College was not "fun"

You know what?

Until this, my senior year, I never would have used the word "fun" to describe college. It more just "was".

Like, "Yeah. I am in college. I'm studying anthropology. Its cool. I love my classes. Everything else is alright. Could be better, could be worse."

Now it goes more like this, "Yeah. I am in college. I am an anthropology major and I love it! And I freaking love my life. I basically have a 24 hour party 7 days a week. It is so much fun. Holy crap."

As (maybe) mentioned in a previous post (or maybe on my Rocks & Twigs & Things sister blog), I made a goal to be more social this year and I am pretty sure that that is happening and that is why I am having so much fun all the time.
**Now I really do not mind being by myself - in fact I love it. I prefer it most of the time, but right now this whole social thing is working**

Anyway. I have had more fun in the month and a half ish of this semester than I had in the previous two years combined.
Someone finally got me to Country Swing Club this year and that is a beautiful thing. It is a good time and I love it. It is fun.
I also am tutoring for athletics now and I love my football players. They are hilarious and entertaining (and sometimes even focus on doing their school work :) and I love the few hours a week I spend helping them keep up their grades. They are FUN.
Another thing that is making life so fun. I am living in the moment. Very little forethought into my life these days. For example, yesterday. I had watched conference in the morning, Joseph came over in between session and we (aka he) had lunch (when I was supposed to be doing homework!) and then we watched the second session at Cassie's. Afterwards we three had a very long and philosophical conversation about God (when I was supposed to be doing homework!) We left Cassie's and instead of going home and doing homework like I knew I seriously should have....I went grocery shopping with Joseph (...again...). We shopped and then as he dropped me off afterwards at like 10 to 6:00, I got a text from mi amiga Kim. She said she had tickets to this Diwali Night here at UW. The tickets were to the dinner starting at 7:30 but the cultural part was going on from 5:00 onward. So I hurried and texted Zane to see if he was going to priesthood or if he wanted to go to Diwali Night with me. He was in so I took the tickets and we had an awesome time at Diwali Night. I REALLY SHOULD HAVE DONE HOMEWORK. I REALLY NEEDED TO DO HOMEWORK.

I was on the phone with my mom this week and she said to me, "You have been yawning a lot lately." So I kind of explained how I had been of the attitude "What the hey? I am in college! I am young! Let's have some fun!" I then told her how I thought I was done with that lifestyle since I was so bloody tired. She basically chastised me for being such an old lady all the time and that I really needed to act my age and keep making poor life decisions because I wouldn't always be able to do so with so little consequence.

But I have continued on the live in the moment lifestyle where between going to bed or doing homework and going to hang out with Joseph or go to Diwali Night or Shari's for game night with the girls, I choose the non-sleeping & non-homework route. And life has been fun. College is finally fun.

Now it isn't all sunshine and daisies since I am pretty sure my grades are taking a hit. But I sure can hear my mom saying, "It is about damn time."




AND RED SOX ARE KILLIN IT

Slacking

I apologize to my readers...if they care...for not being on top of it.


Remember this?

Well I wasn't in summer school then so I thought all would be great.

NOW THAT I AM IN IT I AM DYING.

Golly...it is kicking my butt.

But Public Speaking ends this week and then Chem and PE go for another two weeks and my two online classes start BUT!


Somewhere in there I will remember that I have a life and get back to it.
Which may mean that I might post sommore things.



By the way, Cassie and I are on a Heroes kick right now. Not sure if its that good, but two seasons in and starting the third one this week, we are addicted.

Shut the world out...Ignore the world within?

Do you ever just feel like you have to shut the world around you out? Like the things that are happening around you are too much to handle and they might destroy you under their weight?

*LIKE THIS*  (<--those people probably are from Wyoming...)

Well that happened tonight. I just couldn't take it and it was too much. So I gathered myself up, put my headphones in, turned on the best pandora station ever, and went on a walk.

I think I couldn't handle the world inside myself either. I was raging mad. Over a stupid thing that I REALLY shouldn't waste my time on. But still. The thoughts and feelings were seriously pissing me off. I needed to ignore them.

So I shut the world out, ignored the world within and just walked. Man it was wonderful. I just listened and sang to my Mumford and Muse and Phillips, while escaping the terrors of the world at the moment. I strolled like a boss through campus, leaving a trail of problems with the steps I took.

I walked to the library to return my movies, then to the tute to play the piano. It was so wonderful. I just released it all and healed those bummers. Those bummers be gone!!

