escalators be risky business

story time kids.

i took a trip up to the family history library in salt lake. (via the front runner–which is highly recommended fun). did my thing, got my class assignment done, and whom do i run into on my way out? cute boy from my class. win. (hopefully he never reads this blab i post on the internet) our conversation went something like this:

cute boy: "where did you park?"
me: "oh i took the front runner!"
cute boy: "well do you want a ride back?"
me: get to know you on the ride back for a good hour? yaaaah! "umm yeah that would be great, thanks."

so we head through macy's to get down to his car in underground parking. escalators are entertaining as always. as we begin to ride the escalator down, there is a girl at the bottom trying to run up. she has a friend at the top laughing and cheering her on regardless. well this is when stupid clarissa happens. we were just a few steps down so i turn around and start to run up too. not quite sure why still, maybe to prove that it was possible. maybe to get out of the way. maybe cause i just wasn't thinking and god needed some humor that day.

yep so i fall, both body and pride. on the last step. and as i'm flailing around trying to get up, i practically get caught in the moving contraption. all in front of the stranger who is now mocking me and cute boy i was trying to win over. yep win.

lastly, to top it all off, if my embarrassment wasn't enough, on the drive back home he gets the courage to ask me what my name is! double win. if you don't already know my name, just call me escalator girl.

I-15 & alter boys

today i was cornered in the library by noah. he's making a podcast, and i don't want to study for finals.
so he asks me, "what's a unique way you've been asked out before?"
little did he know i had two epic stories for him to record.

1. this one time i was driving back from the salt lake airport, well my friend was driving, i was riding. a cute boy is driving in the lane next to us. after lots of creative banter through car windows going 70 mph, and encouragement from other car passengers, i get brave. of course giggling the entire time, i managed to hold up my phone number written on an old receipt lying around. he almost ran us off the road trying to hurriedly pull his phone out of this pant pocket. we texted and i even got two dates out of it. the first even had a motorcycle ride bonus.

2. i volunteer at the temple. sometimes they need a few of us to step in and help out in proxy sealings. so... i have been asked out over the alter at the temple. yep, we were even holding hands at the time. complete stranger and precious fresh rm, bless his heart. he even asked the sealer for a little piece of paper and pencil to write down my phone number. would have been a beat all story if we worked out.

life should be exciting :D

my friend ben

Just want to share an article I wrote for BYU's The Universe that gives a short snippet of Deaf culture:

Provo, UT– On the top floor of BYU’s Tanner Building, students' wandering eyes peer through windows overlooking the valley, gaze at other students' pesky habits, or focus on the lecturing professor. But in one class held in this room, a student’s eyes are fixed on an interpreter whose hands and body movement communicate the same message of the professor. Ben Daniel is majoring in Facility and Property Management with a minor in Business Management and uses an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter in class because he is Deaf.

Daniel, 23, was born deaf but his parents didn’t know of his hearing loss until he was two years old. He grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, CA but moved to Provo with his family when he was in high school. He now calls Provo home.

One of just a few Deaf students on BYU campus, Daniel explains what it’s like to be a Deaf student, “Many professors and classmates have told me I am the first Deaf student they have ever had in their classes.” He says this happened once in a class of 100 students when, “One teacher kept announcing in class how special it was to have a "challenged" student in class and what a wonderful example it is to see someone overcome challenges and succeed.” However, Daniel also says that while often teachers will be really awkward for the first couple weeks, they usually get used to it, and then he feels like any other student. “I like how I don't really get any special treatment here.”

A common misconception people have about Daniel’s Deafness is that he will have limited options for the rest of his life or that he is impossible to communicate with if there is no interpreter present. Daniel says that, “Many people don't realize Deaf people can communicate in ways other than only ASL. I actually use my voice and lip-reading and hearing aids in non-classroom settings more than I use interpreters.”

Daniel works at BYU’s Office of Information Technology as a computer programmer. Daniel also works for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a translator. Post graduation Daniel plans to start his own real estate investment business as a certified Property Manager and Real Estate agent, buying, selling, maintaining, repairing, and managing different residential properties.

When asked If he could offer any advice to the BYU community about Deafness, Daniel shared his thoughts about how to interact with Deaf students. He says, “Don't make a big deal out of it. Just be yourself. We usually don't bite. If there's an interpreter, ignore the interpreter. Pretend there is no interpreter. Talk directly to the Deaf person. And be patient with us! We're patient with you, so return the favor.”

Daniel says something that would make BYU more deaf friendly would be to add subtitles on all BYU produced videos. He also comments about he would appreciate training for all employees, especially receptionists, on interacting with Deaf students.

#sharethegift

the gift of god's son, jesus christ

because of his example, i have a guiding star.
because of his gospel, i can be made whole.
because of his priesthood, my family is forever mine.
because of his atonement, i can be empowered beyond my own abilities.
because of his resurrection, i will live beyond this life.

I know that he is. 

confessions of a single co-ed

(you don't have to read this if you don't want to. really you don't)

RECENT QUESTIONS ABOUT "THE GAME" THAT I'VE PONDERED

1 how come i purposefully avoid the same person i previously would have done anything to see?
2 can i send you a christmas card? or is that weird? how about a wedding announcement? even more tacky?
3 is awkward a choice? cause sometimes i just cant help it.
4 it's been years. so why when i hear a random stranger in passing say your name do i get worked up?
5 how often can i browse your facebook page and not be creepy? cause thats a normal thing for people.
6 how do you build courage?


