December

So. No progression pics. But fun fact, it was a VERY busy month. This was the last project for my 2D design class.
They called it "systems." It basically didn't matter what we did, as long as we had a ... way of doing things.
This is based on the book "Goose Girl." Every white line is a chapter. There are 26 different colored splots. Each splot represents the first letter on a page in the chapter. In order. And this is what it looks like.

Well. It was jolly good fun. And ... isn't it something.

Well. It must be fairly good, because it's the only one of my piece that they took for the student art show. 

Your Loving Overlords.

I love Disney. 

I am part of my college's Disney History Club.

I can count the number of Disney movies I haven't seen on one hand (Well... almost.)

I have dressed up as Disney Characters more often than any other characters. 

In case you hadn't noticed, this is a disclaimer.

What are some of your favorite movies?

Star Wars?....yes. Owned by Disney. October 2012

Muppets?....... Bought in 2004

Pixar?.... Disney bought them in 2006

Marvel?.... Disney bought the distribution rights in December 2009.

 

We all love Disney movies, Disney parks, and the whole Disney experience. But that doesn't mean that we should be ok with them taking over the entire industry. 

 

I love Google.

Every year on it's birthday, I write a long ode to my "best friend" and post it on my Facebook page.

The first thing that I did to my new laptop was install Google Chrome. 

I am writing this on a Google Blog, and my blog is one of the things I am most proud of.

I have never even used Bing or Yahooo or Safari. I go out of my way to use Google.

Heck, it's become a verb. 

Let me Google that for you.

But sometimes Google is scary.

Have you Googled yourself lately? 

It used to be that I would get a newspaper article from Elementary school, the programs from our stake play, and pages of Norwegian nonsense.

That isn't the case anymore.

You Google my name, and you can find out how much I made last summer working as a lifeguard, what my times were on my High School Swim team, things I've posted on Pinterest, my Facebook cover photos and profile pictures, the Prezi's I've made, my Google+ posts (there aren't many...), my Goodreads account, a blog I commented on once, and -although it's buried on the 9th page - my blog.

*My roommate says that this might be because I'm Googling on my laptop. The results might skewed. Which would mean that Google knows who I am, which is just as scary.*

And then there's Google plus. 

I never really signed up for it. It just... happened. 

I have a gmail account. I have a blog. Suddenly, I have a Google+

But it knows what I like, it edits my pictures all by itself, and it suggests friends that I actually know. 

It knows lots of stuff.

Google has amassed quite the empire.

YouTube. Started in February 2005... bought by Google in November 2006.

Picasa. Founded in 2002... bought by Google in 2004

I know here are more but there isn't an actual list, so this is what you get.

Although they don't have the Google logo, Google is the man behind the curtain, pulling all those strings.
Anything you can do... you can do it on Google.
Google takes existing ideas, recreates them, makes them better, and slaps a Google logo on it.
Observe
Google books (Amazon library), Google Scholar (Journals and stuff), Google Play (iTunes), Google Maps (MapQuest), Google Earth (MapQuest again), Google Calander, Google Drive (storage... stuff), Google Docs (Microsoft Word... shared), Google News, Google Wallet, Google Shopping, Google Finance (Wall Street), Google Photos, Google Videos, Google Offers (groupon), Google Translate (a not-so-reliable dictionary), and more and more.

Soon you'll have to go out of your way to use something that Google didn't buy out or create. You may not be able to see a movie that Disney didn't have a hand in. 

And the odd thing is.... You are probably totally ok with that.

They are our loving, benevolent overlords. 

We can only hope they stay that way.

Liz Burdzy

Every now and then I write a blog for a certain special person. Usually on a birthday, or after some great event.
Well, I was showing some of these to my dear roommate, Elizabeth Burdzy.
She wanted one. I said I'd probably do one for her birthday.
And then, miracle of miracles (or, because we had to re-draw like 6 times), I drew her name in our dorm's "Secret Santa."
That was easy. I already knew what she wanted.
And this is it.
An Alayna Een original..... a blog post for Liz.


