To Whom it May Concern,

I'm not usually one for cold cereal (props on coming up with that, by the way), but I do love Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. I especially love that there are prizes in the box again. And they're spoons, so that's cool. Props again on bringing that back; it's been too long. (Although, I would suggest sticking it in the bottom of the box - sure, kids today expect things fast and easy, but waiting was part of the fun, plus the kids could learn a thing or two about patience.)

The point of this letter, though, is to say that I want to collect all of your spoons. Maybe it's just good marketing to put more Elsas in the boxes than Nemos or Mikes, so that kids (and nostalgic college students) convince their parents to keep buying your product until they've completed the set. But perhaps you've failed to consider that those college students are counting pennies to remain college students and, though they dearly wish it were possible, simply can't buy forty cereal boxes until they get a Nemo or a Mike. Just a thought.

I currently have two Elsas, which isn't a bad thing (I did love Frozen), but it is slightly problematic for my bank account. I mean, this way if one Elsa spoon is dirty, I still have a backup to eat Frosted Flakes with. But what would I do with three Elsas? Have a backup for my backup? But where would that end?

Honestly, I don't know what you could do to fix this dilemma. I guess I just wanted to bring it to your attention. And also suggest making more collectible character spoons.

If you were to read this letter and then decide to take action, I would ask you to keep in mind that I get very good grades and plan on becoming a productive member of society.

Thank you very much.

-Jessica, age 19

PS- Is there an email for this kind of thing? While there is a phone number on your website, you could consider putting an email up as well, for those customers that have homebody tendencies and don't like talking on the phone (ie me).

Two Cons Fusing

I love PoBev. It's magical.

Rory Gilmore

Wouldn't it be marvelous to be described like that?

You are Formally Invited to Attend

Crepe party! Friday, October 17th,  10 am, my place.

Be there or be square.

(Silly geese, you guys can't actually come to my place and not be stalkers. I was just bragging about crepes.)

Singing

Guys! It was a thing! (I got to sing with the choir for a stake conference.)

Also, I love music! And I love choir! And I love church!

And I'm a very happy individual right now!

*Sigh*

I just really really really really really want this to be a thing.

What Else is This Day Going to Give Me?

Having class at 10:30, so you can sleep in - excellent.
Finding out an assignment is actually due later than you thought - excellent.
Getting a cookie in class to prove a point - excellent.
Institute choir and low notes - excellent.

UPDATE: Apparently, it can give me hot chocolate. Excellent.

PS ~ This Song is Adorable

Also, since I began working at Lee's (hey, I work at Lee's now) I have had these recurring dreams where I'm checking out people's groceries and also there's some ASL thrown in there. So that's cool.

Also, everyone should go to Institute.

Also, did I tell you that I'm probably going to switch my emphasis in my major? So, I'm an FCHD (Family, Consumer, and Human Development) major and my emphasis is currently human development, but I'm probably going to switch that to family relations and also I'm probably going to add an ASL minor. Yay!

Did I mention that today is just a good day?!

Divinely Inspired

Today is a good day.

The Only Thing That Could Make This Better is if My Celebrity Crush Would Come Back

Do you ever just have one day that's magnificent in every way?

Being with some of the coolest people on the planet.
Logan Canyon in the fall.
Bear Lake.
Seeing a friend I haven't seen in far too long.
PoBev.

Across the Highs and Lows and the in Between

So I'm not a big fan of Pink's. I like "Just Give Me a Reason," but that's about it.

UNTIL TODAY.

So apparently Pink is going folky? And I love it.

A lot.

What Do You Get When You Cross a Joke With a Rhetorical Question?

Steven

This is Steven. CC drew him.  He got beat up because he has a creepily skinny neck.

Poor guy.

My Hippie Friend

Maddi, if you're reading this post prepared to be embarrassed.

Here's a story. Once upon a time there was a girl named Maddi who is one of the coolest people I know.

Maddi is just a cool person.

One time she, Alissa and I went to go run some errands and then she accidentally ended up driving up the canyon a bit and she showed us Second Dam. Second Dam is magical. There's a boardwalk, and there's a canopy of trees, and there's an island that you can get to, and there's just a feeling of calmness. It's one of those indescribable places that is very special, you know? It's one of my very favorite places in the world and I just discovered it Tuesday.

Also, tonight she showed CC and me this hippie game where someone plays a tune on a guitar or a ukulele or something and then you go around in a circle and make up a song. And it's great because we had a story about Mama telling you it's okay to be weird especially when the people around you are just as strange, and a story about a girl who was blind in one eye and she had an eye patch and pretended to be a pirate and she meets a boy who has a (modern) peg leg and so they're pirates together, and another story about Ark the Shark who swam in the dark and how he overcame all of his fears, including not eating people. It's a great game.

Also, we went to get smoothies at Jamba Juice, so that's great.

Basically, I just think she's a great person. And an even better friend.

So This Happened

YOU CAN BE THE PEANUT BUTTER TO MY JELL-AY!

Wish Me Luck

Guys. I have an interview today and it's good because I really need a job, but also I'm pretty nervous!

Meh.

Hello Old Farm!

I live in a new apartment now with my friends! And I love it!

Also, Adam. GAH.

The Surprise!

So remember when I was like "I have a secret!" and then I was like, but I can't tell you, but then I was like, I will soon! Well, quite a bit of time has passed and I have been SO busy and failed at filling you guys in on the big secret.

So here goes.

Drum roll please.

Remember when I said that my sister was coming back from her mission soon? And then there was a picture of me and her signifying her return? Well, the surprise was that our aunt, two cousins, and grandma came down to see her and she didn't know that would happen! It was awesome.

But then surprise! There was a second surprise! Back story: one of my brothers, Jeffacakes, and his wife live in Illinois and so nobody (especially my mom) didn't think they would be able to come to see her, but then they in cahoots with my dad found a way to make it happen and they came, too!

It was wonderful.

Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun, Unless You Share With Everyone

I have a secret!! I have a secret!!

But I can't tell you.

But I want to.

Gah!

But then again, in approximately an hour I will be able to tell you! Yay!

