Shots.

Dam. En-em-nemily :) Do you remember....

• "Focus! F-ocus. Youu can do this!"
• When we discovered that our other roommate was a prostitute?
• Who knew someone could eat that many peanut butter sandwiches in one sitting??
• Or grape nuts?
• When it was Friday the 13th and we all kneww this meant we had to watch a scary movie but we couldn't find the right one for forEVER and we got one on Amazonia or something and then we found Devil and we were scared out of our heads and we all discovered that watching scary movies inspires something very embarrassing in Nicole??
• And that laughing only makes it worse?
• How Sam could say this soo freaken scarily well?? "Dang....I really wanted to have you."
• How we were afraid to go in elevators for awhile and may I just say that I am stilll afraid when people I don't know get in an elevator with me??
• How we sucked it up and went in one after church?
• How the morning after Jonathan Victor Lopez-Carrasco came and asked for Nicole's number in the following fashion? "Can I have your number beep BEEP beep bee boo?"
• "You all have a trippin day." "A what?!" "Uhh....a wasted day?" "Let's just have a day."
• How Nicole would drink away her troubles.
• "Did you tellll himmm that you lovee himm?? Did you tell himm that you caree?? Did you tell him that you love him?!??! Did you kneel down in prayer?"
• ....That Emily is a budding songwriter and Nicole a concert ballerina?
• Our intervention and how beforehand we discussed things we would complain about each other in order to not make it seem like it was just about one certain person?
• How it really REALLY was just about one certain person.
• That stupid thing we each had to hold if we wanted to talk.
• How Sam was too nice.
• "Iiiiii looked out the window and what did I see? BRAD!"
• "Is this Emily Laa....Laaa....Laaa....??" "Yes." "I was just wondering if you would like to go ballroom dancing with me this Friday night?"
• The awkward staring during church.
• The gross PDA couple that always seemed to sit in front of us.
• "Pot-smoking fornicator!"
• "And so the penguin said to the bartender, 'this is my most casual outfit!'"
• "And I just kept hitting it and hitting it with my moccassin and it wouldn't die!"
• How Emily eats her french fries. Aka she doesn't.
• How Emily is very much capable of eating a whole cake.
• And a huge bucket of KFC??
• How Dam and En-em-nemily got Nicole a really yummy chocolate cake for her birthday because they are the best roommates EVER?? :) :)
• When we went to the gardens at night bc we wanted to feel bad-a and it was soo fun and yet so creepy?
• How if someone tried to rape Emily in the gardens she would run to the (not working) emergency pole and hold on for dear life?
• And Sam would leave us all in the dust?
• And I don't know WHAT I'd do?
• How Sam would always seem to know when a certain person was about to come home and would race back to her room and feign sleep?
• How Emily was sometimes just not fast enough.
• How Nicole would lovee to live in the Gilmore Girl's Grandparents house!
• "I think I'll trryyy defyyying gravity. And YOU WON'T bring me downnn. Bring me DOWWWNN. Oh oh OH ohhhh."
• EVERY DAY?!?!?!?!
• "Well, apartment 112 does family dinners on Sundays and we're like a family here so...."
• Sunday dinners.
• "Family" scripture study.
• Emily's video of her listening to the Easter story and how Nicole missed it (SCORE!)
• How we thought the other roommate was perfectly normal if a little ill upon meeting her.
• How she was not.
• How Nicole didn't know this until AFTER she had signed up to take a class with her.
• "Can I borrow ______??"
• How the school store always had Ben&Jerry's for us.
• How Nicole can do the Cogsworth voice soo well?
• Our loveeely quote wall :)
• "Got thippers on your feet you prolly got thippers...."
• The surprises we would sometimes find in the bathroom.
• The surprising noises we would sometimes hear coming from the bathroom.
• And they were not ashamed.
• How we gave her the hardest white glove job to get back at her for all we had to endure that semester
• Sons of Provo
• "Guys, I would like to be on the Bachelorette....and send every guy home and propose to myself!"
• "And I just kept telling her, 'Nicole, it's going to be okay. It's okay Nicole it's goinngg to be okay!"
• Jersey Shore <3
• There's a lotta pretTY girls in this ciTY!
• How I am soo pleasantly surprised with how much I adored last semester's house because you two were in it?? And how I miss you so much and want to work in Florida with you and share an apartment there PLEASE???

To conclude, the song we would listen to to help Sam with her task. "Guys, I think I know what you need to hear right now...."

SHOTS shots shot shot shot SHOTS shots shot shot shot SHOTS shot shot shot shot shots EVERYBODY!

My hair is turning red

And other random thoughts.

