Under Construction

In all the ways that Tyler and I are working on merging our lives, we are also merging our blogs. Our new entries, sundry reviews of books/movies/things in general, and pictures of our adventures can all be found at http://web.mac.com/allen.tyler/iWeb/the%20news%20from%20here/welcome.html
This transition might be slow, as I am still learning how to work the new program, so please be patient but check back often!
And don't worry, I'll still hold on to this blog for random rants and raves that have nothing to do with my joined life (i.e. how ridiculous/awesome geology is).

It's just one of those days...

The wedding is less than a month away, and preparations are really in full swing. Invitations were sent out this last week, and in no time, Tyler and I will be heading down to super sunny California for the wedding. I know the engagement time and wedding planning is stressful, but last week has just been particularly frenzied. On Monday, my parents told me they'd shipped my dress overnight, which was bought and altered in California, and that I should be expecting it the next day. So Tuesday, I hurried home after my morning classes (and a quick lunch, I confess) only to find that the UPS guy had stopped by hours earlier and my roommates had not answered the door. I think they can't ever hear when someone's knocking. Anyway, not their fault. So I called the 800 number to just tell them I'd come pick it up, since I knew I wouldn't be home the next day, or ever, between 8 am - 5 pm. The automated lady voice said someone would call me within the hour to confirm. This was true, and I agreed to pick up the dress that night, sometime after 7 but before 8:30. The biggest scare? I was meeting with the wedding photographer at 7 that night. So, running a bit late, I met with Bethany (at Spoon Me, a frozen yogurt place, yum!) and we chatted. We were done by 8, so I jumped in my car and was on my way to Orem. The UPS place in Orem, holy cow, is in the middle of nowhere, by Geneva Rock. It was a little scary. And way farther than I'd anticipated! So I was racing the clock, and made it there by 8:25 or so. I picked up the package, and the dress is now hanging safely in my room.

The next mini crisis involves my engagement ring. Tyler and I had stopped by the jeweler to pick out his wedding band, and while there, the guy helping us noticed my ring was a bit loose, so he said they'd resize it. Okay, no big deal. But they took it right then and there! I was a little shocked and had separation anxiety, but I put on another ring in the meantime. I went in Monday (the day before the dress fiasco) to pick up both rings, only to find that they'd made mine WAY too small. Trying not to cry, I told them the problem and they said they'd make it bigger, that the goldsmith had sized it on the smaller side of 5.25, which was what they had determined was my size. My ring was originally a 6. So I continued the week without my precious ring. Thursday, they called again saying it was ready, so I hurried over, only to find that it was still significantly too small. Fortunately, one of the girls who works there is an old friend from EFY about 8 years ago, and she was working that day and took pity on me. She said they'd resize it to slightly larger than a 5.5, and she'd rush it so I could pick it up the next day, since I was taking my bridals the next Tuesday. God bless Sara from EFY. Friday, I went in and it fit like a glove. I'm finally reunited with my ring and I'm so glad. I'd really become attached to it in these last few months.

If only it ended there. But no. The next day, conference Saturday, I'd told Tyler I wanted to make dinner for him and our friends at whose house we were watching conference (Tyler's old place). He said ok, and that steak would be nice. I agreed to give it a try, since I've never pan-fried steak before. Although I had the meat, I wanted some other food to add to the meal, so between sessions, I took Tyler's car and headed off to the grocery store to pick up some potatoes and rolls. I headed back to my place to get some salad and condiments, but in my rush, when I'd grabbed my keys to get into my apartment, I'd set down Tyler's keys... on the car seat. I then proceeded to lock the car and run up to my place. I grabbed what I needed and was halfway down the stairs before I discovered I didn't have his keys. I searched everywhere to no avail, and finally accepted the fact that they were locked in the car. So I took the food I had and drove over to pick up Tyler, then headed over to his house to get the spare, then back to the car where I'd locked the keys inside. Good thing Tyler was so patient with me. I was able to prepare the meal adequately once we got back to our friends' house. But my goodness, it was difficult to get there.

The good news is that Sunday was my birthday, so I got to relax a bit. We watched conference at that same friend's house and Tyler made me my requested birthday lunch (French onion soup with mozzarella cheese and sourdough bread, perfect on a rainy day). I took naps and tried to catch up on my reading for class. Tyler presented me with the cake I'd picked out at the store the day before, and he gave me a very nice present. He framed my giant picture of the Newport Beach Temple. I admit, it made me cry a little thinking about how we'd be getting married there in a month. I'm such a sap. And once things have settled down a bit, Tyler's promised me a trip to the mall to pick out some birthday clothes. He's so nice, even when I'm falling apart at the seams. Hopefully this last week will mark the end of these shenanigans!

Also, I promise a more uplifting and less self-centered blog entry on our Tara and Tyler Allen blog. In the meantime, check it out and see how awesome Tyler is and browse some of our pictures!

Engagements

There has been a surprisingly large demand for more engagement pictures. So, here's a few:








All pictures are courtesy of our amazing photographer, Bethany Jackman. More pictures can be seen on her blog. Enjoy!

Google it

So I was reading in my textbook for my technical writing class, and the chapter is all about making yourself marketable for future employers and etc. One of the suggestions it gave was to Google yourself and see what comes up. The point is to make sure you know of any scandalous and/or defamatory material that may exist, and then to cover it up so the prospective employers don't see it. Although confident that I'd come up clean, I do love to Google myself. I've done it for years, but hadn't done it recently. Here's what I've got Googling "Tara Albertson".