Going to college, there were a million and a half things to worry about. 

Somehow, in the chaotic tumble of packing and registering and getting books, I didn't really spend time thinking about my roommates. 

I had friended most of them on Facebook. I had decided who I thought my favorites would be.

But Liz, I didn't know you. 

On the day I moved in, you weren't there. 

I was busy with New Student Orientation. You were spending time with your mom.

So I don't know the exact moment when we became friends. 

Maybe it was in the late nights/early mornings we spent talking in the hallway. 

Or the couple of times we stayed up in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate and spilling our guts. 

But we are. Suddenly and undeniably. We became friends. 

It's amazing what you can learn about a person by living with them and listening to them. (As I learned that night we played "Alayna Trivia.")

And this, dearest Lizzie, is what I've learned about you.

Liz the fearless. 

Whether it's taking the first step and asking a guy on a date, or saying "hi" to a famous athlete you cross on campus, you have the guts to make things happen. I've always balked at the idea of asking someone on a date, and only rose to the occasion because you had already asked someone and needed a double. And you know what? It was a lot of fun.
And you've got to have guts to go as a "grayscale" person for Halloween.

Liz the fangirl

One of the my biggest dreads when I came to college was the idea that no one would geek out with me. You helped assay that dread. We fangirl. Our Friday nights are sacred. 

I'm passionate about my shows, don't get me wrong. But I've never seen anyone get so worked up about a fictional story as you did on that one episode of Arrow. You have such a passion for life, people, and a good story! You are like me, faithful as a fangirl. Seeing you show such emotion for these people gives me an idea of how much you must care for the real people in your life. 

And it's a lot, Liz. A lot.

You are also a total shipper. In real life.
It usually just seems ridiculous, but is always highly amusing when you jump from  "first date" to "eternal mate" with budding roommate romances. You were SO sure that Canute would ask me on that second date. We made a bet. You lost. I got ice cream.
But it's nothing to be ashamed of. You just like to see people happy. Something I can totally appreciate. 

Liz the optimist

Liz, I've seen you cry. It was while you were reading some of my more personal blog posts (which was already more than enough to endear you to me. I'm a sucker for those who like my writing). You teared up when I showed you the lost song from Aladdin. And when I told you how Amy and Rory die, even though you don't know them yet, you were fighting back emotion.  

Yes, Liz. I've seen you cry. 

But I've never seen you sad.

You usually wear a smile and work with the attitude that "everything will be ok."
But every now and then, you let slip a secret hardship. Something that would totally crush and devastate most people. Something I never could have guessed or couldn't even imagine going through myself. And it's something that you've already worked through and risen above.
You are incredibly inspiring. Smiling in the face of adversity.


Liz the Loving

You put your face, and the faces of all of our roommates, over all of my picture frames. It was a not-so-subtle way of proving that you were part of my family. And it was hilarious. And touching. And I thought it was great.
Leaving your computer open is practically begging for someone to mess with it.
When I left mine open, on my way to a date, you took advantage of that opportunity. But not in the way most teenagers do.
Yes, you changed my Facebook picture and wrote a funny status.
But you and Marissa took the time to create a thirty minute video of little pieces of advice and motivational phrases personalized for me. You spent a little bit of time and gave me something unique and priceless.
This is my attempt at returning the favor.







Thanks for all of the memories.
Thanks for being you.
Have a very merry Christmas....
and a happy New Year. 

To coin a phrase

Things I want to start saying.

"That's pretty sketchy."
Sketchier than Da Vinci's figure drawings.

"That's sad."
That's more depressing than a sudden rainstorm on an outdoor watercolor art display.
That's worse than an earthquake in the etch-a-sketch museum of art.

"A big number"
Bigger than the body count in a Liam Neeson movie. (True story)

"Sagging"
That dude's pants are like the London Bridge. They're falling down.

