Sel and L Get and The Allotrope of Carbon

I have always found it peculiar how your entire life can change in under 60 seconds. Getting hit by car, ice cream truck, dinosaur, or anvil. Saying something really stupid while being filmed "I am afraid Guam will become so overpopulated it will just tip over and capsize" (thanks Hank Johnson) or not being filmed for that matter. Clicking the "Submit" button for a schedule that will determine whether you wish you were dead for a semester or whether you skip with joy to all your classes . Or having your best friend get down on one knee and asking you to marry him. This blog is going to be so full of happiness you might not be able to handle it. And it will be long. Yet, it will be infintely better than those sappy chick flicks or overdramatized fairy tales...or a spanish novella even though those are pretty entertaining.

Friday: Sel informed me earlier in the week we had a reservation in Salt Lake at McDonalds. Excellent. Classy establishment full of lotsa food I love-dead cows on buns with blood colored flavoring and pickles. Sel had been on top of his game this past week-better than Jimmer at the apparently legendary basketball game we both didn't watch. He suprised me on the way to physics with breakfast, purchased a much needed loaf of bread for me, downloaded all of my music and junk off my computer so it wouldn't fall into a black hole when it got repaired (p.s. it is STILL not repaired. See further details below), interpreted physics for me, etc. After I finished lecturing my poor vicitims, Sel came to snatch me with a flower in hand. We then ate lunch on our way out of town at Pita Pit (our first date) and then zoomed off to get my holey tooth filled. Our next stop was to the Dell Fix-Your Stupid Epileptic Computer Store. Earlier, whilst passing Thanksgiving Point (yeeah Dinosaurs!!!), we had realized we forgot my dumb computer in the first place. Caboodle, Sel's angel of a sister who I love a whole heck of a lot, was sweet enough to drive all the way to the Riv to simply bring my blasted computer. Yeah, she is actually in the running for "Saint of the Year"-she also happens to be the most beautiful of the contestants. LOVE YOU CABOODLE!
The only downfall to this day-which is actually hilarious anyway-was that Dell was kind enough to mail me a fan for a desktop. Aka the fan they sent was nearly 4x the size it should be. Thanks a heap Dell. If I wasn't marrying Sel (!!!!!-whoops, I should save that for later..) you would be next in line. Since we had extra time to kill before our reservation, we decided to explore the State Capitol. When we realized we still had an hour until 6:30PM and we were already tired of looking at busts of old politicians (which can get boring REAL fast), Sel called "McDonalds" to ask if we could come earlier. Turns out our reservation was actually in five minutes. We raced down the marble steps of possible death and pulled into my official favorite restaurant ever just in time. McMelting Pot! I had ironically commented whilst passing the restaurant earlier that Melting Pot was probably the best food I had ever had. :)
I started to guess something was up when Sel grabbed a backpack out of the trunk to take into the restaurant. Ochem is exciting and what not, but this was our big night out on the town. Shortly after we were seated, Sel handed me the backpack. As I peered inside of it, I discovered a plastic knife and then a jump rope, a head lamp (confusion...), then programs from shows we had seen (the one from our first date included) and finally a little red picture album. There was just a big pile of onions all over the table and in the backpack because my eyes started to tear up a bunch. The picture album was full of fun adventures we have been on with his comments on the side. After the last picture, there was a heart shaped wire. Sel removed it from its lil plastic pocket and threw it into the pot of boiling water on our table where it then transformed into a coiled metal ring. His hands had been inexplicably black this whole week which I now know is because he was working on molding it correclty with the Bunsen burner in his Ochem lab-not destroying Horcruxes as he had been telling me. As Sel got down on one knee, the onion effect started to hit both of us-me to a more extreme degree cause I was closest to them of course. Sel asked me to marry him as he nervously tried