Statistics

Apples bought at the creamery: 3

Times I've cried this week: 5

Longest time spent crying: 15 minutes

People with Finnish CTR rings: 1

People coming to my concert: 8? I think?

Grains of rice in bag: 4,000

Records picked up from music department: 11

Times I've ridden my bicycle: 37

Instances when random people have spoken to me about my bicycle: 6

Jam Sessions: 2

Pictures taken: 18

Quotes on door: 2

Price of books: 102.95

Slow dances: 14

Swing dances: 2

New thoughts: Googleplex

Stories finished: 1 (Pizza Funiculi)

Pieces finished: 1

Regrets: 3

Things forgotten: 8

Smiles: [this census does not have sufficient information to calculate a response]

Here I am.

(picture: nowpublishers.com)
I'm in my dorm right now, reveling in the wonder of finally having my own room. When I was younger, I used to play with architectural and interior design programs, designing what I imagined the perfect room/house/building. I would put art on the walls, an aquarium, way too much furniture, etc.

The one thing I never left out? A piano, sitting like a conspicuous giant in the corner of my bedroom.

Here in my dorm at Wyview, I've got some interesting things around: reams of books on the shelf above my desk, a tiny boat in a glass bottle, a map of Gotland (which I've gradually memorized this year) a painting my great friend gave me, post-its on the wall, a box I decorated with a quote by Einstein on it.

Then there's my piano.

I walk in, and I'm in love. I can't ignore it. I walk in, and I have to play it; already this week, composition is going very, very well. I've said this before (here), but wherever I am, piano is so familiar that I feel at home. Maybe that's why the transition has been so easy.

It could also be because my family keeps calling me. :)

Greta!!!

Music Page!

Hey, guys! I just got a website for my music, which I will use to post updates on all that music stuff. It also has a link to my music page, so if you have a Facebook profile, please be my fan! :) I'd really appreciate your support.

Click here for my music blog, and thank you! :)

Third Time's the Charm

This has happened to me before, but never has anyone been so insistent that I see them again. We first met in December and spent a good afternoon together. In May, we had our second encounter. But after this morning, I'm convinced.

The Blood Donation Center is in love with me. They won't stop calling my house, they bribe me with cookies, free Soak City tickets and restaurant discounts, and they always insist that I stay fifteen minutes after every donation.

Talk about creepy.

Today was our third date; yesterday, they called me yet again. I tried to get out of it by saying I'd been out of the country, but apparently, they don't have malaria in France or Italy. (Hmm... I forgot to tell them about Monaco.) In the end, they insisted I come in today at 10:30.

Once again, because of my thin, deep veins, the lady had to dig painfully around in my arm. The donation went fairly well after that, until I got really dizzy and started to black out. There were little spots everywhere and my vision got a lot darker and I felt like I had earplugs in. Very weird. Luckily, I didn't actually faint, because the lady kept telling me to open my eyes. (Except I've always sort of wondered what it would be like to faint...)

When I told her I was dizzy, she leaned my chair back and made me stay there for-ev-er. Eventually I could see straight again, and then I sat down in the waiting area for a while and drove home later. :) It was a pretty good one, even though both these times at the actual center I've nearly blacked out. :/

In three more months, my stalker the Blood Donation Center will call me again. By that time, I will have cleverly changed locations and be out of their radar until they discover me in Utah. Ha ha ha... :)

SEVEN. MORE. DAYS.

Yes. It's the sorry truth. There is only one more week until I leave my lovely, beautiful, sunny, warm desert for the adventure of college at BYU (and wearing socks on a regular basis for the first time in... hmm... my entire life)!

I feel like Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods, when she sings, "And [it] made me feel excited- well, excited and scared."

Today I was at my old high school picking up a packet for my younger sister and I heard someone saying something about seniors. At first, a little bell went off in my head, like Oh! That's me! Then, if my life were a movie, a little montage would have played, really quickly, with all of my gorgeous (and very over) memories of the last year. It did, in my head. All the music, all the jokes, all the people and love... it's all over.

I said this when I came home from Sweden, but it applies more often than not.

I look forward and backward.

Blogging Landmark!

I am now a member of four blogs, and this new one is the first one I did not play a main role in creating! It is a site for my This I Believe class at BYU and it is located here. We will be discussing our class and talking about statements of belief once the semester begins. I'm so excited!!!

In unrelated news, I have spent a wonderful week in Newport Beach with my little sister, Melissa! I got to take her to the beach two times and we also went to the OCMA, the Pageant of the Masters (along with their Festival of Arts), and a lot of other cool places. Melissa especially liked the Environmental Nature Center or "ENC," where they had a butterfly house. While we were in there, a butterfly flew up to me and landed on my finger and then it came back and landed on my shirt. I tried to take a picture, but I wasn't quick enough. It was really cool though.

I'm excited to get back to the desert and finish up things before I move away for the year!

Leslie and Why She is Amazing!

In honor of Leslie's birthday, I am writing about her, how amazing she is and how wonderful a friend she is/has been to me!!!! I have decided to make this a list. But first, some introduction (this could bear similarities to the post I did this fall- oh, well).

I met Leslie at a scripture mastery event when we were both sitting with our friend David. We were all doing speed chase together and Leslie called me her muse. It was pretty funny. :) When we went to girls camp that year, we hung out together and talked about Pride and Prejudice, because I'd brought the music for it with me! That year, we hung out together at all the lame stake dances because we were both afraid of dancing. So we sat with my brother and threw candy around (literally). :) We have become great friends from then on! Anyway, I am going to do a list of twenty reasons why Leslie is an awesome person (one for every year she's been alive). So. Here they are:

1. Leslie is very intellectual. She has great knowledge of basically everything.

2. She is not afraid to try new things. For instance, last summer we were going to go paintballing with Collin and David, and she was pretty excited.

3. She is an avid reader, of course, and always willing to recommend a good book.

4. She is passionate about her opinions, which is why she will be a great lawyer someday.

5. She is a great writer and supports her opinions well.

6. She is philosophical, especially in her poetry!

7. She is crazy about Jane Austen, which is an asset to anyone. :)

8. She loves animals and has the greatest number of pets of anyone I know.

9. She is compassionate.

10. She has a strong testimony of the gospel.

11. She is a very serious photographer and can use a real darkroom! (She never photoshops!)

12. She has a knowledge of the scriptures and reads them a lot.

13. She loves her family and would go to the ends of the earth (or Idaho) for them. :)

14. I have never heard Leslie play the clarinet, but I know she is very good because of the way she talks about it.

15. She has great taste in music, by the way. (Like mine! Hee hee.)

16. She speaks fluent Spanish and is always willing to help me with it.

17. She knows all kinds of cool Mexican recipes and foods like Arroz con Leche. (Remember that time when we made fried rice and I randomly put cheese in it?)

18. She is a very faithful, loyal friend.

19. She gets up really early (REALLY EARLY) to run.

20. She writes super long letters, attests my brother! :)

There are lots of other things I could add, but I will just close by saying this: Leslie is honestly amazing and everyone should bring her something besides cake for her birthday!! :) (she doesn't like cake.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LESLIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!