First, I am proud to say that although I am not the only Tara Albertson in the world, the first link to come up connects to my profile on the BYU Geology website. It is a required assignment to make one for all students in the Geology 230 class, which is a computer skills class, and since we all have to take it for the major, we've all got one. Check it out!

Then there's a link for a wedding website for Tyler and I that we haven't developed so... it's pretty useless.

(Photo courtesy of Bethany Jackman)

A few non-related links, including a blog by another Tara Albertson!!!

And then, much to my pleasant surprise, my Jooperdy status! This website must be ancient, but my high school sophomore Chemistry teacher, Mr. Joo, was super competitive about this trivia game that he invented and we'd play every month or so. I would be proud to have future employers stumble across this.

I am also proud of the other links that come up, although none share my namesake in full. There is a middle school clarinet star, something about bellydancing, a hill in Ireland, Republican women, and Rachel Bilson shopping at Albertson's.

Also, tara.com is a site for Jewish music. I discovered this in middle school and was thrilled. NOTE: This can be a dangerous game though, as lots of female names.com may lead to risque sites (at least, so I've heard from friends like Caitlin or Danielle). Do not try this at home! I felt comfortable at my middle school where the safeties and securities are tight, so I just wanted to throw out a disclaimer so I don't get in trouble! Also, all my links are clean, so don't feel bad checking out that one!

Albertson.com doesn't exist. Allen.com, however, does. But I don't get it. I don't come up as Tara Allen anywhere yet, but you know how firefox gives automatic suggestions for commonly searched things when you start typing? Well, when I typed "Tara Allen" it suggested "Tara Allen Las Vegas." What am I getting myself into?! However, it appears that there is a Tara Allen who lives in Vegas. There's also a PhD Professor of Biology, and one who crochets.

As a side note, I would also recommend Googling the company from which you seek to get a job. Just in case.

Now that I have successfully digressed, it's back to the textbook.

The rumors are true...

I'm engaged! Tyler and I got engaged on July 10th on Mt. Rainer, a volcano. He's so thoughtful of his geology nerd wife-to-be. In the flurry of post-engagement pre-wedding planning, I have thoroughly neglected this blog. After the first two days of school, I think it's pretty safe to say that that won't change... sorry! Tyler and I are in the process of combining blogs. Okay, so far Tyler's done all the work, but I'll get around to it. I'll do a quick picture recap of the Washington trip where we got engaged and the planning since then...


We went to Seattle. It was my first time. This is the marketplace where they throw the fish, which is kind of gross but also really cool.
Tyler paid tribute to Jimi Hendricks, Kurt Cobain, and other Seattle music legends at the Experience Music Project.


The iconic space needle, which I learned really has no purpose. It was built for when the World Fair came to Seattle. Or something.

The majestic Mt. Rainier. I took this picture moments before Tyler proposed.


This is Tyler after he proposed, holding the ring box. You can see that his right knee is wet from kneeling in the snow, proof that he went down on one knee. I thought it was cute.

Okay, I was going to add more about summer and planning, but I'm too tired and I have too much homework. Maybe I'll get around to another entry in 6 months. And keep an eye out for the combined blog of T-n-T, the TA squared, the up and coming Tara and Tyler Allen blog. It's already set up, I just haven't contributed yet. But thanks to Tyler for staying on top of things!

Book Review

Before my second block class started and I got bogged down by all the readings that I'm behind on, I used to read books for fun. One that I just recently finished (with recently being Jan. or Feb.) is The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. I read this book awhile ago because the Martin Scorsese version was playing in the International Cinema. I didn't see the movie, but I did read the book, and I was pleased. It was a fairly quick read, and was first recommended to me by my very feminist high school English teacher for whom I have a great deal of respect, although I do not align myself with her school of feminist thought.
In short, it's about uppity New York socialites and the suffocating effects of propriety. It's brilliantly written, very colorful, and even though it mocks New York for its stringent appeal to keeping in line with societal expectations, it made me want to live there for a year or so, just so I could be apart of that etiquette. Perhaps my favorite part, though, is that I had ordered it used off of Amazon a few years ago (when I was in high school and my teacher recommended it), so I didn't know what it looked like, but the cover was some picture that reminds me of a Harlequinn romance novel. It's not like that at all, I promise. I found a picture of the copy I have, so you can see for yourself. Funny funny stuff. The publisher said they chose to make this colorful image the cover because it would appeal to the young kids, or something. I don't know, but it made me laugh.
Anyway, it's an easy read, very enjoyable, and very easy to get wrapped up in. I recommend it to girls, but boys may be bored with it. The female author does have a somewhat palpable bitterness toward all men... But she had it tough, and it makes for a great, classic novel. Not as formulaic as would be expected, too. The end is, wow. Again, like I said, very well written.

