"Heart-Attacking" Jill

It was fun.

We focused on decorating Jill's big dog.

This heart was particularly fun- Mara did the lettering, then we both signed it and used stamp markers to put little fish and hearts and things all over it.

There were a lot of hearts!

Hiking the Y for FHE

Only 2 things could have been better: if Jill had been able to come and if we'd gotten a picture with at least some of the GIANT "Y" on the mountainside!

It was Mara's first-ever hike. I assured her afterward that most trails I've been on are not nearly as steep. Some of the guys brought brownies, which provided a much-welcomed reward for reaching the top. Then we had a spiritual thought about trials. It was a lot of fun!

"Before" picture (above)

"After" pictures (below)
The guys: Aaron, Jared, Alex, Zach, Spencer, J.D., Joseph

The girls: Mara, Sydney, Kimmy, me, Sarah, Alysa, Madeline, April

What do you get when you cross Shakespeare with Dr. Seuss? Melted Cheese!

Melted Cheese
J M Henrie

I shall not eat thee on a summer's day
Nor in the dark of night will I consume
I do not understand the minds of they
Who, with a smile, with thee their breath perfume.
I will not eat thee on a crowded train
Nor try thee on a cold, high mountain peak.
What madness doth consume the men who claim
That gooey yellow mold is good to eat?
I've tried thee once, and yes I must confess
You rock on pizza and 'tween bites of bread...
I'd have to be insane or in duress
To eat thee otherwise, as I have said.
123Now, ice cream, there's a food that is divine

123Antithesis of thee, by grand design.

Gooey pizza

Chemistry Picnic

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry held its annual department picnic Saturday, September 18, just inside Rock Canyon at Park Area 4.

About 180 graduate students, faculty, staff and their families attended for a delicious potluck with a wide array of foreign dishes as well as typical American food such as sloppy joe’s, green salad, and watermelon. After dinner, many enjoyed an equally varied arrangement of desserts. There were brownies, cookies, and a dish of exotic caramel-colored cuisine.

Volleyball was arguably the most popular activity, with enthusiastic students playing constantly throughout the evening. One of the highlights of the game was when one young man went for the ball, set it, and immediately crouched down so another member of his team could spike it over the net. Instead, the ball came down and bounced off his head. The game was temporarily discontinued while everyone who had seen, including the man himself, had a good laugh.

Students also took advantage of playing horseshoes, soccer, Frisbee and football. Children enjoyed playing on the playground and climbing the trees, as well as trying their hand at horseshoes. They also enjoyed playing soccer, Frisbee and football.

Graduate students in the chemistry department represented at least 12 countries including: the United States, Iran, China, Nepal, Korea, Mexico, Colombia, India, Italy, Spain, Canada and the Philippines. If the department picnic is anything to judge by, we have some things in common besides chemistry: noodles, preserving memories via digital film, and volleyball.

One of the students was also talking excitedly about learning to snowboard in “The Greatest Snow on Earth”- Utah. “In Iran, we get some snow,” she said, “but I’ve never tried to ski or snowboard. I’m planning to go this winter!”

There was plenty of laughter and fun to go around that sunny Saturday. Even the weather smiled down as the trees filled with children and the game on the volleyball court stayed active.

Some pictures I took at the picnic:

Let There be Rain!

Stepped outside of my creative writing class today (only a few minutes ago) right into a heavy downpour, almost a wall of water. Walked for about 2 minutes and the rain stopped. Walked about a minute more and got drenched again. When I walked into the Benson building for work, Sue and the others in the front of the office took one look and said, "It's raining."

Yep.

I love Utah's sporadic weather patterns! Today in particular has been far from dull. Only problem with current rain? It's really cold.

"And let there be... Rain!"

To Everyone who has Ever Attended UVU: The Barbie Bike

If you have attended UVU recently (as in the last 3 years or so), you may have noticed a Barbie Jeep around campus. It may have been parked in an Institute lot or on a road by campus. The Barbie Jeep was a personal joke between me and most of UCAS (Utah's Coolest Academic School), while I was there.