And trust me, this is a good secret. You want to be in the know.

And This is Why Fall is My Favorite

Most of the time I don't think I'm that materialistic, but every now and then I just want enough cardigans to be able to wear one every day of the year.

You know?

Attraction

Can we just talk about this for a second? Cool, thanks. 

So I'm a weird person and one of my oddities is that I have never ever been attracted to "bad boys." I guess most people go through a rebellious phase or I suppose sometimes it's not a phase and they just think that it's generally attractive to be mean? 

Sue me, but I think that's weird. 

Jane Austen knows what's up. Kindness is infinitely more attractive than rudeness, or being cool, or even being handsome. 

Intelligence is also incredibly attractive.

And there's this:

July 31st

Today is the last day of July. Do you know what that means?! It means I did it! I blogged every day this month.

No big deal, but it's a huge deal.

However, seeing as an unsightly number of those posts were random and/or boring combined with the fact that I'm bad at blogging I will probably never do that again.

So that's a thing.

In other news, Sarah says hello!

In other other news, happy birthday Harry Potter!

AAAHHHHHH!

Guess Where I Am

I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME I'M HOME

Because I'm a Nerd

Have you seen the movie The Jane Austen Book Club? Well, it's a good one and I watched it the other day and thought to myself, I wish I could be in a Jane Austen Book Club (because I'm a nerd).

Anybody want to make a Jane Austen Book Club with me?

In other news, I GO HOME TODAY!

Skyline

So I don't know if you know this, but I grew up in Ohio. And lately I've been feeling a bit nostalgic about it. Probably because my friends from Ohio got married and then at their reception I saw more friends from Ohio that I haven't seen in a long while.

And then I got on Facebook yesterday and somebody posted a picture of their dinner, which I usually think is a little weird, but this time not so much because it was SKYLINE. For those of you who are not familiar with Skyline Chili, it's a chili place that has the best chili ever... and they put it on top of spaghetti. Yeah.

And I'm not saying that it's the best just because. I'm a very picky eater. I don't actually like chili... like at all... except for Skyline. It's that good.

And now I really want some.

And yes. They really do put that much cheese on top.

Goodbye, Oakridge

Today is the day! I'm moving out of my apartment! Everything is packed up, I just have to load it up and take it to my friends' place because they are kind enough to store it for me. Oh, and then I have to deep clean my apartment... Ugh.

On the plus side, once I've moved my posts should be interesting again.

59, Paper People, and The Sunshine Kid

Holy crap this kid.

The Story

I never really have time to blog anymore, but I'm still trying to blog every day this month, so I apologize if Youtube videos get annoying, but here's another one.

Evil

I. Hate. Packing. 

I hate it! It's a terrible thing. And it is currently my life. At least I'm not packing up a whole house and a whole family. It's a little better that it's just me and my apartment.

But still! Packing is evil.

Little Boxes

:(

I really need to pack... but I'm sick... so that's a thing.

Post Grad and Feminism

First and foremost, SPOILERS! That's right, I hate spoilers, but alas it seems as though sometimes it is unavoidable if you're obnoxious enough not to care and want to say what you want to say badly enough to include some spoilers, as this post does (in my defense, I'm spoiling a relatively obscure movie that's not very popular...). However, you have been duly warned.

Have you ever seen the movie Post Grad? It came out way back in 2009, which I guess isn't all that long ago, and it's about this girl (played by Alexis Bledel, shout out to Rory Gilmore, what what!) who loves to read and loves books and graduates from college with her whole life planned out (get a job at this big shot publishing company and work her way up until she discovers the "next great American novel") and then stuff happens and nothing turns out the way she planned (including her having to live at home again) and so she's figuring out life and there's a boy (plot twist!) who's been her (platonic) friend for forever, but he's madly in love with her until she blows him off for another guy (but it's a bit more dramatic than that) and so he goes to law school in New York and she finally gets the job of her dreams only to realize that she really misses that guy (plus some stuff that happens with her family). And so at the end she quits her job and moves to New York to be with him and continue her search for the "next great American novel," presumably at a new big shot publishing company. The End.

Anyway, I watched this movie and I couldn't decide if I liked the ending or not. The feminist in me was upset that she quit her dream job for a boy, but the hopeless romantic in me liked that she quit her dream job for a boy, you know? And so I was thinking about it and I came up with this grand conclusion:

Love, and particularly finding the one you love, is not the enemy to feminism/women everywhere, even in a movie.

Here's the thing. I think that looking at this movie it's really easy to think that the point is boys come before dreams, or that maybe finding a boy should be one's ultimate dream, which is in fact the first thing that I thought of upon the movie's big climax moment (her packing up and flying to New York and showing up on his doorstep). That's utter crap, and I was of course very upset.

However, I think the moral of the story was more like 1) you can plan everything out and have everything fall apart and yet still be happy and even get your dream in the end (her end goal wasn't working at this publishing place, it was finding the "next American novel" which she could potentially do ANYWHERE as long as they have books for her to read and she wanted to do this in the first place because she had a passion for reading, because she loves books) and 2) you can have more than one dream of equal importance to you (having a career in something you're passionate about doesn't have to be more or less important than finding love, or even sacrificing for that love).

And I think that a lot of people miss the point of movies like this. I have no problem with the plot or the ending of the film. The only concern I have is that the likelihood of Hollywood making a movie with the same exact story except switch the girl and the guy, having the guy leave what he thought was his dream job to follow a girl as she goes to law school in New York is slim to none. That's the message I would like to change. Not that one's dream can be finding love, but that in our society that is a dream for girls. Far from being an enemy to women everywhere, I think this message is a danger to the men in our society.

Rant over.

They're Married

Remember when I said that some very good friends of mine were getting married soon? Well, soon was today!! AH!

Home

I'm going home for about three weeks! I'm so excited!