For now.

I'll probably be angry over that thing again in like 24 minutes, but who cares!?

I just love the power of music and nature. It really is the panacea of the world. That and baseball. But really, any issues I am having can be solved by putting my headphones in and walking (or I could take my lovely Jasper now). That fixes it.

It is even better now as well. All the students have gone home for the summer. It is even quieter and calmer and more desolate than normal. Peaceful. I loved it.

On a brighter note, I feel such great things coming from this summer. This summer may change my life. I think it will. I think I will let it. This summer will leave me a better person than it found me. I really think it will.

Let the summer come. Let it bring with it all the wonder and joy and if I must fail this summer I hope I fail gloriously.

I await summer with open arms, an open mind, and an open heart.

It is going to be good

Lessons from Rapunzel

So yesterday was my first official day of summer since I turned in my last take home final.


I honestly felt like I did nothing yesterday. After basically working nonstop since August of 2011, I had no work to do.


IT WAS TORTURE. It was terrible and I just became so thankful that I am taking classes this summer. Haha. I watched The Importance of Being Earnest, spent a long time on Pinterest, finished The Great Gatsby, went to Institute Lunch, got drain unclogger stuff, watched 3 episodes of Bones, started the Scarlet Letter...


Really I felt like this:

And then I thought to myself, "If Rapunzel can entertain herself in a tower for 18 years, I by golly can survive a week and a half with the world at my fingertips" And so here is my vow to not complain about being miserably useless while I am out of school for these few days.


Also I was thinking, Rapunzel does laundry every day, which makes sense, you know? Cause she only has that one dress. But if she only has that one dress, what does she wear while doing laundry? I mean if Mother Gothel isn't there she could just run around naked whilst doing laundry, cause I'm pretty sure Pascal isn't an issue...

...Or does she like fashion her hair into some kind of tunic or robe? Things to ponder on...

It is gunna be a good summer. I can feel it in bones

I feel it! I found it! I smell it!

Summer, that is.

When I got up this morning at 7:03 as usual, I felt it!

The sunshine was coming through my window and I smelled the smell of summer. What is the smell of summer you ask? Well it is freedom, happiness, warmth, dirt. WOW I got so excited.

I also heard summer. It was like *chirp* *crow*, and a combination of this:

and this:

Does that not just jazz you up for life?!?!?

I need to finalize my last take home exam, turn it in and then I AM FREE FOR SUMMER.


(For a week and a half.....and then I start summer school haha)

Man life is looking pretty much peachy (Hence Peach at the beginning and this peach....)

Now some things for y'all to do this summer:

40-websites-that-will-make-you-cleverer-right-now <--- TRUE STORY

Kind of a fun one

And this will make you smile

Summer schooling, had me a blast. Summer schooling, happened so fast.

I am taking summer classes and then fall classes. So if I do indeed graduate next spring I will have been in school for 8 consecutive semesters (Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Summer 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Summer 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014). Ayyyaaaaaaahhhhh. Thats a lotta schooling.

Anyway. Here are the classes I am taking this summer here in Laradise:

CHEM 1020: General Chemistry- First semester of a one-year introductory series. Provides broad coverage of chemistry principles with inorganic and organic systems applications.

*I am indifferent to this class. I have only had one year of chem in my life. That was sohpmore year and if you were to ask me what I remember, I would tell you that Hydrogen and Oxygen are a part of the periodic table of elements. So its probably a good thing I am taking it again. And I really hope its easier cause I am taking it in the summer*

COJO 1010: Public Speaking - Beginning public speaking course. Emphasizes message construction, performance and critique in public communication settings. Includes speech preparation, listening, audience analysis, critical thinking, language/nonverbal behavior and various speaking formats.

*Eh, I feel like since I am Mormon and have been speaking in Sacrament meetings since I was 12, a relief society teacher and have been teaching for the past several months, and a tutor, I will probably do pretty well with this one...*

RELI 2225: History of Christianity - Traces Christianity from its beginnings to late 20th century.

*I am so jazzed about taking this class. It should be awesome. I considered minoring in Religion and possibly Nutrition so this class helps me out there if I end up staying another year and doing that....*

WMST 1080: Introduction to Women's Studies - An introduction to key issues in women's studies. A topical examination of women's participation in, and relationship to, institutions of society, such as family and school, as well as processed and activities, such as work, art, literature and politics in historical and cross-cultural analysis.