Farewell to Young

When I was signing up for housing here at BYU, I was told to get into "New Heritage" if at all possible. Sure, the rent was about $300 more a semester, but they were so much nicer, newer, and they had free wifi. Unfortunately, by the time my registration date rolled around, none of the New Heritage rooms were open. In fact, hardly any of the Heritage halls had openings. As I hesitated, the bed I was going to click was taken. So without another thought or moment's hesitation, I claimed the first bed that popped up as "available" on my screen.
And the rest is history.

Young Hall.

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if the shower head was just a foot and a half taller, I might be able to stand under it without hunching over. ( As it is, the shower head is the same height as my nose.)

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if the mattress was a little bit longer, maybe my feet wouldn't hang off the end. Oh, and it might help that I have to sleep about a foot lower on the mattress to avoid hitting my head on the random shelving unit that runs inconveniently across the room.

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if I could reach the shelves without standing on the ridiculously unsteady rocking chairs, it would be even better. (Seriously, for a Hall made for dwarfs, there sure are a lot of floor-to-ceiling cupboards.)

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if we could control the temperature, it would be even better. Unbearably hot in summer, sweaters inside in the winter. 

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if the door to my bedroom would quit rattling whenever it's fully shut, that would be great. I might get to sleep faster.

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if we had more than one bathroom for SIX girls, it would be even better.

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if I could stop hitting my head on cabinet doors, that would be really great.

Young Hall is a great place to live. Even though my bedroom door has a crack you could fit a credit card into.

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if the water would quit having random hot flashes, I wouldn't have to plaster myself on my shower-wall, waiting for it to pass.

Young Hall is a great place to live. Since there's no wifi, it's common practice to try and find that perfect spot in the lobby, where you can steal from the neighbor's router. Thank you, bubba.

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if there were some couches in the lobby that were... actually comfortable... or that didn't have seats falling into themselves at an angle, I might even be comfortable.

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if the storage cages looked a little bit less like the cells used in "Planet of the Apes," that would be great. I might not be afraid to go down there. 

 Young Hall is a great place to live. And if the washers accepted signature cards like all the other machines on campus, I wouldn't be swimming in quarters.  And if the washers didn't shake like a man's dying breath, that would be great. 

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if we had paddles for the ping-pong table in the basement maybe we could actually use it.

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if the outside stairs were a little bit less treacherous, we might be able to use them without watching our every step. 

Young Hall is a great place to live. And if I could reach the Ethernet plug-in without lying on top of the desk and shoving my arm down the crack between the wall, I would really appreciate it.

In spite of all that, Young Hall really is a great place to live. 

It's old, there's no getting around that. But there's something comforting about the sturdy "brick, wood, and cinder-blocks."

We have a fireplace in the lobby.

We actually HAVE a lobby. It's a great open space... where you can actually... hang out.

But more than all of that... This place holds my memories.

The winter chill settled in, and the air was so cold and clear that I choked breathing it in. Trudging up the many steps to the front entrance, sheltered by a tree with yellowing leaves, Young Hall welcomed me home with a warm embrace.

I loved walking the path to campus, followed by the little stream, and getting a strange satisfaction as I stepped on those weird ball-shaped berries that frequently fell from the trees lining the sidewalk.

Those trees are gone now.

I loved those Friday nights when my dormmates crowded into my half of the room to watch Merlin. Sitting on chairs or perched on the end of my bed because the Ethernet cable meant we couldn't move the laptop, we shouted, cried, and fangirled.

 Liz would stare at me through the crack in my door until I noticed, and then we'd laugh like the crazy kids we are. 

We wrote our room number in business cards, stuck through the useless vent in our door. 244

Marissa likes to stand RIGHT BEHIND ME when I'm working at my computer, and wait until I notice. Sometimes, it take awhile. 

We ordered pizza for our monthly cleaning checks (since the kitchen had to be spotless) and make creepy/cheesy signs for the delivery guys. We then put those signs on the wall in the kitchen. It's a great conversation starter. 

Roommies keep accidentally crashing each other's dates, as they hang out in the kitchen. But it was never awkward, and no one ever asked anyone to leave. We love each other's company.

