Super Duper Fly Assassin

Today I had a wonderful day at home. It all started yesterday as I got into my bed, which is at least twice the size of the one I currently sleep in. I could just feel the wonderfulness right then. And I look up as I am about to read one of the 101 Facts I Do Not Know About Jane Austen and there is my very own Wall of Love. I knew that was what it was because that title was conveniently taped at the top of it. There were other sheets of paper that said things like "You are the best girl scout EVER" (i never really was one but I did go to all 6 years of girls camp. YCL's throw it up!) and "Emily dates hippies." (also not true that I know of.) I think it could have been the first time ever that reading lies about myself made me happy. There was also one that said "I love u -Zach" letting me know that my youngest brother was the author of the Wall of Love. He is really is the sweetest and has been doing things like that for me ever since he could write. You would think someone taught him how to be this nice, but no he is just naturally like that. Also, this is proof that teenagers are not all bad. At least not all the time.

Today I took Zach to the orthodontist and then took lunch to my grandparents which was a lot of fun. I have a mastiff (like in The Sandlot) named Beowulf that lives there and so I took him out for some exercise.

They are so cute and will sit on your feet to keep them warm in winter.

I love big dogs. There is just something strong about them that is really comforting. I have dog fever at the moment but sadly I must wait for the day I no longer live in an apartment. Anyway, we rambled around for a while (long enough for my grandpa to cut the grass in his pen) and then he got his favorite treat: a pig ear. While he ate it, I used my super fast reflexes (and a flyswatter) to kill some biting flies that landed on him. You may think this would hurt him but actually he did not even flinch. I am pretty sure he was grateful someone was vanquishing the pests. Aside from being good for Beowulf, it was also a very good way to release some tension and if I ever write a book about a girl on a farm, that is what she will do after she has a heated argument with her mom/dad/sibling or whoever else makes an appearance in the story.

My week became a lot less stressful on Tuesday when I talked with Cory's sister in law and they decided not to go on the trip after all. I would not have minded babysitting but it feels good to know I do not have to do it. I am already stressed enough about school and getting a job so I am glad to have one less thing. She did say that I could take them to the Zoo on Saturday if I wanted because they were really looking forward to spending time with me. What I was thinking was you must be crazy because I would never take my own kids to the Zoo alone on a Saturday. I of course said this a little differently to her but wow. I do think I sometimes take on too much, but that is crazy even for me! I told her if she wanted to take them during the week one day I would be glad to tag along or even take them myself but that Saturday was not happening. I was actually really proud of myself because I have a bad habit of always agreeing to do things that I know will give me a headache. I say yes because I know the person wants me to, but I have tried to get better about it because I can't spend all my time trying to please other people. I really enjoy helping people, but I just have to learn to draw a line somewhere or I will never get anything done for myself. I hope that does not make me sound like a mean person.

Don't I know you?

That is the question I am asked more often that any other. It is very weird and depending on how much I go out, someone asks me if they know me/am i related to so and so/ did i go their high school/ect. at least once a week. Last week it happened twice. I find this odd because I do know anyone who I think looks a lot like me except my brother when he lets his hair grow out. Even my cousins are bacially the opposite of me (except our eyes and pale skin. we all can be found rocking those out). I think people like me are the reason why there is talk of such things as dopplegangers. Do I have a doppleganger or am I one for at least 100 people? That is about how many times I have had this happen. I'm not making this up. When I say "People tell me that all the time" to the 100+ people who have so far asked me this, I'm telling the truth. Also, I find it weird that I have yet to run into one of these people who resemble me. Maybe I can't because then the universe would be totally out of wack or one of us would explode. Anyway, it is just really weird to me and I wonder if this happens to other people ever. I actualyl saw a show once about this girl who looked just like Anna Nicole Smith and was paid by her to go out and sign autographs like it was really her. Too bad I only look like normal people so it doesn't really do me any good and only makes me feel totally unoriginal.

