Lovin' life, Lovin' you

European travels pt. 1

2011-12-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Our travels began in Venice last weekend, where we finished our program. It was an anticlimactic end to 3 months together as slowly in 1's and 2's, our group fizzled away. I loved our group. We had so much fun and pretty much no drama for 3 months. Props to a group of incredibly down to earth girls with their heads screwed on right. There are definitely a few people who I am missing a lot, one of which is Kate "Gatto" Clark (who also happens to have the best blog out of the lot of us... if you care to read, which you should, click here). She was my roommate, confidant, and wingman! I couldn't have been paired with a better match of a roommate for me!

Jumping on the bed pictures... shh... don't tell Pazit.

This is a picture of the 4 of us roomies, Pazit, and Dr. Bonomi, the director of our school. Little did we know that Pazit would turn out to be a ton of fun, and also sometimes really scary. I learned quickly to lie low and fly under the radar.
Anyway, back to our travels. We stayed an extra day in Venice, and then went to Verona. I left my camera battery at the B&B that day, so I don't have pictures. After Verona we stopped by Milan and then continued on to Lucerne, Switzerland. I loved it there. It was gorgeous.

We took a cablecar up near the top of an Alp, Mt. Pilatus. Then we hiked the 3 or 4 hikes that take you to the tops of different peaks of the mountain. It was amazing.

It was nonstop amazing. I loved it there.
(more pictures of all of this coming later, once I get my ducks in a row)
Now we are in Paris. So far, it's kinda lame. I'll write again later elaborating on if my feelings change. Cheers until then!

Too Good

2011-11-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

Click here for the best thing you've seen all year.

Italy Picture Update: ROME

2011-10-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

After arriving in Italy, we lived in Rome for a few weeks. It was beautiful, and so big and busy. Here are some highlights!

The Power Trio

(Kate aka Gatto, me, Lucy aka Looch)

View from the Spanish Steps

First Italian pastry and we've been hooked ever since!

Colosseum, anyone?

St. Peter's is my favorite thus far...

The fam :)

Power Stances

LOVE me some Bernini

Another fav... Laocoon

I try to blend in with my surroundings... I think I do fairly well!

Coming soon... Siena, pt. 1

Last week

2011-10-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Last week was “2 months til I get home”. It was getting a warning for buying chocolate at a gas station. It was running trails through the Italian Alps. It was venting for hours about poor leadership and social awkwardness. It was eating wild boar pasta at a tiny local Italian restaurant. Last week was getting 100% on my first Italian oral exam. It was a realization that mountains mean more to me than old churches, and another realization of how much we miss positive interaction with adults. It was finding leather journals for affordable prices in Florence. Last week was scaring ourselves in an ancient monastery enough to make my friend pee her pants, even if it was just a little.

Italia

2011-09-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

I live in Siena, Italy. To keep things simple, here are a few lists of things I love about Italy, or miss about home...

Things I love:
The FOOD. Everyday is filled with the most delicious food ever. So fresh. So filling. So delicious.

The SIGHTS. Italy is straight up beautiful, in every way.

The HISTORY. Everything here is so old. It is so different than America.

Things I miss (aside from the obvious people):

Making/having friends. The people here aren't really interested in meeting new people, and if they are, it is just to hook up with them. So... that's fun.

American delicacies, like Taco Bell, Root Beer, and Skittles.

Being comfortable, and alone.

Grantley

2011-08-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

This summer has been eventful to say the least, and I haven't blogged about any of it, but at this point I'm going to write about what actually matters right now.

Last weekend I went camping with Marci and some of her family and friends. Friday afternoon there was a tragic accident and Grant, her closest brother, drowned in the lake at Flaming Gorge where we were camping. It has been an incredibly difficult struggle in the days since, and I can only imagine how the Anderson family is feeling. Losing Grant has made me think a lot about things that I often take for granted. He was an amazing little man. He was the kind of person that was good friends with everyone he met. He made everyone feel welcome, and was always SO happy. There is so much I have learned and continue to learn from him. He was the only person I could really let loose and flirt with because he was such a tease with his perfect little body, long eyelashes, charming smile, and smooth talking skills... not to mention his little giggle, and the way he said "chit balls". Grant was so freaking fun. It has been such a blessing to get to spend time with him through the past few years. I love you Grantley!

One of his favorite quotes: "Every situation, properly perceived, becomes an opportunity to heal." - (A course in miracles)

His obituary: http://www.premierfuneral.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1243805&fh_id=12144#.TlUUiPs8ikV.facebook

News clip: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=16922099

Jackson Hole

2011-06-03T11:31:00.001-07:00

I live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
I work at the Jackson Hole Adventure Center.
I love this place.

Party

2011-05-02T19:30:00.001-07:00

I'm so fun I keep the party pooped.