My dad came and visited me after his high school reunion. He brought me some of Aunt Melissa's home-grown peaches. We sat, chatting on the cold wall outside the building because I forgot that they locked the doors on Sundays, and we couldn't get back in.  

People always cutting through our dorm to use our back exit. Maybe they did it to save time, but then they chat with us, so its use as a shortcut is negligible.

That one time Emmalie, Marissa, and I sat next to each other in the lobby, all in a Google Hangout, just trying to make some "Auto awesome photos." But the mics got all messed up and would pick up on the recorded sound of the nearest computer. What was the result? An endless chorus of increasingly hysterical laughter and funny looks from people who passed by. 

In the hours after midnight, those of us who couldn't quite force ourselves to sleep would talk in the tiny hallway, partially preparing for bed, mostly enjoying each other's company. 

I met my sister's future husband for the first time in the lobby right outside the door to my dorm. 

And who can forget that night when Liz, Marissa, Elisa, and I played "Alayna Trivia?" Who was my Senior English Teacher? What's the name of my friend in building 27? What are my parent's professions? What is the name of my older sister's boyfriend? What is the name of the cousin I have lunch with on Mondays? What is the name of my blonde friend? What are my sibling's names and ages in order? Does my family own a garden? What is it called? What's the name of my blog? What size are my feet? etc. It's scary how much they knew. 

And later that night, when we moved our mattresses into the kitchen and had a sleep over. (Tonight, since there are even fewer of us, we are going to stack the mattresses and sleep like "Princess and the Pea.")

Young Hall has been good to me.

And we've been good to her, too.

And then, piece by piece, they took out the trees, dug ditches, fenced us in, and started to tear her down.

*Somewhere beyond the barricade, is there a world you long to see?*

We are being moved into a brand new building. They are tearing Young down over Christmas break. 

And so, another generation of weary souls struggles through the snow, pulling and carrying their few belongings along the rugged path toward the promise of a better world while the song "Come, Come Ye Saints" rings through the chilly air.

They had handcarts, we have rolling suitcases. They had the promise of Zion, we are promised free wifi. Their path was long, ours is undertaken again and again. 

The slow death march of Young Hall is underway.

And although we could have moved into the new hall two days ago, I haven't gone yet. I'm sticking it out. I'm a hopeless sentimentalist. And I always will be.

But -surprisingly- I'm not the only one.
Mormons don't usually condone stealing things... but I've never seen a group of girls more eager to get a piece of Young Hall. They wanted to steal their keys, their doorknobs, a couple of bricks maybe. It's hilarious. (All that aside, I'm actually planning on ripping the number plaque off of the wall by my door.)   

We made sweatshirts. "Forever Young." All but 3 of the girls in our hall bought them.

If Young Hall could sing, she would say something like this: 

Just give me a number (seriously, the new buildings are just numbers)
Instead of my name
Forget all about me
And let me decay
I do not matter,
I'm only one person  dorm Hall
Destroy me completely
Then throw me away 
If my life were important I
Would ask will I live or die
But I know the answers are

always untold!

Close every door to me,
Keep those I love from me
Children of Young Hall
Are never alone
For we know we shall find
Our own peace of mind 
For we have been promised
A land of our own (... a new building)

(Joseph and the Amazing Techni-colored Dreamcoat)

I hate change. With a passion. But when I can no longer avoid or imagine it away.... I accept it.
We will be the last to live in Young Hall, and the first to live in Building 10. 

I guess there's something cool about that.

Last Words

“Either this wallpaper goes or I do.” — Oscar Wilde. 

"I've never felt better." - Douglas Fairbanks

"I would rather be a servant in the house of the Lord than sit in the seat of the mighty." - Alben W. Barkley

"Don't let it end like this, tell them I said something." - Pancho Villa

"Lord, help my poor soul." - Edgar Allen Poe

"Oh, I am not going to die, am I? He will not separate us, we have been so happy!" -Charlotte Bronte (To her husband)

"I see the black light!" -Victor Hugo

"Go on, get out. Last words are for fools who haven't said enough." -Karl Marx

"Nothing, but death" -Jane Austen, when asked what she desired.