This boot's definitely not made for walking

Today was a long day. But it was a good day. I almost made it from 9 to 5 without leaving the ESC, my home away from home. But I got hungry and the Wilk was calling my name. Anyway, not the point. The point is that I discovered that I can be enveloped by geological jargon all day and not get tired of it. I'll break it down. From 9-10:15 (but we always go a little over) I have my Sedimentology and Stratigraphy class. Then from 11-12 there was an incredibly good lecture about extension in central Nevada, and I loved it because he incorporated petrology, structure, geochemistry, stratigraphy, sedimentation, geomorphology, etc. etc. into his presentation. And I actually understood it. I think that was amazing, and I realized as he was talking about mylonites and mineral phase assemblages of leucogranites and basaltic magmatic pockets and such, I actually understood. So, eager from the brain stimulus, I went to work from 12-2. Hunger set in, I grabbed some lunch, then spent the next half hour studying drill log data for my Strat and Sed lab assignment. Then, I had my Geomorphology and Geohazards class from 3-4, and to cap off the day, another lecture by the AAPG distinguished lecturer about new theories regarding structure and deformation around salt diapirs. A great day, I know. But seriously, it was, I learned a lot, and it was interesting, and I loved it. I love days where I reconfirm that I made the right choice of major. Geology is the best.
But then, I came home to find the telltale yellow boot on the back left wheel of my car. Hmm, odd. So I investigated. The paper on my driver's window indicated that I did not have a proper parking pass. Hmm, odd. I paid (yes, paid) for my above ground (yes, above) parking spot back in September after the underground pass I was guaranteed was not held for me. So, more baffled than upset, I called the number. Answering machine. So I went up to my apartment to call again because the answering machine indicated another number to call and I needed a pen to write it down. I called again. Answer. I told her I needed a boot removed, she asked if I understood it would cost $50, and I told her I had a parking pass. She said ok, she was in the middle of cooking, but she'd be over in 15-20 minutes. Twenty minutes later, she came, she called, she took off the boot. And that is my experience with the parking polices. Quick, like ripping off a band-aid.

This is Megan's fault

Ok, so I actually read Megan's ABC thing and I decided it would be a much more uplifting and wholesome blog than a second political one. I'm taking this in stride. So here goes.
A- Attached or Single? Attached.
B- Best friend? Basalt. Or Tyler Allen.
C- Cake or pie? Cake.
D- Day of choice? Sunday, because I like Church, or Tuesdays because the only classes I have are Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, and Geomorphology and Geohazards (those are just 2 classes, but both have "and" in them), plus the campus-wide devotionals, which I always attend and almost always enjoy.
E- Essential Item? A book. Preferably more than one though.
F- Favorite Color? Varies almost daily. Right now? I'm liking eggplant.
G- Gummy Bears or Worms? Both. But one thing I love and miss dearly from my high school days is mini gummy bears with frozen yogurt from either Golden Spoon or Goldmine.
I- Favorite Indulgence? Ice cream. BYU creamery is amazing.
J- January or July? Both for different reasons, but right now I'm feeling cabin fever and I miss field trips and hiking, so I'd say July. If I skied or snow shoed, I'd probably say January.
K- Kids? None. Just a rock collection. But I have 3 different basalts.
L- Life isn't complete without? Umm... temple ordinances? This is a weird one to me.
M- Marriage date? TBA
N- Number of brothers and sisters? 1 sister and 1 brother.
O- Oranges or Apples? Apples. I support Allen produce.
P- Phobia and fears? Ichthyophobia. The fear of fish. It's so bad that when offered a $600 trip to the Bahamas for a week and a half, I google imaged San Andros Island, saw the famous bone fish, and knew I couldn't go, without even considering other factors that may or may not prevent me from going.
Q- Quote? "I'm awesome" -Tara Albertson
R- Reason to smile? Valentine's Day fudge and 89% on my first Strat and Sed test.
S- Season of choice? Any if I can be outside. (Surprise! I like being outside.)
T- Tag three people? No thanks. I don't even know that many who blog. But Tyler Allen, although his choice to do this is wholly optional.
U- Unknown fact about me? I am able to save my holiday candy so it can last for weeks.
V- Vegetable? Asparagus. Again, I support Allen produce.
W- Worst habit? I take forever to get ready for bed.
X- X-ray or Ultrasound? As far as I'm aware, I've never had either.
Y- Your favorite food? Cheese! Again, I love the BYU creamery.
Z- Zodiac sign? Libra.

Separation of Church and State*

Well, I am just about at my wits' end with all of the politicking that is abuzz locally and nationally. But, as a semi-student of the politic, I think a blog is in order. This may take several installments. We shall just have to see.

As alluded to in the title, my first concern is the issue concerning the separation of Church and State. I would like to recall the governmental ideas set forth by the good man John Locke, who is credited with first presenting this concept in modern times. His concern was that the government had no conscience (I paraphrase) and would therefore prove completely inadequate in being connected to such a holy concept as religion, according to his idea of the social contract. Locke was a smart man, whose forward thinking compensated for his homely demeanor. I respect him immensely.

The Founding Fathers (yes, proper nouns), in whom I am not yet well-versed, but have watched the National Treasure movies and own a David McCullough novel, wrote the Constitution of this country with this concept in mind. Yeah, it's that important.

As a side note: I'd like to just remind readers that these very Founding Fathers are, in fact, now Mormon. Surprise! I've even seen the picture in the L.A. Temple. Eat your hearts out, liberal media and Ron Paul, Mr. Constitution himself.

Now, to bring this back to present time, I think that the general American populous has forgotten this blessed concept upon which our country is built. I have read a number of very interesting and informative articles on similar topics, and so I may pull some of my knowledge from them, with other information based on my personal observations of peers, my viewing and reviewing of (mostly the Republican) debates, and my general concern for the stupidity of society.

Mitt Romney is a Mormon. Or rather, he is one of literally millions of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I doubt one will ever hear him classified in that vernacular, but I just thought I'd throw it out there. This is no secret. Although he has not claimed to "wear his religion on his sleeve," as evangelical Huckabee declared, Romney has never made any attempts to conceal nor act ashamed of his beliefs. This is appropriate for anyone. I feel that for the most part, the candidates are all sticking to this. I am still in denial regarding Ms. Clinton's candidacy, or else she would greatly skew my previous statement. But now, here's where it gets interesting.

