Happy Thanksgiving 2013

Here are my ABC's of gratitude for 2013:

A = Apryl, Austin, Amric, Anona, attorneys, air, art, apostles, apps, aunts, arms, airplanes
B = blue footed boobys, banks, brigham young university, baseball, basketball, blankets, Book of Mormon, Bible, boots, boats
C = college, candy, caffeine, cruises, calendar's, christmas, children, clothes, counsins, cars
D = daddy, dug the dog, disney, donuts, Delia, dance, dessert, Doctrine and Covenants, dog show
E = Especially for Youth, education, employment
F = Farm Credit Services of America, family, football, Facebook, feet, fall

G = grandparents, gospel, grass, genes, Gru, glass, Google, genealogy
H = Heavenly Father, hair, heat, home, hugs, hands, hiking, Hardin family
I = internet, independence, ice cream, insurance
J = Jesus Christ, Jimmy John's, job
K = kisses, kites, kindred, khakis, kitchen, kayak
L = love, lotion, llamas, legs, lollipop, lips, life

M = momma, mac, music, macey's, macy's, machew!, mustaches, makeup, money, minions, movies, marriage
N= Noyes family, Nebraska, news, nieces, nephews, nose
O = ocean, olaf, onion rings, oatmeal, object lessons, OBGYN, Olive Garden, Olympics
P = prophets, pi (3.14), pumpkin pie, pecan pie, Parker family, pajamas, plants, pictures, Pearl of Great Price, plants, parade

Q = quilts, questar, quirks
R = ren families, roses, Red Robin, radio, rafting
S = Shawn, Sean, Stephanie, sports, saunas, skiing, sunshine
T = Thanksgiving, turkey, temples, Tom Selleck, television, trucks, toys, traditions, technology
U = United States of America, uncles
V = Valley NE, Vermont
W = Washington (state)
X = xerox, x-ray, xenon
Y = yoyo, yak, Yahoo, yin yang
Z = zoo, zippers, zig zag, zip codes, zeal

anger - i feel it in my bones

I will not go into the hectic-ness of my life the last couple of weeks because I know most of you don't care and because it doesn't really matter.  Here is a quick summary of my week last week:

• four exams
• three papers
• a group project
• an exam to study for for this week
• yadda, yadda, yadda

Like I said - I know you don't care; I just wanted to whine about it one more time.

Anyway, I feel like I completely lost it today - maybe it was last night, or the night before...  Regardless of everything, my absolute final breaking point was today in my Marital Relations class - my group project.  I am just going to vent for a bit.

I HATE GROUP PROJECTS!

There.  Glad I got that off my chest.  But in all seriousness, I do not like them.  Granted, I did volunteer to assemble to PowerPoint Presentation - but my partner did absolutely nothing. NOTHING.  Scratch that, here is what she did:

• not attend class until the day of our presentation
• show up an hour and a half late to the meeting she and I had before our presentation, just to go over the final product
• oh yeah, and then she only had "a few minutes to spare"
• my comment: "gag me!"
• she decided to not show up to class on time today
• she was ten minutes late
• do you know who I am and that I freak out about things like that?
• bring cookies that she "made" herself (no, she went to Macey's, bought cookies, and threw them in a bag and claimed them as her own)
• she commented on literally one slide, which is equivalent to two minutes of our 25 minute presentation

Keep those things in mind.  The icing on the cake was not her fault (those were just stressers).  I was so confident in myself and my ability to assemble a presentation.  I was so proud of myself that I embedded my videos rather than switching the screen between my presentation and YouTube.  The presentation had started, I was on a roll, totally in control, and rocking it.  I was so organized and had my thoughts together - and then it happened.  I got to my third slide and I found that the videos would not play.  None of my videos played.  I was forced to switch my screen to YouTube, and therefore we had to watch the crazy Lady Gaga commercials (not what I was going for).  This is how I felt:

I was angry with myself.  I was angry that my partner had no idea what was going on.  I was angry because I looked like a fool.  There were lots of things.  And if you know me at all, you can imagine that the little girl pictured above was indeed how I felt.  However, I could not express those emotions.  I had to bottle those feelings up and find a way to just get through this presentation (without any help from my partner).  Thankfully we got through.  I was confident in my ability to get an "A" going into that, but leaving I know I most likely am in the "B" or "C" range.  

Thanks a lot.  See - it does not matter how much effort or work I put into something, I am just a "satisfactory" student who barely passes.  But hey!  I am here at BYU - suck on that!  (sorry, I had to find some kind of goodness in this day/week/semester).

