the tragedy that is my grades

So, remember how I thought I did so well on my finals?

Well, that Asian girl's face is pretty much how I feel.

Here are my grades for this semester:

  ANTHR  101          Social/Cultural Anthropology     B+
DANCE  190            Ballet, Beginning                A-
FREN   201            Intermediate French, Part 1      B 
HONRS  150            Honors University Writing        A 
PSYCH  101            Orientation to Psych Major       A     
SFL    102            Introduction to Interiors        B- 

Total GPA: 3.32. 

Needless to say, I am not happy. I am actually really sad, and slightly angry. I thought I did far better on all my finals than I actually did. Edward has this superstition, that if he talks about his grades before he gets them, they will somehow become worse. This seems to make absolutely no sense, but after being so confident in my finals, I'm starting to believe. I got a 70% on my French final. I was sure I'd gotten an A. And my anthropology grade is just stupid.

I hate college.

Lizzy.

parlez-vous francais?

I have been neglecting you, dear readers. See another update below. But this one needed a post too. Because in mid-April, of this coming year, I will no longer be in this country.

I am not dying.

I am going...




TO PARIS!

I've been accepted into the Paris and Southern France Spring Study Abroad Program.

I'll be living in France for 3 months. I am so excited!

Love,
Lizzy!

gross deception and general updates

Hello all friends of the internet.

It has been brought to my attention that you have been under a gross deception.

Because awhile ago, I told you that this:had become this:But this is a lie. Because within a few weeks, that became this:

Yes, Edward and I are together again. I don't really know why breaking up was necessary, but I guess it was. In any case, being apart was misery, apparently as much for him as me. So we fixed that right up, and things have never been better between us. We are both still freaking out about his mission, naturally, but what can we do? We decided breaking up was just prolonging the pain, not making it easier. So here we are.

And I have to say, I am really really glad we are.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

and they all lived happily ever after

This photo was taken one morning in my kitchen. Would it interest you that the following
photos were taken on the same day?

If there is one thing my roommates love, it is brownies. And cookies. And candy. And cake. Well, I guess the one thing they love is actually sugar. Also not washing the dishes afterwards.

But these pictures also describe my current mood: empty. Like the half-eaten cookie and the strip of brownies left, I am spent and all used up. However, my finals are over. Finally. I don't ever have to look back on any of my classes this semester ever again. That is a really great feeling. Also, I aced my Psychology, French, English, and Dance finals. So the only one I'm worried about is Interior Design, but I was never going to be able to get an A in that class to begin with, so it doesn't really matter.

Overall, I am amazed at how well I did. I thought I was failing everything, but it turns out my grades this semester are going to be actually pretty good. Maybe there is something to be said about going to the Lord's university.

Now all that's left to do is work, clean, do the laundry, finish the Christmas wrapping, and go home.

At least until January 4th.

Love,

Lizzy ;)

finals week: MY final week. of life.

Thanks goes to Chelsie for the title of this post. She is very very right. As for the photo above, it describes my current state of mind because:

1. It is Christmas-y. And there are only 9 days until Christmas! I almost forgot it was Christmas time because of finals.
   
2. It is all messy and scattered around. That is my brain. Not on drugs, just how it is normally. Because it is packed with completely irrelevant bits of knowledge I will never use. A.k.a. I have been studying for finals.
3. It is composed almost entirely of sugar. As am I. College has taught me the true meaning of "You have five seconds to eat whatever you can get your hands on; better not cook or find anything nutritious." Its a great diet though; I've lost 5 pounds.

Yes. I've done 3 of my finals and I think I did remarkable well on all of them. That is the good news. The bad news is that they were my English, French, and Dance finals. Yes, my best subjects. So the remaining ones are my worst subjects that I need to do extremely well on to save my grade.

On the other hand, I have finally found a perfect study spot. I thought I found one on the 4th floor but then it was by a window which seemed like a good idea until I was sitting there sweating and also realized that while I chose a study carrel for privacy, the entire room full of tables could see me. And many were staring. You know what, I had a 7 am final, I'm sorry I didn't shower. Geez. So then I went to go check the 5th floor, but I didn't want to lose my spot, so I left my stuff on the 4th floor. I found a great carrel on the 5th floor in a nice, cool, quiet corner where all the books are in Hebrew or something so I have to focus. But I realized I didn't want to lose that spot either. I considered both removing my shirt and my shoes to try to save it, but when I realized the desperation of those actions, I decided instead to spread out some books to make it look like someone was studying there. So I grabbed the first books I saw. Apparently I'm studying transactions of the American Philological Association, Geschichte der Sprachtheorie, and Sweimal Sprache. I have no idea what any of those things are.

I desperately need to be studying. So why am I blogging? No one knows.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

aaaaaah.

Yes. I took that screen clipping from weather.com. It is 17 degrees and feels like 3. And I walk to class in that. For two miles.

I love Provo, I love Provo, I love Provo...

Love,
Lizzy ;)

chocolate cheesecake frozen yogurt

People always rave about BYU Creamery's ice cream. But I personally think it is a little overrated. Few people know about it, but hidden in the back of the Grab-n-Go is a frozen yogurt machine. You pay 15 cents an ounce for delicious flavors like chocolate cheesecake, which I am currently eating. The pic is not actually what I'm eating, I don't eat THAT much of it! But I accidentally took out my bluetooth chip so the actual pic is forthcoming.

Anyways, this is just a quick update to say that I am probably failing everything and might fail all my finals, but at least there is also chocolate cheesecake frozen yogurt.

Well, when its in the machine.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

dreaded end of a great friend

Farewell, thanksgiving break. You have been good to me. The above is a picture of my stomach. It isn't flat like it looks in this picture. I am lying down. But this break has been full of great food, love, and friendship. I am really really really not excited to go back to school. But its only two weeks and then finals and then it is OVER and it is CHRISTMAS!!! So I can make it I think.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

can you find this trash can?

This is not really an accurate snapshot of how I feel, because actually I am quite happy. My english class got canceled, magically giving me enough time to actually complete the homework I didn't ever do on the weekend. I don't know how it always works out, but it does.

Now I have a special challenge for all you BYU students: can you find this trashcan? Hint, its on BYU campus. Just kidding, you will never find it. But I bet you could find it if I included this:

Yes, true patrons of the HBLL can find aisle NE and sit where I sat just now and feel the magic of it. It is my favorite aisle, because it is aisle NE! Like in Monty Python.

I just spelled "aisle" "eyle". College is really doing wornders for my intelligence.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

life, liberty, and the pursuit of thinness...

