Dumby

This week has definitely been one of the most stressful weeks of the semester.  I think there is some kind of teacher code that says last week of school-slam on all the projects, presentations, and papers possible.  But it's okay!  Because it is over and I survived.  


To top it all off, this has also been one of the most stressful social life/worst boy experiences weekends of the semester.  It's Murphy's law.  I've accepted it.  


So naturally, I was feeling very low and spending all my time venting to my roommates, sitting around doing nothing to fix it.  Then it hit me--I was being so dumb.  I was miserable because I was only thinking of myself.  As soon as I realized that, I remembered the car air freshener I had bought for my friend Avery. 


Previously in the semester, some boys in our ward had pranked her by putting popcorn in her car.  Now, months later, her car still knocks people out with the awful smell.  So I bought her an air freshener.  The moment I started thinking about making her life better, I stopped thinking about mine, and I felt a 180 degree turn around in my feelings.  


What I've learned: The moment my focus turns to how to make someone else's life better, all of my problems seem to be solved.  I hope I never forget this again.

Hurricane Arizona

This weekend we traveled to Tempe, Arizona.  You should be jealous of the 80 degree sunshine, right?  Wrong.  The sun was there the day we arrived and the day we left, but the day of the race was 30 degrees with pouring race and 100 mile an hour winds--basically.  But it made for a memorable weekend.


The weekend would have been memorable anyway, because I had to run my first full steeple chase.  That is one crazy race!  Twenty girls all trying to jump over barriers with a water pit on the other side and sharp metal things strapped to their feet.  No wonder I love this race.  


The rest of the girls raced really well, too, despite the hurricane Arizona.  I have a very impressive team, one that doesn't stop at any excuse for a bad race.


The trip was great, with a little sunshine, shopping, and Olive Garden--you can't go wrong there.  And no matter where we are, my teammates have a good time.  

Next race is Mt. Sac, one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I will know today if I am racing there or next weekend, here in Provo.  

First Sunburn of the Year

This weekend I ran my first ever Steeple Chase... and I had the time of my life!
For those of you who don't know, the Steeple is a 2 mile hurdle race, with 5 hurdles per lap, and one hurdle you jump into water... Ya and I voluntarily choose to run this.  Bring on the sanity tests.  


But the even crazier thing... I LOVED it.  We flew to USC this weekend, and I was able to run my first, and then my coach made me run the 1500m a half hour after!  Crazy man.  But I was actually really happy he did, because both races went really well and I had so much fun.  Turns out he does know some things after all... 


Coach only had me run the first half of the Steeple, as he does with all first-timers, because it's all about getting the technique down first so we don't hurt ourselves.  I get to run my first full one in two weeks at Mt. Sac.. I'm really excited!


But the even better part of this weekend... GENERAL CONFERENCE.  
I love General Conference.  It was so neat to see my teammates making an effort to listen to conference on their phones, showing how important hearing the prophet is, even when not convenient.  


I got back late Saturday night (not too late to not play some fugitive in the pouring rain..) and woke up early Sunday morning to drive to Salt Lake to get in the standby line for conference tickets.  And we made it in!  Conference was so beautiful.  The messages were truly inspired and the music was breathtaking.  I am so grateful for a living prophet who can see what we need to hear straight from the Lord.


And poor Sarah, a 9 hour date to General Conference with a lovely freshie.  Gotta love 'em.


Needless to say, its been a great weekend.  Finals are coming up, summer is almost upon us... Bring on the sunshine, bring on the good times!