GRAD SCHOOL!

It boggles my mind when I think about things that have happened since I returned from my mission two years ago. I am going to graduate from Weber State University (FINALLY!) in December and then, I'll move to Logan to start graduate work at Utah State University. The technicalities haven't been worked out yet but I have a good start on it. I have an appointment to take the Millers Analogy Test next month and I started filling out my grad school application. After several e-mails and a few phone calls it sounds like it's going to work out. I wasn't planning on this when I got home from my mission. Heck, I wasn't even considering Logan last year. What happened? Get comfortable and I'll tell you.

Two years ago I thought I had a pretty good handle on my college career, I would take two years of french classes while finishing up my theatre and art classes. After that I might apply to BYU's grad program even though it meant waiting around for a year because they only admit grad students ever two years. Honestly I thought I would have gotten married or at least started dating seriously by the time graduation rolled around. It seemed like the natural course of things. After graduation I thought I would work for a while, get married (if it hadn't happened yet) and then be a full time Mom. That was sort of what I thought would happen when I finished up my mission.

There were some wrenches thrown into the cogs, mostly thrown by the sabbatical loving art department. You'd think that a university would find other people to teach classes so their students can graduate. Anyhoo. Last semester I participated in the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival in Los Angeles. This was the regional festival for students in the western states who "do theatre." I designed "!Bocon!" last spring and I had the opportunity to take my designs from that show to the festival to be critiqued. While there I met Shawn Fisher who is over graduate studies at Utah State University and I expressed an interest in pursuing a MFA at USU. Several e-mails and phone calls later and I'm where I am today. (See first paragraph.) It's not where I was planning but I think it will be even better than I had expected.

In other news, I think dairy is my new frenemy. For the most part of this month I have had pretty gnarly stomach aches, pretty different than other stomach aches. I'd had some before but they were stress related and they felt different anyway. I paid attention to the food I was eating and I made a connection between the stomach aches and dairy products, especially yogurt and cheese. This really sucks because I really like yogurt and cheese and ice cream. I guess weekly visits to our new Yogurt Stop are out of the question if I want to stay stomach ache free. At least I already like soy milk.

Mid-air Pineapple Slicing

For some reason I found a cheesy commercial REALLY funny this morning. It was a commercial for knives, the supernaturally sharp kind that can do supernatural things. Ordinary knives can cut through a pop can or a hammer but not this supernaturally great knife. This one can cut through...brace yourselves...a pineapple in mid-air. A pineapple in mid-air. What the heck??? Who needs to cut through a mid-air pineapple? Although, really, who needs to cut through a hammer or a pop can? It was utterly ridiculous. And I haven't even started on the ridiculous "chef" costume the presenter was wearing.

I don't know what I would have written if this had been a full length infomercial.

Today is my brother's 21st birthday, his second and last as a missionary in Washington State. I'm not sure what he did today but I am sure he did something funny. Dang, I miss him.

West Side Story Photos, part deux

At long last...PICTURES!

Finals are done and I now have time to post some pictures from Weber's production of West Side Story. It went really well although I am probably biased because it's the only production I have seen in it's entirety. We had a fantastic cast and a incredible crew. Here it goes!

It's time for dinner so I'll post more later!

This isn't meant to offend but...

As a casual watcher of "American Idol" I was really kind of pissed off tonight when Carly was voted off. She did really well last night and she was STILL voted off? I guess the voters must have been deaf because did they not hear Jason and Brooke? Jason was horrible, he was off time, and he sounded like he was singing out of his nose. I usually like Brooke, she has a Carly Simon vibe to her. I wasn't buying it last night. She seemed like she was teetering on the edge of bursting into tears during the song. It might have been the fact that she stopped at the beginning and started again. Heck, I would be terrified to be on national television much less sing.

In other reality show news, Lauren was voted off America's Next Top Model. I couldn't figure out why she was still there, she was photogenic but that was about all she had going for her. It's hard to say who is going to win because there are several girls who seem to be doing well. Katarzyna (sp?) looks a lot better now that her hair is short. It's so cute that I almost feel inspired to cut my hair to the same length. I probably won't because I'm trying to grow it out. Anya is really funny. She's won the most recent competitions and her pictures turn out. I like that she seems like a genuinely nice person, maybe not the smartest, but very sweet. Her accent cracks me up. I think Fatima got screwed over last week. How didn't the producer of the show know that he had set an appointment up at the embassy at the same time as the photo shoot? I guess it makes for good television.

I wonder when the new season of Project Runway will start...

It may be two weeks before finals but...

During the past week I have indulged in an old hobby: cake decorating. I think I watched one too many episodes of "Ace of Cakes" and got over a nasty cold. Apparently the end result is cake decorating, for this week at least. First I made pig faces on our Sunday dessert left overs.













Then, on Monday I continued with the pig theme and made pig cupcakes. They were adorably delicious due to the fact they were pumpkin spice.






























A phone call to my grandma resulted in an eclectic flower topped chocolate cake with white frosting.














Finally, I made my sister Hilary a purse shaped cake for her birthday. It was a little early but she was up this weekend with Josh so we celebrated early. I tried to model it after a Coach purse but it didn't work quite as well as I was hoping. I'm still figuring it out.

What to do, what to do?

I registered two days ago for possibly my last semester of school...ever. I haven't made my decision about going to Graduate school or not. There are so many pros and cons! The biggest con is that I'm tired of school. The biggest pro is that I have this opportunity now and I feel like maybe I should try for it. Anyhoo. Fortunately most schools don't start until fall, so I have over a year until it would start. I also still have to take the GRE and update my portfolio. In related news I have a week and a half until finals week. I just need to dig in and keep doing my homework. It seems like it will never end but the end is in sight. Even though it looks a little invisible.

In unrelated news I have been given the nickname Bella at work. As in Bella Swan from those books by Stephenie Meyer. I didn't realize that I was such a clutz and kooky. I guess you learn something new each day.

And lastly, I'm trying a new acne treatment, it's by Clean and Clear. I've been on it for less than a week and I'm not sure if I can tell a difference. I'll keep using it and maybe it will work. It really sucks having acne at the age of almost twenty-five. I feel like a kid! Apparently it makes me look younger because two months ago I had the following conversation with a professor:

Me: (walks in wearing an "I voted!" sticker)
Professor: You voted? Are you old enough to vote?
Me: Uh, I voted in the last presidental election.
Professor: How old ARE you???

It's strange that a think like bad skin makes me feel like a kid. I bet if I was skinny it would REALLY throw people for a loop. Then I would have that whole teenager look going along with my bad skin. Huh.