Here's the story. Once upon a time there was a girl named Sarah Bear who was on an LDS mission in Germany. She loves it there, but alas all good things must come to an end and lo and behold that end is July 30th of this very year. She had a younger sister, lets call her Jess Jess, who was sad that Sarah Bear would have to leave Germany, but was extremely excited for her to be home. Jess Jess wanted to be home when Sarah Bear got off the plane, but she also wanted to hear her give a talk in church, as is customary. The problem was that Sarah Bear wouldn't be giving this talk until two Sundays after she returned home and Jess Jess initially thought that it would be impossible for her to stay home for that long. Much discussion ensued and it was decided upon that that was actually quite possible and what's more, why didn't Jess Jess just stay until she and Sarah Bear would both have to return for the fall semester, for you see, they were to attend the same university and also live together?! The end.

And that is why I'm going home for about three weeks. (:

Tshirt

Okay so I'm actually fairly busy today, so I'm just going to post this video really fast.

Not only is the song and the video just beautiful, there's this line in the song that I love.

"When I saw you, everyone knew I liked the effect that you had on my eyes. But no one else heard the weight of your words or felt the effect that they have on my mind."

Back to the Future (And Other Cool Stuff)

You know what I want to do? I want to be a little kid again, so that I can watch Lizzie McGuire or Boy Meets World, or The Power Puff Girls.

Remember when Lindsay Lohan wasn't crazy? Or when Aaron Carter was in the Christmas episode of Lizzie McGuire? Or when Will Smith didn't have kids, just an attitude and cool dance moves (plus, there was Carlton!)? Or when Raven went under cover to show how racism still exists in America?

I'm telling you, 90's - early 2000's had some prime tv.

Also, did you know that next year we're supposed to dress like this?

I vote we petition to make it so. And don't forget this!

Being an Adult

Today I am being an adult.

I woke up at 9, I made my bed, I washed my dishes, I took out the trash, I cleaned my kitchen, I'm going to go grocery shopping and to the library. If I had a bill to pay today, I would do it.

Most of the time, I'm like

But not today! 

I Would Marry This Man

This guy is a genius. He performed on campus last semester and he did this one and all of a sudden whales became the most romantic animal of them all. I haven't made of list of characteristics that I want the man I marry to have since I was a Beehive, but if I were to make such a list right now, spoken word genius would be on it. 

Guys. Take notes.

Sons

Redneck

You know those quizzes on Facebook? Well, sometimes those are really fun and I just took a "How Redneck Are You?" quiz and I got 4%. I mean no disrespect, but this makes me very happy.

You Don't Have to Read This

So... crap. I said I'm going to write a post every day, but I can't think of anything to talk about...

Okay, how about this? I love the TFIOS soundtrack! It's so good!

Also, I think I need new glasses.

Wow, this is so boring. I'm sorry. You do not have to read this. In fact, stop reading. Just be done. I'll be done, too. Okay, cool.

Everyone Wants Everyone Else to be Exactly Like Them

So I'm on Facebook and I see this. Did you read it? Okay, good. So I like to think of myself as pretty aware of the world and the social issues that exist in our culture, but some of these I had never crossed my mind as something my "Christian status" gets me. So first off I would like to say thanks to the people who wrote this, for bringing it to my attention.

Also, I was looking at the comments and I saw this one:

"I find this list to be inaccurate because as a Christian in my my community of Hindu and Muslim culture in NJ, I am a minority and so is my daughter. She and I are mocked or told that we worship a false God. Her school gives days off for Muslim and Hindu holidays as well as Jewish. I am shocked at how small-minded this article is. Have you actually traveled through the U.S.? There is much you have not seen changing around you in your small rural town."

And to this, I want to respond.

"I am sorry for your situation. The truth of the matter is, though, that it is the exception and not the rule. It's hard to think of it that way when you, and particularly your daughter, live with it every day. The situation sucks. But, as someone who has lived across the expanse of the U.S., I can tell you that it is the exception. When you realize this, I hope you can use this knowledge to help and not hinder. You understand what it's like to be in the minority and to feel put down because of it. Don't let that fuel feelings of bitterness, or worse, hate. Instead this knowledge can facilitate change and connection to those with similar circumstances. Don't attack this article for pointing out the subtle ways our society reminds people who is on the top of the privileged scale. Another person commented saying, "The problem seems to be that everyone wants everyone to be exactly like them." While we are amazingly similar for the simple reason that we are all human beings, we all have a different perspective on the human experience. This is actually a great thing and should be celebrated. Again I am sorry for your situation, but I hope that it can be used not to alienate you from others, but bring you closer to the people in similar scenarios."

Marriage

One of my very good friends is getting married soon and today is her open house/shower/party thing. It's going to be really fun, but also weird because she's the first of my close friends to get married. And I've known her for about eight years.

It's just a little weird...

But also I know her fiancee really well, too. His whole family is really good friends with mine. And he's cool.

But it's still a little weird...

I mean, weren't we twelve like yesterday?

What Do Guys Look for in Girls?

Remember yesterday when I talked about being a nerd and about the Vlogbrothers? Well, I'm going to share another one of their videos because for a while I've been wanting to say something about this, but haven't really known how and then Hank Green happened.

You Are Not Your Luck

So, I'm a nerd. And while some people look at that as something ridiculous or silly or weird or whatever, in actuality being a nerd means that you are allowed (if not expected) to be unashamed about being enthusiastically happy about stuff and also life. Like, I can have a total freak out about Shakespeare and it's okay. I can read The Fault in Our Stars several times and still cry every time and that's okay. I can even geek out over clothes and football, which I love, although it seems contrary to nerdiness, but if I love it then it counts because I am a nerd.

I do have to admit that this whole idea is not really my own. I originally heard it from John and Hank Green, two of the nerdiest nerds to ever nerd. They have several things that they do, but one of them is Vlogbrothers, a vlog where they talk to each other (and nerdfighters) about a wide range of stuff. I love Vlogbrothers, which is my undeniable right as a nerd. So here is a video that makes me happy.

Random Stuff

Sierra is awesome. Her friend brought me M&M's. He did that because he's awesome. Well, he didn't bring them specifically for me, but whatever. They were delicious and of the peanut butter variety.

Sierra really wants me to make her Pastaroni.

What else? Let's make a list!