But I have to thank my wonderful boyfriend Shawn for putting up with me and for taking me out to dinner tonight - yay for Cafe Rio!  There is a light at the end of the tunnel.  It's called...FOOD!

Birthday Girl

Everyone claims that they have the best sister.  However, I have some evidence about why mine tops all of them - and here they are:

1. She makes delicious food.  Take these cupcakes for instance.  We were celebrating St. Patrick's Day and she made GREEN cupcakes. Yum city!

2.  She makes faces like this - such a "Sobczak" thing to do!

3. She lets her kids help in the kitchen.  I know that this is an irritant to some, but not to my sister!  She goes out of her way to include her kids and make sure that they are having fun!

4. She is almost as wonderful as my mother.  I know she will be one day.  She is such an example to me what a loving daughter and mother should be.  I thank her for that. 

5. This kid.

6.  This pose.

7. This face.

Point: she taught him to be awesome, like her.

8 and 9. Her other two children.

Point: She has the most wonderful kids an aunt could ask for.  And she lets me pamper them and run them ragged.  She loves them!!

10. She loves her siblings too.  Can't go wrong with that.

11. She likes the color green (note all of her shirts thus far...)

12. She lets me post old pictures, take this picture to the right for example.

13. She is one of the most supportive people I know.  I admire that so much!

14. She taught me to be awesome:

"I AM AYRIS, AND I AM AWESOME!"

Of I could say right back to her now:

"YOU ARE APRYL, AND YOU ARE THE BEST SISTER EVER!"

Point: she inspires me to be better and to do better.

15. Last, but certainly not least, she is the best friend a sister/girl could ask for.  She lets me vent when I need to.  She gives me advice.  She is concerned about me.  She wants to know what's happening in my life.  She loves me for me.  She makes sure I am checked on and taken care of.  I know that I can turn to her an anytime for anything and she will be there. Always has been and always will be - thanks, sis!

There you have it folks.  Obviously there are more reasons than the ones listed, but these are what came to mind today as I've been thinking about her.  So, thank you, Apryl, for being the best sister out there.  You are the greatest!!  Keep up the hard work - YOU CAN DO IT!  I sure love you.  And miss you.  Hugs to you on this you birthday.

Love, Ayris Joan (can we count this as my birthday card for you...?)

Veterans Day

Today is a holiday, as many of you know.  But I feel like BYU has forgotten that today is Veterans Day.  I was discussing this with my mother last night, and she reminded me of a time when she kept me home from elementary school because it was Veterans Day.  The school called and asked where I was.  She explained to them that it was a federal holiday, so she kept me home.  Needless to say, they were not happy; also, BYU is the only other school I know that makes you go to school (and work) on Veterans Day.  Here are some reasons as to why I should not have to be on campus today:

1. Banks are closed
2. Mail will not be delivered
3. Federal offices are closed
4. We should be honoring Veterans
5. IT'S A HOLIDAY!

Are those good enough reasons?  If not, maybe this will change your mind - President Dwight D. Eisenhower said the following in regards to Veterans Day:

"...it is well for us to pause, to acknowledge our debt to those who paid so large a share of freedom's price.  As we stand here in grateful remembrance of the veterans' contributions we renew our conviction of individual responsibility to live in ways that support the eternal truths upon which our Nation is founded, and from which flows all its strength and all its greatness."

One last thought for good measure.  When proclaiming this a holiday in  1919, President Woodrow Wilson said this:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

There you have it folks.  Veterans Day is a holiday.  And we should be spending our time remembering that, the people who have fought and died for this country, and for this land we live in.  Thanks a million veterans!

Say "no" to BYU Police.

Do you want to know my feelings on the BYU Police?  Well, here you go:

I don't like them.  Not one bit.  I could leave it at that, or I can explain myself.  I will use just one story, from today.

I work in the Conference Center on campus.  Today we had a work party and I was asked to bring food.  Because it is a 15 minute walk from my apartment, and because I was carrying food, I decided to drive.  This is rare first of all.  And second of all, when I got to work there were no open "Y Lot" spots (student parking).  Knowing that I work in the Conference Center, seeing that there are open Conference Center parking spots open, and realizing that I've parked there many times before and have never been cited, I decided to park there.

Bad idea.

After work, I went to my car and had a $50 parking citation.  Are you kidding me?  This is how I felt on the inside:

So now I have an important decision to make:

1. Appeal it
2. Pay the reduced amount of $35
3. Appeal it, not get that approved, and pay whatever amount they set

Thoughts anyone?