• Why isn't Calibri one of the font options on blogger? Why is it that every single one of my posts has to begin its life with the ugly Times New Roman? It is a WASTE OF MY TIME to have to import Calibri from Word.
• I hate tourists. I will touch more on this later.
• I love Heather. She is an awesome sister. I also love alllll the other Heathers in my life. I do not think I have ever met a Heather I don't like and if you must know I am seriously considering making it one of my daughter's middle names.
• Why am I awake? It is 12:26am! This is a problem!
• Elevators are for people who need them, aka the disabled, the elderly, eight months pregnant, and/or people with strollers. If you are not one of the above you MAY NOT ride the elevator. I'm sorry if you hate stairs and escalators. I can relate. The Cleveland Park and the Dupont Circle escalators are very long and scary. I feel dizzy and nauseated almost every time I go on them. But you knooww what? I suck it up and devote myself to reading The Economist. When you take the elevator and you don't need to you are wasting everyone's time and patience. So get your sorry butts over to those stairs, people.
• Someone else loves The Economist and it makes me happy every time I remember!
• Boys are stupid sometimes.
• Boys are really fantastic other times.
• Drake is in love with Nicki Minaj. I knoww I've already talked about this. It just makes me so happy!
• Missionaries should write back when you send them beautiful letters. Is this realllyy so difficult? I say unto you, nay!
• I figured out my alarm clock today! I am sucha detective.
• I'm so flippin excited for when Kelly and Dahl and Heather come home for Christmas I can hardly stop myself from peeing my pants.
• I love Christmas music. I should go post something about this one Heather D's wall, since she loves it too!
• Solitare is a colossal waste of time and luckily I hate playing it without a mouse. I've saved a lot of time since having a laptop.
• Colossal is a weird word. Look at how it is spelled.
• I love languages. I really hope I am good at Russian. I'm always so proud when I hear someone speaking in Spanish and I can understand them. I am awesome. But my parents are also awesome because they are great at languages and they passed that on to us kids!
• I love my nanny friends :)
• Psych is freaken hilarious and I want it to continue forever and ever the end.
• I sometimes wish I was a fairytale princess.
• I am soo excited to be roomies with Kathryn and Jessica and Rebecca and Merrin and other girl :) Yay!
• I miss Dam and En-en-nemily :(
• I love snow, but I do NOT want to go back to BYU-I just yet.
• I really don't want to go to BYU-I right now. Every time I think about it I feel sick to my stomach. I think its a combination of how bad last semester was, with how I am rather enjoying not having the idea of marriage shoved down my throat every second of every day, with how much I love my job, with how I have STILL not driven Sabie and my time is LIMITED, with how almost 8 months is suchh a long time, with how I just hate hate hate!! the idea of Idaho right now.
• Someone you think will always be your best friend turns out to be a crappy forgetter once they figure out they love their major and have a boy on their arm. They will always say they miss you, but they don't remember that long enough to call or skype or text. I guess they're missing a part of their brain, too
• I sound mean right now.
• While on that mean vein, I should say that I am not at all okay with the idea of someone sayying they will go on a foreign adventure with you and then randomly dropping out.
• Via text.
• Even if it is for a good reason.
• I am not changing my plans. I am going to Russia Jan-June 2013. I have never been more determined in my life.
• I want to go to South Africa with Gina. I was so touched when she asked me along! Of course I would love to go! I am currently weighing the options and observing my calendar.
• I have found that time, like money, just doesn't add up the way you want it to always.
• South Africa is actually pretty dangerous for white people right now. Will be keeping a close eye on things.
• Gina is my best friend :)
• I like having nice guy friends :)
• I like growing up!
• I love Orville :)
• I love DC
• The lil guy loves this song- Today he had me rewind it like, five times so he could watch the music video. He loves the puppies. I love the boys. We both love the song. It's a win-win :)

OMG

Drake has a crush on Nicki Minaj! Hooww do I know and why do I care? Just watch how he looks at her when she comes on the stage! And he wants to kiss her so badly! And he compliments her! And we care because it was really cute how he changed it up and she's like, what is he doing? and then he KISSES her! I mean sure it's a cheek kiss and yes that is a definite problem but BLAHH omg it was just like in a chickflick! And as I have said before, fairytale romances are so much better in real life :)

He just gets such an energy when she comes on the stage! The beginning is worthless- fast forward to 1:18 when Nicki comes on. You can see it in his face his whole expression comes alive and he's so happy she's there! I think he's prolly a manwhore and she's like, I don't want to just be another one of his girls, so she's not paying him any attention and she gives away all the flowers he sends her. But he will not give up! And tonight, at the afterparty, he will try to make his move! BLAHH!!!!

What about this is in any way attractive?

So I watched this music video, because this is one of my favorite songs ever. And honestly, what about these guys is attractive? They have piercings and tattoos and long, greasy hair.

Maybe if they chopped off their disgusting locks and took out all those earrings and let the holes close and not wear make-up they would be cute. Actually probably. Why are all these girls all over them???

