gobble gobble

Basically, I'm home, I'm with my whole family (Dad, Mom, Drew, Christina, Tyler, Tristan, Grandma, Grandpa, and me), I'm getting home cooked meals, and I'm sleeping in the best, cushiest bed ever, and watching lots of movies and playing the piano. What else is there to say?

We all cut our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving day up in the mountains. It was a lot of fun and went faster than previous years. We just found the perfect tree right away. It was fantastic. We also took family pictures up there. Oh and guess what. I cut about four inches off my hair. I love it! I also got bangs. We'll see how much I like them this time around.


That afternoon all of us, minus my mom, went shooting.


Then that night we had our feast. Mmm turkey. But my favorite was the orange glazed yams. I demanded the orange yams. It's not Thanksgiving without them, and I said I wasn't coming home unless my mom made the yams. Of course she did, and I was happy.

Man... Gardnerville, cutting down a tree in the woods, shooting guns, then eating a huge turkey... how much more hick can you get?


Quotes of the Day:

Amber: "I closed my eyes and it was like a disco."

and

Me: "I apologize for the near-death experience, but we have arrived at our destination."

and

Christina: "Confucious is so much deader than him!"

and

Me: Cleaning up Apples to Apples "You're missing some green cards."
Mom: "Some Mexicans must have taken them."
Pause
Me: "Oh! Haha."
Mom: "Took you long enough."

and

Mom: "Well, we sure are a quiet bunch."
Me: "I'm talking to people that aren't here."

and

Me: "Isn't The Shining a book, too?"
Mom: "Yep, by Stephen King."
Tristan: "Who else would be able to come up with all this crap?"

and

Amber: "I'm jealous. I've never shot a gun. Okay, I lied. I shot a BB gun once and killed a squirrel."

my recent life in words

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results are posted

DanceSport Fall 2008

I can't believe how well I ended up doing! Especially in waltz! I thought Ty and I had no chance of making it past the first round. We were intermediate students competing up against the advanced dancers for Heaven's sake! We ended going all the way to finals, and won 6th place! I got a gorgeous pink ribbon to hang next to my cha-cha trophy from last winter. I was psyched! I guess we looked better than we thought.

It meant so much to me to have my brother and Tristan there to watch. And I was so excited to have Rachel there, too. She was up on the balcony, and when I'd make it to the next round I'd give her the thumbs up and she'd beam back at me. It was so much fun.



As for triple swing, we did pretty well considering, but I was still disappointed in myself. We made it to semifinals, which is the top 12. Then five couples moved on to finals. Without us :( It's definitely the hardest on you when you get eliminated right before finals. You go all that way, make it through five previous rounds, only to get cut right before the big one- the important one. We did have a lot of fun, though! We knew that triple swing wasn't our best dance, so I guess for the most challenging dance semis is pretty good. Amanda went and watched me. I felt so good having her there for me all day! She even hung out with me for the few hours of downtime between the prelims and semis. We had such a great time :)


I can't wait until the next DanceSport! The big national one in the Marriott Center. That one is so much bigger and more fun. Only four months! I think I'll start a countdown. I live for DanceSport. My schedule revolves around it. "This paper is due after Dancesport." "I get to go home for Thansgiving after Dancesport." Basically, I use it as a base to compare everything else in my schedule. And I totally take advantage of it when it comes around. In the 48 hours that it was going on, I spend 22 hours there. And it was fantastic!!!


Quote of the Day:

Me: "Amber has the car of pleasure."

prep interrupted

BYU DanceSport starts tomorrow! I know. Breathe, breathe. I'm actually not that nervous. Which is bad. I've been so worried about my classes and things I had to do all week that I didn't have time to hype up for DanceSport. Which is bad. Very, very bad. At the same time I took a test, finished a project involving a few assignments and a paper, and another paper for Biology. Eh. I'd rather have spent that time freaking myself out so I could dance better.

From experience I know that when I'm not flipping-out-about-to-faint-and-have-a-seizure nervous I don't do as well. For my past shows when I wasn't as nervous I forgot things, or didn't have the same composure on stage. Let's hope that I get super extremely pee my pants nervous tomorrow so I can do my best. I haven't been myself all around lately so I'm not really expecting anything.

