tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15832798852636177742024-03-12T21:24:48.870-06:00A Waterfall of Wordssometimes words come rushing out. sometimes they just trickle.Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-51608725973678528972009-05-27T18:10:00.002-06:002009-05-27T18:11:58.070-06:00the moment you've all be waiting for...Please don't forget about me just because I got married and changed my name. Instead, travel with me to my new blog address! You know you want to!!<br /><br />Brettandkirsten.blogspot.com<br /><br />See ya there!Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-47160226601202910362009-05-11T13:26:00.002-06:002009-05-11T13:29:27.223-06:00me crafty? not quite but i'll try!I wanted something crafty from a fellow blogger friend so I decided to participate. You should all be jealous because what I get will probably be better than what you get from me. haha. But I promise i'll try!! After all I need to start practicing my "wife skills" sometime. Here are the directions.<br /><br />How it works: The FIRST THREE people to leave a comment on this post will receive at some point during this year a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive will be a total surprise--to both of us. The CATCH is that YOU MUST PLAY TOO! Before you leave your comment here, write a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (you can cut and paste these instructions). Then come back and let me know that you are going to play, and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift. It's THAT easy! Remember, only the FIRST THREE comments will qualify. Good luck!Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-34491558012907985992009-05-07T23:30:00.010-06:002009-05-08T00:16:37.750-06:00The end of an eraI feel the need to update my blog. Why? Possibly because I haven't blogged in literally forever (yes, literally). Or because my life has been amazingly beautiful lately and it should be documented. Or because i've gone through a few life changing events lately that the world should know about. Or because it may be one of the last blog posts on this blog. Yes. Its true. This blog will shortly come to an end. After all, I'm getting married next week and with marriage comes the need to start a "couple's blog". Its inevitable. Its like changing your name on your debit card, and getting a new driver's license.<br /><br />I'll keep you posted on the change. But until then I shall update via pictures. Enjoy :)<br /><br />Brett and I took more engagement pictures. I will save you from having to look through them alll (check facebook if you're interested). But ya can't deny the fact that we are one good looking couple!<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0po1mGAdqYd0qKDk0lR_lJpfI9J9iKdPBK_97_BlHWMHIdFLARnCgIDXn22zn1xTX_KUaYWu7GP4ctjGLl5T7yiVo6puxk0xq10sk5gvgBxyQ28pNEpX8gJ9GUV7yWLyWWzK_2iB_VKaD/s1600-h/kirsten27bw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0po1mGAdqYd0qKDk0lR_lJpfI9J9iKdPBK_97_BlHWMHIdFLARnCgIDXn22zn1xTX_KUaYWu7GP4ctjGLl5T7yiVo6puxk0xq10sk5gvgBxyQ28pNEpX8gJ9GUV7yWLyWWzK_2iB_VKaD/s320/kirsten27bw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333323829303018658" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I officially graduated from college. 4 years, countless papers and numerous tests later I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work. Now, all that's left to do is take my licensure exam and I can be a legit social worker! I feel so blessed that I had so many people to come and celebrate with me. (My Dad and Mom, Me, Brett, My Brother Tyler, Grandpa Johnson and not pictured...My aunt and uncle)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrSfG3l1WkOVJUlcFGcq4opPtBbBFCNEiO_NeHrrQPCZWxo2Oi78u1iSimYj0nAV-YATyhVDgeTb7dFOZAwVdW3wJIgRglXPMRPo2kLdPr5AdVKs6ao6y4_gDC34yRr77cQ_Ka4JtZJFg/s1600-h/P1020369.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrSfG3l1WkOVJUlcFGcq4opPtBbBFCNEiO_NeHrrQPCZWxo2Oi78u1iSimYj0nAV-YATyhVDgeTb7dFOZAwVdW3wJIgRglXPMRPo2kLdPr5AdVKs6ao6y4_gDC34yRr77cQ_Ka4JtZJFg/s320/P1020369.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333323836638271986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVNS7FTCPZNEywZiIDyJoUaoM-Y_xIUi7hjtmYjGtanlrYKbcrHpXyv6FKE8HKKbKtLt3uoGT13CZ_VwqfOvkfD43GxYUI43STL9ArmYV1PyFdEssD0_vmvrSrgEPNcKIMqsDS69MpEdR/s1600-h/P1020337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVNS7FTCPZNEywZiIDyJoUaoM-Y_xIUi7hjtmYjGtanlrYKbcrHpXyv6FKE8HKKbKtLt3uoGT13CZ_VwqfOvkfD43GxYUI43STL9ArmYV1PyFdEssD0_vmvrSrgEPNcKIMqsDS69MpEdR/s320/P1020337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333323835462910354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After graduating, Brett and I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon bonding through heavy lifting. We got the keys to our apartment after church on Sunday and moved in all our stuff.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Before<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbJNn4Xp_iWAbPpxRJuLvx15nmnY5_AUoY4hAf5ULrlgThhqE7K2GtqB8Lu0QDU5hV020FT56pipPsJ-SS1JieYs9cqFgkJYat6YI_K2eUC7FvaL7rN92o1Zcn5T6WTo7xzsXz1gFrQ_D/s1600-h/P1020379.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbJNn4Xp_iWAbPpxRJuLvx15nmnY5_AUoY4hAf5ULrlgThhqE7K2GtqB8Lu0QDU5hV020FT56pipPsJ-SS1JieYs9cqFgkJYat6YI_K2eUC7FvaL7rN92o1Zcn5T6WTo7xzsXz1gFrQ_D/s320/P1020379.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333323844406082242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">After<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBcpxJZMnpQn2AeKihgECBU0i8fhv7Hviv9ZjUPIg4cL5COYvtEMqtDA1IRw6mFnYl4Bjl-1F5oM3I-W5M4hJ8stpMIr1tgzc0V4kHH2oXGbvY3fScNQDVJN2S56azXmdn0n4w3XQ1FHo/s1600-h/P1020385.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBcpxJZMnpQn2AeKihgECBU0i8fhv7Hviv9ZjUPIg4cL5COYvtEMqtDA1IRw6mFnYl4Bjl-1F5oM3I-W5M4hJ8stpMIr1tgzc0V4kHH2oXGbvY3fScNQDVJN2S56azXmdn0n4w3XQ1FHo/s320/P1020385.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333327207903884450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Okay, so maybe that's not the final look, but its what our place looked like at the end of Sunday. Luckily we were able to get the bed set-up and made. A big shout out thank-you to Brett's mom who bought the bedding for my graduation present! (For concerned readers, I slept in the house while Brett spent the week at my brother's house.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXq1KJCSAuM4ySUXZs33pIz23M_uasGUHfGGeEKE1hvI1pIm6QtMJpxEZQkPr9EyVsXiKGVJK5ehZxk4t7df4SXbUazift7YCJKjMDAeUOOBhwokLMa7a5YY9NpxqffQsfDQ8xPEQMf1oU/s1600-h/P1020381.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXq1KJCSAuM4ySUXZs33pIz23M_uasGUHfGGeEKE1hvI1pIm6QtMJpxEZQkPr9EyVsXiKGVJK5ehZxk4t7df4SXbUazift7YCJKjMDAeUOOBhwokLMa7a5YY9NpxqffQsfDQ8xPEQMf1oU/s320/P1020381.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333327215031707346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LUuKlfSQ_RvQcJN4TJGBn47xla_JHV4RFB736VSgvMLkSNyli7VlCC4dIepDwWlZ1zjpCbJm_5QgPrAsbTaacb473mCnDgFgkSuWVuJJLX5jJ1IVRMrjuE9K80Wx-XV6SZM-fv6w_EX7/s1600-h/P1020387.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LUuKlfSQ_RvQcJN4TJGBn47xla_JHV4RFB736VSgvMLkSNyli7VlCC4dIepDwWlZ1zjpCbJm_5QgPrAsbTaacb473mCnDgFgkSuWVuJJLX5jJ1IVRMrjuE9K80Wx-XV6SZM-fv6w_EX7/s320/P1020387.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333327214922144162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now we've made it back to the present. Brett and I are apart for a week and a half. Luckily absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? It sure makes my heart grow sad and lonely. Anyway, I'm in Portland finalizing wedding plans while Brett is in Provo making the big bucks. He'll get here next Wednesday just in time for me to go through the temple (!!!) and then we wed ourselves on Friday. After a long day Friday, we will wake up early Saturday morning, drive the 5 hours to Baker City, have an open house, open presents, drive the 2 hours to Boise, crash, wake up, fly to San Diego debark on a cruise to Mexico and finally get a chance to relax. It will be so worth it! I can't wait to be married to the love of my life, my best friend.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC6pYijjHIz5tjgaZRr5LgpsXO7rrHdxWzhTDV_ShXKMCohm56Q2p42a7H7-7VIxB6zRS1_ne4XhuyC0Vab-Yi99SvJDWoN8lVmluIP9JhNEqoV8rdLPA1fS69I2Pq7iuGmXaOy0XHsKM/s1600-h/P1020384.