*Aahhhhhh women's studies. Why do you even exist? So stupid. Too bad this fulfills two credits I need. Oh well, its a prereq for another class or two that I actually want to take as a Medical Anthropologist*

PEAC 1001: Physical Activity and Your Health - Designed to help students gain an understanding of the impact of physical activity or inactivity has on their health. Students gain the knowledge, skills and experience that enable them to make informed decisions about their own health as it relates to their quality of life and longevity.

*I'm an athlete, I know how being active helps you in basically all aspects of your life. But again, its a requirement and at least its an independent study*


Thats 14 credits. A whole semester's worth. Last summer I only did 7. But its broken up, so I am taking 8 here in laramie for the first half and then 6 credits online at home in UTAH. It should be grrrreeatttt.

And I will have my beautiful longboard Jasper to carry me around during those wonderful days of summery sunshine.

Finals Week Approaches

Ah finals week. That week where 4 months of knowledge is compiled in a few sheets of paper. How is that an accurate gauge of learning? I think it is not. But, alas, I don't determine that stuff. Other people far "wiser" than I do. 

Finals week is the hardest, most stressful, exhausting week of the semester. The week preceding it (this coming week) also sucks. It is when you (should) prepare for those tests. It is hours of reviewing, memorizing, relearning, learning for the first time 4 months of knowledge. Again, how is that logical? 

Anyway, I like to write myself up a little inspirational document to get jazzed for finals week. It is usually a combination of youtube videos, pins from Pinterest, quotes from famous people and apostles/prophets, and scriptures. If you are super lucky and I like you a lot and want you to do well on your finals as well I may just send it to you...but most likely not...or maybe

Here is what this semesters contained:

If you replace "riding your bike" with "pass your finals" it is enough to get anyone to do well

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind"
2 Timothy 1:7


God hath not given you the spirit of fear. That comes from the adversary. The Lord has given you the power of love, and a sound mind; the power of the priesthood, the power of your call, love for the gospel which you teach, for the people you teach, and for the Lord.


"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order."Mosiah 4:27


Just take things one day at a time, otherwise you'll become overwhelmed.-Gordon B. Hinckley, Stand A Little Taller

There's more, but I should really get back to finishing my 23 page paper on human femur measurements. 

KY - SIGNING OFF

Meet Jasper

Jasper is a girl. And you actually met her in a previous post.

In case you forgot...there she is. Jasper. I love her.

Cassie and I have this really great thing where she rides her bike and I hold on to her backpack and she pulls me around campus between classes/home/etc. We have been HUGELY successful...

We make people smile cause we look so freaking awesome. 

We have only had one or two of these....

But other than a few "learning experiences" and practice dodging pedestrians...WE ARE SKILLED.

And this is why Kylee doesn't like the ocean...

How Shark Attacks Work


On another note...I got a longboard today!!!!


I LOVE IT. Here it is!!!!

We are just getting to know each other, but I see wonderful things in our future. Now I can roll around in style to classes cause the weather is sorta getting good.

And since I will be here for most of the summer, it will be awesome to have this board to use. GOSH I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

We went on our first ride this afternoon and except for the fact that my left calf is tighter than something that is really tight, IT WAS AWESOME.

Boise, Idaho SWEEP

So my lacrosse team went to Boise this past weekend for a tournament. 10 hours of driving in a backseat as comfortable as these:

The ugly landscape, barely any radio reception and then finally in Boise. What a relief. And my wonderful family came. It was GREAT.

We went 4-0. WHAT??? It was great. I had a (mostly) good time and hopefully this is indicative of our season.

Here are some of the amazing podcasts I listened to on the drives:

How Autopsies Work

Does the 5 Second Rule Work?

How Barbie Works?

Why does music provoke emotion?

How Lying Works

Those are just a few...22+ hours of driving is a LONNNGGGGGGG time....

Enjoy!

Brown and Gold

Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures from this B&G ball but IT WAS A BLAST. I seriously had a ton of fun.

The food was so good. We had salad...good stuff, good stuff. Then there was the chicken stuffed with awesomeness (broccoli, bacon, and other stuffs), with potatoes topped with awesomeness (not the same awesomeness - this awesomeness was sweet potato). Then we had this freaking delicious red velvet cheesecake that I could not finish because it was so good and I was so full. Man, it was a good dinner.

