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Saturday, January 18, 2014

First World Problems... So Silly!

This semester I am taking an Anthropology class which is the study of people all over the world and how different societies function and why they function like they do. It's very interesting. Well, in our lab on Friday we saw a few videos showing FWP's... First World Problems. I laughed at the videos, but it really is ridiculous how often we complain. Here's a list of FWP's that I have had in the last couple of weeks.

1. Our toilet just keeps running until I take the lid off the tank and lift up the little black handle. How annoying to have to do that twice a day! 
  • Hello Tessa!! You just went to the bathroom inside! There's indoor plumbing! You can flush your waste and it's not in a bowl or in the gutter in the street! I think you can take the lid off the back of the toilet and lift the black deal.
2. My cell phone sometimes doesn't vibrate when I get a text and then it takes me a second to remember that I'm talking to someone. Just vibrate for crying out loud! 
  • Um... some people don't get to talk to their friends and family so easily, if ever. It's okay if you have to manually check your phone for a text. 
3. I have all this food in my fridge, but I don't want to eat any of it. It just doesn't look that good to me.
  • Food. Indoor refrigerator. Electricity. Stop complaining! 
4. It takes close to 30 seconds for the water in the tap to get cold enough for me to fill up my water bottle. Good night! 
  • Once again lady... water in the kitchen sink without hauling it from the creek. And it gets to be cold, or hot. That's pretty cool!
5. I always have a hard time deciding what to wear in the morning. 
  • Some people don't get to decide. Some people only have one thing to decide on. Tessa, you almost have enough shirts to last half a year without wearing one twice. None of them have holes or stains. I think you can find something completely appropriate. 
6. I don't have a problem with this one, but it was on the video and I was dying laughing... A guy is putting his cell phone in his pants pocket and says, "My iPhone's too big for my skinny jeans!" 
  • You have the internet in your hand! You can connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime. And plus... maybe just get manlier pants. 
7. Another one I don't really worry about but I laugh about it... I don't get very good internet service on the airplane.
  • You're what? Traveling through the air at an incredible rate and you're going to be clear across a country in 5 hours? That is seriously AMAZING! What a miracle! Planes are incredible! 
8. My bed is so tall that I have to practically jump into it every night. I'm tired. I shouldn't have to jump!
  • Isn't it cool though that you have a soft mattress and a pillow and sheets and a comforter and a blanky and you can be warm and not on the floor?! 
9. There is construction right outside of my apartment and I have to take the long way to school and the long way to church! That really is so annoying to me!
  • Tessa. Do you realize how many people want to go to BYU and would walk miles every day to get the education that you do? Do you realize that people wake up at all hours of the night to get to church on Sunday? Do you realize pioneers walked clear across the country? I think you can handle it.
10. The dishwasher at our apartment is so bad! If we want clean dishes, we have to completely scrub them before we put them in the dishwasher. What a waste of time when my dishwasher is supposed to do it for me!
  • Aren't you the dishwasher? Lots and lots of people wash their dishes by hand, in a bucket. 

First World Problems sound so dumb! In a world where we have everything, it's crazy that we can find so much to complain about! I know that I'm not awesome enough to never complain about these things, but I'm going to make a better effort. I really have a great life! I have so many things that lots of people can't even imagine! I'm so grateful to live in America and have the family that I have and the education and the technology and everything! It's the best to be alive! So, if you have FWP's laugh about them and realize how dumb you sound! 

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Change and Stuff

Well folks! How's it been? It's been a while since I posted something, and it seems like an even longer time since I posted anything that is exciting to read. Don't get your hopes up for this one. I am struggling with creativity at the moment. But I still want to write a little about my life at the moment.

I am into my second semester of college! At times last semester I didn't think I could survive another day! But I did. I didn't get straight A's, but I had a good semester of learning, academically, spiritually, and socially. I made my own friends, some were given to me like my roommates (What a blessing!) And for the first time in my life I feel like, I made my own friends that weren't just given to me. I felt like in my life I did make some friends, but my classmates were given to me when I entered my first day of Kindergarten and they stayed the same. Olivia was given to me, and her roommates are friends, but I didn't make those friends. And my roommates are my friends and they made friends that then became mutual friends. So, I feel kind of happy that I did make some of my own friends and that I made good picks! :)

I learned more about plant anatomy than I ever wanted to, but Biology with Dr. Booth did make me appreciate God's creations more.

American Heritage made me learn that lectures and content can be really interesting, and then tests can sometimes be on all the questions that I DIDN'T study for! In that I class I also became very grateful for the founding fathers and realized what a struggle it was to make a nation. I'd have to say they ROCK! It was a great success. America isn't without it's flaws, but it's still a fabulous place to live! I love it! 

