21 Things I Want in a Lover...

I've been listening to Alanis Morissette quite a bit lately. She wrote a song entitled "21 Things I want in a Lover" where she lists things that she wants in a lover. I don't think she actually lists 21 things (I think I counted 18...) but, I thought it would be fun to think of 21 things that I look for in a lover, or for a better word, a mate. Like Alanis says, these are "not things I necessarily need, but qualities that I prefer." I also love how she lists them like questions, as if she wrote an ad for the paper or craigslist.

1. Do you laugh with others, but not at them?
2) Can you sit in a room without constant noise?
3. Do you like simple things, like being okay shopping for cooking utensils on a date?
4) Are you okay with a girl changing her mind, then changing it back, and maybe changing it again?
5. Can you run a 10k under an hour, and are you up for training for a marathon?
6) Do you like watching the Disney channel on a Saturday morning?
7. Are you open to trying new things?
8) Are you into artistic development, especially within yourself?
9. Can you dance to the rhythm of a band, and not worry about who's watching?
10) Do you do nice things when no one is looking, and honestly don't wish for the recognition?
11. Can you cuddle, and hold me like I mean the world to you?
12) Do you have a good imagination?
13. Are you creative in problem-solving and creation?
14) Do you love to learn and strive to make learning a life-long journey?
15. Can you forgive and forget?
16) Do you believe in eternal life, love, and happiness?
17. Are you good with kids, aged 1 day to 18 years old?
18) Are you patient, understanding, and slow to anger?
19. Are you laid back, can you relax, even when life throws a quick one at you?
20) Do you go to church, love God, and serve others?
21. Do you want the world to be a better place, and engage yourself in good causes?

It's a rough list, but things I look for nontheless. That was fun. Maybe it'll change in a month, or a year, or maybe it will stay exactly the same.

Pre-Father's Day Special...

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlematch.aspx?cp-documentid=20315727&GT1=32023

I really like this article. Especially the not putting up with crap part.

Some Songs

I love music. Who doesn't, right? Well, I truly, deeply, madly love music. I think it is very powerful and can awaken emotions you never knew were inside. I also believe that when you are in love, it might become necessary to dedicate a song to the significant other. Beaware, however, if you only think you are in love. This is when you do not dedicate certain songs. I believe there are a handful of love songs out there that should only be used at weddings, on anniversaries, or the like that signify eteranal love. Case in point: "Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg, "Lucky" by Colby Collait and Jason Mraz, "That's Entrainment" by Van Morrison, etc. The reason being, if the two people parted ways one day, that song would leave a bittersweet taste in one's mouth; and I, for one, wouldn't be able to listen to it without flashbacks. I also think that music can work the other way. For example, when you do have a break-up, a bad day at work, a car hits your mailbox at 3 am, etc., there is always a song for those times. Like, I once was in a spot in my life where I could have dedicated, "Ain't Wastin' Good Whiskey on You" by Trick Pony. This isn't because I'm a closet alcoholic, but if I did like to wash down a meal (or a heartache) with some spirits, I think I would think twice about when and where I would drink my 'good whiskey'. I guess the point I'm trying to make is, there will always be a country song that has the words describing EXACTLY how you feel. Whether or not we like country, no one likes getting "a ketchup stain on his white t-shirt", we all need to tell ourselves that "if Bubba can dance (I can too)", I would like a "cowboy to take me away", I'm sure I could find someone to tell "you're the reason God made Oklahoma" to, and, wouldn't all us girls love to be the "queen of someone's double wide trailer?" Yeah, good old country. It's always good for something.

Not Qualified

I've accepted the fact there are some things in this world that I am simply not qualified to do. Sometimes a desire burns deep inside me to compete and become qualified to do certain tasks or activities. I've always dreamt of playing professional golf, but until I can break 100 on an 18-hole course, I realize I'm not qualified to play in the PGA. I did, however, take a golf course last fall semester up at BYU-Idaho. While in the class, I met and played often with a nice young man who shared my passion of swinging a club at a small white ball into a beautiful, open green field. We got to talking about his wife and her amazing artistic ability. Again, the desire to become a renowned artist burned within me and my older sister gave me my very first acrylic art set for my birthday. I have yet to test my possible hidden talents on an open canvas; but, I have accepted the fact that I just might not be qualified to sell art work at a moderately placed price. So, among the things I've come to peace with not being qualified, tonight topped the chart. My roommate and I decided to order pizza and watch a movie tonight. I volunteered to pick up our dinner on my way home from dropping off some things at the library. Total, $7.41 for one, medium, 2-topping pizza. Then I arrived at our apartment complex, got out of my car fine, grabbed my purse, the 2-liter diet ginger ale, the gallon of ice cream I bought earlier, and the pizza. As I walked up the stairs, I fumbled for my keys, missed a step, and watched in slow motion as my beautiful, medium, pineapple and pepperoni pizza spiraled to the concrete steps. The box flew open and the smell of deliciousness floated to the ground. I just stared at the pieces on the steps in disbelief. I kept thinking to myself, "There is no way that just happened." I think I sat on the steps for a good 5 minutes before entering my apartment, picking up the phone, and mouthing to my roomie what happened in a half-hearted explanation of why we had to wait 15 more minutes to eat. I called "John" and described what happened, hoping for a little sympathy in the form of a free replacement pizza. "With tax included, that'll be $7.41," he said. I said thank you, hung up, grabbed my keys and a Hamilton, and walked back to Papa's. It's okay, I tell myself. I'm just not qualified to be a pizza delivery person, and I am truly okay with that.