What are friends for?

You could say that we care quite a bit about one another at work - we are deeply concerned for one another's eternal salvation.  This leads to some interesting dating stories and lots of relationship advice (we all have our opinion on matters, but just want to help!).

Anyway, yesterday Jesse came into the office bragging about how he had two tickets to the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts celebration at the Conference Center in SLC.  He didn't need them because he was performing with the drumline (He's kind of a big deal).  Unfortunately, no one wanted them.  Which is where the real story begins.

We veered away from the tickets and his performing, and inquired as to how his date went over the weekend.  He said it went well, but that he didn't think it would work since she lives in SLC.  And we blew up - a 40 minute drive is not the big of a deal, especially if you like the person!

We then asked if he had asked this girl to go to the performance at the Conference Center (he does have two tickets, remember), and he simply said, "No."  Again, we blew up.  He is going to be in Salt Lake where the girl he likes lives, why not take full advantage of that.  He kept coming up with excuses like not having a ride back with the drumline, how he would have to take the FrontRunner back, and it would just be so late.  Boo hoo.


Here is a short version of mine and Jesse's conversation:

Ayris:  "Jesse, I will pay for your trax ride back AND pick you up at the FrontRunner station - even if it is 2 o'clock in the morning!  Call her and ask!"

Jesse:  "Ayris, I can't take your money.  And I can't ask you to pick me up."

Ayris:  "I'm not kidding.  Here is $10.  Call her.  Then let me know when you get back and I will come get you - even if it's 2 o'clock in the morning!"


He reluctantly took my money (and then put it back in my coat pocket when I wasn't looking) and we all pitched in on how he should ask her.  We decided that he needed to send her a text simply saying when she had a free minute to let him know because he had a question for her.  It took a while to create the "perfect" message, but we all worked together and accomplished the goal - and the message was sent!

Not five minutes went by before she texted back, "I am free until 1. Whats up!"  That is a girl who is excited for whatever question Jesse was going to ask.  So Jesse called her, turns out she had something to do during the performance but came back with, "But we could do something after."

Mission accomplished.

In all honesty, with everything that was going on yesterday I kind of forgot that I said I would go get him..  And when Jesse texted me at 10:50pm saying that the next FrontRunner didn't leave until 11:50pm, I knew that karma had come back to bite me in the butt.  Leaving Salt Lake at 11:50 would put him back in Provo at about 1 o'clock in the morning - woot!

Obviously I went to go get the kid.  I may have been half asleep, which probably didn't make for safe driving, but oh well!  I said I would and I am a woman of my word - even at 1 o'clock in the morning!

He was half asleep too, but from what it sounds like (and from what I can remember) the date went well.  One does not simply say, "I guess I need to get back to Salt Lake soon," if the date did not go well.  Yeah, Jesse Wertz!

We are rooting for this to go well.  And if he ever needs me to pick him up again (even at 1 o'clock in the morning) you bet I will!  I love this kid and will support his relationship pursuits - especially with this girl!  Give me a call whenever you need a ride, Jesse; I got your back!


Also, for anyone who is interested, here is the FrontRunner schedule (I wouldn't want you all to get back at ridiculous hours on school nights and ask me for a ride):

#notimpressed

I was so excited when I walked into my Geography class today, and that never happens.  I was grateful to find out that my professor was out of town and so his TA was going to teach.  Not only was she teaching, she wanted to get through the material as quickly as possible so that we could leave early.  My day was off to a GREAT start.

However, things progressively got worse.

We were discussing Folk Culture versus Popular Culture and how diffusion effects both.  For an example of diffusion in pop culture, my TA showed us the following video (which happened to come out while she was on her mission, and is now a big deal):

Serious?  You think that this is going to help me remember diffusion in pop culture?  Absolutely not.  I was slowly becoming disappointed that my professor was gone.

The next video she showed us left me speechless.  She was explaining that this is going to be the next Psy:

All I could think was, "Is this seriously happening?"  Why is this appropriate for class?  And all she could say was, "Alright, this gets a little PG-13 - so don't turn me in!"  Wow.  This was coming from the TA of the professor that will turn you in to the Honor Code Office for suspected cheating (which results in you failing the class).  Needless to say, I found myself basically running out of class when we finished.

Wow, fantastic baby.

The only thing I was grateful for at that point was that class ended 20 minutes early.  Other than that, my professor will be welcomed back by me.  I await his return in class Monday.  Until then, I have these ridiculous songs stuck in my head, and this is how I feel (in general, but mostly about my TA):