Gratitude Attitude

This is that Thanksgiving post. The one where I write about every little detail of my Thanksgiving break. It's mostly a journal entry, so will most likely be boring. I won't be offended if you don't make it through it, so don't feel bad.

On Tuesday I was supposed to work until four, but my boss let us close shop up at two because of the highly overrated 'blizzard'. I am not complaining in the slightest that the news people caused unnecessary panic. I am thankful for anything that gets me out of work two hours early! After work I rushed home, went into a packing frenzy and got the heck out of Logan before I got 'snowed in'. (Yes, I was one of those gullibles that believe everything the news people were telling us. Don't believe everything you hear = lesson learned!) :)

Wednesday afternoon we, my whole family plus Grandpa, drove down to Richfield to spend the holiday at my Aunt Cathy's house. We stopped to eat dinner in Nephi. The restaurant was decorated way cute, but the food was only so-so. When we got to Richfield we dropped Grandpa off at the house, said hello to everyone, then went to our hotel room. That night Jessica, Cassie, Zach, and I went hot tubbing with our cousin Tyler and our Uncle Chris. The hot tub was amazing after being in the negative 15 degree weather. Dude, it was cold down there!

Thursday morning we packed up, checked out of our hotel, and headed back to the Stringham house. We helped prepare dinner while watching the parade in the background. Dinner was pretty much amazing. I just love to eat! After dinner we cleaned up and kind of dispersed into different areas of the house. Most of the younger cousins... plus me and Cassie.... ended up in the living room away from all of the old people. It was fun to spend some time with my Paulsen cousins because I don't get to see them very often.

We did not miss out on the greatest tradition ever invented: The Turkey Run. The Turkey Run is a Paulsen Family invention, and it is pretty much amazing. Basically we thank the turkey for providing us with food by giving it one last flight. We tie the carcass to a broomstick, and run it around the yard. It's hilarious. This year we had two turkeys so it was a race. Sadly, my team lost, but it wasn't our fault. Our turkey fell off the stick so basically we were sabotaged! I just love this tradition with my whole heart, it's pretty fantastic!

The Stringham family made a "thankful tree'. It was so cute. They made paper leaves that everyone wrote what they were thankful for and then hung them on the tree. My leaf said:
The Church
Family
Friends
College
Buzz (my car)
Reeses
Harry Potter
We read the leaves out loud and it was neat to be reminded of all of the many blessings we have. After the thankful leaf reading somehow a game of hot pumpkin started. My family is crazy, but I totally love it. Hot pumpkin is another form of hot potato but you know, with a pumpkin. We had four or five pumpkins making their way around the circle and whenever the music would stop, whoever was holding the pumpkin would get sprayed with a squirt gun. I was sitting next to my cheater cousin Debbie who would be holding it when the music would stop and then throw it into my lap. Basically I got soaked. It was super funny. After that we had pie and then my family decided to leave because we had such a long drive. It was a good and fun Thanksgiving.

Thursday night Cassie invited me to have a sleepover in Provo with her. It was a lot of fun. We ended up going to Harry Potter again (my third time her second). And in the morning she bought me the most delicious heavenly french toast from Kneaders. Yummmm! If you haven't gotten french toast from Kneaders your life is not complete! After breakfast we went back to bed for a while, woke up, got ready, and met the rest of our fam at the fashion place mall in SLC. We walked around the mall, did a little shopping, and got plenty of Christmas gift ideas for one another. I got some desperately needed winter boots from American Eagle. I am not a big boot fan, but I really do like these! It's like my feet are floating on a cloud haha.

After shopping we went out to eat at Olive Garden and then to the movie Megamind. bahahaha that movie is freaking hilarious! Seriously. You HAVE to see it! I loved it!

I drove back to Logan that night. It took longer than expected seeing as I locked the keys in my car at the gas station in Brigham City. I had to get road side assistance to help me out, costing me a whopping 50 bucks. I was not happy about this. However while I was waiting for them to come rescue me I walked to the Walmart and looked at their black friday movie deals. I ended up getting a season of Punky Brewster and the movies Overboard, Raising Helen, and The Santa Clause for pretty cheap. Finding good movie deals always puts me in a good mood so I was relatively happy even though my predicament. haha. But I finally did make it back to Logan just fine so no worries.

Today I had to work the morning shift and I picked up a shift tomorrow too. It was a good break, I definitely needed it.

Its Been Decided... Men are Pigs

In case you haven't heard, I got a part time seasonal job at a calendar kiosk in the mall. The kiosk is divided into different sections, one of which is labeled 'models'. I hate this section. They should have just labeled it 'Porno for Pigs'! The company of course has everything censored with cardboard labels sitting in front of the rather riskay pictures, but I just feel like there is no place for this kind of thing in the middle of the mall, right in front of Kiddie Kandids no less. I won't go into detail about what is in these calendars, But I will say Playboy and Sports Illustrated and you get the picture.

I will just admit it right now: I don't understand guys. There is a lot of people watching involved in my job, and so I see the guys that go into this section. They all get stupid grins on their faces and start giggling like school girls. If they are alone they look around them to make sure it stays that way, and if they are with friends they point out different pictures and talk big and whatever. They drool all over themselves and act like complete idiots. I. Don't. Get. It. They are naked women. Big deal! The thing that kills me the most are the husbands that look at these calendars with their wives. I mean, really? That's sick.

And the sad thing is, is that they actually buy these stupid things. And all of them, and I do mean all of them, act really embarrassed when they hand me the calendar for me to ring up. Without fail they will turn it face down when they hand it to me. If you are that ashamed to buy it, shouldn't you be even more ashamed to have the thing hanging on your wall? I mean, what if your mother decided to give you a surprise visit? And honestly, can you really not find anything more appropriate for your wall? It's disgusting.