Romney was, as far as I am aware, the first candidate who had to defend his religion. Allow me to elaborate. Romney, similar to a young Catholic that we all know so well from his rumored escapades with a certain "blonde bombshell," stepped up to the plate and gave a "faith speech." Both were received very well. Look, it's fine that Romney had to give it, that the nation, let's face it, gave him no alternative. He's bright, he's articulate, and he did a very good job. If anyone has a problem with that, then that's a personal issue between that individual and God. There, I said it. Romney did nothing to offend. He simply delivered what was asked, and essentially required, of him.

But here's where my blood boils. Mike Huckabee, in one of the Republican debates, was asked a question regarding a statement he had made at an evangelical event. Huckabee had said something along the lines that in marriage, women are subservient to men, quoting half of a KJV Bible scripture. Huckabee began his answer by making a "casual" observation that although he thought the item of religion was off-limits for all candidates (a clear and direct shot at Romney's "inability" to answer religion questions, that he couldn't handle the questions, even though Romney had 1. faced the most questioning from all, including and especially Huckabee himself and 2. responded more eloquently, more extensively, and more adequately than any other candidate), he was not afraid, nor would shirk the question. His answer was fine, he did just fine. I'm not criticizing that at all. He cleared up the confusion, although that doesn't mean he never made that statement in the first place. How quickly we forget.

A few more points. Huckabee has decidedly won votes for "wearing his religion on his sleeve" (yes, I quote it again) although Romney has been criticized for his beliefs in LDS doctrine and the fact that Jesus and Satan are *gasp!* brothers. My question is, if this really is a political election (which I am doubting more and more each day), then why are these items even coming up?

Barack Obama belongs to a congregation that has made statements concerning the fact that it caters specifically to the Black society. I am not making this up. If this is politics, where is the political correctness? And this is coming from me, a very non-PC persun (yes, a wordy pun). Hilary went to Spanish congregations to hear about MLK Jr. while Obama was churching it up in Atlanta, GA with all of his Black friends at their Black-only church. Huckabee demeaned women. And yet Romney is "the Mormon" running for President. The Mormons, who would love nothing more than to have the Gospel spread to ALL nations (and nationalities), who celebrate the union of a man and woman in eternal marriage as the most holy act a person can perform in this mortal existence, who rejoice in the sacred roles of both men and women, are being put under the microscope. But then again, unfair treatment is no stranger to the Saints.

May I now have us reflect on another famous "Mormon" presidential candidate: Joseph Smith. He was the first and so far the only presidential candidate to be killed/murdered/martyred, however you want to slice it, during his candidacy. Way to go America. Don't get me wrong, I love this nation like my own child. Consequently, I rejoice in her successes, but mourn in her times of unnecessary cruelty.

So here it is, all laid out. Can a "Mormon" be a good president? Yes. Could one also be a poor politician? Yes (Hello, Harry Reid). Do I support Mitt Romney because he is a member of the Church? No. I will employ an additional installment to delve into that topic.

The bottom line: It's time we take a lesson from our forefathers, remember their wise council, and relearn to separate Church and State. This is a Presidential election, after all, not a nationwide democratic vote of which church is truest. Joseph Smith already took care of that for us.

*Note: the opinions in this entry reflect the views of the author and may not be shared by affiliates within the Church, the Republican party, or her social circle.

Battered and Bruised

Well, the semester is almost over. Or rather, it is over, with the exception of finals. Anyway, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on some of the events of this semester. First, about a week after my 21st birthday, I came to my car only to find a note tucked under the windshield. Stating "Sorry man, parking here is tight, " a Mr. Joe from MO proceeded to explain in eloquent prose that he had scratched my car. Thanks for being honest Mr. Joe. He ended up being very cooperative and helpful when I took it in to get it fixed, but boy was that a headache. Here's some pictures of the damage. It took a few shots to get the full extent because I took the pictures in the parking lot and, well, parking here is tight, so I didn't have a lot of room to back up.
So that was the "battered" part. Now, the bruised part. For my structural geology class, we were on a field trip to the Bridal Veil Falls fold. The trip involved some steep slopes and loose rocks. I'm sure one can see easily where this is going. As we were making the descent down another side, we were kind of sliding/hiking/walking/falling down the slope on the leaves and loose gravel. Not really too treacherous, but we looked kind of funny. Anyway, I was already down with about 3/4 of my class. We were just waiting when we heard from above the telltale warning shouts of "rock! John, look out, rock! John! Move!" Now, there are 3 Johns in my class. And all three were nowhere near me, so I figured, hey, I'm solid. I was standing on a steep slope anyway, so I couldn't exactly run. I couldn't exactly move at all, for that matter. So I just minded my own business when all of a sudden BAM! I was knocked clean off my feet, literally bowled over like a pin to a ball. The good news is that the fall wasn't too far because of the steep angle of the slope, and the ground was cushioned by leaves. The worst was the contact of the rock to my calf muscle. Thank goodness it wasn't my shin, or else I might've been dealing with fractured/broken/bruised bones. Instead, I just got a gnarly bruise that lasted for a month or so and a dimple in my calf when I flex. The picture shows the damage the night of. The bruise continued to darken for a few days afterward, but this is the immediate result. The penny is for scale. The flash on the camera made it very difficult to capture the extent of the bruise. So I put on my best tough face after brushing myself off and finished up the trip just fine. I went home and ripped off my pants and ran cold water in the tub where I sat on the edge and with a washcloth, cleaned the wound (there were a few little surficial cuts, but nothing too bad). I also screamed. It kind of hurt more than I let on. Good thing no one was home. The difference in size of my calves from the right leg to the left was comical. So then I put on some shorts, grabbed a bag of ice, and iced my calf while watching a few reruns of America's Next Top Model. Walking wasn't too bad or anything, I just didn't wear heels for a long time. Dancing was the worst because it was like having shin splints in my calf muscle. At least the first week, sharp pains would shoot up through the muscle while clogging every 15 minutes or so. I'd say that's not too bad and I ended up pretty lucky.
But wait! There's more! The whole ordeal wouldn't really be that interesting but for the fact that it was an assassination attempt on my life. For I soon came to discover that who should have dislodged the large rock but none other than the TA for the class! Why she would want to eradicate me, I still don't know, but there must've been malicious intent, as my geology friends jokingly informed me. So I guess I go down in BYU structural geology 375 history as the girl who got knocked over by a rock "thrown" by her TA. Woohoo.
Also of note, in the picture on the right, I am with the group near the top, in the green shirt, to the right.
So there's my battered and bruised semester. I did, however, go to Ikea with Tyler and his roommate Cameron, at which point I purchased a new cover for my down comforter. My bed is beautiful and I love it. This is where I go to rest and it is fabulous. So despite Dr. Jekyll having a bad run-in with a maroon Honda Civic, and despite my calf having a (permanent?) dent in the muscle, I have a wonderful place to sleep.
Other things, even over big or bigger things, have happened this semester than my car getting grossly scratched, my leg getting awesomely bruised, and my bed being fantastically comfortable and Swedishly colorful. But they all make for more interesting stories than the other options, which are much more normal happenings.