I am an eighteen year old girl. I live in a house with five other eighteen year old girls. I dance ballet. I have talked to girls from all over the world, from 8 to 48. I have heard almost every single one say, "I'm too fat," "I've gained so much weight," "I hate my thighs/hips/butt." I have not heard a single girl in any of these populations say, "Yes, I like my body."

Except for one tiny demographic: the BYU art models. All of us are unremarkable when it comes to appearance. We pose proudly in our average, bikini-clad bodies for figure drawing classes. It is impossible to draw a body clothed if you don't understand what the basic structure of it is unclothed. So, in order to give the students an accurate image of a woman's body, the models employed had to be an accurate representation of an average human body. That's where we came in.

I would not say I am particularly comfortable in my own skin, yet I regularly posed for a class of students--students of my body--in nothing but a bikini, for three straight hours. During breaks and after the class, I could see the charcoal drawings that had been done of me. Each artist was skilled and trained and had done his best to create an accurate likeness. But the interesting thing about looking at this art was that it was free of judgment. Each artist had simply drawn my body. Things I thought of as "flaws" didn't look like flaws in the art, even though they were still there. The artists had simply drawn exactly what they saw, not looking at me through the warped glasses that are society's definition of attraction, but as students seeking to understand the beautifully complicated series of lines and shapes before them.

I have never heard a model say she's fat, or ugly, or point out to me something she thought of as a flaw. We have all come to see ourselves not as the skewed image in the mirror, but as bodies that are beautiful just because they are bodies. The way those students of our bodies saw us became the way we saw ourselves.

So the next time someone says "I'm too fat," or "I wish I looked more like her" or "I wish I had your [insert aspect of image]", say, "You know what? I think you have the perfect body. I think I have the perfect body too, and her and her. We all have perfect bodies. They are just different." Because you know what? That is the truth.

If you don't believe me, just ask a figure drawing student.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

how to argue

So, usually my english reading assignments from Readings for Intensive Writers are long and boring 20-page research essays on an obscure topic I don't care about. So imagine my surprise when this morning I opened up my textbook and read this (some parts have been edited out for the sake of length):

Dave Barry: How to Argue Effectively

Dave Barry won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1988. In 1975, Barry joined Burger Associates, a consulting firm that teaches effective writing to businesspersons. He spent nearly eight years trying to get various businesspersons to stop writing things like, "Enclosed please find the enclosed enclosure," but he eventually realized that it was hopeless.

I argue very well. Ask any of my remaining friends. I can win an argument on any topic, against any opponent. People knows this and steer clear of me at parties, often, as a sign of their great respect, they don't even invite me. You too can win arguments. Simply follow these rules:

DRINK LIQUOR
Suppose you are at a party and some hotshot intellectual is expounding on the economy of Peru, a subject you know nothing about. If you are drinking some health-fanatic drink like grapefruit juice, you'll hang back, afraid to display your ignorance, while the hotshots enthralls your date. But if you drink several large martinis, you'll discover you have strong views about the Peruvian ecnomy. You'd be a wealth of information. You'll argue forcefully, offering searing insight and possibly upsetting furniture. People will be impressed. Some may leave the room.

MAKE THINGS UP
Suppose, in the Peruvian economy argument, you are trying to prove the Peruvians are underpaid, a position you base solely on the fact that you are underpaid, and you'll be damned if you're going to let a bunch of Peruvians be better off. Don't say: "I think Peruvians are underpaid." Say instead: "The average Peruvian's salary in 1981 dollars adjusted for the revised tax base is $1,452.81 per annum, which is $836.07 below the mean gross poverty level."
NOTE: Always make up the exact figure. If an opponent asks where you got your information, make that up too. Say: "This information comes from Dr. Hovel T. Moon's study for the Buford Commission published on May 9, 1982. Didn't you read it?" Say this in the same tone of voice you would use to say, "You left your soiled underwear in my bathroom."

USE MEANINGLESS BUT WEIGHTY-SOUNDING WORDS AND PHRASES
Memorize this list:
Let me put it this way
In terms of
Vis-a-vis
Per se
As it were
Quo
So to speak
You should also memorize some Latin abbreviations such as "Q.E.D.," "e.g.", and "i.e." These are all short for, "I speak Latin, and you don't." Here's how to use these words and phrases. Suppose you want to say, "Peruvians would like to order appetizers more often, but they don't have enough money." You never win an argument talking like that. But you WILL win if you say, "Let me put it this way. In terms of appetizers vis-a-vis Peruvians quo Peruvians, they would like to order them more often, so to speak, but they do not have enough money per se as it were. Q.E.D." Only a fool would challenge that statement.

USE SNAPPY AND IRRELEVANT COMEBACKS
You need an arsenal of all-purpose irrelevant phrases to fire back at your opponent when they make valid points. The best are:
You're begging the question.
You're being defensive.
Don't compare apples to oranges.
What are your parameters?
This last one is especially valuable. Nobody other than engineers and policy wonks has the vaguest idea what "parameters" means. Here's how to use your comeback: You say: "As Abraham Lincoln said in 1873..." Your opponent says: "Lincoln died in 1865." You say: "You're begging the question."

COMPARE YOUR OPPONENT TO ADOLF HITLER
This is your heavy artillery, for when your opponent is obviously right and you are spectactularly wrong. Bring Hitler up subtly. Say: "That sounds suspiciously like something Adolf Hitler might say." or "You certainly do remind me of Adolf Hitler."

So that's it. You now know how to out-argue anybody. Do not try to pull this on people who generally carry weapons.

if my heart was a house

Love,
Lizzy

being alone

I like this new snapshot idea. It forces me to be creative and on the spot take a picture that exemplifies my current state of mind, without moving, with only my phone camera, and without editing the picture in any way except to rotate it. I think maybe I just like to challenge myself. Actually, there's no "maybe" about it, I do. Quite often I do things "just to see if I can."

This picture is a great one because there are no people in it. If you have ever seen BYU, even if it is only out of the window of a fighter jet, you will know just how rare that is. Because there are 30,000 people who attend a school that covers approximately 1.218 square miles. Which is not large. However, I don't know if that is really how large it is because BYU doesn't post the square footage of their campus on their website; I know, how ridiculous is that. So I had to calculate it by looking at the little campus map and measuring with the little scale in the corner. And I am not good at math. Also, I put my whole internet in French, so the scale was showing in meters instead of miles. So then I had to convert meters to miles. Then I had to calculate the vertical distance, and I couldn't rotate the map to use the little scale, so I had to do a complicated driving directions search to give me how many miles the campus was high. Then I had to convert my meters to miles (1 mile is 1,609.344 meters, in case you wondered) and times those two together. I think it took me about 20 minutes to calculate, but it is all worth it because BYU is possibly 1.218 square miles large.