ANYONE HAVE ANY GOOD ANSWERS?

full of thanks

thanksgiving time is so funny. it has two polar ideals.

the first. lets be grateful for what we have, so lets write on cut out leaves and post on facebook what we are thankful for. we get together for a weekend of relaxing with our families and do nothing but enjoy time with each other (this should include but is not limited to eating, playing games, turkey trots, movies, eating pie, sitting around telling funny stories, and more eating). this ideal is a call back to humanity, to the basics of life and is why thanksgiving will always be my favorite holiday.

the second. lets forget what we already have been blessed with and go buy more stuff.

...aaaaand because i am guilty of the second as well, and have spent more money in the last two weeks than i care to admit to, i want to count my own blessings.

so here is my obviously not complete list of blessings since the last november:

serving and living in lodi, ca

being comps with the one and only amazing mili langi

the baptism of tom pishos

working with freaking amazing members of the lodi 1st ward

receiving such generosity from the people of lodi
one year older and wiser too

honored to be called one of the lord's servants
finishing my mission strong

a white christmas in wisconsin with my rockin' family

amanda's endowment

finances working out

job back at the hfac

attendance at byu

my own room for the first time in my life, also world's best deal

amanda and gordon survive their home burning to the ground

learning

being one of kelsea frei's bridesmaids at her wedding in idaho falls

amazing friends that pick me up time and time again

working at the missionary training center

the discovery of the perfect sandwich

my first car

working at tucanos

sian-amy came to visit from england

a new post mission wardrobe

getting to go back and visit the mission

bonnie pishos' endowment

serving as a provo temple worker

birth of my healthy nephew teddy

people that feed me

roommates that are awesome and all the memories that came with

my family visiting from wisconsin

amanda and gordon's eternal marriage in the temple

a scholarship

more awesome roommates

moving into a bomb dig singles ward with a bomb dig bishop

an inspiring calling and fhe group

spending time with grandpa as he teaches me about our family history

again more amazing friends that put up with my crazy

admittance into the top notch public relations program

birth of my healthy nephew bruce

a new laptop

a christmas tree, a fireplace, and mistletoe

thanksgiving with extended family

if there are two things i have seen in the last year it is that god lives and loves us and he as sure as heck blesses his return missionaries.

the enabling power

i work at the mtc.
thats short for the missionary training center.

oh if only i could begin to articulate the energy, emotions, and atmosphere of that place. i don't think the descriptive words that would do it justice have even been invented yet.

i have had experiences there that have moved me.

this is one i had with sister p, from wisconsin, the other day:

its the last day of the mtc for three missionaries. next destination salt lake city central mission. the other four missionaries in their district have already skipped off the day before to federal way washington.

from what i perceived, these three missionaries were all in very different places. their experiences at the mtc had each been very individual, struggling through their own concerns, and developing their own god given talents. so at the beginning of class i asked them to reflect on the progress they have made, the people they had become, what was next for them, and what kind of goals they had. i proceeded to take them individually out into the hallway to privately followup with each of them.

this particular sister had a question about something that was mentioned earlier in class. she wanted to know more about what was the enabling power of the atonement and what it could do for her.

little did she know had i just had one of the most powerful experiences of my life regarding this exact matter just days before. i shared with her how i decided to come on a mission, despite the fact i was uneasy about putting on hold my academics due to my lack to admittance into the program of my choice. god said go on a  mission anyways. so i did. upon returning home i couldn't apply to my program yet. i had to take a class and prepare for the application process nine months away. i did all i could. i attended classes, spent countless late hours in the library when the majority of students had retired to other more enjoyable activities, i prepared for my interview and case study, and even spoke with a few additional professors. all in all when the points added up i realized that i was going to fall short. my performance wasn't going to be enough, i had far too many credits due to my mission delaying my application. no matter what i did i just didn't have what it was going to take. my guidance counselor even encouraged that i consider another program or major, "chances are you are going to need a plan b."

this is where christ and his enabling power came in.
nothing short of a miracle admitted me into that program. no matter how you do the math i just didn't qualify. it doesn't make sense. but the lord made up for what i couldn't. he literally said give me all you can dear and i will take care of the rest. ask and you shall receive.

i continued and shared with her a second story, the day i learned and recognized what was grace. once on my mission i sat in the car weeping due to exhaustion and stress, protesting with my companion i could not physically pick myself up and knock on another door. we just had thirty more minutes until the end of the night, and i wanted to just call it a day, to head home and be done. but my sweet patient companion taught me a lesson of what the word grace meant, and pleaded for me to tap into the power of god, to ask for just a little more strength. the second door we knocked on following that sincere prayer was one of the memorable of my mission. a young man prayed and felt the love of god and we ended up literally skipping to our car and home again at the correct time.

not only does the sacrifice of our savior save us from physical death, heals our broken hearts, and cleanses us from sin, he fills in the gap when we come up short.

oh the spirit was thick. it feels heavenly to bask in his love. and this precious sister who had been struggling these last two weeks simply and emotionally responded, "why, why did you tell me this weeks ago?" we learned together that the atonement is for personal use no matter our circumstances. "ask and ye shall receive."

oh these are the moment that make me abandon any thought that the mtc is too just much.

stressed

jamming
sunshine

running

writing

movies
cuddling

waffles
scheduling
prayer

=

cheap college therapy

rip

when you serve a mission you are asked to sacrifice much.

when you get home from your mission you realized you sacrificed much.

well looks like i was supposed to sacrifice anything and everything viral. i lost authorization to my gmail which ended up in the loss of my facebook, pictures, blogs, journals, school work, portfolio, contacts, music playlists, youtube videos, google docs, life calendar, and i keep finding more as time passes.

and while the tears and anger phase is [mostly] over, here's to a clean slate.

this is a new beginning and me moving forward.