Anyway, today was my last day of class. I passed my spanish exit exam just fine and somehow managed to get everything done. My fireside ended up being really great and we had a godo turnout. Now I only have find a summer job and study for exams while being a stand in mother of three for a week. Cory's brother and sister in law are going on vacation and I am watching the three youngest kids who are not in school yet. They are 5, 3, and 1. (They also have a 9 year old and just found out yesterday they are expecting number 5.) I am a little nervous but the kids love me so hopefully it will be fine. Cory and I helped his parents take care of his other brother's two youngest last weekend while they went to a wedding in Atlanta. (His brother had committed to be in the wedding and then found out a week ago it was going to be in Atlanta not Columbia. It was crazy.) So I picked up the boys from day care and we had a great time singing to Mickey Mouse Club House and The Wonder Pets theme songs. Getting them to eat was a little harder but we found out ways to make it work and had a really good time.

I felt like I was at dinner with the Beast but I have never seen Hampton eat that much before.

Kids seem to be my lot in life right now, but it's okay because I really like it. I am going home tomorrow to see my Dad's parents and then take Zach to the orthodontist on Wednesday and then I will be babysitting until next Monday or Tuesday. The other day Cory said "I wonder when we are going to have a weekend to relax?" My response: "Never." But at least I am starting to like it that way.

A Quick One

This week has been crazy! My computer crashed yesterday. It had been threatening to do it for a while, and of course it choose to have its final meltdown in the middle of finals crunch. The day was saved when Mom came up and got me a brand new desktop(my first new computer of my very own!) We got a super good deal on it at Best Buy and I love it! Luckily I also had all my files backed up on a removable hard drive so I have spent a little time transferring them, but other than that all is well. I am busy as a bee writing papers, working on projects, writing my talk for Sunday and getting the last details straight with my musical fireside that is happening Sunday night all the while praying I pass my Spanish exit exam! Also I am doing my best to satisfy every other obligation I made weeks ago not thinking about the date including a Pampered Chef party for Cory's sister in law's birthday yesterday (On a happy note, I finally picked up a trifle bowl that I had been wanting for ages!) and his brother's birthday party Saturday. I have come to the conclusion I am going to come out of this all as either superwoman or a mental patient. :)

Evil Prom Date

Cory's sister Katherine is going to the prom tonight. Yesterday I went over to do a trail run of her make up to see what she would like and it was really fun. I don't have any sisters so I missed out on all the super girly getting ready for special events things. I was a the less time it takes the better kind of girl, which probably was an early sign of my impatience with most things. I do get a little bit of girly time with my cousins who are 9 and 6. It is a bit different though because what I call pretty, they call boring. If it is not bright blue, purple, or pink, it is not for them. But that is what makes it interesting. Savannah, the youngest once tried to put a tatoo on my face with green eye shadow but messed up and said "now you are going to look ugly." She tried to redeem the look by covering my nose with it so I would be a witch and then when her mole did not work the way she wanted she proceeded to cover my entire face in brown eye shadow so I would be a werewolf. They are nothing if not resourceful. :)

Hopefully, Kat's look will come out well since I will be well armed with my army of q-tips. Last night's run went well and I think she is a little more excited now. She has try outs for a scholarship to the USC School of Music this morning and has been extremely nervous about everything. It is a lot to go through in one day, especially for a teenage girl. It is so hard having people judge you, especially when you have worked so hard and it is something you really care about. And then on top of it to be worried about prom too.

Thinking about my own prom brings back some slightly nightmarish memories. I attended both my proms in high school rather unwillingly. The first year I went because for some reason my class elected me to the prom committee and so after spending hours and hours working on everything I wasn't going to not show up. It actually ended up being a lot of fun because I went solo (in high school I was totally awkward and awaiting college where I would finally blossom into myself. I am still awkward, but I also think I blossomed.) It was a lot of fun just being silly with my friends and having everyone tell me I looked liked Cinderella. I have since worn that dress to two different YSA Halloween dances, once as Cinderella (2004) and the other as the tooth fairy(2007). As I think back on it, that prom was really not that nightmareish, especially compared with the next year.

Me at the Halloween dance with my cousin as the middle school version of himself, my roommate as a pin up girl and Brent as Flava Flav.