So, now that I've gotten that vitally important statistic out of the way, I can go on about the fact that there are no people in the snapshot. I was going to get into this great poetic/philosophic discussion about people and being alone and loneliness. It would have been epic.

But man, that math problem was exhausting. I'm lonely, we'll just leave it at that.

Love,
Lizzy :)

end fat talk

I saw this video in the Nutrition class I transcribe, and thought it was extremely well-done and applicable. I would encourage all of you to watch it and think about the message behind it.

Love,
Lizzy

tired

This is a french dictionary. It describes both my current activity and my state of mind.

Love,
Lizzy

snapshot

I figured that because my blog posts tend to be too long when they occur at all, I will simply do life snapshots. When I have a minute, I will take a picture of wherever I am that accurately represents my current activity. I look forward to this fun new method of blogging because A. I get to use the awesome camera on my phone and B. I find BlueTooth very magical.

And yes, I know no one even reads this. But still. I'm entertained.

falling for BYU

Well, school is growing on me. I find myself learning more because I love learning, and caring less about my grades--not much less, mind, but enough less to make school much more enjoyable. The fall weather is beautiful, albeit freezing, and I am feeling much more secure and in control of my studies, less overwhelmed and more enjoying the journey. :)

My recent breakup has been difficult, to say the least. I still have Edward as a best friend, and we still talk daily--okay, usually at least three times daily--and see each other regularly, but I feel like I have lost the tie that said he was mine, like our relationship is now infinitely more fragile, like I could lose him with a strong gust of wind. It is a hole, something lost, something missing, but hopefully someday the hole will be filled forever. And that is what keeps me going.

Not much else is new...just life, the universe, and everything. Comme d'habitude. ;)

Love,
Lizzy :)

love is not simple.

Actually, love is probably the most complicated emotion a person could ever feel. That's why relationships can be so difficult and confusing.

Last night, I broke up with my best friend and the love of my life. Before you freak out, let me explain. Edward and I are both very young, very very young to be in such a committed and emotionally demanding relationship. It has been a wonderful journey and I have been so privileged to have him. But we had reached a point in our relationship where we could not progress as a couple until we had progressed alone, and figured out who we were as individuals. I came to the conclusion that the only way to save our relationship (which had been under great strain of late) was to end it.

We're not thinking of it as an end, but rather as a step in our journey through life together, and hopefully a step that will mean that when he's returned from his LDS mission, we can better handle the demands of that kind of a relationship because we are older, more mature, and we know who we are.

I went in to the breakup like I was walking to my death, but after the deed was done and I was sobbing, things went surprisingly well. Edward is a wonderful man who was kind and comforting, and told me that it was okay, that we would of course remain friends, even best friends, and that if this would make me happy, it would make him happy.

By the time I came home, we were laughing and joking about our breakup, and we were both, remarkably, happy. We both know we made the right choice at the right time, and we look forward to a long and happy future together, even though we don't think it is best that we are together right now.

Love,
Lizzy :)

the stars are falling all for us

Good news! School is getting easier and I am not even failing any classes currently. I'm starting to get the whole college thing down. And I may possibly retain some knowledge. That's a big commitment to hope, though, and I wouldn't want to do that. Also, the leaves are changing and if I haven't mentioned before, BYU is beautiful. Seriously.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

livin' la viva loca

The above picture is the view I usually have when I study at the law library. Every day I sit there in absolute silence studying until my eyes bleed, and when I look up, the first thing I see is Green's Death Duties. Its delightful, absolutely delightful. The only pro is that I've tried to read Green's Death Duties six times and it is so boring that I still have no idea what it is about.


Once I was randomly studying between classes by an elevator in the JKB. It was also handily by a vent that made a charming clanging noise that sounded like enormous rats disco dancing. But on the plus side, this was the view out the window next to me. BYU is truly beautiful, the trick is remembering to actually look at it.


Once Edward and I went for a drive and found this Speed Limit sign posted upside down. It was hysterically funny at the time and here is proof.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

despair vs. hope

"Despair is the complete absence of Hope. Perhaps you left Hope stranded at the bus station, and you could say you lost Hope. But even in that case, Hope is somewhere, and you know you can find her again. Despair is when Hope is obliterated--not even becoming history, where she can be remembered. No, Despair is rewritten history, where Hope never existed in the first place." ~Katherine Gee

That's from one of the essays we had to read for my English class. I really thought it was interesting and decided to share.

As for an update about my life, it's, well, madness. Here's a brief rundown of my life:

Classes

Anthropology 101
This class is really strange. Our teacher does things like have essay word counts that are 2,534 words due at 3:32 pm. We asked our TA to ask him (the class has like 1,000 people in it, so most of our interactions with the teacher are like, "Oh, I think that's the teacher down there...no...that's the janitor.") if he was serious. So she did, and his response was. "Yes, I want them to learn discpline."

I think that is probably all I need to say about that class. Weird, weird, weird.

Honors Book of Mormon 121
Our teacher is one of the most difficult BoM professors at BYU, and it shows. I just took our first test...and scored a remarkable 52%. I don't think it has really hit me yet. When I saw the score show up on the little screen, I laughed. So at this point, I feel deep hatred for the class. But maybe if I change the way I study, things will improve.

Maybe.

Honors University Writing 150
This is one of my better classes. All we do is read and write and talk, and if you've ever met me you know those are among my favorite things to do. The stuff we read is really good, and I feel like I am learning a lot about writing. There is no downside to this class.

Beginning Ballet 190
I'm a little more advanced than this class is, to say the least, but I really enjoy it. It is a class intended to dance and have fun, not dance and die. Plus, the only homework is to go to World of Dance. What a difficult assignment, how ever shall I manage.

Intermediate French 201
People always say the French program at BYU is really hard. Well, they lied. It is not just really hard, it's really really really ridiculously hard. But I am honestly LEARNING french. A LOT. Our teacher is French, she was born in Nice and she speaks English with a French accent, so you know we will be learning real France french. And this is the only class where I feel an actual friendship with the class members, and know their names, because we have it every day. Although I deteste the daily homework and the tests are not cake, I am genuinely glad I stuck it through the first couple weeks. Many times I wanted to drop the class, but I am glad I didn't.

Now I just have to remind myself of this every single day when I sit down to do my homework.

