The Day Nothing Happened in Rye

Today is the Day Nothing Happened in Rye! This is the plaque that tells us that nothing happened in Rye on September 5, hence the reason we celebrate.

The rest of my first week back at school went pretty well. I decided to drop a credit that I was taking because it didn't seem like it was actually going to do what I thought it would, so I'm just taking two classes. I am surprisingly enjoying my computer class, and am a little worried about my editing class, but I have made it through four years of college already so I know that I'm going to be able to make it through this one.

On Wednesday at work the fryer blew up. We think there might have been some water or something in there, but it made the morning pretty exciting!

I don't have class on Friday (which is awesome! Why haven't I ever done this before?), but I did have a party to get ready for, so after work I went on the bus to the dollar store. I had ordered some martini glasses to be sent to the Dollar Tree, but I wasn't expecting the box to be so big! I had planned on going to pick them up and then go to the grocery store and then home. Well, with this big box full of breakable glasses, I knew that wasn't going to happen. As I was walking from the bus stop back to my complex, all hot and sweaty and tired, I was just thinking how much I wish I knew someone with a car that I could ask to take me to the store. I was not looking forward to having to carry heavy bags of groceries to the bus stop and back. As I was walking past the far stairs, a wonderful priesthood holder in my ward was coming down the stairs. He talked to me a bit and it came out that I needed a ride to the store. Even though he was on his way to run some errands himself, he very graciously told me he could take me. What a great guy!

I watched Camp Rock 2 that night, which I have been looking forward to all summer (I know, I'm such a child). It was much better than the first one, a lot more seamless and natural.

Saturday I had to get ready for my Day Nothing Happened in Rye party! I had made the mini cheesecakes the night before, but I needed to clean the apartment and the glasses and platters I had bought the day before. Being the efficient person I am, I got it all done with enough time to read some of my book and get ready for my writer's group. After writer's group I made the cucumber sandwiches for the party and then I just had to wait a little bit. I got all dressed up and set out the food.

I was so excited!

Well, 8 o'clock came around. And it was 2 of my roommates and me. So we started drinking our "martinis" and eating the cucumber sandwiches. By 9:15 we decided that we were going to go over to the Cannon center where our lovely ex-roomie was still working. We walked across Helaman halls in our dresses and heels, carrying our drinks and some of the snacks for her. Felt so silly and strange, but it was such fun!

We convinced her to come back with us while she waited for her husband to finish his work on campus.

And today is the real Day Nothing Happened in Rye. So, have a good one everyone.

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.