And this is why I'm going to start blogging again

The other day I partook in what for me has become a daily activity - the Blog Stalk. As I stalked a blog, done by a coworker at my (awesome though occasionally mind-numbing) job, I realized that her comments about sleeping through classes and eating french fries with friends made me remember the silly pointless things that I used to do, which, although seemingly unimportant at the time, were really the tiny little pieces of fluff that come together to make the figurative stuffing for my "Tara Doll". The Tara Doll is a visual that I am giving you to better illustrate what I mean. But when I say "Tara Doll," I am really just using a metaphor. Tara Doll = Tara.

I was going to upload a picture of a slightly homely, freckled, red-yarn-hair doll, but it would seem that blogger forbids it. So just imagine it in your alarmingly capable minds.

{update: i figured out the photos. Turns out it was just my own incapability. Ha ha!...}


Just as you imagined it? Thought so.

The Tara Doll has a bunch of stuffing in it. This stuffing makes it full of life and vitality, and as a bonus, helps it be much more cuddly. Without this stuffing, Tara Doll is just a sad, limp shell of a human-shaped figure who does nothing but flop around, and even then, only flops if helped by a finger or perhaps a slender stick.

Recently I have come to find I have been pulling all of the coolest, most fun pieces of fluff from the Tara Doll to put on a shelf or in a box (presumably a shoe box because apparently I have a "thing" for those) and as a result, Tara Doll has recently been limp, boring, cranky and shaped weird.

I am determined to re-stuff Tara Doll with her favorite bits of fluff. She has been missing the following things:

1.Blogging
2.Reading ridiculously nerdy fantasy books
3.Wearing whatever she wants, EVEN if the clothes are manly and not fashionable at all
4.Saying funny stuff without staring people down self-consciously afterwards to make sure they thought it was funny too
5.Not being stressed about using her spare time to make up hours at work
6.Having spare time to do whatever she wants, including doing nothing at all
7.Not being stressed about driving. Her "mental chatter" during her drive to work has become increasingly appalling as the days, and construction, continue on. Jane Austen would not approve.
8.Watching Fantastic Mr. Fox six times in a row, in a huddle of blanketed, sick roommates who all decided that this was a MUCH better idea than going to all classes that day. Incidentally, they were right.
9.Sleeping through art history, or really any class that took place between 12:30 and 2pm. Those are the times of day that the universities test students by drugging the air to see who would be scholarly enough to resist going unconscious. Tara Doll always failed the test.
10.Wearing enough layers to become indistinguishable from Randy of Christmas Story fame, in order to make it from Richards Hall to Old Main without freezing to death.
11.Spending half-hour chunks of time watching the weather and trying to come up with an amazingly awesome book idea, one so incredible that the whole world will change because of her amazing book.
12.Saying weird, artsy, nerdy things like "yesterday I just sat at my window and watched the hills' warped reflections in the raindrops as they trickled down the glass," even though she hurts a little inside every time anyone else says mental things like that.
13.Being fascinated by art, history, fantasy books and biology...
14....and having time to indulge such fascinations.
15.Not being obsessed with Pinterest and Facebook and texting.
16.Watching poorly made, unrealistic chick flicks that I can't help but love anyway.
17.Other cool things. I'm sure you can think of the rest.

In short, all of my faithful readers must prepare themselves for some mind-blowing blogging. If you didn't notice, it's on the list of fluff. You too can profit from the reorganization of my life's priorities.

And Sarah, never stop pestering me to blog. "By Grabthar's Hammer, you shall be avenged!"

Moments that Matter Most

We would to well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most.

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Red Egg

Well....well.
I've decided that I'm going to be pretty loose with my "creative" posts, because clearly I don't post that often if I choose to be strict about them. Thus, I'd like to introduce you to my latest right-brained endeavor, Red Egg.

Isn't he just the fiercest? Awww...

So my singles' ward had their (apparently) annual egg roll tournament for our FHE this past monday. Here is how this goes down:

One brings a nice, plain, hard-boiled egg to the activid-nee (Brian Regan, anyone?).

One observes the fine array of markers that have been offered to potential egg artistes.

One chooses a selection of markers.

One marks up their egg.

One is put in a bracket with other eager egg fighters, against whom they battle one by one.

The one who's egg cracks...loses! The victor takes his unscathed egg up and up in the competition until he is a loser also.

With my clearly dominant and superior egg, I strode confidently to the tape line and faced my first opponent - a mere boy between the ages of 9 and 12 (one of the bishop's kids). His egg was decorated with a cutesy little bunny. How laughable! How weak! My angry toothy egg looked his adorable bunny in the eyes and sneered an eggish sneer. Oh, would that his strength had been equivalent to his confidence! We rolled our eggs and I lost immediately, the mouth of my vicious egg crumpled into pieces. A painful blow indeed for Red Egg.

You know that phenomenon where you stare at a word so long that it becomes unrecognizeable, and you begin to doubt its legitimacy as an actual word? Well I'm having that with the word "egg" right now, but I majorly had it earlier when I was filling out a.. personality survey that used "agree" and "disagree" in about every other line. I mean just look at it.

Agree. Agree. Agree.