Well, guess what? The other day as I was parking my bike I got really excited because there was a Barbie bike parked in the bike rack! I thought, Wow, BYU has a Barbie vehicle too!

Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, the pink-and-white bicycle was not actually Barbie. But the important thing is it is easily mistaken for Barbie, and that's all that really matters. The Barbie bike made my day. I hope it makes yours.

Mad Skill With a Muffin

This morning Jill and I each ate a muffin (courtesy of my mom) for breakfast (we were running a little late). Jill, who has a little better balance and more control over her bike than I do, ate hers en route to BYU campus. I teased her she was going to drop it somewhere.

"If I drop anything, it'll be me falling off my bike," she said.

But sure enough, before we even got to the first light, she called, "Jess!"

"Did you drop your muffin?" I asked without fully turning around to see.

Her voice was exultant. "Yes, but I caught it with my knees."

I turned to look at her in disbelief. "No way."

"Yes, way." She waved her half-eaten muffin in my face, the irrefutable evidence.

We rode the rest of the way to campus. On the way, Jill dropped her trash in a trash can on the side of the road without stopping or wavering.

Wow.

Good muffins, by the way, Mom. Thank you. :)

FHE

Ultimate Spoons

Listen to them roar!

Between playing Ultimate Spoons and Catchphrase, Jill taught everyone to make delicious English toffee.

Life On Campus

The car was packed with moving-in stuff

One of the first meals I made. It was so yummy!

The boys saving on the dryer at Wyview

Mara's dishes. We're all pretty good about doing our own, but Mara usually has a good bit more on her stack than Jill or me

The dryer didn't dry Mara and my clothes all the way so we spread them out all over our apartment to give them a little extra time (maybe that's why the boys hung theirs up on the railing) to dry

Swedish fish and frozen grapes have become our trademark by now

Mara found these moose boxers between her bed and the wall our first night in our apartment. If Swedish fish and frozen grapes are our trademark, the moose boxers have become our mascot

Miracle on BYU Campus

Once upon a time there was a college student named Jessica who was always hungry. She was blessed with plenty of good things to eat, so she never starved. But it was difficult for her to fast once a month. (Even though she still did it.)

Jessica had a roommate named Jill, whose grandma had to have emergency open heart surgery yesterday and things didn't exactly go perfectly. Jill invited Jessica to fast with her two meals today. Jessica agreed.

Now, Jessica usually rides her bike to school every day, and she always has to stop at the top of the hill for a long drink of water, which she carries in her backpack. Today she said a prayer to begin her fast, and in her prayer told Heavenly Father she would do her best to fast both food and water, but "water would be particularly difficult." She prayed for the strength to last the day and set off on her bike.

It is now almost time for Jessica to ride back to her apartment for dinner, and she does not feel the slightest bit hungry or thirsty. She hasn't felt hungry or thirsty all day. Not even at 2 p.m. when one of her fellow students in her Creative Writing class kindly offered her a Wheat Thin cracker. (She didn't take it.)

Jessica's been praying all day for Jill, her grandma, and their family- and occasionally for help for herself- and the Lord has answered.

I will continue to fast until dinnertime. But I felt like I should share a small miracle with you all today. The Lord takes those in their weakness and molds them into something amazing.

Thanks, Jill.

A Bowl, a Broom, and a Key: My Adventures Before 10 AM

This morning I got up at a quarter to nine (which was impressive considering I stayed up late watching Batman Begins with Mara and Jill) and folded all the clothes Mara and I did at the Wyview laundromat the evening before (where we started watching Batman Begins).

With the laundry folded, I got myself a bowl of cereal and had breakfast. But afterward, while I was washing my bowl, my fingers slipped and the bowl slipped and I grabbed for it (and almost caught it) but missed and watched it smash into pieces of varying size on the kitchen floor. Jill heard it smash and came running in to see what happened.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said when she saw the broken bowl.The bowl breaking actually didn't bother me that much. It was bound to happen eventually to someone, and I have two other perfectly good bowls. I told Jill, "It's OK, now I'll just be extra careful with my other dishes."