to put the ring on my right hand. I must have said yes at least five times. I didn't think I could have been happier or more suprised until half-way through our meal when he explained the real reason he had me bring my laundry (not to do it right after we got back from SLC)-We were going to Idaho Falls that night so we could look at rings Saturday morning. Another wave of onion effect. Sel (the brillant, wonderful, nearly perfect man he is) coordinated with my beautiful roommate to pack a secret overnight bag for my trip so he could kidnap me with ease. I again had the thought "It doesn't get better than this". Then they brought out the chocolate fondue. :) My happiness began to explode as I called my beloved relatives to tell them the news on our car ride to IF. Hearing all of their voices and sharing our excitment with them was marvelous. When we arrived at our destination, we were both drained from our long, wonderful full day and were all too eager to hit the sheets. Being greeted by his amazing parents was the topping to my perfect day. I fell asleep feeling as if I had dreamed the entire thing.
Saturday I woke up a bit disoriented as per a house elf was on my bed informing me he was here to save me and asking what I wanted for breakfast. After telling the house elf to be extra careful when apparating from the Malfoy's home in five years, I went upstairs. My finace (oh boy! It feels crazy to use that word), The Royale Whiz and I went for a snow filled romp through IF and then headed out to the ring shop. The prefection that was this weekend was solidified when we got there. Sel's kind neighbor owns the shop and took every kind measure he could to ensure we picked the perfect crystalized piece of carbon to spice up my previously drab looking ring finger. It took us under an hour to find my beautiful ring (which is really suprising considering how indecisive I am about...well, everything) and were miraculously told we could pick it up in about four hours. Yeah, my life is that amazingly wonderful. We finished off Saturday by watching HP (in fact Sel slipped my ring on my finger half way through-and dropped the wedding band under the seats which ensued a hilarious Pink Panther worthy minutes of searching for it in the theater).
Sunday We attended an uplifting Stake Conference, ate a tasty dinner, hugged my dear in-laws to be goodbye, and had an exciting journey home. I honestly had no idea at this point there were possibly more amazing things to come, but as soon as we parked the car in front of my complex, my spectucular roommates along with my sweet next door neighbors and friends came screaming down to the car. I felt overwhelmed by their exctiment. Their hilarious screaming was loud enough to reach the boys complex, Russia, China, Sarah Palin, and even the deaf community are swearing they could hear them all. I was encircled by some of my favorite people on the planet and finally ushered back into my apartment to retell the engagement story you are so privleged to be reading. We even had a Martinelli's inspired toast afterward with the well used shot glasses.
It is 2AM and though I am emotionally and physically drained, I couldn't seem to go to sleep until I had it written down so I could help myself believe it has all been real. I feel so overwhelmed with love, appreciation, excitment, and gratitude. My sweet roommates helped me pass cleaning check and coordinated to make my weekend unforgettable. The cute girlies who excitedly swarmed me and forgave me for missing Sunday meetings. My future relatives who have been SO welcoming and loving and helpful and perfect. My current relatives who I don't deserve-for their constant support and love and patience :) and perfection. And especially for Dell. Gotcha-for Sel. For how brillant he is and has been this weekend. For how much sweet effort he has always put into our relationship. For the allotrope of carbon on my finger and what it stands for. For being my best friend in all senses of the word. For making me deliriously happy every single day of my life. For making it so easy to fall in love with him.
Go ahead and cry or throw up or go javelin throwing or whatever really suits you, cause I am frankly so happy that I don't care if the world collapses on itself tomorrow and I never wake up again (I really hope this doesn't happen though and if it does me saying this does not mean it was my fault...)

