New Post = This (aka stuff...)

I may devote more time on a later date to some of the things mentioned below, but for now here some things that are on my mind. In no particular order. Take what you can get.

Thought #Apple: This (Schloss Neuschwanstein bedecked with snow) is what I currently have as the desktop wallpaper on my computer at work. I figured since Christmas is approaching as well as the impending weather (which as a property manager of a small property I will have to get up early to check the condition of my sloped parking lot due to said weather - snow on Friday? - and spread ice melt ... what I wouldn't give for a husband right about now), I want something pretty and nostalgious to look at. Done.

Thought #Tree: Between work, church, and rehearsal for A Christmas Carol (http://manestagetheatre.com/MS_currentshow.html), I have no life.

Thought #Green: I am going to be missing my YSA branch for the next 3 weeks which means I don't get to teach Sunday School or play the organ. However, this does not mean I'm ward-hopping. I don't believe in ward-hopping. I believe in order to magnify my calling I should be where I'm called and not galavanting around scoping for possible mate prospects. (I of course make exceptions to attending other's meetings for support and love.) I've, unfortunately, never been very good at making church a social function. But I love it. I love being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (http://mormon.org/me/5RM9/). I love being edified and uplifted and learning the lessons Heavenly Father needs me to learn.

Thought #Spinach: I quit the cleanse early. Yup. I did it for about 7 days but had a wedding with a dinner (which I ended up not having any) and a really bum week. So I decided to recommit after the holidays. The affects were wonderful, though. I find that whenever I have a desire to grab fast food that I immediately think of the physical consequences - my stomach on the inside, my stomach on the outside, my skin, my health. Don't get me wrong. I love a McChicken as much if not more so than the next girl. Oo. And those tacos from Jack in the Box (I WILL be writing a post on that). But I digress. Another cleanse for another year. In the meantime, I'm happy with my green smoothies every morning and my herbal tea throughout the day.

Thought #Eyes: GAHHHHHHH!

Thought #Envy: It's NEVER to early for Christmas. I have been listening to my Jazzy Schmazzy Christmas station on Pandora.com since before Halloween. I know it's no NKOTB's "Have a Funky Funky Christmas" in July, but you bet your bippy the songs of the season are playing any chance I get.

Thought #Flower: I really miss my family. Mum and Dad are in Africa, the Cowart's (Jessica, Joseph, Samuel, Clara, Avery, Eli, Henry, Lily, Isaac) and the Worthen's (Britton, Lindsey, Aubrey, Chloe', Benton, Max, Preston) are in Arizona, the McKeown's (Anna, Gregory, Grace, Evie, Jack, Essie) are in California, and Whitney is in Washington, D.C. And I'm in Spanaway. SPANAWAY!! But this is where I'm supposed to be.

So that's it for now. Blerg. Don't be mistaken - I know who I am and am quite confident in the person that, actually, so few truly know. But for now, I'm going to close up my office and continue to listen to Christmas music.

The Next 10 Days

In case you haven't heard me mention this before, starting Monday, November 7th I will be doing The Master Cleanse. It's part of my regimen in training for a marathon (which is going abysmally by the way but I'm not giving up!). The cleanse can last anywhere from 10 to 40 days and include such fun things as salt water flushes, senna tea, lemon juice, grade B maple syrup, lots of water and herbal tea, and my favorite... cloves! (This stint, however, I will only be on the cleanse for 10 days because let's face it - it's the holidays and I want to at least taste the smells I'll be experiencing.) I've done it before so I know what to expect. Now, for those of you who are familiar with The Master Cleanse you either think I'm crazy or have your own personal testimony of it's positive effects. So let me just say the reason why I am doing it is to detox my body and get rid of bad habits (aka living off of fast food - bad... bad... bad...). It is true that weight loss is a side-effect, but it's not lasting. Changes in one's diet and exercise routine have to be made in order for any lasting effects to occur. And yes, this is the same "Lemonade Diet" that Beyonce used to prepare for her role in Dream Girls. But I digress. I will keep a log for you and post at the end of the cleanse. Till then, peace out and happy cleansing!

Zum Geburtstag...

Weil es mein Vaters geburtstag ist, habe ich die Entscheidung gemacht, um diesen Blog-Post auf Deutsch zu schreiben. Zur zeit ist er im Afrika - Tansania um genau zu sein. Also... hier gehen wir.

