Wonderful roommates... and "the new Party Rock" song

I sit here in a familiar living room- the same apartment as the one I stayed in last year- but three of the faces here were unknown until Jen and I returned from our trip to Cali the evening before classes started.

Their names: Sketti, Katelyn and Ary.

Sketti is very athletic. She's taking a lot of student activity classes this semester, is on the BYU women's rugby team and co-chairs the sports committee for our LDS ward. She's super fun and always game to fill needs around our apartment as she sees them. (She's especially diligent about loading the dishwasher. So far, I think it's almost always been her who's started it when it gets full.)

Katelyn is very kind. So far this semester, she and Sketti (they're buddies who met in Helaman Halls last year- kinda like how Jen and I are buddies who met in January of this year) have made us cookies and a couple signs with compliments for each roommate that they put up in the kitchen and on our bedroom doors. She helped me study for a jazz quiz and is tutoring Sketti in physical science. She was called to be our family home evening group "mom" and takes it very seriously. In terms of personality, she and I are pretty much as opposite as you can get: she's boy crazy, loves dressing up, doing hair and painting fingernails. Jen and I have gotten her to like City Hunter, so that's good. I'm excited for her. :)

Ary was the odd one out. The one who moved in without knowing ANYONE beforehand. Basically, she. Is. Awesome! Sara is her roommate, which I think she enjoys very much. Ary is majoring in German teaching, and since Sara loves German, they had some common ground to build on. Ary is not a shy person. She's the type that draws in everyone around her, with her wide smile and inclusive attitude. The-life-of-the-party sort of person. She's also a killer dancer.

This post is about how lucky I got with roommates this semester. Again!

These were waiting on the kitchen table when I woke up this morning. The note isn't signed, but I suspect Katelyn was behind this wonderful surprise. (I should add that we all agreed if we leave something on the table, that means it's fair game for anyone to eat.) The note says:

"My Dearest Roomies, I just wanted to tell you guys how much I love and appreciate you. It has been so great getting to know you guys over the last month. All of you are so incredibly talented and I have already learned so much from you! You guys are definitely very blessed individuals and are such strong examples of Christ and His gospel. You all astound every day with all the things you guys can pull off on a daily basis. I hope you guys understand how wonderful you are and please never forget it! You guys have shown me what it means to truly be considerate, how to really love your neighbor, how to laugh your way through life (I suspect this one may be directly inspired by me), that you can have a life and still do well in school, the importance of having a personal testimony and a firm faith in Christ, and how to be such a great example of service and pure unique talent. I really want each of you to know how much I really love you and how much I care about you! Please know how much I want to help you in any way possible and that I will be there for you no matter what! I hope that you have such a super fantastic day and that everything goes well for you. You really are talented and amazing! With love."

Yup, it has Katelyn written all over it. She's great. :)

Jennifer drew this picture to depict an idiotic YouTube video that went viral in about two days- it set a record for shortest time a YouTube video has scored a million views. It's a Korean pop song called "Gangnam Style" (pronounced gahng-nahm). I first saw it last Friday at my Book Club meeting, where I heard it described as "the new Party Rock" (you know it, the song that goes "everyday I'm shufflin', shufflin', shufflin'") because of how fast it became popular. It features a Korean man, probably in his thirties, dancing hilariously in a bunch of random places. If you look it up, be warned- there's a fair bit of suggestive dancing mixed in with the silliness.

Anyway, Jen only had to show Ary the video once for Ary to get the guy's moves down pat. I told you she's a killer dancer.