home renovation

As your RA I must admit I am a bit concerned for your welfare. Indeed, after spending many long hours associating with you I have come to believe there is little hope you can ever develop into successful, socially competent individuals. Here's why:

1) Perhaps the most notable reason of all, is that when my husband tells you to leave a self-addressed, stamped envelope (for the return of your deposit) you ask him, "Where do I put my address? In the left hand corner?"

2) After I speak with you and tell you that, yes, you will indeed have to do more than one cleaning assignment since there are only 3 people living in your apartment, you call mommy dearest and have HER yell at me. First of all, there's a little thing called INDEPENDENCE that a good amount of college students are trying to develop these days...GET SOME!!! There is no way in heck that my mom would have done that for me when I was in college. Secondly, give your mommy a little message for me. See, the best way to get someone to want to help you is not by belittling them, yelling, and making yourself look like an immature idiot. That makes the other person angry, annoyed, and pretty much they just hope that something horrible will happen to you later during the day (nothing too permanent... just a very painful stubbed toe, a case of chicken pocks... you know...temporary pain).

3) When I show up to check your apartment, using the LIST that I gave you telling you exactly what I would check, you still seem shocked that I'm asking if you mopped the floor..."Oh, was I supposed to do that?" HELLO PEOPLE!!!

4) You apparently think I am stupid and try to play the game you used to play with your parents while still living at home. You know, when you ask mom and she says no you ask dad? Hmmm, well that doesn't work on me kids. See, when you go to the office and lie, they just call me and tell me the lie, then I tell them the lie that you told me about them, and then we laugh and CHARGE YOU THE FINE!

5) You call my apartment at 1:30 in the morning. When we don't answer, you wait five minutes and call AGAIN!!!!

6) When I tell you that, yes, you will be getting the $50 fine for not making an appointment with me 48 hours in advance (and let's not forget that I did give you THREE...yes, not ONE, not TWO, but THREE...reminder notices about this very thing) you give me a sob story about how "I didn't know..." and "I didn't get anything about that..." or even "My roommate hid that from me..." You know what people, you DESERVE the fine!

You DESERVE the $100+ fine that's going to come because you didn't clean a THING! You deserve to be the future unemployed. Your parents DESERVE to be covering your expenses for the rest of your lives because they didn't teach you an ounce or responsibility when they had the chance. WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE????

Yours Unrespectfully,
Katie

P.S. For those of you who were responsible, delightful, and just all around good people this week- thank you. From the bottom of my heart I wish you all the happiness in the world.

Of these...

Last night we went to see Da Vinci Code in the dollar theatre. Now granted, I know that it only cost a dollar, but I still think there is no excuse for people to talk through an ENTIRE movie. Chad and I sat by possibly the most obnoxious three people in Provo. They talked through the entire film. They didn't whisper. They TALKED! For some reason I didn't feel like I could say anything to them since it was a dollar movie. The more I think about it though, the more I think I should have said something. I just don't understand people's lack of courtesy for those around them. If you want to chat through a movie that's fine. Be my guest. RENT the movie, sit at home, and talk your little hearts out. BUT DON'T RUIN MY 3 HOUR BREAK FROM PAPER WRITING by interrupting the film with snipets of your puny, insignificant opinions!!!! UGH! I was so disgruntled. Then I had to come home, stare at the blinking cursor that is supposed to be formulating a significant analysis of a Bronte novel, and all I could think about was pre-teen snickering coming from people who aren't pre-teens!!! Life can be difficult.

This post is a tribute to my husband's family (now mine too) who I greatly love. As far as I can tell, they love me too which makes me very happy. Read on and you will see why I am feeling so thankful for them:

Last night my hubby and I were working in the apartment office and one of the other RA's came in and we started chatting. (As a side note I didn't know her that well before but now I think she's completely adorable and we are destined to be friends.) Anyway, in a round-about way the subject of our weddings came up. She told us that her in-laws a) tried to talk her into going on a mission instead of marrying their son and then b) refused to come to their wedding- not because they disapproved but because their kids were in school and they won't go to anything their kids can't also go to. I couldn't BELIEVE that! Apparently these parents have 5 children who are married and they've only been to two of the weddings. (I guess these were the only convenient ones?) I said, "It wouldn't matter if one of my mother-in-law's kids called the night before and said I'm eloping to Las Vegas...she would beat them to the altar!" I can't believe someone would miss their child's wedding. I mean, that is one of the biggest moments in your life. NOT to mention how RUDE it is to the other family. And HELLO- TAKE YOUR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL! I'm sure my brothers-in-law still would have come to our wedding, even if it was during the school year. It's an important event they would want to share with their brother. (Plus, what kid can't miss a day or two of high school...come on now...I'm going to BE a teacher and I admit this.) PLUS, if you're utterly opposed to missing a day of public education, it's a little thing called a BABYSITTER! Hire someone to be with your kids and GO TO YOUR SON'S WEDDING! Anyway, I think these people are a little mixed up and strange. If Chad's parents had done things like that I think I would have been seriously concerned about marrying into such a family. So, after reflecting on how utterly strange these in-laws of my friend are, I decided I am thankful for the following things about my new family:

1) They GO to special events in eachother's lives (from soccer games to weddings)
2) They realize what things matter in life (i.e. a temple wedding vs. a day in high school)
3) When I met my in-laws for the first time they HUGGED me and weren't awkward AT ALL (and didn't sit me down to tell me to go on a mission)
4) They know how to have FUN and they let me join in!
5) They treat me like another daughter and make me feel loved and included
6) I would trust them with my children without thinking they would rub off on them in a bad way
7) They aren't strange

Thanks guys! I'm feeling REALLY appreciative =-)

Today at work I got a jolly rancher. As I was fingering it's plastic wrapper I had this memory of my Grandparents, and my Grandpa in particular. My Grandpa has always been the candy man at church. All the kids know to check his pockets and they're sure to find a tootsie roll or jolly rancher. Even when I was older, I'd spot my Grandpa in the hallway after church. He'd be there with his white hair,wearing a suit (but you could spot his staple suspenders underneath-he's a farmer, he can't go ANYWHERE without wearing suspenders). He'd give me a smile and say, "Here you go, Katie" and hand me some sort of treat.

At my Grandparents' house there was an old candy jar in the kitchen full of jolly ranchers. Just walking into that kitchen is like a blast from the past. There's no dishwasher because they always refused to get one, they keep a bin by the sink to collect food scraps for compost because there's no disposal, and the colors are dated...I LOVE THAT KITCHEN. I remember canning there with my Grandma the summer before she died (I found out more stake gossip than I ever knew existed that summer), I remember making cookies there with my cousins, and I remember a bizillion sweltering, summer Sundays (they don't believe in air-conditioning either) when we ate roast that was made in that oven. But today, I remembered the candy jar...and how I used to dig through it to pick out only the watermelon candies. Today, when I chose my jolly rancher, it was watermelon...Isn't it strange how a little candy in a wrapper can remind you of so much?

I find it impossible to understand how two newly-married people can have so much STUFF. Chad and I started moving to our new apartment last night. My Dad and brother came down to help us move the big things like coffee table, microwave, couches, shelves, etc. We are no where CLOSE to being finished. We are currently between two apartments. This drives the OCD part of my personality completely insane. Today, I had to go to the old apartment to brush my teeth before I left for school, we forgot to bring the toothbrushes with us last night. It is ridiculous. Anyway, luckily for me Chad is there to calm me down. I had a nervous breakdown last night when the computer monitor wouldn't fit on the desk. I started bawling and said "I don't want to live here...." But Chad is helping me start to see it will be ok. I am just depressed because the carpet is ugly and we don't have two-toned walls anymore. BUT on an upside we have a bookshelf over our desk now. SO you can see all of the titles instead of having to dig through piles to find Austen or Poe. It's quite exciting! AND I think our bedroom is bigger, I really do!!! That is a plus too, more room to pile laundry on the floor =-) And, I really have no reason to complain, because our rent was only $60 for the month...including utilities. It's definitely worth it, just a bit frustrating.

So Scully said she wanted to hear mine...here they are. It's hard to think of these kinds of things on the spot:

7 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
1. Live in London again
2. Serve a mission (preferably foreign) with my hubby
3. Write and publish a novel
4. Have adorable children
5. Travel the world
6. Swim with dolphins
7. Decorate my dream house


7 Things I Cannot Do
1. Not sing along with the radio in a car
2. Leave a thrift store without buying anything
3. Not Sweat...I'm a sweater, it can be 20 degrees outside and my body will still feel the need to sweat.
4. Kill a spider without having a mini-breakdown
5. Not use at least a "tone" when I'm angry or frustrated or stop myself from whining when I'm sick.
6. Say no to dessert, even if I'm stuffed
7. Dim the blue in my personality (even if it's not my fault I'm always feeling guilty about something).


7 Things that Attracted me to My Spouse
1. He's adorable
2. He's sarcastic too
3. He was sweet to his sister, and I later found out to his entire family
4. He could make me laugh and still does all the time
5. He is patient and mellow, and I am unbelievably inpatient so we balance each other
6. He's musically talented and I always knew I'd marry a guitar player
7. He likes ethnic food, art, and other random things that a lot of boys hate

7 Things I Often Say
1. Bless your/his/her heart
2. Dang it all to heck!
3. Hi! My name is Katie and I am a student calling on behalf of Brigham Young University... (insert beg for money here)
4. Swamp hag- as in "You're such a swamp hag!"
5. I love you
6. Crap
7. You know what I mean?

7 Books I Love
1. The Catcher in the Rye
2. Ella Enchanted (I just read this one for Adolescent Lit and I LOVE it!)
3. Crossing to Safety
4. Middlemarch
5. A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
6. The Fountainhead
7. Quest for a Maid (another adolescent one... I read this over and over when I was younger)

7 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over
1. Breakfast at Tiffany's
2. Steel Magnolias
3. Ocean's Eleven and Twelve
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. The Indiana Jones Trilogy (esp The Last Crusade)
6. Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty
7. Molly Ringwald 80's hits on TV (The Breakfast Club, 16 Candles, etc. when they have those marathons I go nuts!)

7 People I Would Like to Hear From-
Whoever wants to do this =-)