Gestern bekam ich eine Email von meiner Mutti. Weil heute würde Vattis Geburtstag, fragte sie uns (alle ihre Kinder), ihm eine kurze Email zu schicken. Weil ich liebe meinen Vater so sehr und denke, dass er am besten ist, möchte ich mit euch teilen, was ich ihm schickte:

***

Lieber Papa,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ich liebe und vermisse dich so sehr, bin aber so unglaublich stolz auf dich. Ich hoffe, dass für deinen Geburtstag du in der Lage zu bekommst, um etwas Spass zu tun. Wie.. ins Kino gehen oder auf Safari gehen oder schwimmen gehen... :) Oo! Oder kaufst du einen Speer...? Aber die Tatsache, dass du eine Mission mit deinem Schatz an deinem Geburtstag wahrscheinlich Feier genug ist. Auch ich vermisse dich so sehr. Ich wünschte, ich war da, um dir eine grosse Umarmung zu geben. Ich vermisse meinen Vater. Ich vermisse es, mit dir in einem persönlichen Gespräch und die Gelegenheit haben, ein Segen von dir zu bekommen. Vielen Dank für solch ein hervorragendes Beispiel, um mich über das Priestertum ehren und zu einem so starken Kraft für das Gute. Ein Teil von mir ist ein wenig verärgert (ich mag das Wort!) mit dir, dass du solche eine wunderbare Patriarchen, Ehemann und Vater bist, weil dort die Messlatte für die Jungs in meinem Leben gesetzt ist. Aber es ist ein sehr kleiner Teil, und das Wohl überwiegt den sarkastischen ,upsettedness''. ;) Vielen Dank für wie du Mutter so viel geliebt hast. Ich liebe wie viel du liebst und respektierst sie und es ist klar, dass sie deine beste Freundin ist. Vielen dank für wie du uns Kinder immer and immernoch liebst. Ich liebe dich, Papa. So so viel. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag.

Lieb,

Megan

***

Und dann schrieb er zurück...

***

Liebe süsse Megan,

Vielen Dank für die tolle Geburtstagsgruss. Ich weiss, Papas sollen etwas Besonderes in ihrer Tochters Augen sein, aber ich glaube, dass du deine Augen überprüft brauchst. Du bist so eine unglaubliche Tochter und ich vermisse bei dir auch zu reden! Was für ein Segen das Internet ist, und in der Lage sein skype und sehen du von Angesicht zu Angesicht. Seit meiner Kindheit, das ist ein wenig Buck Rogers. Wir werden deine Empfehlung nehmen und gehen und sehen ,Johnny English - Reborn'', albern, aber PG. Wir müssen die Ratings eng hier anschauen, damit wir nicht sehen, etwas, dass wirklich schlüpfrig ist. Ich vermisse es, dir ein Segen zu geben, aber weisst, dass du gesegnet werden zweimal täglich in meine Gebete. Ich bin so stolz auf dich für deinen Ehrgeiz zu wollen, zu verbessern und für deine Treue zum Evangelium von Jesus Christus. Ich weiss, wenn ich bete den Herrn hat spezielle Segnungen für dich auf Lager.

Ich liebe dich,

Papa

***

Da ist es. Ich habe den besten Vatti auf der Welt. Ich liebe dich, Papa. Für immer und ewig. Vergiss dass nie.

3 Things

Girls are crazy.

Boys are stupid.

Translation:

Girls over-think the past and how it affects the here and now.

Boys over-think the future and how it is affected by the here and now.

This is what I have come to find. Allow me to share my thoughts. Because - as a friend has said on more than one occasion...

"This is Megan. She KNOWS stuff."

Take it, leave it, or just read it.

I have been known to have not the best luck. And in recent times some of this non-luck has been present in matters of... well... flirtation, interest, dating, ridiculousness, the heart... call it what you will. But in all of this, I tend to keep a fairly reasonable perspective on reality - sometimes borderlining pessimism to hedge against the proverbial girl-with-the-wrong-idea. So at the behest of Princess Deanna, I am sharing my wisdom. Ladies, this one's for you.

If a guy asks you out, this indicates he is interested in getting to know you.

If a guy makes a concerted effort to talk with you for more than informative purposes, this indicates he is interested in getting to know you.