"Go to the rising sun; My sun is setting." - Marcus Aurelius 

"There is nothing more I can do to it now, and therefor I am not likely to be more ready to go than at this moment." - Ulysses S. Grant

The Doctor's various last words:
Ah, yes. Thank you. It's good. Keep warm.

No! Stop, you're making me giddy! No, you can't do this to me! No, no! No, no, no, no, no, no! No, no, no, no!

A tear, Sarah Jane? No, don't cry. While there's life, there's...

It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for.

Feels different this time...

Adric?

Carrot juice, carrot juice, carrot juice.

I've got to stop... him...

Physician, heal thyself.

I hope the ears will be less conspicuous this time.

 Before I go, I just want to say you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what? So was I!   

I don't want to go!

Last words
It's strange, you have your whole life to prepare for them. And yet when the moment comes, will you know what to say? Suddenly every word you've ever said -the useless chatter and endless prattle you get hung up on sometimes - resonates within. Every word you've used and wasted up until this point, incalculable in number, seems mostly meaningless. Laying on your deathbed, with nothing but the memory of all the words you've ever said, will you be speechless?

You have your whole life to prepare for your final catchphrase. Used as a final declaration of love, an atonement for past sins, a last crack of wit, a confession, a summary of life, to impart precious knowledge and truth, as a testament of faith; a person's final words have untold potential worth.

But we don't live for our last words. That's not what life's about. That won't make the greatest difference. A final declaration of love is empty if that same sentiment went unspoken through the years leading up to this final moment. The knowledge shared in a dying breath still can't compare to that which could have been shared throughout the life that is now coming to a close..
 Life isn't about preparing for final words. It's about making every word up to that point count for something. Spend your words with care. Make them kind, make them honest, make them good, make them wise. So that at that final moment, you won't have to worry about saying something good or profound. You won't have to say anything at all. Because if you make the most of each of the words throughout your life, the best will rise in the memories of those to whom they were spoken, or were touched by them. The good words of a life well spent will rise through the years, and lift you into eternity.

Thanksgiving

Someone left a comment on my Halloween one, saying that I'd have to make it a holiday tradition...
I wasn't planning on it, but since I didn't have anything else to do for my weekly thing...


T'is the time of year when friends gather near.
Homeward bound, we drive, ride, and fly
Anxiously awaiting some pumpkin pie
No one is forgotten, no one left alone
Keep the door open wide, let them into your home
Share the bounteous feast
Give your best, never cease
In the spirit of thanks, forget title and rank.
Virtue here lies
In these November skies.
Never forgetting the poverty in which the pilgrims stood,
Giving thanks for what they had, sharing all that they could.



Oh, and how did my NaNoWriMo go?
Simple answer?
It didn't. :(
But it's an excellent beginning.

ET Phone Home

"The old house has changed and the children are grown, but it's still the place that I'll always call home."





This could be longer, but it's a cute little sentiment, and I've been pretty busy.
I've also written a 20 page character summary of 10 Book of Mormon Heroes this week... and I'm counting that. But not attaching it. (Because, well, it's 20 PAGES LONG!)

Just for fun.

I think Google is scary sometimes (that's for another post).

But you have to admit....
This things are pretty dang cool.
One step closer to Harry Potter's talking portraits.

Lights and shadows

It's a light, a beautiful light, over the horizon, into your eyes...
Son, sometimes it may seem dark, but the absence of the light is a necessary part.

You feel just like the sun, and if you say I'll be alright, I'm gonna trust you, babe. Gonna look in your eyes, and if you say I'll be alright, I'll follow you into the light.

Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise. 

The sun will come 
To light the way, 
To change the darkened skies
To brightest day. 
Thou hast giv'n thy part;
What is left undone
Is in His hands, have faith, 
God will send the/his sun/son.