I had a date this year which in girl world usually means better, however in Emily world it meant worse. My date was a friend with whom there was not type of romantic interest at all, but he asked me 3 months before prom and I said yes because until that moment I wasn't going but then thought, well why not. Well, I am about to give you many reasons why not.
First of all, it was an extremely busy time in my life being editor of the yearbook, an after school tutor, in the school play, and trying to keep my status as class valedictorian. Needless to say, finding a dress for a prom I did not really want to go to in the first place was the last thing on my mind. Unfortunately, my date apparently has this on his mind constantly judging by the number of times he asked me about it. He was a planner, I am an Oh, I'll worry about that later. Things went downhill from there. When it was three weeks until prom, he finally just ordered a white corsage which when very well with the teal dress I bought a week later. In my defense, I had found the perfect dress for a very good price a month before only to find out that my best friend had almost the exact same one so I was forced to return it.
The dress I wore was exactly what I wanted, but it looked atrocious on me.(Don't you hate when that happens? I hate worse when I do not realize it until I have already worn it.) I wore tights and this weird type of underwear that is supposed to be slimming but in the end only gave me about 5 different fat rolls at awkward places on my body. Really, it was THAT bad. I still have the pictures somewhere that I refuse to show anyone. I should probably burn them but I take them out sometimes as penance.
When I got them back the names on the outside were Ashlee and Billy. Ashlee was my date's name. I was Billy. I have a bad habit of connecting all the lines in my E so it looks like a B. They thought I was the boy because my date had an ambiguous name. Talk about adding insult to injury. One of Cory's nieces actually wanted everyone to start calling her Billy after watching the movie How to Eat Fried Worms (my favorite book in 3rd grade, although I never wanted to be Billy or eat fried worms for that matter.). Little does she know I have lived her dream.
When we got to the actual prom, it got worse if you can believe it. The trend in high school these days is for boys and girls to dance SUPER close to each other during fast dances and let me tell you, there was no way I was going to do that. So I spent half the time running away from my date every time he got close to me. I did dance with him a few times for slow dances but I was definitely glad when the ordeal was over. Looking back on it, I should have just told him how I felt about that type of dancing, but that was not me in those days. I preferred to run. In my yearbook my date wrote Dear Emily (evil prom date) followed by all the we should stay friends ect. Although we haven't because when I left high school, I didn't look back. With these types of memories, I consider that a good decision.

My First Entry!

So here goes my first entry! Hooray! I have previously been only a blog reader of my favorite teen authors and when I saw the awesome blogs a family member created, I was just inspired! Thanks Lisa! So I am going to try and keep this updated *fingers crossed* and make it slightly interesting. So wish me luck.

I am currently a Senior at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. I am majoring in Geography with a minor in education. I will be graduating in December after which time I have no set plans as of yet. Well, I plan to get a job only I am not sure which one, a fact that I know causes much stress to my father. But I am who I am and that is a girl who changes her mind a lot. Right now I am very busy with school work having changed my major halfway through Junior year and therefore taking many hard classes all at once. I do, however, make time for reading, exercising (The Firm changed my life) and spending time with my wonderful boyfriend, Cory. An older picture of Cory and me from the days when we were "just friends."

Yes, were one of THOSE couples.

Cory's sister-in-laws have recently gotten me hooked on scrap booking as well. It is a really good occupation for one whose computer threatens to quit on a daily basis because it has to hold so many pictures. I do have to say that I love it and will whip out my scrapbook for anyone who is in my apartment for more than a minute while I look at them impatiently waiting for compliments. I also am the exception to the rule by being a college girl who both knows how to and loves to cook. I can often be found trying out new dishes on poor unsuspecting missionaries. Which brings me to my next "fact about Emily." I am an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My faith is an enormous part of both who I am and who I hope to become and I am so grateful for the influence of the gospel and my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Every morning for breakfast I have cereal and a glass of orange juice (only 1/3 of a glass, all things in moderation) and sit at my computer reading the news. Some people say this is a bad idea to eat around your computer but alas, I could not listen. The came that fateful day when I lost my balance just a little and milk went all over my precious computer keyboard. I spent an hour painstakingly cleaning out the milk, but sadly it has never been the same. I think of this as I type today because the x key is acting up and I have to press it a few times before it will cooperate. So learn from my mistake, keep your milk away from your keyboard. They make a terrible combination.