Things that randomly pop into my mind:

1) "Now I've got nothing to say."
2) "Oooohhhhh..." (I was singing along to a song.)
3) "Human beings walked on the moon, which is in outer space and that's pretty cool."
4) "I'm starting to get hungry..."
5) "And tired..."
6) "Wow, this blog post is boring."

A Public Service Announcement

Upon recent inspection of my blog and coming to the astounding realization that I have written a post every day this month (albeit it's been less than a week), I have decided to make an attempt to write a post every day for the month of July. I'm not sure how successful this endeavor will be, but here goes nothing.

That is all.

I Appreciate Your Being

Shout out to the people who read/look at my blog and also live in Russia and Ukraine. You guys are currently my favorites in the people department. Thanks.

Miracle, With a Capital M

So I just read Paper Towns by John Green and it is a really good book. I mean it's not The Fault in Our Stars, but I really liked it. And I wanted to blog about it and so I was thinking of the combination of books and blogging, which made me think of my blog post about the beginnings of books, so I'm sorry if this is slightly repetitive, but I'm going to talk about the beginning of this book. It's a good one.

"The way I figure it, everyone gets a miracle. Like, I will probably never be struck by lightning, or win a Nobel Prize, or become the dictator of a small nation in the Pacific Islands, or contract terminal ear cancer, or spontaneously combust. [PAUSE. Blogger did not recognize 'combust' as a word and I don't know how to handle that...] But if you consider all the unlikely things together, at least one of them will probably happen to each of us. I could have seen it rain frogs. I could have stepped on Mars. I could have been eaten by a whale. I could have married the queen of England or survived months at sea. But my miracle was different. My miracle was this: out of all the houses in all the subdivisions in all of Florida, I ended up living next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman."

That is a great beginning, but that first sentence, man.

I'm not positive it's true, but I'm inclined to agree and I would certainly like to think so. If it is true, that everyone gets a miracle, like a big one, not just something that feels miraculous, or the little miracles that happen every day, but one that would be recognized as a capital M Miracle that capital C Changes you and your life, I wonder what mine is. And when it will happen. And who it will involve.

Tomorrow, Folks

There are fireworks going off tonight, celebrating the Fourth of July when it is in fact the (lower case) third of July. Why are we celebrating Independence Day on not Independence Day?

I do not understand.

Junie B. Jones

I'm a big fan of the first sentence/paragraph of books. As in a BIG fan. And I have been for quite some time.

Some of my favorites, in no particular order, are:

"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die." This is followed by the equally great, if not better, second sentence, "I counted." ~Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (Because come on! That's so intense!)

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." ~Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Because sassy Jane is sassy. Side note, I didn't really like "classics" because various reasons, but then now I really like them, pretty much due to Jane Austen. She's golden.)

"Who's there?" ~Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Which is technically a first line, but still... And because, not only is this a great play written by a great man, but because I feel like this is a question every human being has asked, albeit I know Shakespeare was cleverly using the changing of the guards as a way to introduce the setting as well as the whole fatherly ghost figure thing and not, specifically in this instance, as a way to comment on the questions that plague humanity, so I'm totally taking this out of context, but whatever.)

"It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened." This is followed by a great second sentence, "No." And then the third sentence, which really drives in my point about this particular example which I will explain in a minute because I like things to be structured similarly, "Wrong word, Jonas thought." ~The Giver by Lois Lowry (Because I love words and the fact that Jonas pauses and takes the time to contemplate exactly which word to use in this instance to describe his feelings is beautiful. Another side note, I incidentally didn't like this book the first time I read it. I have no idea why, I liked it a lot the second time I read it...)

"The morning after noted child prodigy Colin Singleton graduated from high school and got dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, he took a bath." This is followed by, "Colin had always preferred baths; one of his general policies in life was never to do anything standing up that could just as easily be done lying down." ~An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Because that's hilarious and speaks to me personally.)

and

"Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over again, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death." ~The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Because talk about attention grabbing. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that THIS BOOK IS GLORIOUS.)

I was thinking about this (my love of the beginning of books) and I realized why I love them so much.

Story time.

Once upon a time do you remember the Junie B. Jones books? I LOVED THOSE BOOKS. They are probably in my top 5 favorite books of childhood, although that idea just came to me, so I haven't really thought it through and who knows, maybe 5 other books will outrank them. Point is, they're great and they all start the same way:

"My name is Junie B. Jones. The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all."

And I loved this and the fact that it started every one of those books so much that I would tell people whenever the chance arose (as I wasn't much of a 'center of attention' type of kid, this primarily meant whenever I had one of the books in my hand and someone said something about it or whenever I was asked what books I liked - basically whenever someone else brought it up, unless it was my family, they probably got pretty tired of me doing this.... I'm hard core digressing, aren't I? Where was I? Oh yeah.) that every one of these books started with "My name is Junie B. Jones. The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all." I had this memorized, which looking back doesn't seem like a big deal, but I suck at memory and so especially back then it was quite the accomplishment.

And that's how I came to love the first sentences/paragraphs of books. Because they remind me of my childhood. The End.

A Song and a Story

I have a confession. Even though I knew this song before, I stole this from my friend Maddi's blog. I don't think she'll mind.

So, a story:

Once upon a time there was a girl named Jess Jess and she had a friend named Carabou (like the animal except for the Cara part and she's human). Carabou and Jess Jess partied all day and long into the night. And by party I mean they ate food and watched movies and talked before retiring at midnight (or earlier).

It was awesome.

The End.

That's What's Up

I miss my sisters.

I have three of them and they're the best.

They're some of my very best friends.

Just thought you ought to know.

Also, here's a song that reminds me of them.

Hey Can I Tell You a Secret?

So, way back when it wasn't the summer yet and I felt a little stressed about my school load and finals and adult life and stuff I did that thing that you're not supposed to do where you're like, "once this thing happens I will be happier and not as stressed and whatever."

Comeuppance stinks. Because that thing that was going to make my life better was the start of summer. And while this summer has been pretty great, it's also been fairly stressful and just plain hard at times. 

I want to make myself clear. I have a great life. But even great lives have hard things. 