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBC6pYijjHIz5tjgaZRr5LgpsXO7rrHdxWzhTDV_ShXKMCohm56Q2p42a7H7-7VIxB6zRS1_ne4XhuyC0Vab-Yi99SvJDWoN8lVmluIP9JhNEqoV8rdLPA1fS69I2Pq7iuGmXaOy0XHsKM/s320/P1020384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333329175820868530" border="0" /></a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-42801751399695668422009-04-22T21:33:00.003-06:002009-04-22T21:40:03.910-06:00any more updates and it would have to be the weekend. a blog written by Chaela McDonald on Kirsten Clark's behalf (she's not dead)(yet)Oh hey, so I haven't written for a while.<br />Updates:<br /><br />I'm still cool<br />I'm still pretty<br />I'm still smart<br />My name is still Kirsten<br /> ...but not for long!!!!!!!<br /><br />Just kidding, my name will still be Kirsten once Brett and I get married. But my last name will go from sophisticated to common in 2 seconds flat. The things we do for love.<br /><br />Another Update:<br /><br />I'm graduating! From college! I know, right? cool. Yes, tomorrow I will graduate with a bachelor's degree in social work. and then I will literally be an adult. Besides the occasional zit and giggly outburst when I see Zach Efron (who doesn't).<br /><br />This is a big month. College graduation, marriage for time and all eternity to Brett Michael Smith (my roommates keep reminding me it's not too late to back out...what is that about?), <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> updating my blog. No wonder I'm so tired.<br /><br />Goodnight!<br /><br />PS my graduation outfit is hotter than Arizona on fire right underneath the hole in the ozone layer.Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-42427425155486187382009-02-18T22:15:00.003-07:002009-02-18T23:02:06.054-07:00is senioritis a real diagnosis?For the first time in a long time I received feedback on a presentation that said "you could do much better than this!" yes, with the exclamation point. I know its a little thing, but I was heartbroken. My partner and I put solid effort into the presentation, and the teacher even admitted that our presentation was "excellent." All the students were very complementary and, not to sound prideful but honestly, our presentation was significantly better than the other two. His concern? We didn't follow the directions for the handout/paper. Our concern? He didn't give us directions for the handout/paper. How were we supposed to know what to do? We broke away from the standard "regurgitate your presentation into a brochure/handout" and attempted to involve the students in the learning process by having them fill out a worksheet. Unfortunately, our creativity was not welcomed. Not to mention that the syllabus ONLY mentioned a presenation, which we did, and did succesfully. The paper/handout were briefly mentioned in class. Can we really be held responsible for something he never gave us criteria about? Anyway, i could vent about this for a whole blog, but that would be boring for you, so i won't. I'll move on.<br /><br />Our attempt of creativity in this project was a minor attempt to cure my already overwhelming senioritis. I graduate in April and i'm losing motivation fast in all my classes/job/internship. It doesn't help that i'm getting married and planning a wedding at the same time. I'm sure you can guess which is more fun to do. Its too bad that the burnout i'm feeling (otherwise diagnosed as senoritis) can't be cured by changing things up a little (a typically effective way to deal with burnout) because the education system is all about doing what the teacher expects you to do. It's just too bad.<br /><br />As you can probably guess, I'm ready for a change of pace. Ready to do something new with my life. Ready to start a job and find the passion that my education has been fostering for the last few years. I think one of the reasons i'm most excited to get a job is the amazing amount of down time i will get to experience. Brigham Young may or may not have said (i heard it in a class, but can't find the reference) "Eight hours of work, Eight hours of play, and eight hours of rest make for the perfect day." I concur! Unfortunatley unless work = class, homework= play and rest= time with friends, i don't see how it is possible to meet this ideal formula. Hopefully it will be easier when i have an 8 hour a day job that doesn't require homework. One can only hope! Unfortunatley, Brett will still be in school. This means he'll be busy with the homework aspect and I'll be left to entertain myself. We'll see how that goes. <br /><br />Time to wrap up. Although I took an hour nap from 8-9 to rid myself of the headache that the presentation feedback/grade produced, i'm tired again. I may be sick with more than senioritis. I'm always tired these days. But I will write more later. Valentines. Trip to portland. Wedding plans. etc. Be excited!Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-32113272056303125392009-02-07T09:06:00.003-07:002009-02-07T09:29:31.826-07:00Good morning, Beautiful dayI woke up this morning in a good mood. I woke up at a good hour. I wasn't tired. And I have a feeling today is going to be a good day. Now let me explain something, "waking-up" is a very subjective term. I did lay in bed for about half an hour talking with syd. But eventually i got out of bed excited to eat breakfast. I currently have waffle crisp cereal. YUM! (Waffle crisp is up there in the top cereal category with Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Oh's) I pour myself a big bowl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blogs.effinfunny.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kids_f4.thumbnail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 86px; height: 96px;" src="http://blogs.effinfunny.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kids_f4.thumbnail.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> of cereal, walk towards the fridge and realize i don' have any milk left. Now what am i supposed to do?? So i look in the fridge and see another gallon of milk. My roommates. I look at it trying to decide if its still good or not. Take of the lid. And smell it. GAG its definitely not good. I literally gaged. 3 times. I guess thats what i get for trying to steal milk. haha. So rejected and still without milk i am left to eat my waffle crisp dry. Still good, yes, but quite the dissapointment.<br /><br />BUT... even that dissapointment can't stop me today. I'm in a good mood. (how can i not be, i'm in love!) Brett and I have an appointmnet to look at a house for rent today. I hope we like it! We're also planning on registering. Its fun to plan for our life together! In other news, i think i've found a photographer that I like! And a florist that is gonna do my flowers. And slowly but surely all the wedding plans are falling into place. :)<br /><br />Life is good my friends. Sure it may be hard, but i hope you are enjoying it as much as i am. Look for the little good things, not the little bad things.Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-85115883046224938052009-02-05T19:35:00.003-07:002009-02-05T19:46:39.767-07:00CardigansSo the other day I was walking on campus when I saw a girl wearing a green cardigan that would be PERFECT for my wedding. You see, I want to get matching cardigans for all my friends to wear. Uniformity, a token of appreciation, and instant cuteness. Simple, right? Wrong. A basic cardigan in green, pink, or cream is hard to find. Trust me, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">i've</span> tried. I considered <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">stopping</span> the girl to ask her where she was able to find such a gem. But alas, I did not. So now i turn to you. My faithful blog readers. Where do you suggest i look for cardigans? They don't have to be anything special. Just the right colors. Which, i admit, can be tricky. Any ideas??? Also, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">i'll</span> be getting a significant number of said cardigans, so it would be nice if I found them at a place that carried them all year round. That way I could get more last minute if needs be.<div><br /></div><div>In other news. I think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">i'm</span> getting sick. Well, scratch that, i know <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">i'm</span> getting sick. (sick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pouty</span> face) The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">benefits</span> of getting sick? Brett both made dinner, and did the dishes tonight. He takes good care of me.