Tomorrow I'm competing in the Gold American class. My partner and I are dancing up a level to do waltz! I know we won't win but I'm excited to try anyway. We think we could get pretty far. I'm not expecting finals, but it'll just be fun anyway.

And on Saturday morning I'm doing my level, Silver American. That's triple swing. Both Ty (yes, Ty. I must have a thing for Tys) and I agree that this is not our best dance. But we watched us dance on a video tape in class, and we look better than we thought. So I hope we stand a chance! This isn't a run away, no competition event like last Winter with cha-cha. So I'm not sure if I'll do as well.

This was the week from Hell. I'm glad that it's over. Never again do I want to spend 8 hours in the library every day. Now the fun can begin!


Quotes of the Day:

Amanda: "Should I put on pants?"
Me: "No."
Amanda: "Stay in my PJs?"
Me: "No. Go pantless."

leave ballet alone!

I went to the ballet with Wistie this last Friday. The show was really good! They did one that was kind of a tango. It was still ballet, but they had tango costumes and had mixed in a few tango stylings. I really liked it! I liked all of their classic pas de deux.

But then they did a modern number. Ugh holy crow. It was SO weird. I don't even know how to explain it. One of the sections was them in a big black box, and like looking around it, doing weird poses on it without any music at all. Then it went on so they were all randomly on stage looking like they were having a seizure. My favorite part of this was that the music was techno jungle drum music. Then there was another part where random spotlights were lighting up the stage and there was always this one dancer in the back who looked like she was pawing the ground and acting like a horse? Anyway, it all ended with a bang where they were all over the stage once again dancing in their own little world, and without warning, simultaneously the music and lights cut and the dancers collapsed on the floor. The audience was quiet, and then slowly, a few random claps rang out in the auditorium. A few seconds later the lights came back on, and two of the dancers stood up, untied a green sash that was tied around their waist, threw it to the ground, and then the lights cut again. Now we were all really confused and there was dead silence until the ballerinas came to the front and did one quick bow, and the curtain pulled closed. That's how the show ended. I think we were all really confused.

Modernism, leave ballet alone!

You know, if people want to do modern interpretive dance, be my guest. Go do your personal expression and all that, and have fun doing it. I just don't want to watch you do it.

I got my third letter from Ty today!!! Yahoo!!! I wrote him back already. My letters are increasingly gaining in length... Here is the back of the envelope. I drew a picture for him.

It says: "This is Milton. Milton likes you. Too bad Milton is tasty. Happy Thanksgiving, Milton."


Quotes of the Day:

Kellie: "I only have a little bit of time left!"
Me: "Enjoy your time. Enjoy it because it all goes too fast. And pretty soon, you find yourself in front of Brick Oven as he's about to get in the car with his family to go to the MTC. And your last moment together is a stolen hug that was much too quick, and then you try so hard to put it all in your memory- No. Enjoy your time. Because pretty soon, you won't have it."
Wistie: "Haha I am so glad you exist!"
Stephen: "Did you rehearse that?"

and

Stephen: "Wait, get married May 20, 2009?!"
Me: "That's enough time to court someone, propose, and get married."
Kellie: "Yeah, and get pregnant!"

and

Wistie: "Let's kill your roommate!"
Me: "Yes. I've been looking for an excuse!"

and

Ty's companion Elder Larson: "BYOM- Bring your own Mexican"

good friends are crazy

Last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning was so fun.

"Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gun powder treason and plot.
I know of no reason why the gun powder treason should ever be forgot."

I've decided to start a new tradition. It was just too much fun! Ever since I saw V for Vendetta for the first time, I've watched it on November 5th. Granted, it came out in 2005, so this is only the 4th year I've done it. If you haven't seen the movie, that is a sin. Watch it. It is absolutely fantastic. One of my top favorites.


So Amber, Quinn, and I got together on Tuesday night. First I taught Quinn how to make peanut butter truffles, then we played Guitar Hero a bit, then Amber came over and we talked for a while. Then at midnight, we put the movie on. November 5th. I didn't think about it at the time, but we should have timed it so that when it struck midnight here, Big Ben would have chimed midnight in the movie. And something awesome happens at midnight, but I won't spoil it if you haven't seen it yet.

I plan on doing this every year. You are welcome to join me next November. The more the merrier! What a way to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day than by watching a movie that is somewhat based off the holiday and probably has absolutely no truth behind it whatsoever?