The worst was when four stupid teenage boys decided it would be funny to put every dirty calendar we had in the children's section. Well, that's just great folks! Barbie, Spongebob, and the Disney Princess's sure got an eye full! Is that supposed to be funny? Again, I don't get the joke.

Those calendars are more trouble then they are worth. I spend half my shifts covering up nude pictures. And I definitely do not need to see that!

I guess the point I am trying to make with my ranting is this: Men are stupid and I will never understand them.

Amazing Concert!

Tonight I went to the John Schmidt concert with my roommate Emily. Oh my goodness. It was so amazing! For those of you who don't know, John Schmidt is a concert pianist. He does a concert every year in Logan and this is my second year going. He also has a very talented cellist named Steven Sharp Nelson play with him. I have a CD of both of theirs (thanks to Em) and they are seriously so talented. But they are also hilarious! I was laughing so hard tonight. This was definitely not your run of the mill piano concert by any means!

Here is a mash up they did of Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' and Coldplays 'Viva la Vida'. It is one of my favorite songs that they performed tonight. And if you ever get the chance to see these two in concert, take it! You won't be disappointed I promise!

Deathly Hallows

This movie was AMAZING! I loved loved loved it! This movie followed the book closer to any other movies so far. I was so happy with how they did it. There were some parts left out, but that is bound to happen and I didn't miss them as much as previous parts left out in previous movies. I think they did an awesome job and I can't wait to see it again! I am so happy that they cut this movie into two parts because too much happens in this book. To fit it into one movie would have had to cut out so many good things. Oh man, I want to see it again like right NOW!

On a side note: While we were standing in line last night we hear this car honking. So the whole line turns around and pressed up against the glass in the passenger seat is this huge (and we are talking HUGE) bare naked butt mooning us away. It was kind of disgusting. I feel like the image is burned into my eyes and I just might have to rip them out and get new ones! Gross.

Workin' , Sleepin', Harry Potter'n

I started my new job last night. I already love it.

Last night we went to the mall after hours and actually built the kiosk and stacked the shelves. We didn't finish everything so I finished unloading all of the boxes at work today. My boss is awesome. He is so chill about the whole thing. I love bosses like that. And I love jobs where there is little to no supervision. It's still early, but as far as I can tell I think I'm really going to like this job.

So I was up late last night building a kiosk. Up early this morning for work. I'm exhausted. My eyelids are so heavy. I am going to Harry Potter at THREE O'CLOCK in the AM!, so I have to wait until nine to take my nap. Did I mention that my eyelids are so heavy! My blanket is so soft. My pillow so gushy! NO! I have to stay awake! Only three more hours until my nice long nap and then I have a date with Harry Potter! I can't wait to see my old friends Ron and Hermione again, Oh how I have missed them!


(Get it? Calendar? Harry Potter? Harry Potter Calendar?!... Don't judge me, I'm tired!)haha

PS- Is it just me or is Harry's scar on the wrong side of his face in this picture?

The Shakespearean Happy Dance!

Today I finally got my Shakespeare mid-term back. I was pretty nervous for this test because it was HUGE!

96% BABY!

This is me doing my Happy Dance!

I Hate When I'm an Idiot!

I was talking to a girl in my anthropology of religion class and she asked me if my major was anthropology. I said no, but that I was considering doing it as a minor since it is so closely related to English. I should have put my foot in my mouth and stopped talking. But no. I then said, "But I don't know if anthropology would really get me anywhere in life."

I asked her what her major is....


Her response: "Um... Anthropology."


....Crickets Chirping.....


Me: "Oh. That's cool."

I hate when I am an idiot like that! Seriously. Why am I so socially clueless?! Bah! I feel SO bad!!!

Excitement and Anticipation!

ONLY NINE DAYS LEFT!

Happy Birthday President Uchtdorf!

Today is President Uchtdorf’s birthday. As a present to him everyone around the world is bearing their testimony and sharing it with the world. So here is mine: I know without a doubt that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only church on the Earth that contains all truth. I know that Joseph Smith saw and spoke with God and His son Jesus Christ, and that he translated the Book of Mormon, which is a living testament of Christ. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, and the apostles are men of God. I stand by them and love them. They are great men. The priesthood is God’s power on the Earth. I know this because of the many times that it has not only blessed my life, but saved it as well. I know that my Father in Heaven knows and loves me personally. I know that He knows and loves you personally as well. I don’t know where I would be without the church. I am so grateful for how it has changed my life and made me a better person. I am also grateful that when I mess up and make mistakes I can use the atonement to repent and be forgiven. I am eternally grateful for the sacrifice that Christ made for all of us so that we can become clean of our sins. I know this to be true. Happy Birthday President Uchtdorf. We love you!

To Learn More Visit:
lds.org

In Love...

I'm in love all over again. If you haven't heard his new album, you need to! It's amazing! .... Did I mention I love him? Cause, yeah its hit an obsession level. haha.

New Job

Yesterday I got a new job. It's seasonal so only lasts until the first week of January but I am kind of excited for it. I will be working at a calendar kiosk in the mall. It might sound lame but I think it will be fun because most of the time I will be working by myself and my boss is running the kiosks in the Layton and Provo mall as well so he won't be there very much. Plus I love people watching and what better time and place than the mall during the Christmas season?

Not gonna lie I am kind of relieved to get this job because on Tuesday I had told Honey Baked Ham that I would work for them again, which I was not all that thrilled to do again to be honest. Plus, HBH was only a few weeks here and there, but the calendar job is steady for two months and pays a dollar more.

All in all I am happy for this new opportunity and think it will be a good experience, not to mention help me out financially. I know that working two jobs and going to school full time will be difficult, but I am ready for the challenge, so bring it on!