"I went to Maui to stay a week and remained five"-S.C.

So Tyler is making a point to prove how cultured he is through book and movie reviews. I thought I could do the same. But I should probably make a disclaimer that I'm not very critical of things like movies, even if they are just not that good. So... it probably won't be that interesting, but oh well. But here goes:

As I was walking home in the icy cold snow the other day, my mind wandered to a warmer time. Balmy air laced with tropical scents, the buzzing of a few harmless island insects, in the distance the rhythmic waves crashed, time seems to move slower, and everyone moves along with it. I sat in a cool, air-conditioned room with a skirt and flip flops, and my hair loosely braided. Although indoors, the scent of the air was still distinctly tropical, Pacific. This was Hawaii. During Spring, for my Pacific Regionalism class, we were asked to read the book "The Paradise Conspiracy" by the good sir Ian Wishart. I couldn't check it out, so I had to visit the library and sit and read it there, but somehow, that was suiting. But anyway, about the book: it's a true story about tax fraud in New Zealand and an investigative journalist (Wishart) who seeks the shady truth. The book reads well, although the convoluted jargon is at times hard to follow for someone who knows very little regarding the subject matter, such as myself. The whole idea is very romantic: small tax havens on islands like Cook Islands and big business scams sucking millions, if not billions, of NZ$ from the Queen's good Island to ciphon it off into their own pockets. The story is filled with twists, villains, lies, deceit, money, conspiracy (duh), murder, blackmailing, and of course, beautiful tropical paradises in which all of these escapades may take place. I don't know if I would have appreciated this book as much out of the context of Hawaii, but if one ever finds oneself on a tropical isle with a free afternoon, I would suggest picking it up.
On a related note, I really think there is something so fantastic about reading a book related to the place one is. That is why, should anyone be in Hawaii, or at the very least itching to get over there, they should pick up "Mark Twain's Letters from Hawaii." There's not much to say; it's Mark Twain. He's simply charming, in a witty, forward sort of way. He's a romantic at heart as well, and beautifully paints his experience with words. It was like he knew what I was thinking about my time in Hawaii (both good and bad) and put it in words so perfect that I could have never done the task myself, but needed to employ the good man Samuel Clemens to help me out. Reading this outside on the beach, or a bench during a light tropical storm was just perfect. So I think both these books are excellent for travel, or simply for a cold winter when one longs for humid beaches, crystal clear waters, and a good pineapple drink. Ah, reminiscing.
And now, back to writing my paper on the structural geology of the Bridal Veil Falls fold in Provo Canyon...

Oh the weather outside is frightful

Yesterday, to mark the first day of December, there was a blizzard. Of course. I woke up and looked out my window, like I do every morning to check on the weather, and out of nowhere everything was blanketed in a thick layer of white. It snowed almost constantly for most of the day. I was foolish to think it wouldn't come by December. I mean, December, of COURSE it's going to snow. Since I got punked on the parking pass situation, my car is parked above ground, and it took like, 15 minutes to scrape off the powder. The thing is, powder is pretty easy to scrape off; it's the ice, I soon learned, that causes the real problems. The highlight of the snow experience culminated in me trying to put some cheese Tyler gave me into my car while our pizza was cooking. I went out with the cheese, unlocked my door, and pulled the handle. It didn't budge so I figured I'd pressed the wrong button on my remote, which is not outside of the realm of possibilities. I tried the other; no movement. I strained to read in the dark which was which and pressed "disarm" (which translates to "unlock," crazy Japanese cars). I pulled and pulled and pulled some more. It dawned on me. My car door was frozen shut. Frozen shut. I used my numb and throbbing fingers to pry off the ice-snow and breathed on the door frame. Yeah, I know, but I didn't know what else to do. I pulled and pulled and pulled and worried that my door handle would break off before the ice did. Then I noticed the huge icicle chunks hanging at the bottom of my car. I kicked them off and pulled and pulled and pulled again. Still nothing. So I repeated the pulling process. FINALLY the door crunched open, the sound of crushing ice echoing in the empty night. Unreal. I was not anticipating that battle, nor would I ever have thought that something like that happens in real life. On the upside, I'm getting better at driving on icy roads. By getting better, I mean I still drive about 5 mph, but I don't get hysterical that I'm going to slide off the road. Anyway, that's the weather update. Welcome to December.