For an example, yesterday was not the best of days. My fire alarm went off (not that that's huge, it just really sucked and seemed like a big deal at the time and maybe that's weird, but it was kind of icing on the cake of crappy days, which I would imagine tastes nasty). 

And then yesterday I went swimming with some friends and it was really great! Also, my sister comes back from her LDS mission at the end of July and that's awesome because she is one of my very best friends and also because it looks like I get to spend about a week, maybe longer with my family who I haven't seen in a while. 

And I think I just really need a vacation from adult life for a bit. Maybe that sounds trivial and stupid, but whatever. 

Also, I really want to just sit on my mom's bed and play cards with my family. It's kind of our thing.

Ramadan

Hey. So do you remember way back in early April when I wrote a blog post about gratitude that also talked about religion just a bit? Cool. Do you remember how I was like 'religion, no matter the specific type, can be a good thing' (except that's paraphrased a bit)? Cool.

So today starts the Muslim month of Ramadan, which I think is pretty cool. I have some Muslim friends, so I know the basics of Ramadan - the fasting during the day part and such. But I recently saw this article on Facebook and I think it's really cool. It's cool because it teaches. A lot of what it says is really interesting stuff that I didn't know before and it's always better to understand different cultures and belief systems and ideologies, etc. despite what one personally believes. But a lot of the stuff talked about are things that I believe, too (yes, even though I'm a Christian). And I just think it's cool that different religions can have similar teachings, albeit different ways of practicing them.

I could just sum up some of those things, but instead I think I'll just copy and paste from the article.

"Dr. Mansur [a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Center for the Study of Islam in the UK at Cardiff University] added: 'Ramadan is known as the month of empathy. And it's that time of the year where Muslims put themselves in the shoes of people who don't have enough food or water to drink and [experience] a little of their situation. So it is supposed to [evoke] empathy in people.'"

Well I think that is a great thing to try to do. 

Also, "...Ramadan is not just about avoiding food or drink, but also working on who we are as a person. Dr. Mansur added that as well as Ramadan being a month of empathy it is also about patience. 'For 30 consecutive days you are put into this situation where you are going to be hungry, your sugar levels are low, and the chances are that you are going to get a bit edgy and agitated, so either you have a very foul mood for the month of Ramadan or you deal with it for 30 days. It is the best anger management course.'"

So even though I don't agree with the theology behind Ramadan, I really appreciate what it does for people and I want to ensure that I am incorporating these same ideas -empathy and patience - into my own personal religious practices. 

PS ~ I don't really know if this blog post makes any sense, I'm writing this when I'm really tired... 

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all dads out there, but especially to my papa! One thing I will always remember is you asking us over and over again "You know I love you, right?" As a kid I thought it was ridiculous, but now I am so thankful that you always made sure your kids knew how much you care for us. You're always there for me! I love you Papa!

I would also like to say Happy Father's Day to my Heavenly Father, who is always so great at reminding me just when I need it most how much He loves me, too.

I Love You Mother Nature

I've been posting lots of music lately...

Kindness is Magic

So tomorrow is my birthday and it's exciting, but I'm not that into big celebrations or whatever. So I was thinking and listening to music and this song came on:

And it kind of hit me that this is a pretty sad and scary song. (Also very poetic.) And so I thought for my birthday maybe I would ask all of you to make this song a little less true. Have more faith - in your religion, but also in the people around you. Dream. Fly. Have hope. And help each other out.

But I changed my mind. I don't want anybody to do this because some random girl on the internet told them kindness is magic, so be kind because it's her birthday. Do this because it's the right thing to do.

"We used to fill our days running just to pass time, now life's a race we're running just to survive."

Me Too, John

"Honest to Blog?"

That's a line from Juno.

I have so many random thoughts in my head right now and I don't know where to put them. Also, it's late-ish and I don't feel tired at all. Which is weird because I need sleep. Right now I'm listening to "All I Want is You" by Barry Louis Polisar. It's on Juno. Here are the lyrics:

"If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and green
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and green
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow
Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea."

One of my favorite lines is "If you were a castle, I'd be your moat." There's so much symbolic meaning in that my English-loving brain can't breath. Think about it.... Yeah.

A Request From Me in My New Home

"The Opposite of Love's Indifference."

That is a line that I really like from a song that I really like.* I think there's a lot in the world to love and I think a lot of people miss out on that by being indifferent.

Guys. There is a lot on Earth that is just freaking gorgeous. The sky is blue, but the shade of blue varies and it can also be red, orange, pink, purple, etc. After it rains all of the colors can be seen in an arch. I know there's science behind rainbows, but what?! The leaves on trees also change colors and are ridiculously beautiful just because they can (and a little bit of science, but whatever). There's so much undiscovered stuff in oceans, and there's mountaintops that crazy people climb, and there's sand at beaches, but also in deserts, and there's rain forests, and there's suburbs, and there's farmland, and there's industrialized cities, and there's so many freaking animals that fly or swim or crawl, or walk, and there's platypuses! Like, what is that thing?

There's also like amazing things that can happen on our planet. We can eat food cooked in a box of heat in our homes. We can cook food over sticks and fire. We can hit something, strum something, blow air into something and have music come out. We can even do that with our own bodies. We can move our feet and hands in a way that rhythmically fit into that music. We can kick or throw a ball just because. We can swim and we can fly (in machines that probably should not be capable of that). We have balloons and we have sweaters and we have chocolate. This is some pretty amazing stuff.

But also, even more than stuff you can find on Earth if you pay attention, there are people.

I don't know if you know this, but if you counted up all the people who ever lived and all the people who are currently living, and all of the people who will some day live, you would have a lot of human beings.

Can I make a request? As people, let's do a better job at noticing people. I can love the Earth and I can love my ukulele and I can love music and I can love dancing and I can love platypuses. But if we're indifferent toward people, then we have failed at love.

And I think that is too sad a thing to let happen.