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOLGxwMpQbguPBCXZoXP5kbMKLuU6xgpO7mSvcwSKpqONp3y-AE3-aA6wG0NFk99_ebCeg5v7Bhve6r9zXJ584m5rPweOZWmwACv_asdrQzW8ddQFiSc46dPp5mHZhG-ehmXVU0ws1lpT/s320/englast.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299509591293964562" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-68785791423917721132009-01-22T21:42:00.005-07:002009-01-22T22:54:19.240-07:00Love is a beautiful dream<div>Wow. I almost don't know where to start. I feel the need to apologize for not writing in my blog in the last 4 months, but i also don't want to apologize. To apologize would be to admit that my time hasn't been spent doing better things. And i can NOT say that. The last 4 months have been better than I ever imagined possible. Here is a quick update on the last four months. A few quick highlights....<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>My parents came into town and we took my younger brother, david, into the MTC. This was the first time Brett met my family. This pic was taken while driving back from the airport. <br /><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVubezl5Qc1BTOQW4r8zIr86lnGWurgRBxpPKVxTf3emWCPuMpS4WRvR0TduxnofUYRtJMAwRXX1goFi9iyTygEKvq3TAWkaC056F2_DIUUQTIQjnA7idpcgb7p0R6Lo1wZcM6h1jVovBv/s320/P1020164.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294348974520363058" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Although i was proud of Brett for successfully meeting my parents, i was also proud of myself for successfully surviving a trip to Baker City, Oregon. Alright, all kidding aside, i really enjoyed our two trips up to baker last semester. It was fun to see where brett was from and what life in a small town is like. I even got the chance to drive the four wheeler and only got partially covered in mud during the process.</div><div><br /><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStyypHK037J90VP2UMWhuK32xVpWTr7027H0IYurCRBAt5mR6ZhIhOw5rjKbZYgSeWqYZhHyhcHo3D-vUtPSWJSFnCMQHf3gbt3TkIG9kkMzUNuKpNvib4PKQFWT-POfkXguUTy2rLkGC/s320/P1020185.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294348978397173170" /></div><div><br /></div><div>As any normal couple should do, Brett and I spent every weekend together and went on some fun dates. This picture was of the night we went to see Forgotten Carols. I love getting all dressed up to go out. Definitely a good night :)</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWpK6eqxWHUZZqjEbUcMFplrlB4xsVVy8hjsYfC3UM_6PCggDyeBm37KGMvqbun6niiXvwfUG_Ad1lO_BPqhEMk7KzuzrxUSrI2MHx1OqbvstDHJfg9r7-Cv4rPrupMiYjEWoj52EmY9y/s320/P1020195.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294348987474583042" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One cold sunday night we traveled down to salt lake to see the lights at temple square. It was beautiful!! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjwsb3HXIp7oIoUCIN1TPBCQFgkJLy8OWF6NWeCjPV3vFDlpwff7UHy0ueo1u3ewb6CovJdMZEAoPzQWS_mB2v05lbnUbr3iasKqkD8GwkUOWBlkaKpoU0z666Zm867-RQUiA583NtcEd/s320/P1020214.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294348993908488194" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>That very same night, I became the luckiest girl in the world when Brett proposed to me and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdB-cRoAQAXjIIqBPstbT2TrMVAaPg9Pm3RYXln15SHRm-RRc0LDfmeWEPW_mqQD5cvw-2My3BuuC7W7_W1R8dvBGMFQTtEk5MDpFGcyBU2R2i_Xy3Dg57yIkqZFmWStbh6fGWlnlas3s/s320/P1020223.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294348994661784738" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Since being engaged, we celebrated a christmas apart and were both glad to come back to provo where we are anxiously planning our wedding. Brett is taking a full load of classes and working at the MTC. I'm finishing up my last few classes, continuing my internship at the hospital, and working part-time at the hospital. This semester has proved to be less demanding and we are both appreciating the extra time we have to spend together. This last weekend my amazing roommate Chaela offered to take some pictures of us. So, in case you didn't get enough pictures of Brett and I in this post, here are a few more. What can i say, we are a dang cute couple!</div><div><br /></div><div>Its only fitting that some of the pictures included a chalk board. After all, we did meet in class :)</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_hSm6fG5Che7qUerYZfRR8OhKVCW-RWQNYaNLo8FxS0VZ9xMvYURU4l4SI3S0NwchweS2Apz-y-MHjZsJAzDc-Hx03xhsdkC0J6_36OZS7_5Dsel07qDH1hOP14CN-ejcmdDdJCeMSst/s320/eng12.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294360316983693698" /></div><div><br /></div><div>my internet isn't allow me to upload any more pictures... annoying, i know. so you'll just have to deal with these pics for now. I'll post more later.</div><div><br /></div><div><3</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-81871012542717169962008-10-15T20:41:00.002-06:002008-10-15T21:22:29.066-06:00A few observations...1) why are there some people who will not hold the door open even if the next person is right behind them. seriously, are they that inconsiderate? completely clueless? or do they just not know any better?<br /><br />2) there are many people on campus who are clueless about where they are walking. Generally speaking, i am not one of them. I make a point to carefully maneuver out of the way. This works except for on the rare occasion that the other person is also in the small "i watch where i'm going and think about others" crowd. Then it can get tricky as we both try to accommodate to the other person. I guess its a good thing everyone isn't so observant.<br /><br />3) Lately I've had a thirsty throat that i just can't satisfy. I think the dryness comes from being sick. Its a sad sad feeling to drink water and not be able to fully quench the thirst.<br /><br />4) This observation is more of a question. How much PDA is acceptable? holding hands? a hug goodbye? a short kiss goodbye? any thoughts? A friend told me today that while she was dating her last boyfriend she wouldn't even think about kissing him on campus. Now i've never been a fan of huge amounts of PDA, but i think there are some things that are cute and acceptable and in fact, should be encouraged. <br /><br />5) I hope i'm still holding hands with my husband when we are 95 years old. <br /><br />6) Airline companies are annoying. I looked into buying tickets online last week. All days were about $110 each way. Today i check and they are running a special where the tickets are only $80 one way. EXCEPT for the week surrounding Thanksgiving. Instead, said tickets are twice the normal price. Now thats just cruel, don't you think? The principles of supply and demand are not working in my favor.<br /><br />7) I have a horrible memory. I will be $130 richer when I finally remember to do two simple things.<br /><br />8) Typically thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of guys who eat, play sports and watch football all day. but not usually of the moms who get up early to cook, cook more, and then clean up all day.<br /><br />9) I observe that it is 9:30 and i finally get to leave work! YAY!<br /><br />10) smile :)Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-27640595303373005702008-10-15T20:03:00.003-06:002008-10-15T20:41:10.237-06:00isn't it about... time?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://aero.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pG01-4679096dt.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 313px;" src="http://aero.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pG01-4679096dt.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/P11174426.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 302px;" src="http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/P11174426.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I feel like a walking advertisment for Aeropostale today. I realized this afternoon that both my sweatshirt and my jeans came from that store. What is ironic about that is that they also happen to be the only two things that I own from there. Well, thats not true. but 2 out of things that i own. I would feel bad... but i really like the sweatshirt! Its super warm and cute. And the jeans were only $12 so you can't beat that. (the jeans pictures are not the ones i own, but i couldn't find a real picture and they look kinda similar)<br /><br />In other news, I feel the need to blog. In fact i feel the desire to blog. But i just don't have any energy right now. I realize that i have not written anything in almost two months. I'm sorry. I guess i've been a little busy. Almost 18 hours a week at the hospital for my internship. Full time classes (well, only 9 credits, aka 3 classes, if you take out the 5 credits i get for my internship/ once a week internship class) . 