....They must smell really nice.

The best day :)

Today was one of the best days I've had in a long time :) It's not that my life is bad, it's pretty freaken fantastic now that I mention it, but today was justtt wonderful :)

Today the lil guy and I went to the American History Smithsonian. We love the Natural History Smithsonian, and they are right next door to each other. Awesome. Our good experience began the moment we walked in the door. The security man noticed my BYU-I hoodie and asked how I liked it and talked about how he wanted to go out west. I love when the security people are nice and fun to talk to. He was very friendly!

On another note- I always have good experiences when I wear my BYU-I hoodie. Last week when we went to the Natural History Smithsonian we ran into some elderly Mormons on the metro who noticed my shirt! I got to help them figure out where they were and get unlost. They were so nice! It's too bad I got ketchup on my BYU-I hoodie today. I'll have to wash it this weekend.

While there we were able to see my little sister, Julie. She was on a field trip with one of my favorite teacher's from high school- DK. The lil guy and I played with Caroline and Mrs. DJP, also Heather's (from my alto one posse) mother almost from the moment we got there and it was so much fun! The lil guy would randomly have whiny moments but all in all he was very content.

Julie's group had to all meet up to go to lunch and get their meal vouchers from DK. The lil guy and I went with them so I could say hi to DK and then we would leave. However, it turned out that we stayed almost an hour longer! It was worth it :) DK was happy to see me and that made me happy! I was so glad when I got to see him and all my friends from high school that are Julie's age and thus were there.

The lil guy and I were about to leave when DK came up to me and asked if I had had lunch? I said no but that I had food for the lil guy. DK then gave me an extra meal voucher they had! It was the nicest thing ever! I gushed about it for like, 8 minutes afterward :) Nicest man alive! I ate a cheeseburger and fries and Julie (really Daddy, bc he gave her the money) bought me a really yummy chocolate cupcake :)

I loved talking to Mrs DJP about the lil guy and her students and just chatting. She held the lil guy while I went to go get my food and she was so good with him! She said he kept pointing to me but he was quite content in her arms. This makes me glad because I love it when the lil guy actually wants to hang out with me, because usually his options are limited to me or his parents, and he loves to be with his parents, so sometimes it seems like he doesn't like me as much. But then when he gets nervous, or when we hang out with other nannies, or like today when we hung out with Julie and DK and Mrs DJP and Caroline, it's just nice to see that he does like me :) That being said, I am glad that he didn't throw a fit when he hung out with Mrs DJP!

I think that mothers are the best with children, no matter how old their kids are even if they are in college or high school. A mother is a mother forever and they know just what to do for children. It is so neat to see! And it isn't even big things that they do, it's just a bunch of little tricks they've picked up along the way. Moms are so neat :)

I am so glad that Mrs DJP was such a good mother because it has benefited me in many ways! First off, Heather :) She is so great and I know that that is a product of her wonderful upbringing. Second, she has lots of really useful advice and she is good at reassuring me of the lil guy's development. She told me today that he is perfectly normal and doing very well! Which is something I was very glad to hear :) Third! Today with the lil guy! She was so good with him I am serious!

Eventually we had to say goodbye but it is okay because I will see Julie in two days! And possibly Ashley and Holly from the altos as well tomorrow!!! Fingers crossed!

The lil guy ate on the way home so all we had to do was change his diaper and get him into some sleeping clothes for nap. He was so cute and giggly and randomly he will discover his great love for my hair, which is something I find adorable in kids :) The lil guy likes to sit next to me on the metro, which I think is okay as long as I am watching him. He feels so big and important when he gets to sit on the seat I can just tell! It is so cute :)

What an excellent day! Right now the lil guy is taking his nap and when he wakes up we will prolly go to this awesome park we discovered yesterday. Hooray! Julie, Caroline, DK, Mrs. DJP, lil guy....I would like to take this chance to say that I had the best day with you today :)

Nineteen

I am in this weird spot in my life. I'm 19, so technically I am an adult. I'm 19, so technically I am a teenager. What am I supposed to do with all this? I will tell you what I am doing.

I have a piggy bank. Because I am a teenager I picked out the cutest one and named him Orville. Because I am an adult, I love feeding him.

I want to read an encyclopedia. Because I am a teenager, I realize this is nerdy. Because I am an adult, I don't care.

I text. Because I am a teenager, it is an oft repeated ritual. Because I am an adult, I use correct grammar and don't shorten my words (example: R U there? NO!).

I am suddenly a neat freak. Because I am a teenager, my first year at college was messy to say the least. Because I am an adult, I appreciate a clean room and organization on a whole new level.