                            *

Grocery List

So at first I was all,

Grocery List (aka What Can I Survive on and Eat for an Entire Summer?):
-Rice cooker
-Rice
-Pot for cooking pasta in
-Noodles for pasta
-Sauce for pasta (marinara and alfredo)
-Frying pan
-Frozen peas
-Eggs
-Mashed potatoes
-Butter

-Snacks
-Laundry basket
-Utensils

But then I was like,

Arizona and Homeless People

So, remember when I was like, "lists and stuff!" and also, "that WWOOF thing would be awesome to do in my life?" Well, I still think it would be really cool. And I was talking to Maddi about it and we both agreed that that would be fantastic.

However, here's the thing. We're both pretty involved in school stuff right now. We just can't do that right now. BUT. We think it would be a really cool thing if over Thanksgiving break or something we went to Arizona and volunteered at a soup kitchen and somehow got to sleep/eat without spending lots of money. We've heard that maybe that's a thing that happens. Like a live-in soup kitchen? I don't know exactly how that would work, but I think that would be fantastic because I would get to see Arizona which I've only driven through and also I would get to volunteer at a soup kitchen, which is something I have wanted to do for a while.

So, dear readers, do you have any details about this? Because I need some details in order for this to be a thing...

Also, I would like to express some of my ideas about homeless people. I feel like there's this thing that people who are not homeless people look down on homeless people. And that makes me really upset. I have absolutely no idea how someone ends up living in the streets, but I would guess that it is not a pleasant experience and also a really hard thing to go through and also potentially an outcome of things outside of one's control and not one's choices and also not just one single cause, but a lot of things that added up until the person no longer has a home. And besides, being homeless means THAT A HUMAN BEING HAS NO SHELTER, something I learned in the sixth grade was a "bare necessity of life." How messed up is it that people look down on other people for anything, let alone for not have something necessary for living?

Something that my dad said once really made an impact on my life and how I (try) to see people. This is not actually a direct quote -> "I would rather err on the side of charity and give to someone who might end up wasting (insert whatever it is you're giving a person) than err on the side of selfishness and not give at all to a person who might desperately need (insert whatever it is you're giving a person)." He said it better, but you get the idea. I like helping people, not as much as I should, but still. And I really don't like that we have homeless people in our country, not because they're dirty or whatever, but because they are humans living in really sad conditions.

So, how about we stop looking at people as a circumstance and start looking at people as people.

"I appreciate your being." - Jason

This is my new favorite thing to say along with "you're a southern peach."

Lists

So, I'm occasionally a fan of lists. I don't like "to-do" lists because I just get anxious about all the things I have to do and they're just no good. But I do like random lists. For example...

Things my eyes have done today (so far):
1) opened.
2) seen the world.
3) seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier (HFADGJLAUHU!).
4) gotten droopy.

And I'm just in a random list kind of mood. So, that's what I'm going to do.

Things that should happen in my near future:
1) pass finals.
2) get a job.
3) get a massage/have my back popped.

Things that would be cool to do sometime in my life (miniature edition):
1) This Life Hack -> "Too broke to travel? WWOOF is an organization that allows you to travel the world, with food/accommodations covered, in exchange for volunteer work." Preferably with Maddi. And also CC. Or with my future husband before we start a family.
2) Get married and start a family and then serve a senior couple mission for my church (I'm LDS, if you forgot).
3) Go to a Mumford and Sons concert.

Times/places I would want to live in if I didn't live where/when I do:
1) 1960's America.
(That's all I got for this particular moment in time, but if you kind of pick a time and place chances are that I would like to live there/then.)

Songs that mean a lot to me right now:
1) The Boxer by Mumford and Sons.
2) After the Storm by Mumford and Sons.

Songs that I've been listening to a lot recently:
1) Look at my previous list.
2) Any song by Mideau.
3) Any song by Of Monsters and Men (they're from Iceland! How cool is that?!?).
4) Various other indie folk songs.

My favorite superhero:
1) Captain America

Things I collect:
1) Mugs
2) Smiles

Happy Easter!

Because of Him

Hulk Punch All the Keys!

I HATE REGISTRATION WEEK. I JUST WANT TO HULK PUNCH THE WALL UNTIL IT CRUMBLES AT MY FEET. IT IS THE WORST THING TO HAPPEN AND I HAVE ANXIETY ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION AND IT SUCKS AND I DON'T WANT TO ADULT. ALSO, AHGFHLKDFBNDSIGHIJNLKDHIGHRKHGLKSJDHGJKSLKHBJFDHAHDKHGDHSLKVBHFDKLHGSDHKJBHDFJHVKDFANHGIHGIRHDKVNDKLBKLFDHGLKDSHKLVNHKDJBGJFDHGIDSHJGKLNDVJBDJHGAJLDJXCNVJFHGAHNVJLHKDWURYTJSDLKNBHMJKVDSBGJDKSBVJDKSBGJDSHGJKDHSVJKDBJKBKJXCNVFJDKSHGJKSDBGNDBVJDSKHGJDSKHGJKVXBVKJSDBGJLSDHBJVBJKFDGBDSJBVKJDSBGVJKSDVHBJDVBJHFVAJFSKLHGKSFDHGIFHGLKFHDJGHFDLKGHFDKLHGLKFDHGKLFDHGKLFDHLIGHJKJKGFVJKFVKVJKBGFVJKJKFDOUIRETRLKJVNX.NNKHSLKHHFDGVDHJKFLHGJKRDLNMVCVCCNJYRHBOISFDHHNSFDIOHGHNBJVCHBGJHHJFDGFNJMGFBNJGFLXKHDSSSSJKGLHFDLJKFHSGJFVGKSHJFHGSKJDCFDDDFDJKFDKFDGBV. YEAH. 

GRR.

Logan City Limits

Logan City Limits was so awesome! Jason (of the blog post) told Cara, CC, Maddi, and me about it and we all went and it was a party. Besides listening to some really great bands like Mideau and The Moth and the Flame, I got a free t-shirt and seven cds for $1.25. Yeah. You read that right. $1.25! The thing about the cds (with the exception of the Little Barefoot cd that I got for free because I'm awesome), though, is that you just had to pick random ones and hope for the best. I'm currently Russian Roulette-ing with one at this very moment. The band is called Kosmoratik. Anybody heard of them? I think they're okay.

