Alpha of the Omega

Yesterday was the first day of my last semester at BYU.

It started off with work, which wasn't so different than summer was. Except I got there and my manager wanted me to do all this stuff and I had to train which I don't like doing. But it wasn't too busy and my cashiers are competent, so I didn't have to keep checking on them too much.

On Mondays and Wednesdays I have to leave work 15 minutes early to make it to class on time. My first class of the semester was CHums 230: Computers and Print Publishing. I was not looking forward to this class at all! I'm not very good with computers and design isn't exactly something that I'm uber interested in (though it will be helpful). But it's required for the editing minor so there I was. Another reason I wasn't too excited about was that I was certain that I'd be working with PCs, because my sister had taken a CHums class and she learned on a PC. Imagine my delight when I walked into the computer lab and it was a Mac lab!! Part of my negative feelings toward that class disappeared. More disappeared when I learned something new about Word that day. Something cool will hopefully come from this class.

After class got over I went home. I checked my e-mail and saw that the student journal I wanted to work on doesn't let you work on it unless you sign up for a separate class other than the editing student journals class, which means I have to find another journal to work on. Le Sigh. But my roommate came home and we talked about our days and that night was FHE! We went to Payson and ate pizza and watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs--tres funny.

Not too bad of a start to my last semester. One more class today and hopefully my first meeting with a student journal sometime this week.

Love Jane Austen? A Review

Movie: The Jane Austen Book Club

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (some language, sexual innuendos, and brief drug use)

I just finished watching The Jane Austen Book Club. To tell the honest to goodness truth, I didn't think I was going to like it--in fact it had been far down on my list of movies on Netflix but my "Angel" DVD kept being skipped over so I got to it sooner than expected. I read the book by Karen Fowler two or three years ago and I remember having mixed feelings on it. There were some parts that were kind of icky (as things can get in adult fiction), and it just seemed . . . off somehow.

There are very few movies adapted from books that I can say I like better than the book, but this is one. When it first started off I wasn't too sure, but the more I watched and learned about the characters, the more I liked it. I found myself laughing at Grigg flopping down his Complete Jane Austen Collection and thinking that the books were sequels to each other (actually, Grigg was just kind of funny the whole movie), and crying with the characters as their lives fell apart and came back together again. This is a movie about friendship, family, love, and working for what you want. Life is hard and sometimes things happen, but we can all make it through.

As a Jane Austen lover, I liked this movie. From Prudie the Jane Austen snob, to Grigg the Jane Austen "virgin," I think there is something that every Austen fan will love.

Just as a warning, there is a gay relationship in the movie as well as one use of the f-word. There isn't any explicit sex (that I can remember, so I'm guessing not), but there is some moments of heavy kissing.

Pictures

My roommate this summer wants to be a photographer, so I graciously volunteered my services as a model . . .

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Sigh

Sorry, just had to let that out. I am so not a model. But she asked and I wanted to support her so I said yes. Some of the pictures ended up okay. Here are a few of my favorites.

A mural on Center Street Provo.
I love train tracks!

I am holding a Vodka bottle that we found on the side of the road.

Graduation

A Summer Recipe

Yummy Chicken Salad*

1 large can chicken

1 package bowtie pasta

1 can mandarin oranges

grapes

2 spears celery

2 green onions

almonds

miracle whip

2 capfuls of milk

salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta. Mix in with the rest of the ingredients. Chill and enjoy! The perfect summer food!

*adapted from a recipe my mommy gave me

Conversations with Customers

The scene is the Creamery on Ninth, Saturday night, closing shift. The characters are me, a cashier, and a middle aged woman, blonde and wearing a shirt from a Mexican restaurant.

The woman sets her groceries on the register.

Her: Do you have a boyfriend?

Me: Do I have a boyfriend? No.

Her: Do you want one?

Me: (awkward laugh) uh . . .

Her: What are you studying?

Me: English.

Her: Good, good. How old are you?

Me: 22.

Her: How do you feel about dating men from India?

Me: (awkward laugh) uh . . . .

Her: Because I know this great guy. He has two law degrees and we just need to find him a wife.

Me: . . .

Her: He's actually here right now. (She turns and points to an Indian man in restaurant) That's him there. (She waves him over and turns back to me.) He's a great guy and so funny. I hang out with him all the time, but I'm too old for him.

The guy joins us.

Her: (to the guy) This cute girl is single and is studying English. And she lives right down the street from where you live!

Me: (in my head) Please don't be setting us up right now.

Her: See, I just went right up to her and asked what she was studying and how old she was. This is what you have to do, you just need to talk and flirt so they know you are interested. We need to get you a wife.

Me: (in my head) Oh, maybe she was just using me as an object lesson.

Indian Guy: (mumbles something)

Her: Thank you! It was good to meet you.

Me: You, too. (In my head) I think . . .

Indian Guy: Bye.

They leave and I proceed to chuckle to myself until I can tell someone else and laugh with them.