Politics are coming onto my radar. Because I am a teenager, politics seem distant and it is okay if I don't understand everything about them. Because I am an adult (and living in DC helps too), politics seem very close and understanding them is something I am working very hard on.

I run around in sweatpants. Because I am a teenager, I can be sloppy. Because I am an adult, I go to college and can walk around looking like a college kid. But also because I am an adult, I don't wear them nearly as much as I used to.

Sometimes, I make really unwise choices. Because I am a teenager, I am allowing myself to make mistakes. Because I am an adult, I am not allowing myself to make them again and make it a point to learn from my mistakes.

I go to college. Because I am a teenager, I have to take a lot of foundations classes and sometimes skip class. Because I am an adult, I love my major and am eager to learn so I try to avoid skipping.

I am experiencing very active tear ducts. Because I am a teenager, this is expected.  I will add that, because I am my mother's daughter, this is permissible. But, because I am an adult, I try very hard to control my ridiculous eyes.

I go to church. Because I am a teenager, I fuss a little over my outfit. Because I am an adult, I appreciate what is said and the spirit that is there much more.

I live in Idaho almost eight months of the year. Because I am a teenager and a Maryland girl, this can get rather boring sometimes and I miss my family and friends a lot. Because I am an adult, I see it as an opportunity to grow up.

I shop. Because I am a teenager, a lot of my purchases are clothes and food. Because I am an adult, I spend a lot less and save for important things like college and Russia.

I read magazines. Because I am a teenager, sometimes I go to people.com. Because I am an adult and a polisci major to boot, I read The Economist cover to cover every week.

I cook. Because I am a teenager the list of things I can make and make well is very short, and I often call my mom to ask her how many cups 16 oz makes. Because I am an adult, I am trying to lengthen that list and sometimes I look cooking terms up on the internet.

I surf the web. Because I am a teenager, I go onto facebook, youtube, gojane.com, and watch TV. Because I am an adult, I go to news sites and read about the world. I also look up airplane ticket costs and read blogs.

This new place in my life where I have feet in both camps is kind of wearing on me. Sometimes I am treated like an adult, and sometimes like a teenager. For instance, my little car is broken, so if I ever need to get somewhere my parents or friends have to drive me. Teenager. In church, I work in the Primary. Adult. I have a full-time job. Adult. It is a nannying position. Teenager.

See??? Nineteen is just a weird place to be, but also a nice place. It is when you're at the end of being a kid, and the beginning of being an adult. It is a good time for reflection. I like being 19.

Don't call me "yo"

There is a certain brand of boy that irritate me above all others. They strut around with their pants to their knees, stupid shirts, music blasting their ears off through their headphones. They will most likely be wearing sunglasses (on the backs of their heads. who comes up with this stuff??), hoods up with a wide-brimmed hat on underneath. They may have some facial hair, but it is trimmed or if it's scruff it is carefully maintained and their hair may be in a faux-hawk. They have probably at some point worked as a salesman, and as such have an excess of confidence as well as an excess in cologne. They bathe in it. Twice daily.


You walk past a guy like this, innocently trying to get to class or the store, you may even be going somewhere with the kid you nanny for, who everyone thinks is your kid. Wherever you are going or whoever you are with, you will know that one such boy is around because at any moment you will hear this....

"Yo,"

Yo? Don't yo at me. My name is not "yo," and for that matter neither is "ayy" or "girrrll." You turn your head, because such is your natural impulse when you believe someone is talking to you. You immediately wish you hadn't, because you now have to deal with this toolbag. At this point they will probably nod and flash you a sleazy smile.

"What up girl?"

Congratulations for having successfully identified me as a female. What do you want- a round of applause? You roll your eyes and turn away, attempting to complete the task you set out to do.

"Dang. That was cold."

You are instantly reminded of a caveman. Girl. Rock. Meat. Me....their vocabulary is astounding. You'd be surprised at just how many guys can communicate with only one-syllable words. As you hurry off, you hear them call after you, and narrowly avoid introducing them to a particular finger. The little kid you nanny for should not grow up thinking that is okay.

I do not understand where these guys get their confidence from. Doesn't being shut down so many times by so many people wear on a guy's ego? Honestly sometimes I just get exasperated with this kind of boys, because they just seem so unintelligent. No, I did not accidentally look away from you or walk in the opposite direction. It was very much intentional. I am not interested. Is there anything about me that would indicate that I am interested? No? So whyyy are you talking to me?

It isn't even flattering. It's annoying, and actually kind of insulting that you think I have nothing better to do than talk to random creepers. Why don't you go do something good for society, instead of staring rudely at every passing thing that slightly resembles a female?


Buuuut unfortunately, some of these sleazebags never grow out of this. There are creepers everywhere, of every different shape, size, ethnicity, age, marital status....everywhere.

When I was out at school I missed MD, but I certainly did not miss being called, "yo."