Jill was on her way out the door to leave for school. I followed her out to borrow a broom from Laura, our R.A. I was still in pajamas and I didn't have shoes on, but it was a beautiful morning and I didn't really care. (Good thing.)

Nobody answered at Laura's apartment so I went over to the multipurpose building (where the housing office is). They only had vacuums. So I walked back to my apartment and knocked on our neighbor's door, where I finally found a broom and dustpan. I swept up the broken pieces and gave thanks that the bowl wasn't made of glass. Then I left to return the broom and dustpan.

Broom

I didn't even think about how I would get back into my apartment. When I left it before, I had my keys with me in one hand. This time I forgot everything except getting the broom back where it belonged.
I knocked on the apartment door for a while but Mara is a heavy sleeper and our room is down the hall from the front door besides. So I had to go back to the housing office (second time in 10 minutes) and get a key. They were amused at seeing me again so soon but didn't laugh hard enough to make me feel bad. They got me a key, I let myself into my apartment and picked up my own keys, then returned the key to the housing office.

Then, and only then, did I shower and get ready for the day. I wonder what lurks around the corner of the afternoon?

Explaining "Clash of the Titans" (2010) to Genevieve

Disclaimer: For my creative writing class we’re supposed to be looking at the world with “poetic eyes.” We’re also taught that writing helps your creativity flow. So, FYI, the following poem is not really intended to be good. It’s just practice. Be kind.

Side note: Don’t let my opinion of Clash of the Titans (2010 version) mess with yours.

I watched Clash of the Titans over the weekend with my roommates.

Oh, yeah? How’d you like it?

The effects were cool, but I didn’t follow the storyline very well.

Really? My sister saw it and loved it! I haven’t seen it though.

Well, it’s about this guy

Who washes up to a boat as a baby

in a trunk

with a dead woman.

His mother?

Yeah. But you don’t find that out until later.

Oh.

So a fisherman finds this baby

And brings him up as his own son.

Then a bunch of years later,

The boy’s whole family drowns

When Hades

Comes up from the underworld

And creates a massive wave that sinks their boat.

He did this

by order of Zeus (who loves mankind)

because some crazy people

decided they were tired of the gods ruling their lives

and destroyed a statue of Zeus.

The boy, Perseus, is so mad

That he wants to kill Hades right then and there.

(But it’s probably good he didn’t try

Because he would have been toast.)

He can’t try

Because Hades disappears

And then some soldiers find Perseus

And take him back to the kingdom

With the crazy king

And even crazier queen

Who are making war on the gods

And somehow expect to win

And Hades comes again, directly to the royal court

And you find out Perseus is actually a demigod,

Son of Zeus.

Huh?

I know.

So Perseus is actually the son of a god;

His mother was a queen

Of a distant kingdom.

Her husband, the king,

Was making Zeus mad

So he disguised himself

As the mortal king

And tricked his wife

Into having a child with him.

When the king finds out

The boy isn’t his,

He’s so mad he locks his wife

And the baby

Into a trunk

And throws them off a cliff into the sea.

The woman dies,

But Perseus, son of a god, does not.

He’s the only one

Who can defeat the kraken

Which is Hades’s child

And can only be killed

With the head of Medusa.

So Perseus decides to kill the kraken

But first they have to kill Medusa

And before that

They have to talk to the (three? four?) Fates

To find out how to kill Medusa

But on the way to do that

Hades starts getting worried

And turns Perseus’s mother’s husband,

The mean and criminally insane king,

Into a monster with incredible power

And sends him to kill Perseus and his companions.

They end up fighting

A bunch of giant scorpions

Created by drops of the monster king’s blood

As well as the monster king himself.

A few people die,

They defeat the scorpions,

The monster king runs off,

Perseus talks to the Fates (creeps!)

And they’re off to kill Medusa.

All the while

There’s this girl following them

Who was cursed by Zeus not to age;

So she’s been around for many years

Watching Perseus grow up

And she just so happens to know

Where Medusa’s lair is,

And leads the company there.

Women cannot enter in,

So she waits outside

While everyone else (all men)

Go in and die.