The Season for Giving Thanks

So I guess I'm a little behind on the blogging. People have been getting on my case about not posting pictures too, so here:

1. This is the Tylers, not wanting their picture taken, in the cozy-plush lodge.
2. This is Tyler and I having a log-pillow fight in the robes from the rooms. It was pretty evenly matched. It's hard to tell from the picture. I took some pretty hard hits to the head and stomach, but in the end, I knew my brother could wrestle him and render him helpless if necessary.
3. Taking a "hike" wearing hats. I really wanted to go on a good, real hike, but no one thought hiking and Thanksgiving in the mountains were associated, so I settled for a stroll around the streets.
4. Tyler is enjoying the beauty of Lake Arrowhead and its resident ducks. It was very very freezing and windy this day.
5. Tyler, being his classy self.

Well, there you have it, dear family and friends. Pictures. From Thanksgiving. Boy, that took it out of me; it makes me not want to write those annoying words that my sister finds so useless on a blog. So you can just enjoy the pictures from your sister that is less important than the dog, eating food, and yachting, Megan. Megan, with the cold, frozen heart.
Also, for other pictures, see everyone else's blogs.

GSA-Geek Squad America

As I come to the close of my first experience at a geological conference, I must reflect on the many things I've seen and learned:

1. Soil scientists don't even hold a candle to geologists. There was a soil science technology booth at the expo next to the BYU booth and the guys (but mostly just one specifically) were WEIRD. And considering I'm at a geology conference, that's saying a lot.

2. Denver is host to a veritable cornucopia of diverse multi-cultural cuisines. Although I personally stuck to the traditionals (Hard Rock Cafe, The Cheesecake Factory, Sam's no. 3, Tokyo Joe's, etc.), a few BYU staff members have developed an affinity for Moroccan food. The nightly belly dancing has nothing to do with it... so I hear...

3. The U.S. Mint is cool, and gives out free pennies, and has never been robbed, and has its gift shop in a double-wide trailer a few feet away. Also, in the spirit of capitalism and not Andrew Mellon, the government is encouraging more coin collecting and is coming out with a line of $1 coins of all 37 dead presidents. They must be dead, sorry Bill. Additionally, in a few years will be a new line of pennies depicting four of President Lincoln's finest moments. On behalf of the U.S. Mint and the U.S. government, I would also like to take this time to explain that the phrase "In God We Trust" will still be on the presidential dollars, but on the edge. This will draw more people to look at it and reflect on religiosity because it is a novelty to find the hidden message. That is all.

4. The squirrels at the Colorado capitol building are HUGE!

5. Not a lot of geologists dressed up for Halloween. :(

6. But there was a lot of useless free stuff at the Expo! :)

7. Despite the deficit of victories in the Denver sports scene, fans are still loyal and selling World Series paraphernalia... for 75% off.

8. I met some people from NASA and the Smithsonian and other sundry areas that are researching something that can be coupled with the poster I presented and they were so nice! And people don't care if you don't 100% understand your research, so long as you smile and say things like "Well of course there is still so much more work to be done. These are just our preliminary conclusions, and hopefully as technologies advance, we'll have more accurate data and see more evidenciary support for our work... No, I'm still an undergrad."

9. Staying on the "Fun and Games" floor makes a world of difference. When the elevator is constantly inviting you to "come on down, you're on the fun and games floor!" it's hard not to get excited that you'll be walking away with a free washing machine or something.

10. When I first arrived in Denver, I thought it was pretty cut-and-dry as far as deciphering between the geologists, the baseball fans, and the locals. When someone I shared an elevator with asked if I was here for GSA, I didn't know if I should be mildly offended or relieved.

Overall, I've thoroughly enjoyed Denver. Some of the nicest guys are the ones with ponytails. I have seen more piercings here than I have in potentially the last 21 years of my life, which is all of it. But I definitely see the appeal of the mile-high city. I guess any large city would have similar appeal, but I'm not really familiar with them. But what's not to love? Four major sports teams (baseball, basketball, football and hockey), decent shopping, lots of food, mountains, public transit, and government buildings. Denver and I, we're friends. At the very least, acquaintances for now.

Welcome to Rocktober

Well, here I've found myself in the very heart of downtown Denver, arriving the same day as countless Sox and Rocks fans are flooding the mile-high city. The city is literally shrouded in a purple haze, as buildings are lighting up their facades with the Colorado team color. Thank goodness they're not sell-outs like the D-backs who now don red instead of purple and teal, or else there would be serious loyalty confusion. But I digress.

There is something that is so unique about being in a city while the World Series is going on there. Everyone was wearing purple. Everyone had Rockies paraphernalia. Every street was decked out with signs supporting the humble team. It was a truly beautiful thing. Now, I'm not intrinsically a Rockies fan. I'm going to be perfectly honest when I say I know very little about the National League in general. But the Red Sox swept the Angels and also spend more money than said team, so go Rockies! Also, for the first three years or so of my little brother's Little League career, he played on the Rockies, so I feel completely justified in my support. However, should Boston win, eh, no biggie. I just love the reaction of the home town when their team wins and that would be a fabulous thing to experience here.