Quotes of the Day:

Survey: "What do you hope to get out of BYU?"
Wistie: "I put 'An education.'"
Me: "Haha how about, 'A husband?'"
Kellie: "That's what I put, but I wrote 'Just kidding' after it."
Me: "I put that too... but I kind of wasn't kidding."

Yellow's for service from morning till night...

"Data Center, this is Allison"

Boooooring. Who wants to be themselves?

I volunteered working for the Poli Sci and Statistics departments at BYU helping with the exit polls yesterday. It was pretty fun. I was there for about an hour and a half yesterday evening. I didn't go out to the polling places and take the surveys. That would have been fun. But I got to stay at "headquarters" on campus and do data entry. I got to wear a fancy head set and sit at a computer. The surveyors would call and give me the answers to people's surveys, then I'd enter that info into the computer so they could get data throughout the day- and try to predict how the election will turn out.

I had imagined that I would be constantly answering the phone and be really busy. But I think I got a total of three calls the whole time, and I'd enter 3-5 surveys per call. So, I made friends with the people around me. We had a good time. We talked about the election mostly. But also about random things.

I wanted to answer the phone with a cool name every time. So I did.

"Good evening, data center, this is Yolanda. You are awesome." That was my favorite. Because the guy I was talking to called me Yolanda.

"Hey you've reached the data center. This is Ruth. What's up?"

"Data center, this is Betty. How is your night going?"

Unfortunately I didn't have more calls because I had more names I wanted to use.

I wish I had had my camera because I wanted to take a picture of me all official donating my time to the election, doing my civic duty and all that. But I went to Costco with my broski and Tristan (I got peanut butter and crackers and Grape Nuts :) I want my Grape Nuts) and didn't have time to go home before I went to campus. So alas, no camera. Oh well. Next time. I'll definitely be doing this again!

In other news...

Prop 8 passed! YAHOO!!!! California, you have renewed my faith in thee!!!

And Nevada went blue. I'm surprised. We've usually been red. I guess Vegas is pulling us down. Curse you, Vegas. You consistently make my life more complicated.

voting

The sad thing about voting early with an absentee ballot... you don't get to wear the really awesome "I voted" sticker all day. Instead, I'm wearing my huge College Republicans sticker. I think that's better anyway. It has an elephant on it.

discoveries

I went to therapy today.

I went to couple's therapy with my husband, Spencer. Yes, the same guy I married a few weeks ago and had children with. We are having problems.

He has his own business, and I am sad because I feel like he isn't involved in our young sons' lives enough. He works too much. He says that I nag him too much- but really I'm just trying to encourage him to play and bond with our sons. I'll buy tickets to the circus, a baseball game, and set up other outings for him do with with them, and with me, and it seems to only make him more mad. He's been staying at work later and later, contributing it to the fact that business is getting really tight.

So, he agreed to see a therapist with me. We went to the rapist- oh, excuse me, therapist- Amanda Lloyd. She got him to agree to come home three times a week by 6:00 PM if I would let him do whatever he pleases. Hmm we'll see how this turns out. The rapist Amanda might be kind of crazy, but we'll just have to trust her advice.

Who needs a wedding ring when you have a name tag you can just wear everywhere? That way guys don't have to do finger checks.

..............................................................................................

Are humans screwing themselves over?

Natural selection. It helps species evolve to adapt to their environment so they can be best equipped to survive. And while we always hear that natural selection is "the strongest survive," they're wrong. Natural selection is simply that species with certain inherited traits are better fit to their environment so they can survive. An example of this is finches. During a drought, the only food left to eat were big shelled nuts. Only the big beaked finches lived through the drought because their beaks were able to crack open the nuts. The smaller beaked ones starved to death, and that trait became pretty much extinct. Therefore, only big beaked finches were left, and they reproduced, making big beaked finch babies- better adapted to the environment.

A thought came to me today while sitting in Biology class while we were talking about this. Humans don't do natural selection. So are we messing with nature? Since all species do it naturally to stay strong and to be best fitted for the environment, the same would be for humans, too, right? But with our medicines and modern technology... everyone is surviving. So are we weakening the human race, or making it harder for us to all survive in the future? Our environment is changing, yet we are not. What will happen to us? The "small beaked" humans are surviving. What will happen to us all in the future?