Only Perseus makes it out,

Carrying the head of Medusa

In a travel-worn sack,

Triumphant but shaken.

As he nears the girl

She is stabbed through the back

By the monster king,

Whom Perseus immediately kills,

But too late

to save the old-yet-young beautiful woman

who led him there.

Perseus had made an oath

To kill the kraken without

Any help from the gods

But to kill the monster king,

He used a sword given him from Zeus,

And to kill the kraken,

He flew on a black pegasus

Sent from Zeus

Holding the head

Of a terrible myth

He could only have defeated

With the help of the Fates

And the guidance

Of a woman

Made almost immortal

By Zeus.

So he finally swallows his pride

And flies to where the kraken

Was due to appear,

Kills it,

And Zeus appears in person

To thank him,

Because Hades had tricked him

Into giving him strength

And if Perseus hadn’t killed the kraken

Hades would have usurped Zeus

And claimed rule

Of the universe.

Zeus offers Perseus

A place in Olympus,

Among the gods,

But Perseus refuses.

And then proud-but-bummed Zeus proclaims,

“No son of mine shall ever be alone!”

And he brings back to life

The woman

The monster king killed

Right after the Medusa battle.

And as heroic music plays

The screen fades to black

And the credits start rolling in.

That’s it?

That’s it.

So… How’d you like it?

Cool effects. Weird story.

Coulda Slept In! (Or Gone to the Temple)

This morning I woke up bright and early at 7:30 a.m., ate a good breakfast, packed a good lunch, and rode my bike to school with my roommate Jill.

Alarm Clock

Upon arriving at school and after Jill and I locked up our bikes, she asked me which building my 9:00 class was in. I automatically said, "The HFAC!"

She was on her way to the Eyring Science Center, so we went our separate ways. I was almost to the HFAC when I remembered- my 9:00 class was actually in the JSB! So I turned around and caught up to Jill on her way to the ESC on my way to the JSB. Then, right before we got to the ESC, I remembered something else- something strange. I didn't come to school this early last Friday. Had I missed a class?

I was really confused until I finally realized my 9:00 class is only on Mondays and Wednesdays. My first class (which was in the HFAC) didn't start until 11!

"Jess, how did you miss that?" Jill asked me in disbelief when I shared my revelation. "You could have slept in- and not just a little bit!"

I have no idea how I missed it. And I just realized I could've taken up an invitation from some of the guys in our FHE group to attend the Provo temple this morning. "Early to bed and early to rise" makes Jessica look like a fool. :)

Meet my Roommates!

Mara: funny, bright, and beautiful. :) Plays drums. From New York. Likes guys. Haven't tried to take her picture (hence no picture).

Jill: very musically talented (guitar and piano are only two instruments in her repertoire), loves dogs (!), patient and kind. :) Teaching me "Christofori's Dream" on the piano FROM MEMORY. From Tennessee. Spiritual. Doesn't like having her picture taken (hence no picture).

Two very different people, but I am super lucky to be rooming with them!

Sign? What sign?

This morning as I was riding on campus, a police officer stopped me and informed me of a BYU rule that you can't ride your bike in the 10-minute break between classes. He must have recognized my surprise as genuine because he only issued a warning. I asked him if there were any other bike rules on campus, and he said, "Well, your bike has to be registered." To which I quickly replied, "It is!" Then he went his way and I went mine.

After I arrived at work, I tried looking up rules for bicycles at BYU and couldn't find any except the ones I (now) already know: 1) only park your bike in a bike rack, 2) your bike must be registered (any city in Utah County will do), and 3) do not ride your bike in the 10-minute break between classes. Funny thing, though- all three of those rules were in separate places! You'd think they'd put all the bike rules on one page. How am I to know if there are other rules I'm breaking because I don't know about them?

One of the things I found said there were "signs all over campus" that explained about the don't-ride-your-bike-during-class-break rule. I haven't seen anything of the kind.

Sign? What sign?!

Worst thing since the Atomic Bomb (okay, maybe not quite that bad)

Graig's Driver License

World, look out!