Orientation to the Psych Major 101
So far I really like the Psychology major. This class and strange and mostly we talk and then are experimented on, but I feel that psychology is what I want to do and this class is required. It's only once a week, so I've only been twice. But it seems good.

Intro to Interiors 102
Well, this was a fiasco, but now I actually like it. The tests are intense and the teacher expects A LOT, but the homework isn't bad and it is really interesting to learn about. Well, the book isn't, but the class is. I am glad I ended up in it, anyways.

Work

Archaeology and the Bible
I transcribe this class for the sweetest girl in the whole world, so it's good. There are lots of crazy Middle-Eastern words that I make up the spelling of. Like Finkelstein. And Meggedo. We just make stuff up and our student laughs. The teacher talks slowly, so it really isn't a difficult class to transcribe either.

Contemporary Theory
This is one of those advanced anthropology classes. I transcribe it for the same incredible girl, but the class is so astoundingly weird, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Mostly I transcribe, and the girl looks at me like, "Please tell me this is a typo or you are on mind-altering drugs and my teacher isn't actually teaching this" and I shake my head, make the crazy sign and she laughs. It's great. Once I slept through it, though, so my team is scarred for life. Oh well.

Biology
I will have to take this someday, so it is good that I am transcribing it. But it is card to transcribe "alpha helices" and "beta pleated sheets" that many times. And the student for this class sort of hates all transcribers. But it's fine.

Essentials of Human Nutrition
This class is really interesting, although hard to transcribe because all of the terms, and the teacher talks really really fast. But I feel like I am learning valuable information, and the boy I transcribe for is super nice. It is at 8 am, though, which is a definite downer.

That is basically all that I do. School and work. It seems to be going pretty well, I like my house and my roommates and all that's grand, and I have fun on the weekends, and Edward and I see each other every day. So mostly all is well. And exhausted. :)

Love,
Lizzy

life, school, and shu umera

Well! I have now officially moved in to the Heritage Halls dorms here at BYU. My roommates are all very nice, and so far we are getting along quite well. I have settled in nicely; our kitchen and bathroom get cuter every day and my room is adorable.

Our ward seems good, today was my first Sunday there, but I love our presidency so it is grand.

I have also gotten used to using the accommodations here: I did laundry a few hours ago, bought food at the Creamery, used the printer in the Central Building, and have found refuge in the piano room. I already have my favorite spot on campus (the benches behind the ESC and HRCB).

The only thing left to do is begin classes. This is where the fun stuff starts. I sadly quit my modeling job because I had too many hours between that and the transcribing job (which starts tomorrow as well). Here is my schedule for tomorrow:

8-9:15 Intro to Interiors
10-10:50 Anthropology 101
11-11:50 WORK (Transcribing Archaeology and the Bible)
12-12:50 Honors English
1-1:50 WORK (Transcribing Biology)
2-2:50 WORK (Transcribing Contemporary Theory)
3-3:50 Intermediate French

Then I have FHE that night. It is a little crazy, yes, I know. But it will be grand. By the time I graduate I will be ridiculously rich. And more tired than I can possibly imagine.

I'll let you know how the first day goes!

Love,
Lizzy ;)

best of SYTYCD!

This season of So You Think You Can Dance is over, and here are a few of my favorite moments:

This is Jeanine and Phillip's first routine on the show. It is a hip-hop piece to Mad by Ne-Yo, choreographed by Tabitha and Napolean.


This is danced by Kayla and Kupono to Gravity by Sarah Bareilles. It is a piece about addiction choreographed by Mia Michaels.


Jeanine and Brandon do a Louis van Armstel Paso Doble to "Tetsujin" from the Matrix Revolutions soundtrack.

back from Colorado!

Well, my mom, Edward and I have returned from a random and crazy, but overall fun, visit to Denver, Longmont, and Minatou Springs, Colorado. Pictures to come (see Facebook).

Also, BYU has given me $6,000 more in grants. So that was nice.

Also, I move out in 17 days. That's barely over 2 weeks. Holy. Cow. I am really excited, and almost ready--I bought towels and dishes, it was weird--and I'm really looking forward to my classes. I've been ordering my textbooks, and I am freakishly excited by them. This is such a weird/crazy transition, I almost can't believe its really happening. Like, I will have an apartment and roommates and health insurance. I will be a real, live, adultish person. How odd.

I decided to turn down the animal caretaker job, but I'm going to continue to model during the fall. I really enjoy modeling, it is a weird but oddly fun job, so I figure I'll keep doing a couple hours a week like I have been. I will also start my transcribing job, which I'm a little nervous about, but I've been training for months and am almost ready to start. That job pays $13 an hour, too, plus I get paid an extra hour for every class I transcribe for. So the money is awesome.

My best friend is going to be my roommate, so that's really nice, and there will be 4 other girls in the apartment. I am looking forward to getting to know them.

Things with Edward and I are still going strong and awesome. He leaves for an LDS mission in January, and I'm nervous about that. But right now, things are really ridiculously great. :)

Overall, life is great!

Love,
Lizzy ;)

facebook update

Okay. On Facebook, there are now the following albums:

Harry Potter 5 midnight showing

Washington, D.C. trip

Riggs babysitting.

If you are interested, go and see!

Love,
Lizzy

how I got my grades: part 2

This is another actual assignment that was indeed turned in and received a score of 100%. It was supposed to be an in-depth literary analysis on an AP-approved book read in addition to our classroom reading. I chose to "read" Emma by Jane Austen.

Emma: A Really, Really Good Response

I'm going to be very frank here and say that I was not exactly reading Emma for literary analysis. I was reading Emma because it is fun. I believe in reading for fun, and while the public school system is very much against me on this, I'm trying to find ways to evade its evil clutches. So I read something that was on the precious AP list, but also fun to read, and thus satisfied everyone. Except you, because this response isn't actually an analysis.

Why am I writing this, anyways? Is it to prove I've read the book? Because no offense, but a response is a very poor way to assess that fact. I could quite easily read Spark Notes, come to some conclusion involving the words "social commentary", "Jane Austen", and "Victorian", and call it good. I would be right, and I wouldn't be plagarizing, but I wouldn't have proved that I'd read the book, either. Just that I'm really good at reading Spark Notes.