Last night, my geology buddies and I tried to hit up a rustic-looking, authentic pub (because oh yeah, I'm 21 and I could go to one of those now). It was packed to the gills with Rockies fans, so we found a Denny's-esque diner instead. The good news is that sports pub or not, everyone everywhere is showing the game. I love baseball. If the Rockies can just win tonight to take it to a 5-game series, I will be so happy, because let's face it, no right-minded BYU student is going to go to a sports bar on a Sunday, regardless of choice of food. And there's an ESPNzone that would make an excellent choice for a Monday night game-viewing location... So go CO!

Perhaps I'm just nostalgic of that wonderful 2002 postseason, when the Angels took it all the way and sent Barry home crying, to take more steroids and regain the spotlight 4 and a half years later as home run king*. But there is nothing like the World Series, and although Denver is certainly no OC, it's a pretty decent city, and they've brought their A-game in supporting this miracle of a late-bloomer team. What better time to have to go to a rock conference than when the Rockies are strutting their stuff? I can think of none.

It's my birthday!

Well, today is my birthday and I am officially 21. I feel so old now. I don't really feel old, I just feel old saying I'm 21. But thus far today has been good. My friend from Hawaii, Li Li, sent me a text at 1 in the morning, but I slept through it. It was, however, an unexpected way to kick off the birthday wishes. I got up extra early so I could go into the geology computer lab and throw together some form of a figure on Adobe Illustrator for my paper, but first, my roommates all woke up to sing to me and eat some birthday Entemann's. So nice. Then I went and spit out a decent enough figure right in time to head off to Chemistry. Then back to the geology computer lab to print out my Illustrator figure and stereographs. I stayed long enough to hear the beginnings of the 230 class, hehe, and then home to finish up my paper. I did! Which is like a birthday gift because I didn't have to stress at the last minute, even if it wasn't great. Then dance, then field trip. Seven peaks fault scarp, can't go wrong. It rained a little, but never enough to stop us. And there were random bones of something, also gypsum crystals. Then birthday. Tyler came over and I opened presents from him and my parents. They're all so thoughtful. Then Tyler and my roommates and I went out to dinner, Ottavio's. It was pretty good, and Tyler asked to have the accordian man play Happy Birthday for me. So the accordian man came and played. And some other guys sang too, in Italian. And gave me something that I think was meant to be gelato but was probably closer to ice cream. Afterward, Tyler and I went to his place to watch a movie/the Angels game. The game went long, and dang that Manny Ramirez, but Angels will do much better at home. So that's my 21st birthday. It was very nice. And a lot of people told me "happy birthday" on campus. I even ran into a girl from my ward last year that I never see and in passing we said "hey" and she said "Isn't it your birthday?" How nice, and random, of her to remember. And I don't feel as sick as I did a few days ago. I think I only blew my nose 3 times today. All in all, a very successful birthday. I am pleased. And tired. It's conference weekend so I think I'll get to bed. I need to wake up early so I can make pancakes or something.

All work and no play...

Well, it's been awhile since my last post, but the only thing to really happen in that time is that school has become significantly more hectic. I started work again officially last week, and it's kind of difficult figuring out exactly the things Dr. C wants me to do before GSA (which is in 3 weeks!!! Holy cow!). I can't believe it, but I think I have more writing assignments than any of my roommates, including an English major. The new thing in the Geology department these days is to try to improve our scientific writing skills. I guess it's a good thing because I definitely need to improve, but man, is it a lot of work. My structural geology class goes on lots of fun field trips, but then we have to write a paper after each one. That's basically a paper a week until it gets too cold for even the craziest of geologists to do field work (i.e. the rocks are completely covered by snow). And all my midterms are the week of the 15th, so that will be interesting. I'm actually enjoying my Chem 107 lab class. I feel like a real chemist, even though I refuse to buy a pair of scientific goggles. I think it'll get a lot harder though, at least that's what everyone says. In all this work, I've also managed to get myself sick. Just a head cold, nothing serious, but it is slowing me down just a bit.
On a different, brighter note, Friday's my birthday! And I'm getting old. I'll be 21. This is the last year people keep track of their age. From here on out, it's just old jokes. I have a field trip to Seven Peaks on my birthday. Apparently, my teacher didn't mean the water park and we're actually going to the literal seven peaks for which the park is named.
I think the water park would have been a nice gesture though.

See that's a metaphor, no wait, a simile

Today I was sitting next to this guy in Chemistry and he was wearing a very sharp cologne. Not offensive, just... sharp. It made my nose sting and my eyes water. Could I possibly have a negative response to pungent cologne? Yes. It was a truly painful experience. And it made it very difficult to focus on dear, sweet Dr. Brown's lecture. We have the same computer, he and I. But he has an Australian accent and I don't.

On a similar note, this weekend was amazing and deserves to be documented. So Friday, I was just chilling in my apartment with my roommates. I had already accepted the fact that I would spend the better part of the weekend working on lab write-ups. But my friend Jules said she had tickets to see The Format opening for some band she didn't know. I like The Format. But it was in Salt Lake. It was already 5ish. The gig started at 6. Was it worth it? Eh, sure. So my roommate Kelly and I hopped in my car and were off. We called the girl with the tickets, still debating, thinking we were going to miss The Format anyway because we were running so late. But she told us that there were actually 4 bands playing, and she thought The Format would be later. And also, that the main band performing was Jack's Mannequin. Well what were we waiting for?!? That was just the motivation we needed. So with the JM cd already playing in my car, we headed for the SLC.