Then the speaker was Rulon Stacey. He's kind of a big deal. He told us that it is OK to be average. It is ok not to get a 4.0 or to be president of your clubs or be an all-star athlete. He told us that being super intelligent or super attractive won't help you in life nearly as much as being the 15%. The 15% are those who are cheerful workers. They don't gossip or complain about co-workers, bosses, or the company. They arrive on time, they are dependable, they are honest in all their dealings, they get the work done on time and well. He told us that it is not the 4.0 or the good looks or the really good test scores that will have people banging on your door offering you work...it is the qualities that the 15% have.

My date was great. His name is Tyler and he works nights. He is funny and a perfect gentlemen and we had an awesome time with Pace and Ashley. He opened doors and pushed chairs in and helped with my coat. His mama taught him well :) He also just got a new (old) car which he had never killed (its a manual) until I was in the car, and he blamed it on me...Sorry Heidi! He was a fantastic date. (He helped me cheat in Scum so that I would become VP, too!)

As a bonus, he's tall (or Kylee is short?) so I got to wear my super sweet shoes:

To go with my (sister's) super sweet dress:

I'd say I was looking pretty fly for 26 hours notice. :)


After Rulon Stacey finished speaking the dancing began and Pace, Ashley, Tyler and I left. :) We went back to the bassinet (is it OK to refer to it as the bassinet still since there were some residential changes this past year?) and the four of us played games with Cassie and Stephen. We played some poker, Farkle, and Scum.



Overall, it was a fantastic night.
Laradise has its perks!

Kind, Young, Loud, Excitable, Energetic

KYLEE made a Mormon.org profile!

Ch...ch...check it out!

I AM A MORMON

It's Become Somewhat of a Tradition

So, I did not have a blog last year at this time, but if I had, I would have written about this. 

There I was, in my dorm on a Wednesday at the end of February when my friend Janae texted me and asked if I wanted to eat dinner at her brothers house the next evening, Thursday. I said yes cause I had basically been in my room for three weeks straight with no human contact. 

The next day Janae and her brother (Allen) picked me up outside the dorms and we went to Walmart to get some stuff for quesadillas. Then we went to his apartment where his roommate (Pace) was awaiting us (dinner). We had a lovely dinner and had all the basic conversation since I had no idea who these two boys were. It was just the usual “where’d you grow up?”, “how many siblings?”, “ what’s your major?” talk. Then towards the end of dinner Allen says, “Kylee, I have an important question to ask you.” I was super confused cause who asks an important question to someone an hour after they meet? But he asked if I had been asked to the Brown and Gold Ball. The Brown and Gold ball is an LDS sponsored activity for the whole university at a hotel here in Laramie. I had not been asked cause I didn't really get out much…heheh. I asked when it was, he said this Saturday (as in two days), I asked what time. He said doors open at 6:00, dinner at 6:30, speakers at 7:15, then dancing at 8:00. Honestly I didn’t see away out so I said yes.

Anyway, that is how I ended up going to the Brown and Gold Ball last year

 Fast forward a year later. So Brown and Gold is today. Up until yesterday afternoon I was not planning on going. BUT...I get a text yesterday from Pace (yes, the same Pace from last year) saying he has some extra tickets and a cousin if I wasn't doing anything. So...I said yes. Once again, I have no idea who this guy is (I do know Pace this year though, and his wife Ashley (not the other girl in the picture)) but I am going to a formal dance with him. I decided to make going with strangers to the B&G somewhat of a tradition. 

Also, if you are wondering about the dress situation - last year I went on friday after classes with my friend Cassie, to Maurice's and got that dress in the picture for the B&G. This year, I wised up. I figured after last year anything could happen so when I went home last weekend, I brought one of my sisters winter formal dresses back with me JUST IN CASE. HAHA I am so smart. This year I didn't even get 48 hours notice...it was more like 26 hours notice. So good thing I learned the lesson that a lady should always have an outfit on hand that she can wear to a formal event. 

This is what living in the moment is like! I am very excited for this dance tonight. Last year it turned out better than I could have ever imagined. :)

Spy Training 101

Saw this on Pinterest.

So of course I just whipped the three or four things of yarn that have been in the secret compartment in the back of my car and Shaila, Cassie and I tested it out.

WARNING: IT IS MUCH MORE FUN THAN IT LOOKS. ALSO MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT LOOKS.