If a guy expresses that he would like to spend time with you, this indicates he is interested in getting to know you.

If ALL of these things occur, congratulations. A guy is interested in getting to know you. Yes, this may mean more than that, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

If NONE of these things occur, he is NOT interested in you.

Now, I can hear some of you say, "But maybe he's just shy and needs me to make the first move." Nope. That's what flirting is for. Or how about, "Well when he does such-and-such what he actually means is such-and-such."

WRONG, LADIES.

And even if those were valid and truthful statements, is that really the type of guy you want to be with? Someone who won't pursue you because he doesn't have the guts to say hi or get your number or ask you out? What happens later in life? "So let me get this right, husband: you're not going to eat the dinner I cooked because even though it's what you asked for you might not like it?" Quality. Go for him. Or how about a guy who can't be straightforward or forthcoming and you have to "read into" - well - just about anything aka he can't communicate? "Hey husband, when you said you might have an important meeting with a potential future business associate on Saturday, what you actually meant was you want to watch the football game - right?" Yeah... Marital bliss is just around the corner. PS I love football games. Especially BYU. But I digress. (Go Cougs!)

I'm not saying these scenarios don't exist, but let me just say that exceptions to the rule are just that: EXCEPTIONS. So to keep things in perspective and to keep me from over-thinking more than I as a female already do, I have come up with these 3 things that need to happen before I will entertain the thought that a guy is pursuing and/or interested in me:

1) He has to ask me out on 2 official dates. This is not hanging out or stopping by or talking at a social function or ANYTHING that I initiate. This is him asking me to have an experience with him at a specific time (he does not need to use those exact words - but what if he did...?). Side note: money does not need to be spent.

2) He has to instigate some sort of physical contact. A hug, a kiss, a handshake, a wrestle, an unfair attack on one's ticklish self... But for this to count it can't come from me. I can absolutely reciprocate. I will even allow myself to offer my hand first. After all, the ladies in the days of Jane Austen and Shakespeare did it so why can't we? But my actions are not his actions. An important distinction that I think ladies all too often overlook. It has to come from him.

3) He has to let me know that he is interested in me. I am the last to assume a guy is interested in me and frankly it usually gets me in trouble. Shoot, even when they tell me they're interested and the feeling is mutual it gets me in trouble. But having a guy tell you how he feels (yes, "feels" - what he likes about you, a preference to you over other girls, "I like you" but in a for-rilzie way not a let's-pretend-the-word-"like"-is-completely-platonic and usually followed by a punch which is not a valid form of contact by the way) - be it in his sarcastic manner that you've gotten to know or a blatant verbal blurtation or a note or a song (that last one usually doesn't happen)... generally when you know you know and if there's a question then you don't know.

ALL 3 things have to happen before I will allow myself to consider the possibility of possibilities. And what's even better is that these 3 things keep me from investing more than is desired by either party. That is one of my biggest failings. When I'm in, I'm in. I will give my all and love whole-heartedly. Now, you may say, "This is all very well and good but you're not married, Megan. In fact, you are very single." This is true. But my hope is to marry only once if I am so blessed to have that opportunity in this life. These 3 things aren't a recipe to find true love or a game plan to catch a guy. In fact, when it comes to love put away the games and be true and honest. Instead, I think of these 3 things more as ways to grow and learn and to keep me from over-thinking and being a crazy girl. Well, less crazy than I already am. Take these 3 things, ladies. Learn them, amend them, make them your own, and then use them.

...And if there are any gentlemen who made it to the end of this entry, here are my thoughts for you: Go on dates. A date is not a proposal. Neither is a second or third date. You can always stop dating someone but make sure it's for the right reasons. Figure out what you think love is. Ignore the big neon sign above a girl that shines FRIEND. You will be attracted to women other than your wife throughout your life. Learn to be okay with that and to laugh at it. Attraction is not love. Find someone you love to talk with. Find someone you want to be better with. Find someone who is equally yoked in your beliefs. Find someone you want to be near. Find your best friend. Finding implies searching. If you've found it, stop searching. Find your own 3 things to help guide you. I believe in you.

I Fix Things!