 2 Nephi 11-12 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

“God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.” -Albert Einstein.

Darkness. Light. 
We hate the darkness.
But contrast is beautiful.

Without bright lights and heavy darks...

The world is grim and gray indeed.

November

 Well, this month was especially busy, and I did LOTS of artwork. But I didn't do any progression pictures. So this is what you get. It took a lot of time. It's made of lots dots. It's a plant in the HFAC, and I swear that I could SEE the plant grow. That was... fun.

Today's date.

Today's date is really awesome.

I did not forget.

You missed our Skype date, lunch fell through, or you simply just "forgot."

That's ok, I understand. It happens quite a lot.
Things are happening in your life you don't quite understand,
and I'm only just too willing to lend you a helping hand.
Talk to me, rely on me, I wish you would reach out.
If we put our heads together, then we'd figure it all out.
Or not.
That's ok, I know quite well how busy life can be,
but every now and then, I wish that you'd remember me.

The time was not so long ago when we were the best of friends.
No matter what they say of distance, I'll be there to the end.
But our friendship seems to stall in the ever-present past,
Did you forget the fun we had? Is this how the die is cast?

Sometimes I wonder if you know how much you mean to me.
My feelings haven't changed, I only wish that you could see.

Or not.
That's ok, I understand how crazy life can get.
But I think that--maybe--you should know, that I did not forget.

2,000

With approximately 182 posts, my blog has reached 2,000 page views. Although about half of them are probably me, making sure that things posted correctly... it's still a cool feeling.

NaNoWriMo

I wrote the preface for my novel (in honor of National Novel Writing Month. aka NaNoWriMo). It's super exciting.

Invaluable, Perfect, Loved

You are not infallible, but you are invaluable.

You are not perfect, but you are priceless.

You are not lost, and you are loved beyond measure.

The paradox of man is that without God, we are nothing.

But to God... we are everything.

To Him we are (as Emma Woodhouse) faultless in spite of our faults.

We are His children. We are His work and His glory.

We are the dust of the earth... and the salt of it.

We are prodigal and chosen.

We are worth more than we can ever know.

More than many sparrows, far above rubies, more than the life of the only begotten son.

 We have heard all of this before.
Isn't it about time we started believing it?

Loosley 'Liza

October

Apply water-color paint. Splatter by blowing through a straw.
Don't pass out.

Continue. Let colors mix, and allow for size variety.

Fill paper. (This is the "Loose" Element. Disorganized, chaotic and such.)

This the photo-shopped picture of Eliza that I had printed. It was much smaller than I had envisioned, so I will end up cropping the paper... which made my teacher kind-of sad.

You may not be able to tell, but this is a pen tracing of the black graphic. Since there are no tracing tables (light tables) in the HFAC for general use, I held it up to a window. I now have astounding arm strength.

Black paint over the pen. It isn't a perfect transfer, but it isn't half bad either.

Aaannnnddddd.... it's done.
And I think I like it.

This is Halloween

Have you ever had a fright, or danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Are you the type with a terrible shriek, does terror leave you unable to speak?
Looking constantly at what's behind, you're never sure just what you'll find
Lights turned off in the dead of night, does the darkness hide an unpleasant sight?
Or do you stay up, without fail, to listen to some spooky tale?
Witches, broomsticks, cauldrons, spells, an endless supply of stories to tell.
Each child holds a secret fear that a monster might be creeping near.
Eeeks and screams will fill the air, and some little trickster a grin will bear.
Now endless mischief will be seen because, of course, it's HALLOWEEN!

3/4 2013

The year is 3/4 over.
SO.... how am I doing at my resolutions?