Why Did I get back on Facebook?

It was for my sister. She said she misses me. We don't talk much anymore, so we stay in touch through the magical world of facebook. Without facebook, I would have real relationships. With facebook, I can still have lots of cyber relationships.

I just wasted 82 minutes tonight alone. Blast.

Why You Shouldn't Buy a Dozen Donuts if You Don't Have at Least Half a Dozen People to Share With:

I was walking around Smith's grocery about 2 weeks ago and had the essentials, or what I came in for: milk, eggs, diet soda, and bread. Sometimes I like to graze the very back corner because they often have great deals. Usually, in the back corner of any grocery they sell day-old donuts for very cheap. I saw that there were a couple boxes of glazed donuts for $1.29 for a dozen! I was on the phone with one of my older sisters and we discussed the pros and cons:

1) Pro: a dozen donuts for almost the price of what one donut costs at a bakery.
2) Con: there is only one of me. There are 12 donuts....
3) Pro: a dozen donuts for almost the same cost of one donut at a bakery!!!
4) Con: anyone who buys a dozen donuts with no one to share with is just asking for it.

My sister kindly, yet firmly, helped me keep my will power--and my self esteem--and I opted out of buying them.

Well, my younger sister and her husband came over later that night and we all had dinner together and played cards. After we ate, her husband started to watch the end of an NBA game that Boston was in, and my younger sister leans over to me and tells me she has been craving donuts all day. Naturally, I mention the great deal on the day-old dozen. The only excuse we used to rationalize buying a dozen donuts was agreeing to walk to the grocery store...which is across the street. (About the equivalence of walking from one end of a moderately large mall to the other end. It took us about 10 minutes.)

I wouldn't quite call it a disaster. Let's just say that out of the 2/3 of the dozen that actually made it back to my apartment Saturday night, 1/3 was sent home with my sister, and the other 1/3 never saw Sunday morning. Don't buy a dozen donuts unless you have at least half a dozen people to share with!

Make Good Choices

I'm always telling my kids, "Make good choices. You know you have the choice, so make it a good one." Recently, Elder Bednar spoke at a CES Fireside at BYU-Idaho (Sunday, May 3rd, 6:00pm. Google it...or LDS.org it). He had a lot of great advice. One part of his talk, which I stood up in my apartment and screamed "AMEN!!! AAAAA-MEN!" was about technology and how it can be good, but it's deteriorating our relationships with each other. We are consumed by fast-pace, new age technology that takes our time away from face-to-face contact.

I've never been a huge fan of text messaging. I just think, if you're both sitting on your bums watching "The Office", you might as well save your thumbs and talk to each other. Now, in class or at work, texting is great and can really make the day go faster (haha! totally kidding, halfway. Elder Bednar would say this takes away from you making good relationships at work or school. I agree.) But, texting, I'M-ing, online chat rooms, FACEBOOK, all things that kind of got out of hand, in my opinion.

So, I'm siding with Elder Bednar on this one and I'm limiting my text messages to 3 a day plus emergencies. Kind of like a salary for my texting, with benefits! I've also recently done away with facebook for the ump-teenth time. But this time, I'm for real! I've noticed ever since I've been working 42-hour weeks between the school and after-school program, I rarely have time to check my own email let alone waste precious time on facebook. I might have to go back on briefly to collect a few email addresses of people I want to keep in touch with, but ultimately, I feel good about de-technologizing my life.

Another good point he made was how our bodies are temples, and sitting in front of the computer for hours not only turns us into doughy-doughpeople, mentally and spiritually it really harms us. Then, he had a little plug about not doing things that put our bodies into extreme danger. Well, here I have a little problem. My friend, Mandy, has sent me a letter with the brilliant idea to make a list of 101 goals to accomplish in 1,001 days.

Well, goals 11-20 for me contain things such as bungee-jumping, sky diving, swimming with the sharks, hang gliding, etc. All things that Elder Bednar might argue put my body in extreme danger. I'm working on a little query to send him on that.

Anyway, it's all about making good choices. I just hope I don't get fired for teaching my second and third grade clients how to steer and drive stick, race up three flights of stairs at the counseling office, and playing hide-n-go seek in the library. Again, it's all about making good choices!