Olivia and I decided to take a class together that was recommended by our friend Ashbee. We took "Teaching of the Living Prophets" from Brother Lloyd Newell. It was a great class! It was all about the 15 prophets and apostles that we have today. During that class the brethren became real! They aren't just fancy dressed dudes sitting in big red chairs. They are real people and I know that they received a call from God to lead and guide us in the church. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet and the mouth piece for Heavenly Father to all of us today! P.S. Brother Newell is the "Welcome to the 185th Semi-Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" guy! Cool right? Yeah! He's great!

In Spanish I learned how to say "Hola! Como estas?" "Bien, gracias! Y tu? Como estas?" I also learned that Spanish is really hard and takes a lot of time to learn! It's something that if you don't use it, it goes away. I wasn't the best at using it and now I'm not taking Spanish again this semester and I have a bad feeling it's all going to leave me. I'm a little bit sad.

And lastly, in the Book of Mormon, I learned that Isaiah wrote with a lot of symbolism and I'm not the best decipherer. I just like to read about Nephi and how tough and spiritual he is! And about Jacob and about Lehi! They are all my favorites in the first half of the Book of Mormon. In the first 29 chapters of Alma I learned that no one is ever too far gone! I know that I can repent always and with a repentant and correct attitude, I can be forgiven. I know the Book of Mormon is true! 

As you can see, I learned a lot at school! I also learned that I really do love going to Sporting events! Basketball, football, volleyball... I love it! I miss being able to play on a team, but so goes life. I still love BYU and watching them play! I also loved the opportunity I had to go to the temple with Olivia every Friday morning! It was great living to close to the temple! I thought going to the temple was a whole day affair, and I am blessed that it could be a 2 hour deal and I could do it so often! The Temple is definitely the House of God. 

And I learned that Family and Christmas break is AWESOME!!! I love it! I love my family and I love Christmas and put them together and it makes me not want to come back to school! I had so much fun in Christmas break! One of my favorite parts of Christmas break was that I could read! I don't read for fun at school... there's not time. So, the day after I got home I went to the Library and picked out a book. Over the course of the break, I read 3 books! It was awesome! I stayed up until 2:30 AM a few times to finish my books, but it was so worth it! I would still get up to go play basketball, and then later in the day I could take a nap and it was beautiful! We spent a lot of time playing very competitive card games! And watching football and basketball and playing basketball and volleyball and just sitting and enjoying each others company! I loved it! We also spent a little too much time eating... which brings me to this next semester! 

I am currently enrolled in 7 classes with a total of 14 credits! And when you hear my schedule you'll think I'm doing nothing at school but taking fun classes. That's how it should be. I am getting 4 generals done, but they sound fun. I am also taking 3 classes just for fun! I am taking Writing 150, Anthropology 101, Intro to Theater, and Book of Mormon. Those are my generals that are worth more credits and need to be done to graduate! Then I'm taking Piano... it's a beginning class, and it's super easy so far. I have to take it to take a harder class. I have to practice for 6 hours a week. So, it won't take me 6 hours to learn the stuff that I need to to pass the class, but then I will have time to practice some songs that I have been wanting to perfect. I am excited! I am also taking Swimming and Indoor Cycling! I just added cycling, so I haven't been to a class yet and don't know what it's like, but I hear it's a STELLAR workout and I am excited! It is every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon! I have been to a swimming class and that is a Killer cardio workout for me. I am used to breathing with a normal rate, and swimming, I feel like I can never get a good breath and then my face is in the water and hopefully I'll survive! The pool is 4'7" at it's shallowest, so if I'm not holding onto the end of the pool, I am treading water or swimming for a full 40 minutes! It is a workout! It is every Monday and Wednesday at 11 AM! It's going to be awesome! And to add to that, Olivia and I started Insanity! Yeah, I have been walking like an old man all week! It is so much fun! It is hard and sweat is everywhere, but I love it! So this semester my plan is to get revenge on all my favorite Christmas goodies! I am always going to look homeless because I will shower in the morning and have an 8 o'clock class and then I will shower in the middle of the day and then need to hustle to work. Oh well! I'll hopefully be an in shape homeless looking person by the middle of the semester! I should be a really really great semester and hopefully not so stressful that I can't live or something! I also plan on going to basketball games, and men's volleyball games all semester and playing with my friends that I mentioned in the first semester... and who knows, maybe I'll make some more friends! We'll see. Wish me luck on a new semester and a new adventure and on getting some creative juices flowing in my brain so I can write something that is fun to read!