In other news the last Institute choir concert of the year is tonight. Be there or be square.

Nostalgia

So I don't think you guys know this about me, but I dance. Or at least, I used to dance. Well, I still kind of dance, but I used to be official and dance in a class with dance recitals and all that crazy shenanigans and whatnot. And, not to brag or anything, but my dance teacher was freaking amazing. She danced with a world renown company, but then gave it up to have a family and then she taught dance for approximately one hundred years and recently retired and the world is a sadder place because of it.

And I miss it. A lot.

So, CC teaches a Celtic dance class and tonight was their recital and so I went with Maddi, Cara, and Jason and it stirred up all the nostalgia. And I miss it!

It just makes me want to dance right now... Meh.

Here's a picture of me way back in my very first year of dancing:

But the Fighter Still Remains

Here's the thing. I love music. I love music with all of my heart. It is so wonderful for a plethora of reasons, although I won't go into all of that now because that's not the point of this post. And believe me, I could go on and on about that. Suffice it to say that I love music a lot.

And I get kind of passionate about the things I love. I have a soapbox issue with music. Because sometimes people are dumb. Just kidding. Sometimes I don't agree with people about music and that's not dumb of them, but it still makes me upset.

My favorite genre is Indie folk. And my favorite songs are ones that actually have meaning and depth. I do like the occasional song that's about "love." Or "loss of love." Or stuff like that. But I really enjoy songs that provoke thoughts and stuff.

There are songs that are about really touchy subjects and talk about the saddest of situations, but then they're beautiful because of that.

For example, "The A Team" by Ed Sheeran. It's about a girl who sells her body for the money to support her drug habit. And I know people who 1) didn't know that's what the song is about and 2) stopped listening to it when they found out. And I just think that's ridiculous! I mean, if a song is promoting things you don't believe in then don't listen to it. But here's the thing, if a song is saying 'hey guys, there's a problem, and we should be aware of the problem, and that it really is a serious issue that human beings deal with and they deserve our attention because they are people and maybe we can help make this problem not so common or terrible' then that is a song worth listening to.

Also, I think a lot of people like songs with questionable lyrics. And I don't mean for this to be judgmental, but I'm not a fan.

Here's another example of a song that's great and tells a beautiful story (but this one has a happy ending, so that's cool) and also this is my favorite song right now.

It's about immigrants coming to Ellis Island. And a boxer. And it's beautiful.

(I apologize for the weird picture in the background, I couldn't find another lyric video.)

Jason's Post

Hi, I'm Jason. On a scale of 1-10 I am a strong 7 in terms of best friends with Jessica (10 being best friends for all eternity even past "Till death do us part").

So here is my story in as short as I could possibly put it, which I could use up thousands of lines telling my story, but I resist that urge for the sake of you readers.

I came up to Utah State at semester after working full time for the first semester of the 13-14 school year. Let me be the first to say that working full time while all of your friends are spread across the world on missions or spread across the state at various colleges is kind of depressing, but this isn't a sob story.

Coming to Utah State I only had one friend up here, and that friend happened to be my ex-girlfriend. Let me also be the first to say that going to a college where your only friend is your less than a month recent ex-girlfriend is kind of depressing, but again, not a sob story.

Luck came my way because the guys I live with are pretty sick. Friends! Woohoo! I don't know how religious this blog is, but if you readers don't know that Jessica is a Mormon, here is the big news, she is a Mormon. So after a while of hanging out with a big group of non-Mormons, and nothing against non-Mormons because they are great friends, I wanted to be with some people of my own faith.

Along Came Polly... Well Jessica, and Maddi, and Sierra, and Cara, and EmmaLee, and Lindsey.

So let me be the first to say that being male and all of a sudden finding this group of females that are not only beautiful, but also share my religious views, is a score. On a scale of 1-10 that is a solid 11.

In the end this group of girls has really been a blessing to me. College is rough, and it is always nice to have friends to support you. I suggest -- HIGHLY SUGGEST -- going to your ward (or congregation, or whatever group that you enjoy being in the presence of) and making friends. I didn't abandon my other friends, but I definitely have enjoyed spending time with my wardies more.

Peace, Love, Dope - Don't Smoke It!
Peace Out Girl Scout!
Love you: Jason (that good looking one who is sometimes funny)

"Keep Smiling and One Day Life Will Get Tired of Upsetting You" - Anonymous

So, in case I haven't said it before, I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm a really religious person. And I know that not everyone is that way. But I think there's a lot anyone can learn from any religion, even if they don't accept some of the doctrines. For example, I think the world as a whole needs to be more grateful.

Let me tell you a story. It's called my Institute (which is basically an LDS religion class at the college level, the high school equivalent is called seminary) teacher is a genius and told us this cool way of looking at the world. Here it goes:

This is a picture of life.

Let me explain. Life is made up of highs and lows and most people go through life thinking the point is to maximize the highs and minimize the lows. But here's the thing. That's actually not what life is about. Going through hard things makes you stronger. And you learn - about yourself, and how to handle things in the future, and who you can rely on (whether that's a 'higher power' or family or close friends or all of the above) and so many other things. Going through hard things can bring you closer to the people you love. And you gain confidence and new perspectives. And so much more.

But you have to let all that happen.

Having bad things happen in your life is not optional. But suffering is.

Now, don't get me wrong. Everyone is going to have a bad day. Where they ask "why me?" Or they just need to cry it out. But it would be nice if we could have fewer of those days. And maybe when we do have those days try to still be grateful.

I don't know if I believe that life will get tired of upsetting you. But I do think our capacity to be grateful will increase with age if we practice that kind of lifestyle now. And along with that thankfulness will be a greater capacity to be happy, love, help others, and all the other positive characteristics. Gratitude is a gateway attribute.

Gratitude puts you in a better mood. You're happier when you're thankful. As a general rule, I'm a happy person. But I would like to be even happier.

If you're grateful no matter what the situation rather than because of the situation, you'll be a much more positive person.

And positive people make the world more positive.