Because my ethics do not allow me to spend time engaging in anything that is irrefutably pointless, I belive I've given you a good deal more information in this response than any of my wonderful classmates, who, while possessing a great deal of intelligence, are woefully inadequate at individuality. They are, in fact, quite content to be prodded in any which way, like cattle. But I am not a member of the heifer species, and thus, you are smiply going to have to trust me when I say I read Emma. As you would have if I'd written an in-depth literary response that was entirely faked. As, I assure you, are many of the responses you receive. I trust this response was just as thought-provoking as the deepest of those so-called literary analyses you get. I, personally, believe my way of responding to be a good deal more...educational. :)

Note: The way this response started was that I sat down to write it at least five times, but couldn't come up with anything at all to write. So I just starting spouting off, and ended up turning it in. My teacher wrote "50/50 100%" on it in enormous letters, and included a very large and sadly misshapen smiley face.

It was the weirdest day of my life.

Love,
Lizzy

how I got my grades

I have noticed that some of you are under the impression I got my grades by hard work or actual intelligence. I am here to tell you that is not the case, at least for the whole of my senior year. I got my grades mostly by my hair-flip, but I also possess an unusual gift for writing.

Here is actual, original paper I turned in to prove it. And yes, it got me an A.

A is for Alarmingly Astoudingly Amazing

Dear Mrs. Alison Verr Corgan*,

I strongly believe that I deserve an "A" in your fabulous journalism class. I know that I have not actually completed my newspaper reading in...well, ever, but I assure you, I make up for my negligence in this area in my reliability and excellence in many others. My articles have always been thorough and on time. I have spent countless hours running random errands for editors in the journalism lab, indeed, enough to warrant the special title of "J-Lab Minion" (see Jenna). I am the go-to gal for nearly any journalism need, and am forever being assigned more and more stories, and then having them taken away half the time, because I have too many to begin with. I am quite commonly found in the journalism lab at 5 in the afternoon, coming up with original headlines for a wide range of editors, including Jenna Ritz*, Millie Coquette*, Marie Bunboy*, Casey Queen*, Janelle Poosli*, Bo Elizabeth*, and Hilary Salmoner*. I can claim credit for editing work, rewrites, and leads in over twenty stories, have taken at least fifteen photographs, have written headlines for over twenty stories, distributed sixty polls, and sold three ads. I have discovered three exclusive stories and written one cover page story.

In short, I am alarmingly astoundingly amazing, and to give me anything less than an "A" would be blasphemy!

* names have been changed
Note: the role of this paper in the changing of my grade has been exaggerated for the sake of humor. However, it was truly and honestly turned in, and did receive an A.

Love,
Lizzy

red velvet cookie recipe

This cookie recipe is requested by all. So because I'm really, really nice, I'm giving it to all of you. Free of charge :)

Red Velvet Cookies
Ingredients

• 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temp.
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white (granulated) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 3/4 cup sour cream (when I wrote this recipe down, I put "sour scream"...haha)
  
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (whatever floats your boat)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 1-3 cookie sheets (depending on how many you have and how many batches you're doing) with parchment paper.*
2. Melt baking chocolate in the microwave (it takes mine about 90 seconds). Stir until smooth and set aside to cool down a bit.
3. Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in the mixer**. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add baking soda and salt, beat on medium until incorporated.
4. Add the egg, beat until smooth (NO lumps!!). Add red food coloring, beat until the batter looks red (about 3o seconds).
5. Scrape the bowl down, add melted baking chocolate and mix well.
6. Scrape the bowl down again, add half the flour (which would be 1 cup). Mix in the sour cream. Then add the rest of the flour.
   
7. Beat it until everything is all nice and mixed up. It will be wet and sticky and heavy.
8. Mix in chocolate chips by hand.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until they rise and are firm. They will not change color because of the food coloring. Be careful not to overbake--they should be very soft when you take them out (they will firm up as they cool). Put them on a rack to cool and then frost them with this...
   

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2.5 cups*** powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together. If you had to warm them up, stick the mixture in the fridge until cool. Add powdered sugar in half-cup increments. Frost the cooled cookies.

Makes 3 dozen amazing cookies. Both the dough and baked cookies freeze well (but not frosted). Store in the fridge if it is hot, otherwise your frosting will melt. Everyone always loves these, be forewarned you cannot eat "just one", you will end up eating 10.

Notes:
*Do not use wax paper. Whatever anyone says, your cookies will taste waxy.
**Do not eat the butter/sugar/brown sugar mixture. If you eat "just a little bit", you will be like me and eat loads of it, and then you will throw off the ratios of the cookies.
***Sometimes I only use 2 cups of powdered sugar. For some reason it depends on the day. You can stop adding at 2 cups if the frosting tastes good to you and is nice and thick but spreadable...about the consistency of soft butter.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lizzy

fabulous new backpack

Well, yes. I have actually purchased a backpack...my first one since elementary school, actually. I am very excited because this one is adorable and sturdy and had a laptop pocket and a sunglass pocket. I just love buying things, to be honest. I detest actually spending the money, but the buying part is fun. ;)

This is a Dakine Jewel girl's backpack in Windowpane. I got it from EvoGear for $35, which is a remarkable price. Also, they are not making them anymore, so if you want one like this go and buy it now.

EvoGear ought to cut me a check too. Why do people not pay me to blog? They totally should.

Love,
Lizzy

my BYU schedule for Fall 2009

Well, after many late-night laughs, extreme frustration, extensive color-coded and ridiculously researched planning, and threats to at least three department heads, I have a schedule that I am very excited about. And here it is!

Monday

• 8-9:15 am SFL 102 (Intro to Interiors)
  
• 10-10:50 ANTHR 101 (Anthropology)
• 11-11:50 ENGL 150 (Honors University Writing and Rhetoric)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

Tuesday

• 9-9:50 Rel A 121 (Book of Mormon)
• 1:35-2:30 Dance 190 (Ballet)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

Wednesday

• 8-9:15 am SFL 102 (Intro to Interiors)
  
• 10-10:50 ANTHR 101 (Anthropology)
• 11-11:50 ENGL 150 (Honors University Writing and Rhetoric)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

Thursday

• 9-9:50 Rel A 121 (Book of Mormon)
• 11-11:50 PSYCH 101 (Intro to the Psych major)
  
• 1:35-2:30 Dance 190 (Ballet)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

Friday

• 10-10:50 ANTHR 101 (Anthropology)
• 11-11:50 ENGL 150 (Honors University Writing and Rhetoric)
• 3-3:50 FREN 201 (Intermediate French)

I am super excited. It is remarkable that I actually got in to all the classes that I wanted, it looks well-balanced and fun and the times aren't even bad. Yay!

Love,
Lizzy ;)

my new favorite food

This is my new favorite food. A soft chicken taco Fresco-style from Taco Bell. It costs all of $0.89, tasty, and even good for you. Yes, I am very very excited. You should go and get one now. Also, Taco Bell should cut me a check for advertising them. But they are not paying me to do this, I am serious: I love Taco Bell Fresco Chicken Soft Tacos.