Fast forward. We're at the U and rxBandits is finishing up their set. Perfect timing. The Format played, just the two guys, acoustic. Amazing. With his deep scoop neck shirt and vest and hat and hunched-over stance. They finished up and then people went nuts in anticipation for JM. It was like the indie version of Chain Reaction in Anaheim. I suffered minimal battle scars; just a bloodied toe and smashed feet in general, plus a mysterious scratch on my arm that I'm not sure exactly how it got there. All bruises are generally not severe/visible. And well worth it. Anyway, Jack's Mannequin was absolutely amazing. Fantastic. Words cannot even describe. What a wonderful alternative to a weekend of paper-writing.

And then we got slurpees. Mine was orange cream, blue vanilla, banana. It was delicious.

Welcome to the OC

So I realize that the class for which I started this blog is successfully over, but I think documenting is still a good idea, and since I finally went home for a semi-extended period of time (longest stay since Christmas), I have some tales.
For the break between Summer and Fall terms, I went home to California, "right back where I started from." Ah, state songs, gotta love 'em. Anyway, I digress. Tyler came down a few days later to visit me and the fam. We went to Downtown Disney where he got his first glimpses of the Happy Kingdom in about 20 years. We went to Laguna Beach and my brother introduced us to Chronic Taco... sounds appetizing, I know, but it's Chipotle-esque. And I had my first real burrito. I took him to the shopping wonders of the Irvine Spectrum, where I purchased this very computer that I'm on from the Apple store. Yes, I've converted to Mac. So far, so good. And it's pretty, although I'm super paranoid about getting smudges on the screen. Friday was a harbor cruise on my Grandpa's yacht. We ate cheese and crackers and talked about politics. It was all very yacht-ish. It was my first experience with the boat, and a rather successful one at that. Plus then we got to show Tyler the famous Surf City USA aka Huntington Beach and dine at Ruby's on the pier after watching the local fishermen. That night was followed up by a delightful Angels game in which the Angels beat the Blue Jays 3-0. Plus, Friday means Big Bang Friday so the game was followed by a high-budget fireworks show. Tyler didn't cheer for the Angels and got some weird looks for wearing his Mariners hat. To no avail. Angels are amazing.
Saturday we spent the day in LA. We went to Graumann's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the La Brea tar pits (this was mostly for my sake) and UCLA campus and the Getty museum. Okay, the Getty museum has become a personal obsession of mine since my first visit my junior year of high school. I absolutely love it. The atmosphere, the architecture, the view, the gardens, and of course the art. It's just such an incredible place and I simply love everything about it. It has become an almost annual tradition now. Whenever I'm home, I always want to go to the Getty.
Anyway, back to the trip. Sunday was Church, of course, and a much-needed day of rest. I also discovered Tyler's love of ping pong while on this trip. He was always challenging me to a game. I beat him a few times. Monday was Disneyland day. We fulfilled a childhood dream of Tyler's by going on the Matterhorn. And I finally got to go to California Adventure. The place was nuts. It's an entire amusement park themed to the Golden State. I was impressed with Disney's recognition of her majesty and greatness (her being California). Also there was a giant orange with swings inside. That is all about that. Tuesday we took the yacht to Catalina Island. I haven't been over there in years, but not much has changed. We roamed around and played a round of mini-golf with my brother. It was actually pretty intense. We were on a tight schedule so it basically turned into a game of extreme speed golf, and we managed all but hole 7 on the 18-hole coarse. Wednesday we rested. Thursday was South Coast Plaza, the largest and chicest mall in Orange County. Friday, we drove back to good old Provo. It was a really busy break. But that's how we do it in Orange County.

La lingua d'italia e bellissimo!

In high school, I didn't take Spanish or French like normal kids. I took Latin. It's generally not a spoken language (but NEVER tell a Latin scholar it's a dead language), so I can't really speak it, but I can read it decently well and if I were Catholic, I could generally understand the Pope. But I'm not Catholic, I'm LDS, so I came to BYU and decided I needed to take a language. So I took Italian for a year. It's still rough, but I'm getting there. Although the class, especially 102, was torture, I'm glad I learned it. One thing I did learn while in Hawaii is that it's SUPER useful to speak another language so you can talk to each other in that language in front of other people. An example: really weird guys from Japan were talking to us. They were UH students. We wanted to leave. So with my broken Italian and my friends' basic Spanish, we were able to communicate that to each other without them knowing. They spoke to each other in Japanese so I don't feel bad at all. I just wish more people knew Italian. I wish I knew Italian, for that matter. Actually, I can get by fairly well conversing in Italian. I'm definitely not blessed with the gift of tongues, that much I know. Before I took Italian, I wanted to learn a Cyrillic and Asian language in addition to the Romantic language, but after the battle with learning Italian, that desire is not so strong. Still, my boyfriend speaks Ukrainian and Russian (he served in the Kiev mission) and his parents are mission pres. of the Russia Yekateringsberg mission (I don't know if I spelled that right at all) so I'd like to learn one of those languages. I'd rather learn Ukrainian, for some reason I like the less common of languages (like choosing to learn Italian, which is only spoken in Italy or Latin, which is only spoken in the Vatican) but with my terrible multi-lingual skills, or lack thereof, who knows.

Tutto io conosco e che io non capisco niente quando un RM d'italia parla velocemente, per esempio la mia professoressa per la classe da cento e due. Mamma mia!