15-20 hours a week working at the library. And all my free time is spent hanging out with Brett. Needless to say some of the "extra" activities have been dropped lately. Ya know things like blogging (if i did blog, i would want to talk about Brett the whole time and that would be awkward), doing my laundry (i REALLY need to do that asap), cooking well rounded meals (who wants to wait for dinner to cook at 9 oclock at night?), cleaning my room (i think doing my laundry will help with my room situation), etc. etc. I am in NO WAY complaining though. I am absolutely loving my life right now. I'm constantly happy and usually in a good mood. Sure i get tired, but i really can't complain. I'm seriously so blessed (note the <a href="http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/">blog</a> reference). haha...but seriously (note the brett-ism reference).<br /><br />Since i still have an hour left at work and since I'm avoiding studying for any of my 3 tests that I have in the next week, I will continue to blog. But, just for fun, i'm going to make them separate entries.Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-89868572634625573702008-08-26T12:12:00.002-06:002008-08-26T12:35:45.440-06:00don't judge a book by its coverMany of you may remember at the beginning of this summer my personal goal to to read more. Well, i'm sad to say, it didn't work out as planned. I did read Tuck Everlasting!... but thats pretty sad for a whole summer. I even taught an enrichment lesson about the importance of reading good books. But i have nothing to show from it. My most recent motivation was Education Week. I helped one of my supervisors prepare and present her lecture series. All 4 classes related back to good books somehow (picking, sharing, etc). Each day i left with a renewed desire to read more! (especially when i have kids! I can't wait to cuddle up next to them and read aloud!) Once again, i'm hoping that i can follow through with this goal. This next semester might be a tad bit busy, but we'll see how it goes.<br /><br />Just to give you all a peak inside my life. Here is what i have in store for the next little while. <br /><br />Classes start a week from today. My classes include: Crisis Intervention, Perspectives on Cultural Diversity and Marriage Prep (calm down.. its just for fun). Most of my credit hours (5) will come from my academic internship. I'll be working part time with the Social Worker at the local hospital. I'm excited to see what that holds! <br /><br />Outside of class, i'm still working at the Library. My plan is to stay until i graduate in April. That means i'll have held the same student job all 4 years of my BYU career. Pretty spiffy, eh? I recently got a new title of "Head TA" and all the extra work that comes with that. It was also approved for me to help the Social Sciences Librarian teach her advanced writing classes this year. So i'll be teaching library sessions on how to research in the Social Work and Psychology fields. Our freshman english tutorial (the big project of the summer) is about done! so thats a relief. And although we ended up not using my voice in the recording (thankfully) it still has quite a bit of me in it. so thats fun.<br /><br />Outside of work and school... oh wait. is there life outside of work and school? haha, I sure hope so! After all, its important to keep a good balance. I'm not sure what to expect in that regards. A new house, a new ward, a old roommate is back again, and brett gets back in town soon. Lots of fun adventures for sure. Speaking of, for those of you in provo pay attention! We are having a house warming party next saturday. You're all invited!! More details to come. <br /><br />I think that will suffice as an update for now. I'm on my lunch break at work and its about time to head back. <br /><br />I hope everyone is enjoying the last few fleeting moments of summer!!<br /><br />much loves!Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-27945561372154179922008-08-23T17:04:00.005-06:002008-08-25T09:43:30.859-06:00its been a whilehello again. sorry its been so long. classes ended, i took finals, moved and then worked full time for a week. I would have loved to blog about all the exciting adventures involved, but i just didn't have time. or when i did.... i didn't have access to the internet. (my new house isn't fully equipped yet).<br /><br />Speaking of the house... here is a picture of the outside. Yes, its a little ghetto but its gonna be great. Its pink.. how could it be anything less than great?!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EN9yaKUBBFkB28lVPlh3kbp6sXvzMY-6p31A01D6C9dv3ifMFs7kWxfgmDPX4eFHogoj1u1-2dh2M3Fjn6HmhXvqw_T7BIQHKASLpfuohGatuIbbrIGihuSk5eLUBd81a2qGtt3CMTjU/s1600-h/Picture+003.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EN9yaKUBBFkB28lVPlh3kbp6sXvzMY-6p31A01D6C9dv3ifMFs7kWxfgmDPX4eFHogoj1u1-2dh2M3Fjn6HmhXvqw_T7BIQHKASLpfuohGatuIbbrIGihuSk5eLUBd81a2qGtt3CMTjU/s320/Picture+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237856352062526834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is our living room. I'll post more pics of the inside when i get everything unpacked.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2V-cnM9Bs2dFHEu7kPtpvWFazGGJeQrEXRtmMUB8Mvx8PE49-7aQbUJWw20E8AOrM77uYFPC6XNICzW_GWE8bCQVjJbqAJRJFUocc9Wr-ucuR7FIGI9V8XE3lXcqVsmye5ZFUkvNnaZP/s1600-h/Picture+002.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2V-cnM9Bs2dFHEu7kPtpvWFazGGJeQrEXRtmMUB8Mvx8PE49-7aQbUJWw20E8AOrM77uYFPC6XNICzW_GWE8bCQVjJbqAJRJFUocc9Wr-ucuR7FIGI9V8XE3lXcqVsmye5ZFUkvNnaZP/s320/Picture+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237856345138209266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yes its true, i have yet to finish unpacking. Instead i went to the driving range...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEa1d1du7qTAnAwemd7lyfQs1FUBakiDEeS-wDGc4c9ppE3vzvGASuUXo7cJ3X5F9GDfog6HTy_VHqtIOlOGPNnfd6AVqFHi2zg6O8hTV8QuytDDweh3l6PVb0YWRM94xIbTpYObAMis5l/s1600-h/Picture+004.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEa1d1du7qTAnAwemd7lyfQs1FUBakiDEeS-wDGc4c9ppE3vzvGASuUXo7cJ3X5F9GDfog6HTy_VHqtIOlOGPNnfd6AVqFHi2zg6O8hTV8QuytDDweh3l6PVb0YWRM94xIbTpYObAMis5l/s320/Picture+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237856354164051218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and to the county fair<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1W6fuFOGCWc_8XqFqW05rrnVa1yKgswVOCB_aSY_w6aZicavfMWr1axE8vHHttUFTDIcLC9fpHSydhQxjTzytsbTV23R7f4i8VRpyczGkv7lJbdozzPFHVz9CDQMoCCEMxjGBb-ZTp-V5/s1600-h/Picture+008.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1W6fuFOGCWc_8XqFqW05rrnVa1yKgswVOCB_aSY_w6aZicavfMWr1axE8vHHttUFTDIcLC9fpHSydhQxjTzytsbTV23R7f4i8VRpyczGkv7lJbdozzPFHVz9CDQMoCCEMxjGBb-ZTp-V5/s320/Picture+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237857545396414786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and saw a rodeo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTAV0PlMDb6ELkRmNJvCwFywByELmU9qBHaG9vVKTf1ot5R1IONWpmlVRr8iA-NMMjH4qf5UpxPELUdZHe4-oxskOapwccVTrimuJY6sDxIAuxaGEuTz2ENCiMWqTFLq6ayalDWVmY86Y/s1600-h/Picture+009.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTAV0PlMDb6ELkRmNJvCwFywByELmU9qBHaG9vVKTf1ot5R1IONWpmlVRr8iA-NMMjH4qf5UpxPELUdZHe4-oxskOapwccVTrimuJY6sDxIAuxaGEuTz2ENCiMWqTFLq6ayalDWVmY86Y/s320/Picture+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237857547520007122" border="0" /></a><br />I've been busy doing lots of other things as well. but these were the only pictures that i had.<br /><br />In other news my very awesome younger brother got his mission call!! (this is him at his eagle scout last year). He is going to burn and sweat to death in Arizona. spanish speaking.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0WXJK9Zh4KsF8ZYa09JsHujBQcjmbz9TtD18GbR3KO-LIFgatm3QtssXNDoQzr-WZJGjTBPQoNxJTXdXt2m-qPJMA9XB4a1r-k-iJpmZdys4bjaoc_I3FQK2WXsAq8VQIxpcTbw1LCm7/s1600-h/Picture+001.