Physiology

I am writing this story because 1) I am going to be telling it tomorrow when I do a test review 2) my roommate Erica told me I should 3) it is funny and 4) finals are happening this week.

So last time that it was finals I had an unfortunate experience. It all started the first day of finals. I got up early in the morning and studied for several hours for my nutrition 201 exam (which I did really well on and now I am the TA for the class) and got that out of the way pretty early in the day. After taking that test I started studying for my chemistry exam. I studied and studied and studied all day. It went to take the exam late in the afternoon. I felt normal as I walked up to the testing center. It was in April so the weather was weird. It wasn't too cold or too warm so It was hard to decide what to wear. Anyway, the testing center was quite busy since it was finals time. I waited for a few minutes in line (waiting in line means the testing center was full and I later found out the testing center holds 650 people), entered the testing center, and found a seat where I could embark on a testing experience. This is where the story beings...

So about an hour into the test I noticed I was feeling a little weird. I felt somewhat hot but I told myself that was just because there were tons of people around and the sun was shining in the window. I continued testing which required me to really focus. At one point I felt a little dizzy but I told myself that I was just thinking too hard and, well, I didn't remember eating much that day so I was probably hungry. I put my head down for a minute and took deep breaths. I would be fine, or so I thought. When I decided to sit back up and start to take my test again I noticed I was cold and clammy. Something was wrong, very wrong. I knew at that time that I was going to throw up. The thought crossed my mind that I would need to get out of there as soon as possible because throwing up in a testing center full of 650 quiet people would be the worst possible thing that could happen to me.

I grabbed my test. I didn't matter that I wasn't even close to being done, I would deal with that later. I started walking up an isle in the exact middle of the testing center. Suddenly the situation became more serious. I initially planned to get out of there as quickly as I could and go throw up in the bathroom but as I was walking in the middle of the testing center I knew that I had to make a quick decision. Did I want to puke in my purse or run to the trash can? Trash can. I ran as quickly as I could and made it just in time.... sort of. I threw up four times. The first time the accuracy wasn't the best because I had been running to get there. I made a loud disgusting mess and attracted the attention of, well, everyone really.

So I was sweaty and pale and pathetic. The people closest to me looked at me in complete and total disgust. I wasn't sure what to do at that point but luckily a testing center worker who was preparing to make her rounds came out at just that moment. I asked her if they had a rag in the office so I could clean up my mess. So I took care of all of that and got the heck out of the testing center as quickly as I possibly could.

On the way home I called my BFF Emily and told her that the worst thing ever had happened to me. She agreed that it was, in fact, the worst thing ever. Now I think that it is a funny story but at the time it was so horrible! Just last week I was at a party with some mission friends and one of my friends who knew the story brought it up in conversation and another person in the room said "That was you!? I heard about that and I have been making fun of you unknowingly ever since." Great.

Bad Blogger

So I am bad at blogging but the good news is that I am about to make up for it by blogging a few stories. I have been keeping a mental list of things to blog about from my life and now I will do it. Since I only have one reader and since I am sure that reader knows these stories, it might be boring but maybe someday someone will stumble upon my blog and get a kick out of it.

This is a true story!

Tonight I was driving from BYU to the gym. I was headed north on University Parkway and I was around the area of Riverwoods (going towards the gym on 800 N). I was going approximately 55 miles per hours which I thought was acceptable since the speed limit was 50. There was a motorcycle man behind me who did not think that my speed was appropriate. I could tell that he didn't approve because he was following very closely behind me. Now maybe I should have been in the right lane but I wasn't and, well, that's not the point. I was scared too move with the motorcycle so close to me so I just kept doing what I was doing.

In no time at all motorcycle man got fed up. In true angry driver fashion he sped around me as quickly as he could. Once he was ahead of me I saw him make a sweeping motion with his arm and I thought that he was probably just flipping me off but then instead of a finger I saw what I can only guess was a shirt. That's right, a shirt. He threw the shirt at me!! It could have been a towel, it could have been underwear, but I believe it was a T-shirt. It landed on the road before it hit my car. What the crap!

Now for the good news.... Once I arrived at the gym I went swimming and none of the old men called me fat.