...agree.

The phenomenon, by the way, has a name.

At least, I'm pretty sure it probably does. I have no idea what it is. If you find out, let me know.

{UPDATE!} : Thanks to my cousin Kelsey, Internet Researcher Extraordinaire, I have discovered the name of this peculiar word sensation.... Semantic Satiation! There, you may all stop fretting about what it could possibly be called and return to your normal lives wondering about one less thing.

A Nod to Lewis Carroll

More like a violent head-banging motion than a nod. Not because it rocks, it's just not exactly subtle, particularly the part where I directly quote him. You get it.

I recently watched the new, slightly freakish Alice in Wonderland, and it reminded me of the Jabberwocky*, since that poem is in the book/movie. Sooo I decided to write something Carroll-esque, which didn't start out having a story but, lo and behold, one bloomed forth anyway.

*If you have no idea what 'Jabberwocky' means, go HERE immediately to further your poetic education and delight.

It doesn't have a title. Yet. Suggestions welcome. No sad eyes or glaring if I don't use them though, that's the rule.

Where slything sleek and sundersome
the gorgon gala weals,
out roils the frothy fettergale
and petulantly peals.

Within the nimble bowerways,
all flora boundabout,
come craggering the gorgonelles
to cast the bonner out.

No body dared there enter in
what gabed the wrinkled wags,
else in the leafy arbory
stayed borful stonely rags.

But dear and doughty Perseus'
ambrosial amber eyen,
when hearkened of the bulbadrum
did fair and seedly gline.

Minerva's steeling shield he glommed,
and Hermes' tortile sword;
Then he abaft and sails ahull
they frapped the shiply cord.

All gybing were the fearless few
which braved the walty sea;
Soon baffed upon grim craggy isle
the ship, the sword, and he.

His crew though blenching at the sight,
brave Perseus there strode
with shield in left and sword in right
while gloamy night forbode.

Came keening through a dreggy dark-
most grubious to be seen-
Medusadell, the crithy belle,
that ruled as gorgon queen.

Gripped cripply he the knurly blade
and whicked it near and nack
'Til fiend keeled dead, and with its head,
he went galumphing back.

Where mything sleek and mendersome
the hero Perseus bounds,
out blythes the frothy fettergale,
and galavantly sounds.

Cause I Said I Would...

So... Ice Castles! Here are some pictures, and I guarantee that they are in no kind of order.

A castle...of ice!Squid arms.

Nauseating(ly cute) couple picture. Aww.

Cool little corridor - dad standing in for sizeability. frozen.

They were cool. Generally it was just a cool place. The castles were bigger than I expected, and the square footage of the overall castle...area...was less than I would have thought also. But I believe 'twas worth the drive to Midway. Go next time you can! It's cool in so many ways ;)

I'm pretty sure that my ineptness with Blogger caused me to delete a few of the pictures that I uploaded, but since I can't remember which ones I had this'll have to do. I'll be blogging a poem-y thing directly to excuse this non-creative post.

Happy St. Patty's!

The First Story

Ok, well this is sort of cheating but here's a story for you guys:

A TERRIBLE TALE OF BLOGGISH DESPERATION

Or, The Night I Just Wanted Everything To Look Nice

Once upon a time there was a tired red head who just wanted wider margins on her blog. She looked and looked at the way her words seemed so sadly scrunched up on the page. She hesitated to alter anything because of her understanding of her own technological deficiencies. However, at long last she concluded that the tendency of her current template to allow only four or five decently-sized words into a column was not enough, and that despite the late hour, she would put forth all endeavors to create the visual blog that she desired.

Quickly and efficiently this young lady clicked on this link and that, working her way through the intricacies of templates and gadgets. To her dismay, she discovered that the blog preview function was not performing to its best abilities - that is to say, it was not working at all. But the determined dame was not to be deterred from her purpose. She painstakingly clicked on every alteration she wished, and fearlessly applied it to her blog with no idea what the outcome might be. The results, at first, were horrifying. Colors clashing without shame, margins swerving out of control, backgrounds weaving in and out of each other with complete abandon. It was the nightmare result of a brain not suited for the complex combination of html script and template settings (which as far as I can tell are set in stone and completely stubborn about being hidden away by any attempt, no matter how vigorous and/or pleading).

The young lady eyed wearily the slaughterhouse of fonts and hues that she had unwittingly unleashed. This could not be permitted to shame the face of her occasional cute pictures and witty commentary, no matter how infrequently the general public may choose to peruse it. So, with grim defiance and a few fingers to the spreading migraine in her left temple, she clicked on. Hours passed, colors and designs flopped on and off the screen like dying fish. Nothing seemed right, nothing seemed to fit. And then, at long last, she discovered something monumental.

The visually stunning blog that she was seeking...

...would definitely elude her this night.

She settled on a background that was vaguely more splashy and vibrant than what suited her mellow demeanor, but which seemed more upbeat and "swirly" than her last, and which thus became suitable thanks to her amazing, creative, original title. She scrolled through the result, pleased to see that her efforts had ended up in a relatively readable blog, and, at long last, slightly wider margins.