Love,
Lizzy ;)

i crave...

This post is pretty much just for me, because I can. And I suddenly remembered what it was like to feel beautiful. So here's what I'm craving.

Converse One-Star Glitter Shoes from Target. $17.49

Converse One-Star Dance Slip Ons from Target. $7.49

Zebra flats from Target. $12.99

Red Canvas Shoes from Target. $9

UPDATES!!

I'm sorry that it has been forever, all. But I am here now, and letting you know what is going on in my life. :)

Firstly, I went from having ZERO jobs to four. I will describe them in detail as follows:

1. ChaCha. I've had this one for a bit, and I'm still working there. I can work for like half an hour a day and make $100 a month, and it's a pretty good job. I mean, boring as heck, but I can do it whenever I want, wherever, I want, and you can't argue with that!
2. I am officially a BYU art model. This means that I stand/sit/lie in a bikini in front of an art class and be drawn. It is quite challenging, both mentally and physically, because I have to think of dynamic poses that are interesting from every angle and that allow the students to learn from my body. I also have to hold some poses for 20 minutes without moving a muscle, which can be intense and quite painful. It is hilarious to be referred to as "the model" and treated as an object of art, but a pretty fun job. The pay is fair, at $8.20 an hour, and I only have to do about one class (3 hours) a week, so it isn't exhausting. Overall, its a great (and hilarious) little job on the side. Le boyfriend isn't thrilled, but I like it. Plus, I love seeing all the drawings of me. It is weird and kind of awesome.
   
3. I am a Typewell Transcriptionist. Basically I attend class with deaf students and type everything going on in the class in shorthand, which is then transferred to the deaf student's laptop in real time. I am in training for this job until fall semester. The software is very difficult to learn, but I enjoy doing something that stretches me and helps me learn new skills, and the pay is excellent, at $10 an hour during the training and $13 an hour during actual class transcribing, plus an extra paid hour per class transcription for editing.
4. I am an Animal Caretaker in the Widtsoe building. Meaning, I feed lab rats. This job doesn't start until fall semester, so more updates there, but again, the pay is good at $9 an hour and regular raises.

I am so very blessed to have obtained all of these wonderful jobs. All of the jobs are ones I can have all four years of college, too, so I am set. I can modify how many hours I have in each job however I want, I can work on-campus (therefore, close to home), and I am getting to adjust to campus lifestyle before I attend. And, I'm learning a lot about art in the process...sitting (sort of) in in a figure drawing class is a really cool experience.

I am also now attended a singles ward. It is so fun because nearly all of my best friends are in that ward, and there are tons of great activities. We have really, really fun times. :)

Things with le boyfriend are going so great. I am super lucky/blessed. Seriously.

I think that's all for now...more updates to come!

Luuurve,
Lizzy ;)

the great goodness of our Heavenly Father

In an amazing turn of events, your friend here has acquired another scholarship! The La Verna S. Clark Creative Writing scholarship, consisting of half-tuition for Fall and Winter 2009-10, as well as $400 for books, has been awarded to moi. This brings my total for Fall/Winter to full tuition plus $4,000 plus $400.

I love Heavenly Father.

Love,
Lizzy :D

we're graduated!

On Friday I graduated high school forever. I cannot believe it. It was still weird after a day filled with graduation practice, graduation, and a party that went until 5 AM.

I will miss many things about high school: the couple of these girls that will be gone away, seeing all the wonderful students, my amazing teachers, the commons, the library, the journalism lab, the UCCU employee parking spaces, the random dark hallway whose purpose is still unknown, the drinking fountains who spurted suspicious rusty lake water, seminary.

In keeping with tradition, here are a few of my favorite yearbook signatures (names changed).

"Isabelle. You are not asian. That is all." (An Asian)

"Isabelle,
Our lives are filled with tragic miscommunications, mostly when I hit on you, and you are confused and mildly afraid." (Rarrison Hichards)

"Isabelle:
Well. When you slept under the tables that freaked me out." (The Younger James)

"Isabelle! I liked how you slept under the tables." (Peary)

"You are easily one of the most memorable personalities in school." (Jenkins the Janitor)

"Isabelle, I don't know what I would do without your sarcastic remarks and wonderful smile." (Joshua)

It has been a roller coaster of good times and bad these past years, and I wouldn't trade one moment of it for anything.

Love,
Lizzy ;-D

class of 2009

We graduate in 2 days. Oh my goodness! That picture is the last time all of these girls will be together until Christmas. I love all of these wonderful women. They are truly amazing.

Love,
Lizzy

to be alive is to feel pain

"When I protect myself against the dangers of loss by teaching myself not to care, not to let anyone get too close to me, I lose part of my soul. When I protect myself from disappointment by not wanting to be happy, by telling myself that happiness is a mirage and an illusion, I diminish my soul.

To be alive is to feel pain and to hide from pain is to make yourself less alive."

(source unknown)

Love,
Lizzy

the bell of the ball...

...or maybe just one of the really, really bad dancers. I had the time of my life at Senior Ball. Thanks, honey. More pictures available on Facebook. :-)

Love,
Lizzy

if I were Satan...

If I were Satan...

I would gain control of gifted, creative, compassionate women in the world. I would attack the women because then I could destroy the future children and the family, the backbone of any nation. I would delude female minds into thinking their worth was their body, their appearance and achievements. I would promote an attitude of loving material things and using people, instead of the other way around. I would dupe entire generations of women into comparing themselves to the illusions portrayed in the media. I would have complete control of the media so that every day I would pollute the thoughts of women for my agenda. I would promote pornography and violence as art and entertainment. I would make the female body a sex object and promote fashions which make that statement. I would confuse women into thinking that glamour is beauty. I would get women to worship movie stars and models. I would set a standard of thinness as beauty in order to make women weak. I would make it socially acceptable for a women to dishonor her body through starvation in order to attain society's ideal for the female form. I would convince women that their hunger is a sin. I would make life so fast-paced and noisy that there is no time to nourish each other, to play together or listen. I would degrade the sacredness of marital intimacy and fidelity. I would make divorce easy and attractive, even fashionable. I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies; I would make it socially acceptable to mutilate one's body or take one's own life. I would cheapen human life as much as possible, so that the lives of animals are valued more than human beings. I would promote a culture of perfectionism and competition where women are taught to feel inferior, guilty, and not good enough. I would teach women to compete with each other and to compete with men. I would persuade women to focus on the god of self instead of their Creator. I would take spirituality out of the schools and out of the homes and out of the hearts of gifted, creative compassionate women.