After rehearsal this evening, I stopped by a friend's new place of residence to say hi and bye and then drive back home. This turned into a tour of the place which turned into me looking out the back window and seeing the church where we rehearsed (yeah, it's that close) which turned into talking for a bit and then I decided to leave. But seeing that I needed to use the facilities and it would be a few minutes before I got home, my host was kind enough to let me use the clearly marked restroom. Sadly, as I went to wash my hands the water stream that came out of the faucet was dismal. Nigh unto a dribble. I think I let out some sort of exclamation because after finally deeming my hands clean I walked out and my friend acknowledged the sorry state of the water and its pressure. So what do I do? I promptly ask if he has pliers. Tuh-duh! A leatherman. Or something like it. Anyhow, I fixed the problem and taught him how to do so. But then we just went on a fixing frenzy! At one point he even got to use the skills he learned by fixing the water pressure in the kitchen faucet. Well done, sir. Well. Done. So yup. I fix things. And I love to do it.

I Make Mistakes...

It is ridiculously late at night aka early in the morning and so what else is there to do while I'm waiting for the baking soda to kick in to calm my stomach? Why, read people's blogs, of course.

I love seeing what people have to say, how they say it, their experiences, their perspectives... But tonight something interesting happened during this reading frenzy. I was reading a friend's blog that frankly I forgot existed until I saw a link posted on their Facebook wall. So of course I started reading the most recent post. And then the next one, and the next until bam! There I was in all my ugly glory. I am not used to people referencing me in, well, just about anything let alone a blog. But there I was. Not my name but my actions. The words written were stinging but not far off and vividly reminded that I make mistakes. At the time, I had felt shocked and hurt and was being told by others that I was indirectly being slandered on this friend's FB wall, and in a not-well-thought-out moment I rang out in a Facebook status a not-too-nice name which is so not like me to say. A few moments later people had already left comments on the unfortunate status, and a few moments after that I readily deleted my stupid mistake, hoping against hope that since we were not friends on the beloved book of faces that this person would be none the wiser. But sadly, as I found out during this evening's perusal of said blog, I now know that in a matter of minutes gossip ensued and my blunder did in fact get back to this person. As disappointing as this is and as much as I'm curious as to the identity of the person who threw me under the bus, the mistake remains in one person alone and that would be me. So to this person - my friend (who probably doesn't even read my blog) - I am so sorry. I still make mistakes and am still learning. Thankfully, this friend and I are beyond the mistakes of the past and have started over with a clean slate. However, not knowing I had caused this offense I felt it only right to apologize. Not just for this, but for anything I did that was out of line. I will not regret my mistakes for they have played a part in who I am today. But I absolutely will learn from them and try to be better everyday.

I will also try to be a better blog reader and blog writer. Incidentally, as I continued reading further back into this friend's blog, I came across a sweet post where they actually did name me by name and lifted me up with their kind words. Even though my passion may come across as dramatic or what some may even refer to as melodramatic, I would not trade it for complacency or boringness. And as I continue to get to know this friend once again, I look forward to the many things I will learn and to not making the same mistakes again.

Now for another dose of baking soda water...

The Death of the "Big" TV

My parents generously gave me their television when they left on their mission for Africa. Yes, the same tiny television that sat in our living room cabinetry at 1206 for the past several years. Sadly, the said Akai TV started dying prior to it ever entering my abode. Once it came to live with me, I would attempt to coax it to work by unplugging it and plugging it back in. Sometimes that would work, sometimes it would take several attempts and perfectly timing halfway plugging it in whilst pressing the power button on the set itself. Some of you may wonder, "Why would you even try to keep that piece going?" I think the answers come down to 1) the fact that I did not want to spend money on a new or used television and 2) the emotional attachment I had developed to this inanimate object via my parents - I even deemed the 28 incher as "big" which my friends (two in particular - you know who you are) would not let me live down, seemingly enjoying mocking me and the "big" tv. ;) Well, Thursday evening, September 29th, 2011, the "big" TV died. And with General Conference approaching this weekend I felt at a loss. I went as far as taking it apart only to find that several of the capacitors were swollen and some leaking. So I put it back together and decided that I needed to go get myself a new television. And even though I still don't have cable or satellite, I now am happily able to watch Conference thanks to my handy dandy VGA adapter for my 5 year old Mac (that's next on the list...). Hello 40" of beautiful screenage. Even if no one else does, I very much approve.