THE END

I apologize for using the word "blog" so often in this post. I guess it kind of came with the story though. It just is kind of an obnoxious word, said enough times repeatedly. Right? Maybe not. Lots of non-annoying things seem annoying after 1 a.m., I'm thinkin'.

That story was probably pretty boring. Or perhaps not. I liked it, myself. By the way if you're kinda nerdy and read this, and realized that I may or may not have invented some things, well then I'm pretty impressed at your perceptiveness, since I don't think I mentioned really anything of technological value. But also I apologize because I admit that I did make up some things.

Nevertheless this is a true story. Pretty much.

(Another annoying thing that also coincidentally involves blogging - every time I add pictures, it messes up my spacing between paragraphs and stuff...is this just happening to me? Cause Facebook does weird spacing things to me too, and I thought that was a universally experienced frustration, but apparently...no.)

Back to the point though, guys. I hope you all appreciate the semi-loveliness of the current state of my blog because it was really quite a doozy figuring it all out. I'll display my experience for you, in pictorial form.

First, I was like:And then I was like:And now I'm pretty much like:

Except a girl.

I'm pretty sure next time I get it in my head to do that, I'm waiting til the preview works, cause that was just ridonculous.

And, well, really that's it for me.
Night, folks!

Operation Blog Overhaul

Ok, well clearly I failed to do the ice castles post like I claimed I would, but I'll get to it. Never you fret.

Here's some news, though. I've decided that if I want to ever get anywhere with writing stuff I should probably practice more than once every who-knows-when, so from now on (ideally) I'll include some sort of short story or... something*... with every post so as to hone my creative writing abilities and perhaps get some things out there for applications or whatever else. I've got nothin' today though and there's an unfurnished igloo in my backyard that is calling my name, so all this hooplah will start next time I post. Excited?? You should be!

Also feel free to leave feedback on whatever I write, be it a wild gush of unrestrained praise or a festering cloud of doomfull disdain, I'll take it.

I'll still be including the ever-thrilling details of my life on the posts as well. They'll be consistently put at the top or the bottom of my posts (haven't decided yet) so that if you want to skip to either my fascinating life adventures or my exquisite stories, without reading the other bit, you'll know where to go.

Alrighty that's all. Igloo time!

*disclaimer: I make no guarantee that any of my short stories or "somethings" will be of any lasting quality or entertainment. Read at your own risk.

A Post!

Today I remembered that I'm supposed to be blogging regularly so that Sarah has something to read from time to time. Sigh..the demands, the demands.

So here's some pictures from Mel's wedding:

Int she lurvly?

That was a very cold, windy day, but Mel looked very happy and they .. got married! Yay!

And here's a comic that I enjoy:

Get it? Haha. Ahhh...

So, I guess I haven't mentioned on here that I'm no longer employed at Funfinity, haven't been for about 2 months actually. I'm trying to figure out what kind of job I'd like to go for, one where I can advance into a career that I will enjoy and feel is important. But now it's getting to the point where I really need to stop thinking and just go get a job, so hopefully I'll get on that soon here.

For now, I'm going to go volunteer at the Springville Museum of Art. I did a smattering of volunteer hours for them a few weeks ago, helping them register incoming artworks from high school students for an exhibit they've got going on now. I really enjoyed that, and I'm looking into applying for an internship there. Perhaps museum curation (that's a word, right?) is the place for me.

Other than that............hmmm....

...

I've read a lot of books recently. Here are some I recommend:

Graceling. Loved it.

Uglies Series. Interesting idea, quite entertaining to read.

Book of a Thousand Days. Cute and easy, I read it in a day, and will probably read it again every few months just cause it makes me happy inside.

I'm starting Elantris by Brandon Sanderson this week. It's pretty fantasyish in nature compared to those last few, as in there are a lot of made up words and weird names and elaborate connections between characters and religions and creatures... etc... it's confusing to keep up with when you have no idea what an "arteth" and a "denov" is, yet they are continuously referred to. But I think once I have gotten further into the story I will get more fully engaged. It's pretty interesting so far, as plotlines go.

Welp that's pretty much all I can muster for now. Actually I'm going to do another post on the ice castles in like two minutes so that was kind of a lie. But for now....that is all. Bye!

In honor of Mel's marriagement:

"What would men be without women? Scarce, sir...mighty scarce."

-Mark Twain

Hope

So I found a random notebook of mine in my closet, and in it I found some writing. I thought it was nice, and I guess I wrote it, and it's my blog - I do what I want! SOOO here 'tis:

{not my art}

There is a part of every person that will not comprehend the impossible. The haven of faith, wishful thinking, hope. This place, tranquil and content, lives in the misty half-light of dawn, sunrise. This place, continuously surrounded by less optimistic neighbors -- despair, disbelief, fear -- pushes through these dark fiends, spreading sweet tendrils through each black emotion until light is all that remains, glowing, pulsing, breathing.

Then comes night, and dark descends again. Doubt is persistent, beating and crashing against this place like waves on ragged cliffs. To have hope is to constantly battle for the right of joy, peace, confidence. The right for life and light. Hope is not automatic, not free. It is an effort, but one worth fighting for.

-Past Tara