overcome my habits of slow reading. Really “feasting” upon the words of Christ has brought the book alive for me; I have fallen in love with how brave Moroni is, and in how he typifies Christ when he constantly offers captured Lamanites an opportunity to repent and to enlist in the cause of freedom. I grow frustrated with how good Amalickiah is at manipulating others, in putting up a “great guy” façade when he is not. These are living people to me. I know men who are quietly brave and who humbly exemplify the Savior – whether they are members of the Church or not. And unfortunately I have experienced deception and manipulation by a “great guy.” Interestingly a fuse of these characters are teaching me a individually-tailored lesson in healing: do I give those “Amalickiah”s the opportunity to repent? Do I forgive? Of course – I sincerely feel that a child of God is entitled to be forgiven by his fellow brothers and sisters. I just hope that if sincerity remains a lacking, some Nephite queen won’t be naïve enough to ignore the red flags and fall for the brave soldier story.

P.S. My face is swollen, not fat!

Speaking of deception, I am looking through my bank statement one bright and promising Happy Valley morning when I spy a $10 transaction at Taco Bell. Ten dollars? I think to myself, when – and why – would I spend ten dollars at Taco Bell? Well I didn’t, and I most definitely wouldn’t. First of all I only order out cheap-o menu items, and of all places to break that stride it most definitely wouldn’t be from a bad Ameri-mexican restaurant that has so tastelessly shacked up (yes, pun intended) with Long John Grossness. People have issues enough with fast food seafood, why make it more difficult by naming it after underwear and sharing stores with over-seasoned tacos. I mean really, who gets off work and thinks “Man, I really want some tacos, but I’m craving some battered fish and fries too. [Sigh] if only I could get both at the same drive-thru…”? No one! But I digress. My receipt (yes, I keep my receipts until I match them up with my statement) reads $0.97. So I call the Gardendale store, where a few of my Tuscaloosa amigos (yes, pun intended again) had dined that evening pre-Provo departure, and the manager tells me to mail the receipt, bank statement, and card number to him and he’ll refund my money. Babe, I am not handing over my private info to your store again. So I call 1 800 TACO BELL and talk to a really nice lady, who tells me that a district manager will call within three business days. I hope I get gift cards. I don’t love the food, but everything tastes good when it’s free – especially to a student.

This is only funny if you read those hot sauce packets...

On a better note, I went out with some friends the other night to go eat Papusas. What’s a papusa? I ask. It’s a tortilla, uh, with some cheese…sometimes beans…oh, and some meat my friends Bryce and Pablo team up to explain. It sounds like every other Mexican food! I say. Oh, not true! Not only is it not Mexican – it’s native of El Salvador – but a more accurate explanation would be a savory pancake-bread dough, pocketed with cheese and whatever else you’d like (I order one with pork and one with some kind of flower) and then pan-fried to a golden brown goodness. They are delicious. And for only a buck-and-a-half each in an atmosphere that welcomes American girls trying to order en Espanol, how can one go wrong?

So aside from overcoming deception (twice) and eating South-of-the-Border cuisine (twice), I have been trying to eat better and retire earlier – nothing drastic, just a good “take care of my body” attitude. I’m also taking advantage of Shiffler’s free photography lessons (click here) once a day. As I have done this, I’ve noticed a definite difference. I’m so grateful to have a schedule right now that allows “early to bed, early to rise” and for a little dabbling in a new faculty. I think my life is like one of those snow globes you get at Disney World – sure everything gets shook up a little bit, but how fortunate to be able to enjoy the non-soluble soap flakes.

Planning for Bread and Enjoying the Lilies

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other. ~Chinese Proverb



This is where I get to attend school!

So as I’m preparing my course track plan for the next two years, I realize that with my major – Print Journalism – and two minors of choice – TESOL and World Dance – it’s not looking promising to be able to fit all the required classes into four semesters. Maybe if I fill my summers with classes, or take more hours during the fall/winter semesters…I could move this class around here and leave room for two dance classes in here…ugh! And then the last little piece of the insight puzzle falls into place – I’m done rushing through life. I’m out of my “let’s AP out of half of college so I can rush through and get on with…um, something” mentality. Being here at BYU and realizing all the opportunities this school actually offers is helping me to understand that I really enjoy the stage of life I’m in. I love that Print Journalism requires an internship (hmmm…I’m thinking, New York? Rome?), as does my TESOL minor (what better place to intern teaching English than my "home", Japan?!). While these things sound amazing, of course I’m going to use good wisdom and bounce all things off my family and my Heavenly Father, but I’m not going to assume “no” by guilt anymore. And no more being manipulated by people. Heavenly Father wants us to have beautiful, happy lives – lives lived to the fullest, since this is the fullness of times – and to express our talents. I also love being able to wear high heels (I’m retiring loafers for a while – I’ve got my senior years to wear those!), and to go out for a sugar rush of 7-Eleven slurpies at 2 A.M. and still look dang good in a swim suit. I love being so young and having the “world as my oyster” as Sister Robinson once put it. What will I do with my life? Hopefully much, and hopefully much that carries great weight in my own life and in the lives of others. I’ll be 21 in four months, and of course I’m considering the mission again. I will graduate from BYU having learned much in the classroom and much about myself, and will fall madly in love and have a delightful marriage that will be every bit as wonderful as my husband and I want it to be. But those things will happen when the time is right, and I’m in no rush and no delay. Things will work out and fall into place at the right time like they always do – in my life, at least.