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0WXJK9Zh4KsF8ZYa09JsHujBQcjmbz9TtD18GbR3KO-LIFgatm3QtssXNDoQzr-WZJGjTBPQoNxJTXdXt2m-qPJMA9XB4a1r-k-iJpmZdys4bjaoc_I3FQK2WXsAq8VQIxpcTbw1LCm7/s320/Picture+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237856335742710258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />All in all I'm doing pretty good. :)Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-83524686499600145432008-08-08T15:30:00.000-06:002008-12-09T17:37:21.965-07:00I am spoiled...No, i am not the type of spoiled that happens to your roommates food when she leaves it in the fridge for too long. I am spoiled lucky by people who care about me! Now, i wouldn't normally consider myself to be the "spoiled child" type. Generally speaking, I have worked for and paid for all of my schooling and any recreational activities (including shopping) since i turned 12. But let me tell you, i'm feeling pretty spoiled these days.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqV932IsKj6k1M3Y2AqhlxLDZhKsZBM-OfSrsRQJt7dsucsQUsbqM4SJrmhv4JXTGcy1ZX5nSvJ18qyrDFPnXG79z4lqR3YFNk1DFDCbA2yGbsgmIVZ3Ofn2b1U13SaenN1h0Ag5LlzodN/s1600-h/Summer+08+033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqV932IsKj6k1M3Y2AqhlxLDZhKsZBM-OfSrsRQJt7dsucsQUsbqM4SJrmhv4JXTGcy1ZX5nSvJ18qyrDFPnXG79z4lqR3YFNk1DFDCbA2yGbsgmIVZ3Ofn2b1U13SaenN1h0Ag5LlzodN/s320/Summer+08+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230110442873831650" border="0" /></a><br />Last week i celebrated by 21st birthday! I was reminded of how many people care about me and are willing to do things for me. I also realized how awesome life is and I've felt pretty happy for a while which is a blessing.<br /><br />Since you are all wondering what i did for my birthday, i will tell you! It started at midnight (tuesday night/wednesday morning). I was with Brett, who provided the first happy birthday wishes. I also received multiple text messages from friends who remembered. Thanks girls! The next morning my Tyler brought over 2 dozen red roses. The roses were a present from my parents and David. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zKUzGHP7pmsXoBQJjDdJ13v8aNqNn07yKh11D_Pt8XtggfmUYExhXCaWqQ4NVFMxZb2KKPh9zXoEYFLb-pcpbPoYr5-0yedc6giVq7jXylPEYLMdY4x9xqJ4eYCOLJhn4D_IY29aqeD9/s1600-h/Summer+08+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zKUzGHP7pmsXoBQJjDdJ13v8aNqNn07yKh11D_Pt8XtggfmUYExhXCaWqQ4NVFMxZb2KKPh9zXoEYFLb-pcpbPoYr5-0yedc6giVq7jXylPEYLMdY4x9xqJ4eYCOLJhn4D_IY29aqeD9/s320/Summer+08+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230110436463622898" border="0" /></a><br />I absolutely love having fresh flowers in our apartment. so that was an exciting surprise. I then went to work (what kind of boss schedules a meeting with me for 9 am on my birthday). but work was pleasant as well. Both of my supervisors wished me a happy birthday as well as all of the coworkers that i saw. And lets be honest, who doesn't like all the excitement and attention that comes with having a birthday? After my meeting i headed off to class. boring, yes. But we got out early. I got to talk to my mom before going back into work. Luckily i got everything done for the day and convinced my boss that i was taking the rest of the day off. Then it was time for dance class. decent. then my whole office went out to lunch with me. By boss treated me and the food was yummy! The rest of the afternoon consisted of a somewhat successful shopping trip(thanks to my parents for the spending money!). I did buy two new pairs of shorts. White and brown. I also got a new skirt that has pockets!! always an added bonus. and a black shirt. Despite the successful shopping trip, i was still discouraged when i couldn't find anything to wear to the dance lab I had to attend that night. Luckily i did my laundry recently, so that shouldn't be a problem again for a few weeks.<br /><br />As i alluded to, i spent the first part of the night at a dance lab. i was bored and anxious to celebrate more of my birthday, so i left after the first hour. Brett surprised me with a balloon and a present! He got me this really awesome book called <a href="http://deseretbook.com/store/product?sku=3941679">The Infinite Atonement </a>. His mission president wrote the book and apparently its really good. I'm way excited to read it! Brett and I then went to a quaint little diner for dinner because they have these AWESOME ice cream cones that i wanted for dessert. the machine adds flavor to the outside of the ice cream. I wish i could remember what they were called so i could encourage you all to try one!<br /><br />After that we played some pool (i lost) some ping pong (i lost) and some chinese checkers (i won!). Then we sat outside, where i got bit 10 times (see <a href="http://kirstenclark.blogspot.com/2008/08/little-bloodsuckers.html">previous blog</a>) and then midnight struck and my birthday was over. or was is? My brother actually surprised me the next day with an awesome present. A i-pod! and amanda and rooi came over to visit and amanda brought me one of my favorite snacks... peanut butter and graham crackers. Also, my visiting teachers brought over these yummy strawberry treats and the relief society baked me a cake. See, i really am spoiled! Thanks guys! My birthday was awesome and i'm was lucky to have good friends to spend it with.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/11/LG_Venus_Review_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 125px;" src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/11/LG_Venus_Review_2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>On a slightly related note, i'm getting an semi late b-day present soon from Verizon. My 2 year contract is up and so i get a new phone. I'm got an LG Venus and its my new favorite toy! It came yesterday and i'm slightly addicted. Espeically since i can check my e-mail on it AND play songs AND text friends! what more does a little girl need?!Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-79226623088408023902008-08-02T18:27:00.002-06:002008-08-02T18:53:46.885-06:00happy, blissful, chipper, pleased, glad, joyousI'm in a good mood today. Which is surprising, seeing as i only got 4 and 1/2 hours of sleep last night. Why the limited sleep? Well, because yesterday was friday night so of course i stayed out late and then this morning we had a work breakfast at 8. normally i'd wake up at 7:30 for something like that, but we had cleaning checks this morning and i had yet to clean up my room or the bathroom. so i got up at 6:30 to get everything done. Luckily i wasn't too tired. When i got home from the breakfast i took an hour nap and woke up feeling refreshed. Its such a good feeling. My favorite story from today was a conversation i had with a friend. The topic was about her saying i love you to her boyfriend. Somehow i took that topic and quickly and excitedly progressed their relationship to the "i have a one year old baby" stage. I got so excited for the baby's b-day party complete with cake in the face. haha. it was a good converstation! In other news, I was somewhat productive this afternoon which is good, but whats better is that i wasn't stressed! Now i'm at work, and i actually cataloged some music and although i still have an hour and a half left I'm feeling pretty good. I'll probably hit the wall with one hour remaining. We'll see though. <br /><br />I wrote a blog about my birthday week extravaganza! but i want to add pictures from my camera so i will post it a little later.<br /><br />until then, do as the singing fish say and "don't worry...be happy!"Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-48054526875125579542008-08-01T17:22:00.004-06:002008-08-01T17:34:32.717-06:00little bloodsuckersas the title of my blog states "sometimes words come rushing out, sometimes they just trickle" today is a day of rushing words my friends. why? well there are multiple contributing factors 1) i'm at work avoiding music cataloging 2) its friday and i finally have some free time to blog... its been a while and 3) i'm in a good mood. :)<br /><br />The focus of this blog is on the pesky little bug we call mosquitos.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/2064773/mozzy-main_Full.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/2064773/mozzy-main_Full.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I was sitting outside with brett the other night. near grass, which was my first mistake. when suddenly my knee started to itch. Frustrated i looked down to see a nice red mark appearing. Of course i itched it. Of course brett told me to stop. Now lets fast forward to today. my knee still itches, but its not alone. I have two bites on my left knee, two on my left calf, one on my left foot, one on my right foot, one on my right achilles tendon, and two other small ones on my right leg. yes, count them, thats NINE (9). And if you know me, you know i am a picker and itcher and a baby. so its really hard to try and "ignore" the itch. I realize that ignoring them makes them decrease and eventually go away, but its just so hard!