I would leave things pretty much the way they are.

~Kathleen Slade Hofer

I loved this quote and thought I would share. :-)

Love,
Lizzy

graduation!

here are the graduation announcements my wonderful uncle made for me, so that you can see them in case you don't get one sent your way.

ms. isabelle returns from Washington

I have just returned from Our Nation's Capital (pictures to come--I'll let you know when they're on facebook). Here are a few statistics from my journey:

• Number of days spent at Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Conference sleeping at the Fairmont hotel: 3.25
• Number of days spent with Lala and J-dawg sleeping at J-dawg's brother's house: 3.25
• Dollars in scholarship money awarded: $20,000
• Number of people met who made Times 100 Most Influential or Forbes 100 Most Powerful lists: 15
• Number of Supreme Court Justices Met: 1, Justice Clarence Thomas
• Number of conversations had with Justice Thomas: 3
• Number of photographs with Justice Thomas: 1
• Number of scholars at Horatio Alger conference: 104
• Number of leaders: More than I can count
• Number of times vomited in the bathroom at the Ritz-Carlton: 5
• Number of times lost in the service part of the Ritz-Carlton: 1
• Number of fancy, expensive, disgusting meals eaten: 10
• Number of amazing, filling, inexpensive meals eaten: 10
• Number of ball gowns returning home: 1
• Number of Dell laptop computers awarded: 1
• Number of Metro trains taken: 15+
• Number of buses taken: 4
• Number of chauffeured car rides: 2
• Number of airport mishaps: 4
• Number of planes missed: 0!
• Cost of hotel room per night: $829
• Cost of sleeping on J-dawg's brother's futon: $0
• Number of miles walked, total: Over 100
• Number of pictures taken: 168 (on MY camera)
• Number of monuments visited: 8
• Number of museums visited: 4
• Number of tours of main political buildings taken: 3
• Amount of money spent total: $100
• Number of friends: 3
• Number of family: 3
• Number of laughs: Countless
• Number of regrets: 0.

i'm getting on a jet plan!

Wednesday morning at 7:10 AM I will be boarding a plane to Washington, D.C.!! For those of you who haven't heard, that $20,000 scholarship that I miraculously received also includes an all-expense-paid trip to D.C. for a conference. I'm meeting famous political people and stuff, and hopefully making valuable life connections. I'm really excited to meet the other 104 people who got the award. We've connected on Facebook and everyone I've talked to is really cool. 

I'll return Wednesday the 8th at 10:30 in the morning. See all you cool cats then!!

more fun than a frog full of kittens

I love people who invent strange, crazy things like this. I want to be the people at Sparknotes' best friend. Although I do hate their "Come Procrastinate With Us" buttons, because all too often, I do indeed go procrastinate with them.

Yes.

Lizzy

five error messages, three thousand students, one disaster

Today I finally, finally, finally got my BYU housing application in! I hope to be living in Heritage Halls this fall, and rooming with my best friend, J-dawg. I haven't selected my room yet, but at least the application is in! It was an awful process. The server went down and everyone got a billion error messages and had to refresh a billion and five times. Luckily my time stamp managed to be at 8:12, which is annoying because I was on at 8:00 exactly, but at least that's not too bad. Hopefully everything will work out.

I am so excited for August 1!

Love,

Lizzy!

adventurous eating day

above: collard greens

Yesterday some of my best friends and I went to Tucano's. It was my first time ever going there, and J-Dawg and I decided to make that day count by turning it into Adventurous Eating Day and eating all sorts of things we would normally never, ever try. Here is a complete list of all the freakish things we ate (complete with commentary and ratings!)

• Farofa 

Sort of like stuffing, like little tiny spiced bread crumbs-possibly meant to be a topping.
Actually, really good. I'd put it on mashed potatoes and meat and basically everything.

• Quail Egg

Roughly the size and shape of an eyeball, white with black flecks.
It just tasted like a boiled egg. Not bad. 

• Sushi

This doesn't sound crazy, but for the girl who never eats fish, let alone RAW fish, it was a big step.
It tasted pretty good. I'm still naturally revolted by fishy tastes, but once I got over that, it was okay.

• Collard Greens

Possibly spinach with bacon and some other mystery ingredients.
No bien. Do not go for it.

• Chicken Heart

I'm not really sure what it tasted like, because the very idea was so utterly disgusting that I sort of just shoved it in my mouth, chewed as quickly as possible, and swallowed. It was warm, and I freaked myself out by imagining it beating. While it was inside my mouth.
Possibly the grossest thing we ate. There are no upsides.

• Mango Cod

Again, this was a big step for me because I hate fish. 
Aside from the fishy taste, I loved it.

• Heart of Palm

No one is exactly sure what "heart of palm" is, but we think its the center of the stem of a palm leaf?
Tastes like asparagus marinated in...something. Not terribly delicious, but not bad.

After eating all of this in one meal, plus much, much, more, I woke up the next morning violently ill. But it was worth it. I'd do it again.

Love,

Lizzy ;-)

an important announcement

I would just like to note publicly an interesting phenomenon: every single Cuppa Noodles flavor looks and tastes exactly the same except for the color of the broth. The fact that Cuppa Noodles are made from cardboard, salt, and food coloring is no excuse. 

Remarkably, they still taste sort of good. I'm pretty sure this is some sort of freak medical marvel. In fact, I fully intend to go to a school where you can design your own major, and I can major in Cuppa Noodles Research. I think not only would it be lucrative, it would be thrilling and dangerous, because the Cuppa Noodles team of cardboard-shape-cutters and food-coloring adders and salters would be after me all the while, trying to kill me before I can unveil their mystic secret. The more I think about it the better this sounds. I might even sell the movie rights.

Excitedly,

Lizzy 

eighteen-year-old mother of four: lessons learned

I would like to share the wisdom I gained from being the unwitting eighteen-year-old mother of four small children for the past 3 days. Here are some of the life lessons I learned:

• If you are trying to get a three year old boy to put on his pants, and are also exhausted beyond all comprehension, I think a good way to kill two birds with one stone is to lie down on the floor and refuse to get up until he puts on his pants. Every time he attempts to 'wake' you, simply say, "Are your pants on yet?". Make no other response. If this occurs more than fifteen times, stop 'waking up' if you know the pants aren't on. He may conclude that "you dead" and call in the reinforcements (siblings), but the point is that you get to lie on the ground with your eyes closed for more than ten minutes at a time, and even feel like you're accomplishing something. Of course, when he and his sisters start taking off your clothes, that's a good time to give up and let him run around nude, because at that point its either him or you.
• If you want a small child to do something that he/she does not want to do (i.e. shower, sleep, stop biting you, stop throwing rocks at his/her siblings, etc), you can coerce them into obedience without using violence or even anger. The key is to be really, really annoying. Trap them in a corner and loudly shout one word that states what you would like them to do (pants, pants, pants) over and over again. You will probably even annoy the siblings, whom you can then enlist in being really, really annoying until the child succumbs to your evil plot. Or showers. Either way, really, the point is that it works.
• To be continued...

deep thoughts by jack handey

Thank you, Chelsie, for introducing me to the wonderful Jack Handy. Here are a few favorites.