1. Get back in the habit of journaling, at least once a week.
Back on track. Booyah! Maybe less thorough, but better.
2. Set aside time at least twice a week to study for AP tests and apply for scholarships (as long as applicable)
Twice a week? No. But I did work heavily on certain days. And seeing how I got 3 school memorial scholarships, I'd say I've done pretty well. And Eliza can attest to my dedication to the AP tests... we didn't have fun while I was studying... and I studied for a week straight. I got all of the scores that I needed, but not always quite what I wanted. Still, 30 college credits...
3. Do some of the things I keep saying that I'm going to. (Gee Alayna, could you be a little more vague?) Triskadecaphobia T-shirt(no go), the book for Mr. Mast (checked and double checked. And awesome), stuff for NHS (Yes), Color run (That was fun), LOTR marathon (More or less, you sneeky little hobbitses), Sadies (Haha), Prom (More or less),  etc.

4. Practice more often (also vague, but there you go)
On again, off again. I haven't used the piano in the basement of my dorm yet. I'll work on that.
( Here is where I would say that I will work out more... if indeed I intended to commit myself to such a resolution. I don't)
Swim season... is over. But I did sit-ups the other morning... progress.
5. Cook at least one meal a week with minimal help.
I don't get help anymore. I cook every meal. To varying degrees of success. I haven't done anything really major yet, but I did make some pretty good calzones the other day.
.6. Get to sleep earlier so I don't sleep during Math.
Sleep earlier. Ha. Hahaha. I'm up WAY later than I ever was in High School/
8. Learn how to count.
;)
9. Get more hours at work during summer, at least 30.
Supplementing my crappy work schedule with private swim lessons. Not working at the present time, but might try for nest semester.
10. Keep in touch with friends as we move away.
I hang out with my roommates a LOT. Skype with Melissa every Thursday and my family fairly frequently. Other than that, I'm not good at keeping in touch. I haven't even seen Emily in the past week and a half, and she lives in the building behind mine.
11. Get my Drivers License. Really. And improve on my navigation skills... or get really good at using Google Maps.
Thank you, Kathy. Using her mom's ridiculously nice and well maneuvering car, I passed the Drivers test (by ONE point) and got my licence in the mail while at college.
12. Find out how to use my ipod touch. iTunes, FaceTime, all that jazz.
Scripture study to the max. No Facetime yet. iTunes is getting there.
13. Have FUN and do well in Swim Team this year. And I want to be Captain.
We didn't HAVE captains... which was a thorn in my side, but it was a lot more fun this year. But you can see all my stats by googling my name, which is freaky.
14. Graduate in White, get the Medallion, get the NHS cord, and be Salutatorian.
Check, check, check, and check. Thank you very much.
15. Get A's in all my classes and pass (hopefully with 4s) my AP tests.
5 on Government, 4 on English, 4 on Stats, 3 on Bio. Everything I needed. Not quite what I wanted.
16. Write more often. Something every week (journal doesn't count) oops. A poem, a story, descriptive essay, something. With a year-end goal of two fully written stories. (Some of the ones that have been kicking around in my head for the past forever.)
Every week. Some more impressive than others. November is National Novel Writing month. I'm going to do it. 50,000 words, bring it on.
17. Do "Artistic Progressions." (You'll see what I mean) Take pictures along the way, as I spend time doing a really good picture. At least one a month, to be worked on throughout the month. (CAN include schoolwork)
About half and half. I'm getting there.
18. Get my stinking braces off. Enough is enough. It's Senior year. I want them off before I graduate.
Check. Thanks mom. But this retainer is getting annoying, and I wish I didn't have to wear it ALL THE TIME.
19. Make new friends (necessary!), but keep the old. (One is silver and the other gold)
Roommates are great. I talk to people sometimes. 
20. Go on at least one date... it can't be that hard....
I went on one this year. Four total. Girls outnumber guys in my ward 3-1, so I don't think there's much of a chance, despite what Jono thinks.
21. Keep up with my blog.
;)
22. Help my neighbor write her personal history over the summer.
Forgot about that one.
 23. Do the best I can with whatever comes my way, but don't freak out about thinks that I have no control over.
Cryptic much?
24. Go to the Temple at least 13 times this year.
Haven't counted much. I need to do it more while I'm here.
25. Be more kind. Be more tolerant. Be more certain. Be myself... but better.
Yes?


None too shabby, none too shabby.