<br /><br />I found this website about how to "<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="visibility: visible;" class="opDefaultContent" id="opmodule_body"></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_3041_treat-mosquito-bite.html">How to Get Rid of a Mosquito Bite</a>" Maybe i'll try some of the remedies when i get home from work. <br /></span>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-6572412834453789372008-08-01T16:45:00.004-06:002008-08-01T17:05:48.655-06:00isn't it about... time?I've worked at the library for 3 years now. I've spent countless hours studying in the library, sleeping in the library, working in the library, even eating in the library. One might say that some days i live at the library. That being said, in my 3 years i have NEVER experienced a library fire alarm. shocking, i know. some of my co workers have "lived through" over 10. and me... zero. Until today. My dance class got out early (we had a test, and i tested second and got to leave) so naturally, i migrated to the library. The rest of the story is pretty boring. The alarm went off, blaring loudly in my ears, we walked outside through the special emergency exit (i HAD been out this exit before when we were trained) and waited in the hot sun for the ringing to stop. As an employee, i got to enter back into the library through the secret exit and go back to work. terribly exciting. okay, not really, but now at least i can say i've experienced one! <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.accesson.ca/ado/images/illustrations/en_library.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.accesson.ca/ado/images/illustrations/en_library.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As with all good life changing experiences, todays events got me thinking. Be prepared these are profound thoughts:<br /><br />1.) why does the alarm have to be so loud? OW. nuff said<br /><br />2.) what happens to people who can't use stairs? you are not supposed to use a elevator during a fire alarm. Where i work, on the second floor, there were many older patrons in the area for a family history conference. Convincing them all to go out the stairs and not back to the elevator was tricky. Luckily they all made it. But seriously, what if someone couldn't walk up the stairs? I've seen little contraptions to help people get down stairs, but what about up?? <br /><br />3.) how often am i aware of the closest emergency exit? the library is HUGE and as we all know, there is only one main entrance. In the event of a fire, there are multiple "hidden" exits that are available. Luckily i know about them since i work here, but what if i was unfamiliar with the layout. what would i do? I would burn to death. so, from now on, i am going to find the emergency exit prior to sitting down. <br /><br />4.) why don't some people listen? there was a girl waiting outside the classroom when i got back to work after the alarm. my boss asked her "did you not leave the library?" She said no. WHAT? what do you mean you didn't leave the library? she explained that they were in the maps section when the doors closed and no one moved. The announcement came on the loud speaker for everyone to evacuate and yet, no one moved. Seriously, what if there really was a fire? Unlikely.. yes. but possible. Maybe they didn't know where to go, maybe peer pressure made it easier to stay, but maybe next time the won't be as lucky. On a similar note, a month or so ago i was sitting in the library when an announcement came on that said to evacuate the library. again, no one moved. There was no fire alarm and no apparent reason to leave. So we didn't. It ended up being a mistake, but we all sat there for 5 minutes until they finally told us we did NOT have to leave the building. When should we follow directions and when should we ignore them? I don't have an easy answer.Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-4331546535537489002008-07-28T21:08:00.003-06:002008-07-28T21:24:17.714-06:00cause the hardest part is a person and a heart...I could come up with a list of complaints right now. it wouldn't be hard. but thats not what i want to do. I was cranky, ornery, irritable, grouchy etc. whatever your word of choice is, it was it. So what did i do? I turned on music. Music is great medicine. It was this music that reminded me i never blogged about something, or rather someone.<br /><br />His name is <a href="http://www.blogger.com/jontroast.com">Jon Troast</a>. Jon with no h and toast with a r. And he is my new favorite music crush. He opened for a concert i went to a few weeks ago and i became an instant fan. According to his myspace page he is listed as folk rock/pop/acoustic. I'm not sure what i would call it, i've never been one knowledgable in music genres. All i know is i like his style, his lyrics, and his voice.<br /><br />Check out his page:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jontroast.com/New_Site/index.html">www.jontroast.com</a><br /><br />His song "Family" is on my playlist. Unfortunately thats the only one they have. I also like a number of the songs on his website. Unfortunately many of the songs from his concert are not on there. Maybe i'll track down his CD someday.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jontroast.com/sandyamphitheater.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.jontroast.com/sandyamphitheater.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thats me. Top right. you can see me, right? haha. okay.. fine. but i promise i was there. <br /><br /><br /><br />(the pic is from his blog on his profile. he is on a "living room tour" and takes pictures will all of his audiences. needless to say, this show had quite the large living room. in his blog he also wrote about his visit to Portland. he captures Portland quite well, check it out.)Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-37632213930369424562008-07-23T23:07:00.003-06:002008-12-09T17:37:22.441-07:00A smile on my faceI love this feeling. I hope it lasts.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiBxlbQ2MV0LB5ZE5yOdwJh4VoqVGx6uUKYo-wR-LIWCV-Wl0eM-2sXq-OBtDg8YPPF_gboZhk0SmrLE57gqvOOvqJ5_LRuYylcU2aXPGtCoWjcAR8CzMV9JST4sFchaXld89et23YS6U/s1600-h/Birthday+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiBxlbQ2MV0LB5ZE5yOdwJh4VoqVGx6uUKYo-wR-LIWCV-Wl0eM-2sXq-OBtDg8YPPF_gboZhk0SmrLE57gqvOOvqJ5_LRuYylcU2aXPGtCoWjcAR8CzMV9JST4sFchaXld89et23YS6U/s320/Birthday+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226444393709777330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I don't really have much to say, but I just wanted to post and share my happiness with you all!<br /><br /><br />p.s. exactly one week til my b-day!<br /><br />(the pic is of the balloon and flowers i got tausha for her b-day, i just loved them so much i wanted a picture on my blog of them!)Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-29910865566635969292008-07-23T21:57:00.004-06:002008-07-23T22:12:22.947-06:00this world is one strange placeI came home from work today at like 7. My roommate was on my computer and I didn't have any homework to do (since tomorrow is a holiday!). So what do I do? I sit in front of the TV of course. Its been a while since I've watched anything on the TV so i flipped through the channels not knowing what to expect. I ended up on Lifetime where a movie had just started. Intrigued, and for lack of anything better to do, I started watching it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.celticattic.com/jewelry/images/celtic/pendants/mother_child.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 319px;" src="http://www.celticattic.com/jewelry/images/celtic/pendants/mother_child.