Also, religious or not, this is a much better description of what I'm trying to say, so you should read it. Or not. That's called agency or freedom of choice.

In order to help you smile and be a little bit more grateful, here's a fun picture from the blog Hyperbole and a Half that describes this post and how we should respond to life's ups and downs!

Have a great day!

Pieces of Conversations and a Little Commentary

Cara. Ryan. People with faces versus people without faces. CC is awesome, she's also eating peach yogurt. I want a Tamagotchi. So does CC. Cara loves it when she wears white pants, it makes her feel classy. Those are sweet. Hit Me Baby One More Time is a good song. Ryan's playing Pokemon. Hello. Cara is satisfied. Don't judge Ryan. Facebook is boring today. Cara is in a relationship with danger. I love dark chocolate. And regular chocolate. Not so much white chocolate, but it's okay. Shiny. Why did Maddi's wifi decide to leave? I like green grass. But not the brown kind. That's a deal breaker. You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you. Cara is singing with chocolate in her mouth. When does Bailey get back? Nobody knows. Who even knows? Jack Johnson is really cool. Ryan sees no problem with that. Can't you see that it's just raining? Hello! We could close the curtains, pretend that there's no world outside. Everyone's on their devices and/or humming/singing. This song makes Maddi feel like a kid. It makes us happy. Okay. Cool. Are we okay with that? Yep. Probably. It's given unto you to choose. Ryan loves his team so much. They're so good at things. Ryan's happy for them. It's pretty darn exciting. If you ask me, and of course you did. CC's the best. I was so parched. I think my friend is engaged. Not again! Every time! People. Who does what? That's so mean. They're trying to be on the cover of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Yep. I'm really entertaining. Oh, cool. Sorry that you don't have one. Hey Maddi do you want to see something magical. *gasps*

I Can't Even

PS~ I just called a conductor a "choo choo master." It's been a long day.

This Should Not Be a Holiday

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was a girl.

She loved to laugh and have fun.

But she hated April Fool's Day.

Because it's the worst.

The End.

Puns

Featherstone

So today was an okay day.

And then it was a really bad day.

And then it was a good day.

And that's where I'm at right now, but I'm thinking, if my luck holds, it'll just keep going up and that'll be a really cool thing. 

Right now I just really want to blog, so that's what I'm doing, but I don't know what to talk about, so that's a problem. I'm in a "BLOG ALL THE GOOD BLOG POSTS!" kind of mood, but then the part of my brain where creativity (supposedly) resides is a little slow on the up-take and is saying, "Wait... what's the plan?"

So, I think I'm just going to post some of the lyrics to a fairly recently discovered song that I really like. And then also the song.

"Wake up to the sound of your fleeting heart
Wake up to the sound of your fleeting heart
When you go, what you leave is a work of art
On my chest, on my heart

And my love is yours but your love's not mine
So I'll go, but we know I'll see you down the line
And we'll hate what we've lost but we'll love what we find
And oh, I'm feeling fine, we've made it to the coastline

Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh ooh ooh"

I Can't Even Feel Sorry For Baby Spiders With Birth Defects

Once upon a time, I am really terrified of spiders. And I know it's kind of a thing that girls are afraid of spiders or something, but here's the thing. I AM SERIOUSLY TERRIFIED. As in I get paralyzed when I see one, start to shake/cry, and scream as if an ax-murderer is attempting to ax-murder me.

AND THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION.

Sometimes (almost all of the time) I get freaked out even by the mere mention of spiders.

And sometimes I'm sitting in my friends' room and blogging about how much I hate/am afraid of spiders and it's kind of like I can feel them on my person and I want to burn my clothes because maybe they're laying eggs in my clothes, so that their future offspring can continue the rein of terror at a later date.

Okay. Here's another story titled "I Had to Stop Writing My Post About Spiders Because I Couldn't Handle it and it Might as Well Be My Life Story."

It's okay. I'm back.

One time I was sitting in an intro to psychology class and we were talking about types of treatment for phobias and the differences between flooding and systematic desensitization. For those who don't know...

"Flooding: A therapeutic technique for treating phobias in which the patient is exposed to painful memories or frightening stimuli until he or she ceases to be anxious.

Example: An arachnophobic patient is locked in a room full of spiders after discussing the treatment with her therapist and consenting to it. She is initially terrified, but eventually relaxes when she realizes that nothing bad is going to happen to her." -sincerely the Encyclopedia of Psychology

(Note: LIES LIES LIES LIES SHE NEVER FEELS SAFE AGAIN)

and...

"Systematic desensitization is a behavior therapy developed by Joseph Wolpe (1915–1997) for fear and anxiety. Treatment begins with an assessment that describes the objects and/or events that elicit fearfulness. It continues with three basic procedures: The therapist teaches the patient to relax the voluntary muscles. At the same time, the therapist and patient develop detailed descriptions of personal encounters with the objects and/or events that provoke fear and arrange them in order of increasing fearsomeness. Then the therapist instructs the patient to visualize the encounters in increasingly fearsome order while relaxed. The therapist also encourages the patient to confront the fearsome objects and/or events sometime after relaxed visualization of them." - sincerely Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology

So, back to the story. We were learning about these behavior therapy methods and my friend tells me that what I need is some serious flooding and I proceed to essentially hyperventilate at the thought until she decided that maybe I'm crazy and can't handle hypothetical situations like that, so she suggested systematic desensitization instead. 

However, I am a poor college student and can't afford to pay for that and so I settle with avoiding my problems and ensuring that I always have a friend around who's braver than I in case a "piece of death wrapped in scary" decides to make an entrance in my life. 

Thanks Lindsey/CC/other friends!

Here's the thing, though. I'm pretty tired right now and so I'm not sure how coherent this blog post is. And this blog post was actually intended to a) tell you just how I feel about spiders and b) do that by linking another blog that describes perfectly how I feel about spiders. Part of that plan included giving you some background, but that ended up being quite long. 

I formally apologize for that because the blog post I plan on linking in my blog post is also kind of long (compared to a shorter blog post). 

So, here it is, the blog post that describes my feels to a t.