• "I hope some animal never bores a hole in my head and lays its eggs in my brain, because later you might think you're having a good idea but it's just eggs hatching."
• "As I bit into the nectarine, it had a crisp juiciness about it that was very pleasurable-until I realized it wasn't a nectarine at all, but A HUMAN HEAD!"
• "Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."
• "To me, it's a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, Hey, can you give me a hand? You can say, Sorry, got these sacks."
• "The wise man can pick up a grain of sand and envision a whole universe. But the stupid man will just lie down on some seaweed and roll around until he's completely draped in it. Then he'll stand up and go, 'Hey, I'm Vine Man'."
• "One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. "Oh no," I said, "Disneyland burned down." He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but decided to go home instead."
• "If life deals you lemons, why not go kill someone with the lemons (maybe by shoving them down his throat).
• "What is it about a beautiful sunny afternoon, with the birds singing and the wind rustling in the leaves, that makes you want to get drunk? And after you're real drunk, maybe go down to the public park and stagger around and ask people for money, and then lay down and go to sleep."
• "If you ever go temporarily insane, don't shoot somebody, like a lot of people do. Instead, try to get some weeding done, because you'd really be surprised."

brigham young university, here I come!

Firstly, I have an announcement to make! I have, *ahem*, been admitted and committed to attend Brigham Young University in Provo this fall. I am very excited. I also received a half-tuition scholarship, and that, combined with my Horatio Alger $20,000, means that I am set. 

I was relieved, and really feel that BYU is the best choice of colleges for me. I think it will be the place that I will learn everything that matters most to me. I will also have the opportunity to remain near my wonderful family, and be with some of the most amazing friends on this earth. I will be living on-campus, probably at Wyview, and am excited to officially start making my own way in the world.

Speaking of my family, I am currently at my amazing aunt and uncle's house, babysitting their four small children, while they are away for three days for their anniversary. Playing single, 18-year-old mother of eight-year-old twins, a six year old, and a three year old is a very interesting experience. I love my cousins dearly, but feel oddly as though I am living someone else's life. In many ways I am, and while it is certainly demanding and exhausting, I am loving it. I am so excited to be a mother someday (although not for at least 5 years!). I would consider myself incredibly lucky if I ended up with kids anywhere near as great as these.

My only complaint is that they miss their parents, and I feel like a bad substitute. I want them to be happy! Fortunately, they only miss their parents at select moments. And they still love me, although I could never be Mommy and Daddy. 

Also, I would just like to share that my dearest friend is still bringing me more happiness than I have ever dreamed possible. I am lucky enough to probably get to have him here for a little while after the kids go to bed on Valentine's Day. For my single friends out there who are hating Single Awareness Day, do not despair. True love is worth every moment of the waiting, and although I have done admittedly none of it, I am certain I would willingly give up anything for that incredible boy who is, more than anything else, my very best friend. Honey, if you're reading this, I love you.

I think that's it for newness in my life. Happy V-Day!

Love,

Lizzy ;-)

wet t-shirt contest

I have some News. With a capital N, apparently,  but no one knows why.

The Thunderbolt (our high school newspaper) goes to press today, which means I've spent collectively 10 hours over the past week in the journalism lab. Or, as the cool kids call it, the j-lab. I am not an editor, but people (including the journalism teacher and editors in chief) mysteriously give me stuff and make me edit it. Its funny, because in the very first issue people were shocked that I was still in the lab at 6 pm because I'm a staffwriter and have absolutely no obligation to do so. Now, editors are forever leaving me their pages to finish/edit/work on. In fact, I think nearly every headline in this paper is mine. Its funny. I'm glad to be of service, though. So that's been fun, and the paper'll come out on Monday. Its sad, because its supposed to be the January issue, but we failed to actually get it out in January. But life goes on, and we're not the New York Times, after all. 

I'm currently being forced to read Heart of Darkness for AP Lit. I hate it with all of my soul. 

My best friend and the love of my existence is doing very well. Things just get better and better. Its sort of freakish, but wonderfully amazing at the same time.

My best girlfriends are amazingly wonderful as well. Today we had a dance party in the lab to Beyoncé. It was fantastic. And I'm currently listening to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It"). 

I am trying as hard as I possibly can to find a job, but so far have had no luck. If anyone knows of any openings anywhere let me know!

Love,

Lizzy ;-)

updates

Sorry that it has been so long. Life has been sort of insane...many new developments. I will now proceed to list them. Huzzah!

• The first semester of my senior year has just ended. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I magically pulled off straight A's, so that was good.
• I was made one of the 2009 National Horatio Alger Scholars, which includes an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. April 1st through 5th, and also a $20,000 scholarship to a school of my choice. I am extremely excited; I have already started to get to know some of the scholars through Facebook and they are all great people. It is going to be SO fun, and that money was a huge relief.
• I got accepted to BYU-Hawaii. Yay! I'm still not exactly sure where I want to go, I'm waiting to hear from BYU-Provo in February. BYU-Provo has better academics than BYU-H, but I cannot tell you how nice the words "warm" and "beach" are sounding. We shall see.
• I have a boy in my life. For the purpose of this blog, we'll refer to him as "Edward", because our relationship is more similar to one out of Twilight than to any ordinary relationship. I love him with everything that I am, and plan on marrying him when returns from his mission (don't worry-that's at least 3 years in the future). He loves me, too, and its going really great. :-D
• I finally got the actual paper document that is my driver's license. I know, you're all very proud.
• I turned 18! Life as a legal adult is apparently no different. But still, 18, that's fun.
• I just ordered my very own business cards. Random, I know, but I'm excited.

That's all that I can remember. Life is going pretty well, overall. Having Edward in my life has made such a huge difference...I'm a much happier and better person because of him. Its a very special relationship and I'm incredibly lucky to have him. 

All the best,

Lizzy ;-)