Update: Just got this picture from ma sista

Just got this picture from my sister. This is our kitten, Tigress, just chillin in a basket like a boss.

Two Kinds

There are two kinds of chocolate chip cookies: the soft buttery kind and the crumbly oaty kind. I am one hundred percent those crumbly oaty kind. Especially the kind that come out of my mama's oven. But today I ate a soft buttery chocolate chip cookie just because it was there and I was hungry. I mean some people don't even have chocolate chips cookies at all. In France, we tried really hard to make Madam host mother some chocolate chips cookies, but we couldn't find any of the ingredients. And the ingredients we did find, were a little off. So we tried okay. But back to America, there are two types of chocolate chips cookies out there, and one type is boss over the other.

It is the same with cleaning house. There are two types of cleaners out there: those who clean and those who don't. I prefer the former, 'cause I just love myself a vacuumed living room and spotless kitchen. And because of my particular tastes, it makes it pretty much necessary to spend some time cleaning. But I recently learned of a new way to clean called T-Rex cleaning. Basically it goes like this: as you are cleaning you just think about how much harder it would be if you were a T-Rex. Can you even imagine? Trying to vacuum with those little arms? Or do the dishes? You would basically have to be taking a bath in your dish water. And your face would be all squished up against the window when you cleaned the blinds. And why even ever clean the floor? You would probably have to lie down to do it and T-Rexes are dirty, so the floor would probably get dirtier, not cleaner.

Ya so I am super glad I am not a T-Rex. And super glad I have a clean apartment. Now I think I will go into my clean kitchen and make some dancing chocolate chips cookies, and while I am doing it, I will remember how grateful I am to be human, not T-Rex, because making chocolate chip cookies wouldn't be super easy either.

Obssessed

Let me tell ya, it feel great to be doing something, everything that you love. Last night I was getting way into the lesson plan and frankly getting way lost in it, so I am going to talk to my professor today and I can't wait to hear what he thinks. Then I dropped my books and went on a night run with a friend. Ate blueberry muffins. That speaks for itself. Did some sloppy handstands with my roommate. Studied under my electric blanket until I feel asleep. Woke up before my alarm. Went on a run with some old teammates. Granola for breakfast. Headphones with classical music means paper writing time. Never been so engrossed in a paper before. Exceeding the page limit requirements. It is probably going to be almost 60 degrees today. Life's not perfect, but it is pretty good.

Of course, life isn't always swimming in a lagoon. When I was on the cross country team, my motto was "Hard days hard, easy days easy," and it could be shortened to "Hard-hard; easy-easy." When I was in the middle of a really hard workout I would say that over and over again in my head to remind myself that it was time to work hard. "Hard-hard, easy-easy, hard-hard, hard-hard." It even flowed with the rhythm fast breathing.Then on easy days I would have to remind myself to take my recovery miles slow - easy days easy. Now that I am thinking about it, life is like that too. (What a surprise; running is seriously always just like life.) Some days are hard, some days are easy. Maybe the trick is just loving the hard and loving the easy. It will still be both hard and easy, but one thing is for sure, life will be loved. Sometimes, Life needs some lovin'.

My thoughts on Facebook

Okay so I deleted my Facebook. I actually found a way to delete my Facebook completely, permanently, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just deactivated it. Not that I think Facebook is that great or anything, but I have been able to use it for a lot of good (talking to long lost friends, encouraging people who are down, finding ways to help someone or let someone borrow something, finding addresses for missionaries, or even getting lost items such as an iPod or wrongly addressed letter back to its owner, ect). Also, I only go on a few times a week, for less than five minutes a ses. Definitely not addicted. So why delete? Maybe this is a dumb reason, but I was sick of the pseudo-connection we have going on with relationships. There are a lot of people I really care about. Like a lot. And it is hard to see their lives at such a distance, not really being able to be a part of it or do anything to help them. But I think what really got me was that there might be people who are watching my Facebook who never talk to me, never text, or call, or, let's not get too traditional, talk face to face. And that actually bothered me. Why? I don't know, but I think that if someone actually cares enough about me to want to keep tabs on my life and be a part of it, they can call me up on the phone. But here are the problems: Am I actually enhancing human connection and authentic communication by removing myself from a social level that is possibly even fundamental to our society? What about my friends from high school who I probably am never going to call or get a call from them out of the blue? What about wedding invitations and party invitations? What about Facebook groups? The ward group? So that is why it is just deactivated, not deleted. It is silly really, but also, I gotta admit, it is kind of fun to not have one. Maybe I will delete my email address, phone number, and street address as well. Then people will just have to find me face to face and get a convo in. Elusive isn't it? Maybe I have gone too far? Oh the modern condition, where is the line? or does a line even exist?