Oh, and have I mentioned that I love Provo’s social life? I pretty much am a keep-to-selfer – I’m completely satisfied with reading a book on the couch for Friday night action. But since I’ve been here I have also been out in the wee morning hours engaged in a number of wholesome activities, namely Ice Blocking (Click for definition), nestling in the mountains to watch DVDs via-laptop under the stars, and shedding my white girl moves for some Salsa skills. Oh P.S., I was reprimanded for wanting to snap my fingers and say “Ole.” Apparently that’s Spain, not Mexico. Tomāto, tomăto to my so not P.C. self.

And since my scriptures here will basically be another textbook, I decided to invest in a new set since my old ones were – literally (no pun intended) – falling apart. Genuine leather, blue with silver-lined pages, and engraved.

Sorry but I thought this was hilarious!

Things are great. This fall I'll be taking Ballet, News Writing, Book of Mormon, World Dance, Western Humanities, Strengthening Marriage & Family, Technical Communication, and Career Exploration. Life can be a little mundane as I search for hours on the Student Employment site, but lately I often find myself being so grateful for all things beautiful. Dance, art, good literature, and morning runs in the canyon with my brother. In the words of John Muir: Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.

Check out the size of this thing! He and his brother chill outside our apartment at night!

Movin' Out!

In character, I waited until the last minute to begin packing, and I soon realized the sheer amount of “stuff” I have. I also soon became aware that it was going to take much longer than only the two and a half days I was planning – and had left, mind you. And although I spent those days wrestling with Space Bags (that are not as amazing as those TV ads would have them appear) and trying to make meals of what was left in the fridge (like below, where I have a lovely amalgamation of Ramen noodles-chicken flavor-, a turkey dog, and a pickle), I also sat back and watched everything fall into place at the last minute. I mean everything – from my furniture that hadn’t yet sold, to the things I didn’t have room for in my car, to a trip to the temple after I had already given up on trying to go this month. Everything works out. Everything always works out.

And so my trek out west begins –with being two hours late to pick up Nick from the airport (I told you I had a lot to pack) but with afterwards sharing a mouthwatering California Club pizza from CPK (think applewood smoked bacon, grilled chicken and Mozzarella cheese, hearth baked then topped with Roma tomatoes, chilled chopped lettuce tossed in mayonnaise and fresh sliced avocado) and a hummus app that ends up being on the house because I answer a survey – have I mentioned that I love my life?

So the next day we’re off! Except for the fact that it takes us an eternity to finish up all of those little things one must do before heading out on a long trip – we departed out of Enterprise so good-bye pictures included – and we don’t actually leave until 2:30 – that’s P.M. So at 6:00 when we stop for some food I am applauding myself on what excellent progress we are making towards the Beehive State, only to see signs for Gardendale. For those of you out of state, Gardendale is where the Temple is – about an hour out of Tuscaloosa. Ugh! Why did we have to go home first??? But we continue pressing on, drive until we’re both weary and ornery, and finally stop at a Comfort Inn – which p.s. lives up to its namesake.

O! Quick Comfort Inn story! We check in at 2:30 – that’s A.M. – but the complimentary breakfast ends at 9:30 the following morning. So guess who gets the short straw for breakfast duty? Yep. But since I love my sleep (and my duty to the last minutes of life) I humor the snooze for as long as I can before I have to get down to the lobby. No change of the clothes. No sweep of the hair. Definitely no cleansing of the teeth. In the words of Mark Twain: “[Look for] a time when they should be free from self-consciousness – which is at breakfast, when such a moment occurs in the lives of all human beings.” Yeah Mark you were wrong about that one. I saunter toward the smell of coffee and OJ only to find every hotel guest already dressed and polished. I try to be inconspicuous – which really makes one more conspicuous – and begin loading up a Styrofoam plate with assorted breads and spreads. Fruit! Score! I add a couple of apples to my plate. Hmmm…I need some protein, so I grab a tiny cup and fill it with milk. The breakfast bar-keeper keeps giving me the mal de ojo so I split. I briskly stride towards our room only to pass by a maid who is finishing up a suite. “Thank you so much for cleaning the rooms,” I note sincerely, “mine was way clean.” I figure if I can’t be comely on the outside this morning, I can at least help others with inner beauty – SPLAT! I spill milk on the newly cleaned floor. Ugh!

So we set out again guided by our trusty Magellan, and make our way through Tennessee, Missouri, and Kansas (which I liked, actually – not too flat!). I’m eager to see the Happy Valley, so I convince Nick to pull an all-nighter. Well, we do love our sleep, so we pop a squat right outside of Denver at a rest stop for a couple of hours – I do NOT recommend these, by the way. Scary people are there! But we make it out alive, and just in time to drive through the Rocky Mountain sunrise. My accompaniment which is the iPod serves up MoTab, which collaborates rather nicely; the mountains are great at conferring a peace that pairs nicely with a freshening sunrise. This becomes a check off my bucket list that hadn’t previously been there.

So then we finally make it into Provo, and I spend the next couple of days pulling 12-hour catch-up snoozes before returning to normal. And that’s the end. Until next time, Hogi-Yogi wishes and Creamery dreams!