Jet Lag

2011-04-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

I just decided that you don't have to ride a jet to have jet lag. My kind of jet lag is the kind where you pull an all-nighter working on a paper or studying for a test, or when you are just so freaking busy that you are practically "jetting" everywhere. Thus afterward, when it finally catches up to you, you are "lagging"... and there you have it! Jet lag! Yes, jet lag is what I am experiencing, which is too bad because I have a big test tomorrow that I need to be studying for. But when I am so tired, and I keep remembering how AWESOME my night of sleep last night was, it is hard to focus. Not really sleeping for a day, night, and day can sure make you appreciate sleep!

Keeper

2011-04-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

I just came to the lab in the basement of the library to study for my test that's in a few hours. I sat down in the back corner with only one guy sitting nearby. After I had logged in I realized that he is playing a video game, with his headphones in and cranked up so loud that I can hear every shot, reload, and any other ridiculous sound effect. He mumbles things like "Gosh dang it" to himself every once in a while. I have been thinking lately about what I want in a husband. And I think I just found it. Maybe I will propose with my ring. He is just what I've been looking for.

Song of the Week

2011-03-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

Lover, Lover by Jerrod Niemann

Mini Life Phase #20.5

2011-02-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

I was just recently skimming my dear Bits's Blog and I decided I need to write a post. There are 1,001 other things I should be doing, but you know what? For my sanity's sake, I think something along the lines of a blog/venting will be most beneficial. I'll work on the 10 page paper, service learning project, and 12 responses in my Wildlife notebook following this post.

As I am nearing the 21st year of my life, I am coming upon many new adventures. One of these adventures is the return of the missionaries! A lot of my (used-to-be) close guy friends are getting back from their missions. Some I am closer with now than I ever was before, and some have been a huge disappointment in their lack of friendship following their return. So glad I wasted all that time writing you letters over the past two years... And no, I'm definitely not bitter... So yes, it is rather monumental to have guys around who have known me for longer than just my college experience.

Another adventure that the 21st year of my life is bringing is the sudden splurge of close friends who are girls going on missions. 3 of my previous roommates/close friends are going, not to mention the countless others who are friends and acquaintances. Everywhere I turn I feel like someone else is announcing their mission call. Don't get me wrong, I am WAY super proud of them. But I can't even imagine myself in their shoes.

But if they aren't announcing their mission call, they seem to be announcing either their marriage or their sea-monkey in their uterus (aka incoming baby alert). Holy crap!

The other thing people are doing is traveling. This is one ship that I will gladly jump on board. I am going to Italy on a study abroad this coming fall semester, and I am pretty dang excited.

But still, everyday I feel more and more like I am missing a serious ship that is sailing... or more like a continent of every girl I know, moving away from this point in life. I get stuck in these mini phases of life and every time I get shoved out of my comfortable grasp of reality, I freak out a little. I mean, I have close friends from high school (not naming any names *cough* Allie Van Kampen Jones with an infant *cough*) who are married and have a freaking child! I still am a freaking child! I can barely handle steady dating! haha. Oh man. The more I think about this, the more pathetic I sound.

Regardless, I just need to say: People!.... Simmer down. I am super proud, and happy for you, but don't start thinking anything about me doing something drastic like getting married or popping out babies. We'll talk when I'm 25.

Peace and blessings,

Your favorite lost child.

Cookies of the past

2011-02-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

I found one of my top three favorite kinds of cookies sold at Walmart. I've never been able to find them at any grocery stores, and I finally found them. DANISH WEDDING COOKIES! I love them just as much as I did when I was little. They are so precious in their simple pink box design that hasn't changed for as long as I can remember. The good things in life shouldn't change, right? Right.

USU Outdoors Club

2011-02-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

It's happening. It's official. The USU Outdoors club is hitting the pavement running. We are working hard to get everything coordinated, and it's a blast! Don't miss out. The Outdoors club is where it's at! Check us out on Facebook, and have a killer day.

Christmas Vacation

2011-01-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

For details on the first half of my Christmas vacation, see the blog below. Here is the second half:

I got back from the road trip and attended Teagan Nicole Larsen (now Olsen) 's wedding the next day. It was beautiful and I'm super happy for her!It was also super crazy to see one of my best friends get married.

Next a group of my friends came up from Logan and we went to the cabin in Island Park for New Years.

first mosh pit of 2011!

Road Trip

2011-01-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

After surviving finals I blasted off into a 2 week roadtrip in the Burb with my favorite family in the world (mine, of course).

Our first stop was the Grand Canyon, which was ever-so-grand in all it's fogginess.

We hit up Prescott to spend a day or two with one set of grandparents, and continued on to spend some time with another set in Phoenix for a few days.

We visited the gravesite of the spectacular woman after whom I am named.
And in Phoenix we took advantage of some free time in the studio...

We also hit up our favorite Mexican restaurant, Los Compadres, 3 times in the 2 days we were there. We are devoted fans, all the way from Idaho/Utah.