L

Send L to Pluto

Most of the blogs I read are either related to engaged girls (which are sometimes painfully sickening to read), the post-wedded folks, people who travel the world and people who like to avoid studying for tests they have to take the next day. I fall into one of the above categories. I bet you will never guess which one it is.

I have decided to attempt to break into the "people who travel category". This leads me to two following points (a) I am starting a charity called send L to India, Africa, Galapagos Islands, Egypt, Israel, Guatemala, China, Pluto (to help it regain its dignity as a legitimate planet), and any other place I have been aching to travel to. Just think of the things one can gain from donating to such a charity: the joy at having made a girl ridiculously happy, a postcard from yours truly, and probably some sort of tax break after I talk to my pal Obama. (b) I went to Las Vegas this last weekend-which is relatively close to China all things considered. Okay, it is closer than Utah at least.

Now I will impress the world with the exotic nature of my travels:

A. Sel's faja, Caboodle (sister), uncle and I rode on the New York, New York Rollercoaster and the Stratosphere our first night there. I was my usual fearless and courageous self when it came to the 988 foot blast off ride on the top of a windy building. My fearlessness was entertaining. Supposedly.
B. I saw a midget Elvis on the strip talking with Michael Jackson. We later had drinks at the Bellagio with Sel and the gang.
C. Ate chocolate and other tasty things at the M&M and Coca Cola stores
D. Went to the Pinball Museum, got sucked into a confusing game that made little sense to anyone watching the film Hollywood made about our experience-though we all had some legit costumes in it, and found out I am in dire need of the beautiful invention called "The Relaxator"
E. Went to the Circus-specifically Cirque Du Soleil: Love-aka the most AMAZING show I have ever seen.
F. Saw a fun magic comedy show starring my long lost relative Mac King
G. Did too many fun, exotic, envy provoking things to list with one of the best groups of people I have yet to met.
Yup, Future exotic traveling blogger in the making. Get excited. This leads me to my next and final point.

I am quite serious about the charity talked about above. Just kidding. But really. As per I am currently on a conquest to sort out my summer (job/internship searching, whether to go to spring/summer term, where to live this summer, execute my plans to take over the world amid creating horcruxes to increase my immortality whilst obtaining the ring of power) I have decided none of these things will be particularly significant should I obtain large sums of money to travel the world, find myself, and proceed to write a book about it in order to earn the necessary money for tuition.

Take a good, long look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Who is the most important person in my life. Is it A. My family B. Me C. My significant other or D. L?
The answer is obviously D.
Now since D is the correct answer, how can you show your undying love and appreciation for the number one priority in your life? Another quiz (The joys you gain from being a TA)

A. Give her money to travel the world B. Pay for her tuition C. Give her flowers-specifically sunflowers D. A new car, laptop, and a really classy place to live. E. All of the above. Good, the answer is in fact E.
I hope you all got a 100% Now go forth and apply what you have learned today :)

Livin in a Ghetto Paradise

I am being completely honest in saying I love being a poor college student. This is in part because being a poor college student entails enjoying the adventure of ghettoness without being destined to live as such for the rest of my life (hopefully...) It also helps me feel connected with all of my rapper friends in D-town (yes, I have many). I also am still in that wonderful stage of life where my parents will still come to my economic rescue when situations turn dire. Living in ghetto circumstances also helps build character (a term commonly used by mature adults who are well established and past any apparent character building stages of life who sit back and laugh at the upcoming generations attempts to gain this quality)
Ghetto related character building opportunities I have had recently
1. We have an immortal flannel couch on our balcony, a spray painted outline of a broom next to our doorway, and a plastic bucket filled with who knows what. I am 99.9% positive management will insist we dump the couch somewhere and make our apartment semi-attractive looking to the possible future tenants. I am planning to refuse on the premise that is will give those newcomers a false sense of what B-monty is all about.
2. The only time we can take a shower and get warm water is between the hours of 9PM-12PM Otherwise, we get to appreciate what those poor Inuits endure everyday of their lives. Side note: Has anyone else wondered whether Inuits shower? I think about it pretty regularly.
3. Until recently (though it is still semi-continuing), every time the girls above us flushed their toilet, pipe water rained down on our unsuspecting selves resulting in the Second Epic Quarantine of the bathroom (the First Epic Quarantine occurred Freshman year when D and I decided to apply my Chem105 principles to unclogging our shower drain with an acid-base reaction causing the entire 2nd floor to reek of hazardous fumes)

4. Right before break, the middle bedroom window (aka mine and Sars), decided to let in enough water onto our pillows and sheets to support micro biotic life forms. I even named a few of them before incinerating them in my grams' dryer.

5. My passenger side door still refuses to unlock unless I rip my right shoulder out of its socket.

6. My computer still sounds as if it is having a grand mal seizure every time I turn it on. Or off for that matter.

7. Our hall door likes to imitate doors from other horror novels and refuse to open or close at times it is most necessary. It slightly reminds me of Kreacher before the seventh book..

There have been other pleasant instances I am choosing not to relate as per my intent is to show how these numbered happenings have made me a more optimistic and grateful person. I have never appreciated those little things in life more than I do now. Non-cholera infested bathrooms, car doors that work, computers that remain relatively silent, doors that open normally, and the list goes on and on. So, for any of you few who read this, I hope any ghettoness coming your way makes you feel fantastically appreciative, ridiculously desirous to drop a beat or two, and anxiously hoping to buy my contract after this year to gain the same degree of character should you not be developing it sufficiently in your current circumstances :)