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Come to find out the movie was called "Glass House: the good mother." It was kinda dark and definitely intense at points but what interested me more what the story line. Its a story of a mother who has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchausen_syndrome">Munchausen Syndrome by proxy</a>. Basically its a disorder where the mother intentionally makes her child ill in order to be able to care for the child. Its sad and disturbing to think about all of the different things that go on in the world. Stories of abuse just make me so frustrated with people. On a related note, the mother and father were foster parents and had "gone through" multiple little boys. Its scary to think that a social worker looked over the real problem (fictionally speaking, of course). As a future social worker myself that is a scary thought. I know that i can't be perfect in my job, but i really hope that i am competent enough to avoid situations where more harm is done because of a decision i make. Thinking about things like this make me SOOOO excited for life after this world. I just can't wait! I know that things will work out for all of God's children (which is a really comforting thought) and that heaven will be a much happier place.<br /><br />Please please everyone be careful and be nice to people. You'd be surprised how many people in the world need friends.<br /><span class="title-link-wrapper"><a class="title-link" name="Result_6" id="Result_6" href="http://web.ebscohost.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie46bZMsqa0SK6k63nn5Kx95uXxjL6trUqxpbBIrq6eSa%2bws0q4qrc4zsOkjPDX7Ivf2fKB7eTnfLuns0murLVMtK%2byPurX7H%2b72%2bw%2b4ti7iPHv5j7y1%2bVVv8SkeeyzsEiuq6tItK6zTqumrkuk3O2K69fyVeTr6oTy2%2faM&hid=112" onclick="javascript:__doLinkPostBack('','target~~fulltext||args~~6','');return false;" title="Munchausen Syndrome by proxy: Controversies."></a></span><a class="title-link" name="Result_6" id="Result_6" href="http://web.ebscohost.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie46bZMsqa0SK6k63nn5Kx95uXxjL6trUqxpbBIrq6eSa%2bws0q4qrc4zsOkjPDX7Ivf2fKB7eTnfLuns0murLVMtK%2byPurX7H%2b72%2bw%2b4ti7iPHv5j7y1%2bVVv8SkeeyzsEiuq6tItK6zTqumrkuk3O2K69fyVeTr6oTy2%2faM&hid=112" onclick="javascript:__doLinkPostBack('','target~~fulltext||args~~6','');return false;" title="Munchausen Syndrome by proxy: Controversies."> </a><span class="title-link-wrapper"><a class="title-link" name="Result_6" id="Result_6" href="http://web.ebscohost.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/ehost/viewarticle?data=dGJyMPPp44rp2%2fdV0%2bnjisfk5Ie46bZMsqa0SK6k63nn5Kx95uXxjL6trUqxpbBIrq6eSa%2bws0q4qrc4zsOkjPDX7Ivf2fKB7eTnfLuns0murLVMtK%2byPurX7H%2b72%2bw%2b4ti7iPHv5j7y1%2bVVv8SkeeyzsEiuq6tItK6zTqumrkuk3O2K69fyVeTr6oTy2%2faM&hid=112" onclick="javascript:__doLinkPostBack('','target~~fulltext||args~~6','');return false;" title="Munchausen Syndrome by proxy: Controversies."><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a></span>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-40011930570962030192008-07-20T23:00:00.002-06:002008-07-20T23:08:09.455-06:00TWO WHOLE WEEKS!I just took a look at my blog and realized it has been two whole weeks, 14 days, since my last post. That makes me sad. I'm sure i've had profound thoughts and words of wisdom and pointless stories over the past two weeks that never made it on my blog. As my reader, i'm sure you're upset to. right?! good :) I guess i've just been super busy. I really don't know where the month of July has gone. But busy is good. I've been having my fair share of fun, so don't you worry. <br /><br />Hopefully i'll schedule some good quality blogging time into my schedule this week. Until then, i'll leave you with a few things i'm excited for:<br /><br />July 24th: yay for Utah and their insistence on celebrating this holiday. I'm just happy cause classes are canceled that day! And although the library is open, i managed to successfully avoid signing up for a shift. <br /><br />July 25th: bonfire with mi amigos! Jess is coming back in town for the weekend and its time to party. <br /><br />July 30th: MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />party on!Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-80484095324991371472008-07-20T22:33:00.002-06:002008-07-20T22:59:58.746-06:00Shoo fly pieI wish this post was about pie. yum. In fact it could be, i just got off the phone with my mom and she is going to send me a recipe for key lime pie. but i digress. This post is about our beloved friends.... the house fly. The line in the title is a lyric from some old swing song that somehow is in my repertoire of pointless music knowledge. <br /><br />Here is a lovely picture is case you forgot what a disturbingly disgusting animal it is. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.qpm.ca/Pests/housefly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 164px;" src="http://www.qpm.ca/Pests/housefly.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Just in case that wasn't enough here is a little background on flies:<br /><br /> "Houseflies can take in only liquid foods. They spit out saliva on solid foods to pre-digest it, and then suck it back in. They also vomit partially digested matter and eat it again."<br /><br />lovely, huh?<br /><br />So why the sudden interest with flies? you ask. Well, because they are the bane of my existence. (yes i know, i'm exaggerating)<br /><br /> here is the story:<br /><br />imagine yourself, lying in bed on a peaceful Sunday morning. Thinking about how you need to get up and finish preparing your talk for church, but not willing to succumb to your alarm clock quite yet. When suddenly you hear a noise. bsssssssss. It makes you flinch. Your hand naturally tries to swat and your eyes jerk open. Just in time to see a fly circling your room. Frustrated, you close your eyes again, intent on salvaging the last few minutes of rest in your bed. not more than 10 seconds later you have deja vou as the fly decides to interrupt your rest... yet again. This time more frustrated you open your eyes and hope that you can swat it down without getting out of bed. multiple attempts later the fly is still flying around your room. You try pulling your sheet over your head, but the soft cotton threads don't function as much of a sound barrier. You wonder how the fly knows exactly where to fly to cause you the most disturbance. Almost ten minutes later you finally get out of bed. you see the fly and glare at it as your make your way out of the room. what better way to start a day than with malicious thoughts towards a fly. <br /><br />okay, that may not be the most dramatic story or experience ever but i was SOO frustrated. seriously, the fly was driving me crazy. And to make it worse, i re-lived the experience this afternoon during my much-needed sunday nap. Fortunately (for my sanity) I successfully swatted the fly down and found much joy in the experience. <br /><br />I heard a girl at church talking about how they were having a "fly problem" in their apartment. She happens to live right above me and i'm very curious just exactly why they have this "fly problem" and why it seems to have become my problem as well. <br /><br />I've decided one of my least favorite sounds is the sound of a fly. I don't think i would mind them so much if it wasn't for their obnoxious noise! oh, and the feeling when one lands on you. gross. And, they are so evasive! seriously, my simple swatting was not going to work to bring down this fly. I did a little research about flies and this is what i found. maybe it will come in handy next time a fly tries to torment me. And hopefully you can use it too :)<br /><br />"Flies have a very highly-evolved evasion reaction which helps to ensure their survival. It is possible to confuse a fly's evasion system by swatting it with two objects simultaneously from different directions. The holes in a fly swatter minimise the air current which warns the fly of being hit, whilst reducing air resistance and increasing speed of the swat. This evasion reaction can also be used against the fly. Clapping your hands several inches above the fly will cause it to try to escape, usually into your just closing hands. A successful method of removing flies from living spaces is to use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a long (1m/3 feet)straight tube at the end of a flexible hose. Airborne flies can be chased with the tube and will eventually be sucked into it. Standing flies can be approached slowly with the tube (1cm/half-an-inch per second) and often they will not fly away and will be sucked into it."Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-64962966845305378772008-07-06T21:54:00.004-06:002008-07-06T22:01:08.096-06:00the next best thing to a personal editorwith all the posting i've done recently i'm sure i've made many many grammatical and spelling errors. You'll have to forgive me. Elise was kind enough to point out one of them and in talking to her, she admitted that her husband finds and corrects most of her mistakes. And thus we decided....i need to get married. any takers?Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-12353157006078938202008-07-06T21:04:00.002-06:002008-07-06T21:53:47.030-06:00a kiss that meant somethingSome time ago I made a list of blogs I wanted to write. (dedicated readers should remember this list) Go figure, I never got around to writing any of them! But i was sitting at church today and was reminded of the experience that was tied to the title "a kiss that meant something" and i really wanted to write about it and share it before i forgot it. <br /><br />About a month ago my adventures took me up north. well, north salt lake at least. I was at Layton Mall and decided to take the opportunity to visit my grandpa who lives in Ogden. You may remember <a href="http://kirstenclark.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-hands-are-cold-but-my-heart-is-warm.html">the post</a> about when i went up there last semester. Unfortunately life gets busy and i had not been up since. Jumping at the opportunity i stopped in to see my grandpa, who is currently in a rehab/hospice type place. He fell and hurt his legs and has since become stuck in his wheel chair. He has a form of Alzheimer's and it is worsening almost daily. <br /><br />I walked in and instantly saw him sitting in his wheel chair playing with something or other on the wall. I walked up and put my hand on his shoulder "grandpa? Elmo? How are you?" He looks at me and i can tell he doesn't recognize me, but i ask him anyway. "do you know who i am?" his answer is a simple no. I start explaining that i'm his grand daughter, his son's daughter and i'm here to visit him. It still makes me tear up to remember how his eyes lit up. "you came to see me!?" he said in a tone that made my heart ache for him. He grabbed my hand and i reassured him that i was there to see him. Then he motioned me towards him and he gave me the sweetest kiss ever. a little background: my family has never been one of those families that is always kissing each other, it kinda weirds me out, but getting one from my grandpa was one of the most precious things ever. At that point i started crying and i don't think i stopped for the rest of the visit.<br /><br />The visit itself wasn't that extraordinary. His memory isn't the best so i showed him the pictures we have in his room. reminding him who everyone was and mostly just kept him company. At one point he told me that he wished his wife (my grandma) could be there to see me. She still lives in their house in Ogden and so i told him i would go visit her as well. He kept saying it over and over again. I think really he just missed her. The sad thing is she goes to visit him everyday, but by the end of the day he can't remember that she did. Its really hard on both of them, i'm sure. <br /><br />When it came time to leave he asked if i knew where i was going. i did. but he tried to insist on letting him come with me; he'd show me where my grandma lived. I could barely muster the words to tell him no. I'm not strong enough to get him in and out of my car from his wheel chair and he had to eat dinner. He wanted so badly to leave the care facility (as anyone would, i'm sure) and told me a few times that he wished he could work or do anything. In fact, at one point when i asked if he was having a good day he said "no, all i do is sit here." It really made me sad. but on top of that, it made me appreciate life and what i have and the healthy body that i have to do things with. I really am scared of getting old, it doesn't look like much fun. <br /><br />My goal is to go visit him more often. I realize that he won't remember me, and that once i leave he'll forget i was ever there. but seeing how happy it made him for a moment was more than worth it. Maybe next time i'll drag someone along who could help him get in and out of my car and we can take him out and about for a day. I think that would be nice.Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-62846839335252987492008-07-05T09:36:00.003-06:002008-07-05T17:14:21.514-06:0024 and countingAs of my latest addition to my bloglist i have 24 friends (real people) who have blogs that i am subscribed to! I love it! It makes for good reading. I have a few additional things on my reader but 24 actual people... wow.. i was surprised. Its too bad only like 5 people read my blog. I guess I can be cool by association.<br /><br />Actually realizing how many blogs I read made me start to wonder who reads my blog. I know of a handful of people who have subscribed. (9 in fact, google reader told me so) The ones who leave comments mostly. Then there are some other friends who i know will check it periodically. But what about the random people I wouldn't think of, or even complete strangers, who read it. Thats kind of creepy. I don't think i put anything on here that would be jeopardizing but it still makes me double think everything before I write it. I try to avoid talking about people, especially my relationships with people, as that could get out of control really fast. Can you imagine if I blogged about the latest date i went on? And then the guy happens upon my blog via facebook and then reads everything? that would be no good...<br /><br />The truth is that I write in my blog almost purely selfishly. Mostly because I like to write and get things out. In a way it is like a journal. I should probably write more in my real journal and leave this blog for things that are actually interesting to other people, but oh well. The second selfish reason is because i like the attention. I love getting comments! This reason accounts for a lot less of why i write than the first one, but it is definitely an added perk. The third reason i write is to waste time. Like today for example... i'm stuck at work from 8 am til noon. The library is almost completely empty and i'm so bored. Not to mention tired. Plus, while i'm describing how i feel, i'll add in that i'm freezing! The temperature is on the cold side, plus i just sit here. Goosebumps usually fill my arms fast and although typing makes my fingers cold, at least it keeps my mind off of the fact that i'm slowly freezing to death.....Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1583279885263617774.post-17578955294491708452008-07-05T09:19:00.005-06:002008-07-06T21:30:42.250-06:00cognitive gymnasticsSometimes I think my brain would win a gold medal in the Olympics if cognitive gymnastics were a sport.<br /><br />I'm in a social psychology class where we are learning all about why people act the way they do. It's made me really analyze what i do. I'm just taking it for fun, and its turning out to be as interesting as i had hoped. Plus, i actually do all the reading before class! Can you even believe it? I NEVER read the text book. The funny thing is that i'm proud of myself for this fact, but the reality is that i have to read because we have to turn in a paper every class period based on the chapter reading. oh well, i can still feel good about myself!<br /><br />on a slightly related note, i had a dream the other night that wasn't anything extra-ordinary but it made me think about my dreams and how unrealistic they usually are.<br /><br />In my dream my friends and I were walking back towards my car. We were almost there when I realized that someone else was in my car, driving it away. They were stealing my car! Now here is where the cognitive jump comes in. Suddenly we were chasing the bad guys by foot and my first instinct was to get their license plate number. Now logically thinking, they would be driving my car (since they just stole it) and writing down my OWN license plate number wouldn't really help. But i guess i don't dream logically because suddenly they were in a different car, although we were still chasing them for stealing my car. Makes sense, right? I believe somewhere in their they shot at us and they eventually got away. I'm not sure whatever happened to my car in the dream. It just morphed I guess.<br /><br />Although i rarely remember my dreams, i think they are more often than not cognitively incoherent like that. Interesting... very very interesting.<br /><br />As a concluding note, I think one of my greatest fears is having a psychotic break one day. That would be so sad.Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11551558941146332786noreply@blogger.com2