Our Training Area:

Our attempts:

We were going more for the Anne Hathaway style, but I think we were probably closer to Steve Carell:

It was a BLAST nonetheless. Even for a bunch of twenty some year old's in an apartment on a Saturday night.

Spring Semester

Oh Spring Semester. How much better than fall can you get??

In the fall everything is getting darker, dying, getting colder. In the spring everything is getting lighter, coming back to life, getting warmer. And maybe its just coincidence but the classes I take in the spring have been better than those in the fall.


Here is what I am taking and the books:

Seminar: Food, Culture, Nutrition

Dancing Skeletons

Fat
Origins of State (*snore*)

Myths of the Archaic State

Comparative Archaeology of Complex Society

Intro to Research Methods

Beginning Acting

Language and Racism

Loaded Words

Everyday Language of White Racism

English with an Accent

Nigger


I think it'll be a splendid semester.

Buttcracks

That caught your attention dinnit?

Well I have seen TWO BUTTCRACKS TODAY! TWO OF THEM!!! Horrifying.


A. That's disgusting
B. Can't you feel your buttcrack exposed? And finally,
C. It is far too cold to have that happening.

Here and There

"Arthur Henry King has said, 'Love is not just an ecstasy, not just an intense feeling. It is a driving force. It is something that carries us through our life of joyful duty'".
- Dallin H. Oaks, Powerful Ideas - October 1995

I like that a lot.


Do you ever have a song that automatically energizes and makes you go crazy? Well right now that song for me is:

It kills me. So I was doing homework right near here...

...in the basement of this building...

 

...yesterday while listening to thebestpandorastationever...

AND Anyway Radioactive comes on and I have the irrepressible urge to cartwheel and go crazy. SO I DID (if it is irrepressible you can't not do it) right there in the basement of PS. For all those nerds doing homework at 5:00 on a Friday evening (my friend Pace included....) to see!

HA! IT WAS GREAT. So then I was on a music high for the rest of the night.

 I jumped and skipped and sang and total body jammed the walk home with Cassie. IT WAS SO GREAT. SO FREEING. People where watching and I just jammed all the more intensely. Then we went to the basketball game here...

.

...and on the walk I didn't walk. NAY! I RAN AND FLAILED...

I looked a lot like this....

...And then when I got to the crosswalk I cartwheeled across. I turned that bad boy into a cross-cartwheel. AWWW YEAHHHH

WHEWWWW THAT was such a grand adventure I had. And it all started with Imagine Dragons.

I think I am keeping that promise to enjoy life more fully!

LIFE IS GOOD FOLKS!
HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU

OVER and OUT

Pinterest Baking Night/Day/Event

Pinterest? You heard of it? Oh yeah, its great. Truly it is. My friend and I spent from 7-11 on friday night preparing 4 different Pinterest recipes and then in between conference and after conference finishing those recipes and delivering them to lovely people in Laradise. (Random Fact: Today is National Dessert Day)

 

This first set of pictures of the table is a sort of time progression from the beginning of the even throughout until the end when we assembled the little plates for delivery. 

These were the beginnings of our Boston Creme Puffs (This isn't the exact recipe we used but its the same result)

No Bake Cookie Dough Bars

The final No Bake Cookie Dough Bars

Here was our final assembly minus the cookie dough bars which were in the freezer at this time. We have in the top left Apple Cider Carmel Cookies which were ama-za-zing. Then top right we have Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.  And at the bottom of the plate are the finished Boston Creme Puffs.

We had a blast making all of these things and had just as much fun delivering them to various people we know in Laradise.

Happy Sabbath and General Conference and National Dessert Day!

School these days

Here are a few pictures describing what my life is like these days

I'm doing this on my phone so I don't know how the format will turn out but....

There's a picture of the Scramblers logo. Hahahahaha my friend and I decided that would be our superpower if we could choose one. We would scramble people's thoughts...think about it, it would be useful in many many situations.

There is a picture of an old man at the dumpster...well he is my neighbor. And anytime anyone takes garbage out he goes through it. It's super weird and we are pretty sure he's deaf.

There is a picture of Devils tower near Hulett, Wyoming. I spent the weekend there a couple weeks ago with Allen's family and we saw the tower. It's pretty cool.

Then there is a picture of a skeleton hand. Wellllll those are all real human bones. For my Forensic Anthropology class we have to be able to identify and side bones of the human skeleton. It's a blast. Anyway, this hand we semi re-articulated. It was pretty fun actually. But this class is stinking hard. I like it

Enjoy!