I thought all of this, then got distracted and bored with it and didn't come up with an answer.

....................................................................................................

Fondus to battement lent... sucks. I am going to be SO SORE tomorrow! Ugh, ballet.

...................................................................................................

I got a new phone! Yes! Amber, being the amazing generous person she is, added me onto her T-Mobile family plan, and this includes unlimited texting! I am SO EXCITED you have no idea! So I'm probably giving my old phone to my mom when I go home for Thanksgiving, and switching strictly to my new number.

(801) 709-8289

Text me! It makes me so happy when I get a message :)

..................................................................................................

Yes. This is dedicated to you, Mom. I was in the Wilk waiting for my ballroom class to start the other day and heard the music come on. I immediately knew what it was, and hastily grabbed my camera to record it for you! They're practicing for Christmas Around the World which I will be going to next month, so maybe I'll sneak in a camera and record the finished version for you. It's even pretty much the same choreography. Hm, maybe I will watch this movie tonight.





Quotes of the Day:

Mom: "Have you heard any more from Ty lately?"
Me: "Yes!!! I got another letter from him Saturday! He's speaking Spanish already!"
Mom: "Well if Eric Veeder can learn Italian, anyone can learn any language."
It has been brought to my attention that Eric actually served in Spain... and speaks Spanish... which makes this quote ever more amusing.

all hallows eve

Happy Halloween! I had a blast yesterday night! I got all dressed up in my can can costume again, and Amber came to pick me up, and we went over to Quinn's house. We took some pictures there, and then went to get sushi for dinner. All dressed up! I was a can can dancer, Amber was a Zoobie, Quinn a cowboy, and Quinn's sister Rachel was a baby. That was a blast. I wanted to go up to a place that I went to with my brother and sister in law once called Yamoto, but we just went down to Damae on Center Street in Provo. Which was fine with me. It was still delicious!

Afterwards we went back to Quinn's house, and we all went around trick or treating. I must say, as an older teenager, you sure get funny reactions from people. Quinn, Amber, and I didn't go all the way up to the door since we weren't really trick or treating. Quinn's sister Rachel was and we were taking her around. We weren't carrying any bags, and weren't expecting candy. We know we're too old for it. But this one lady gave Rachel candy, looked right at us a few feet down from the door, said, "Have a good night" in a way that we knew meant, No candy for you! and closed the door on us. I was like, we weren't asking for candy so you don't have to be so obviously rude. I actually just thought it was really funny. A few people gave us candy anyway. One guy said that you're never too old to eat candy! And one of Quinn's neighbors had carved a huge letter Y in his lawn and painted it. It made me and Amber really happy!


We went up the hill by Amber's house where the really rich people live. One house actually gave out king-sized candy bars. That was awesome. We took one of those- we couldn't pass it up, no matter how old we are.

It was weird to me going around again. I hadn't been trick or treating in about four or five years. It made me think of the next time I'll be going. Probably with my own children! It made me feel older, because that could be happening in reasonable amount of time. Not soon, but in the far seeable future. But for now, I'm a kid enough myself. Hm, maybe if Drew and Christina get going here pretty soon I can go with them to take my neices and nephews around soon... *wink wink* You can tell I really want to be an aunt. Wow this was a total side track. Sorry...

After trick or treating we went back to Quinn's and played "Picksies," where we sprawl the candy out and each take a turn picking a piece of candy for ouselves. This was quite amusing and a lot of fun :) The night ended with me, Amber, and Quinn watching Sleepy Hollow. Not scary, but still mystrious, and weird. I loved it! My mom sent it to me last Halloween, and I still hadn't watched it.

This All Hallows Eve was a great one to remember :)


Quotes of the Day:

Me: "I like it when the kids pass out candy because I don't feel as bad when I take it from them."
Quinn: "Allison takes candy from babies!"

and

Amber: "When I'm rich, I will buy my friends."

and

Amber: "He's a night stocker."
Quinn: "Yeah, I stalk Barbies."
Me: "Can I be a Barbie?"
Amber: "She wants you to stalk her!"

and

Me: "I like that they didn't have to kill him again. He just went peacefully down to Hell."

and

Me: "Crap. Hey, what's my phone number? I don't have it memorized."

and

Bryant: "Let's get a cake and have Cosmo pop out of it in a dodgy outfit."