The Cold War

Even though I really should be social at school, I am really NOT. When I sit in my class I like to have plenty of space if possible. I don't want to be right next to anyone, I don't really want anyone touching me, and I don't want to deal with any bad smells that people could bring in with them. Really, I should be nice. I should be more friendly, but I'm not. I also like to find a location in the classroom where I can escape quick;y in case I need to. (Just a little habit that started after I had the unfortunate testing center experience)

Anyway, in my molecular bio class I have a seat that I like. I sat in the seat the first day and then again and again and again. It happens to be the perfect location...it is near the door, and near a trash can, I can get out quickly, and there aren't any people right behind me so I don't have to worry that someone is spying on me as I write this blog post (yes, I am in class right now).

So, here's the problem. Every once and a while this dummy girl steals my seat. For some reason, that makes me want to throw my empty diet coke can at her. I mean, she has to realize that it is my seat! It's not like we have assigned seats but, really, we are creatures of habit and after about the first week of class everyone pretty much sits in the same place. Clearly, I claimed this spot so it is somewhat shocking that dummy girl tries to take it.

Luckily for me, I usually arrive early to school and since I get here before the dummy I can claim my seat. There are, however, some days when I arrive right on time or even a little late she is in my seat! I walk in, look at dummy, she looks at me, and I take another seat. It is in that awkward moment that I feel like we are fighting a war, a cold war...she has to know that I claimed the seat first, she has to know that she has done something bad!

Since I don't have any real legal claim to the seat there is nothing I can do. So the war will go on. I will be on time, I will beat her! The cold war of biology will come to an end!

Who needs a cloak?

Yesterday I achieved invisibility which is one of my goals in life. It was the perfect time and place for this accomplishment...I was in religion class (ugh!). The teacher who (like many religion teacher and EFY speakers and fireside givers) acts like a missionary on speed, was going around and making sure he knew everyone's name. Well, he asked the person next to me and then just skipped me and went to the next row of people. I was on the end and I was the only one skipped. I was not at all offended, I was THRILLED! I was invisible. Now I need to figure out how I can do disappear in other situations and when I have mastered it I will need to decide exactly how I want to use my special powers.

Off to a good start

I am calling my blog The Angela Sitcom because unreal things just always seem to happen to me. The situations are always very awkward at the time but usually funny later. I had one of those experiences this week so I thought it would be fitting to use it as my first blog post.

Wednesday was a hard day. A long day. Lots of small irritating things happened. When I was done with school for the day I made myself go to the gym because I thought it would make me feel better and because it is a good thing to do.

I had all my swimming stuff in the trunk so I just stopped at the gym on the way home. I didn’t want to be there too long because there was homework just waiting to be done. I was a competitive swimmer in high school and even though I am not in shape like I was back then I am still a better swimmer than most of the average gym go-ers, especially since old people seem to like the pool and all they can do it flop around. I often get comments on my swimming ability by other people who are around. I kinda wish they would all just leave me alone but whatever, I am used to it. Well, I noticed an old guy lurking around and watching me but I ignored it.

When I was done swimming I got in the hot tub. I had had a rough day and was hoping that the hot water would melt away my troubles. Just as I was starting to feel comfortable I heard the old man ask, “How long you do that for?’ Well, I didn’t really understand what he was asking. Did he want to know how long my workout was or did he want to know how many years I have been a swimmer? Since I wasn’t interesting in a conversation I just said “I swam for about 40 minutes” and left it at that. “I bet you used to be on the swim team and you would do that for hours,” the old man said. “Yeah...” I replied while hoping the conversation was almost over. The old man didn’t say anything to me, but I could feel him looking at me. I looked up and something happened that I don’t think words can adequately describe but I will try. Old man made a motion as if to eat something. It wasn’t like he was eating just anything though, it was as if he were starving and someone had given him a huge fried chicken leg. As he made this motion he made a noise as if he were scarfing something down. It was a loud and strange sound. What the crap? So then he patted his big belly and said, “That’s my problem too.”

Old man proceeded to tell me how when I get back in shape I will be able to swim for a long time like I did when I was younger. There is nothing like a stranger telling you that you are fat to made a bad day even worse. Oh how I love my life.