Next we continued on to our next destination: Sunny San Diego. It is amazing how fast the kids have grown up and was so good to see the Bramwell clan.

What a stud.

We hiked to a big tree of lights on top of a near foothill, sea kayaked, played at a park, rode the Elliptigo's, had an epic Christmas, and spent some quality time at the beach!

I luff him.

And I luff her.

This was one of my favorite things of the whole vacation. "I HAVE BIG EYES!!!" ... followed by this face. Epic.

Christmas morning anticipation was wild (as you can see in Caden's facial expression). However, it was a little weird for me to be on the parent side of Christmas, helping wrap last minute presents and setting everything out in the santa-esque way. Sometimes being the youngest gets me cheated out of things, but life goes on.

Soleil loves to play dress up. We had a dance party the first night we were there (more like she and Caden danced while we filmed and laughed our heads off) and she disappeared for about 42 seconds and came back in an entire new ensemble. I was legitimately impressed. So Christmas morning rolls around and Soleil gets some cool presents, including a bike and 3 new princess dresses. When she makes her entrance into the room Christmas morning, she climbs over the bike screaming, "I GOT DRESSES! PRINCESS DRESSES!" She climbed over the bike 3 times, picked up one dress at a time and laid each of them out nicely across the floor. After that, she looks over and says, "I got a bike!" Hilarious.

Another interesting thing about the family growing up is I am starting to feel like my mom when she says that she isn't in years of pictures because she was the only one taking them. I handed off my camera so I could be in some of the pictures. Here is the one picture of me from Christmas morning... and it's blurry. Alas, such is adulthood. But I am very excited about that shirt I am holding in my hand in the picture.

We hit up the beach in time to get some good pictures of the sunset. Star, Forest, and I set out to get some good pictures of us. It took us quite a while to get the timing down, with some hilarious pictures in the meantime, but eventually we got it. Here are some of the best...

nuclear blast from behind....

atomic blast from forest's behind...

and then we drove home.

Finals, finals, finals

2010-12-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

I rode the Beav today. It was icy, in extreme contrast to last time when there was 6 inches of poof on top. Oh well. Still trying to get better. Landed some good 180s today. Found a good jump. Nothing hugely exciting though. I'm really looking forward to the break. Prescott, Phoenix, San Diego with fam, cabin with posse for New Years, etc.

Also, shout out to my beloved sister Star, as it is her birthday and I love her very much.

Happy Birthday, Star!

Oh yeah, and it's finals week. Boo.

2010-12-07T22:09:00.000-08:00

din duh duh doh doh doh din duh duh doh doh (brrrat!) din duh duh doh doh doh din duh duh doh doh (brrrat!)

shake shake sh-shake shake sh-shake shake sh-shake shicka-shake shake shake sh-shake shake sh-shake shake sh-shake shicka-shake

SNOW

2010-12-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! The time where a fresh layer of snow covers the leftover leaves on the ground and the possible activities in outdoor recreation shift from dry/warm to wet/cold. I decided to embrace the changing of the times and have done so whole-heartedly the last few days.
Thursday - SLEDDING! Beating my body to a pulp on Old Main hill. And of course hot chocolate afterwards.

Friday - ICE SKATING! Luckily I was still feeling the effects of sledding and therefore took it easy, though I was still quite sore this morning.

and Saturday - SNOWBOARDING! It was a terrific day at the Beav, especially for so early in the season. The morning measurement said the Beav has only ten less inches than the max amount they had last year. We're off to a great start, and it was only the second day!

By the time I got back to the car today I felt as though I wanted to lay down and never move, think, or even breathe because everything about me was so exhausted. It was fabulous, in a terrible way.

THUNDER

2010-10-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

For the record....

I love them.

Keepin' Up

2010-10-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

When life blows up in my face, when the things (or people) I rely most on fall through, when a significant portion of the signs point to giving up, these are the things that remind me why I keep going:

Family (especially my sibs)
Nature (more specifically -- fresh air)
Chasing Sunsets
Learning Confidence in myself (and independence)
Mind-numbing melodies
Dancing
Proactivity
Organization
El Churcho

Blissful Satisfaction

2010-09-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

I bought a Gatorade the other day. It was on sale at Smith's. It's a low calorie lemon-lime Gatorade. I bought it for 88 cents, and it is the most delicious thing that has happened since kettle corn and diet root beer. Needless to say, I am in a euphoric Gatorade-induced state. It was the best 88 cents I have ever spent in my life.

Today

2010-09-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm:

Tired, but antsy,

Stressed about my test tomorrow,

Excited and nervous for the first club activity on Friday,

Irritated with a friend,

Regretting,

Trying to get the popcorn out of my teeth,

Craving another Rootbeer,

Laughing at my own stupidity,

Loving my roommates,

Listening to the hum of my fan,

Figuring out my Study Abroad situation,

Wishing I could travel more,

Apprehensive about decisions,

Glad that money does not grow on trees,

(that would just be weird),

but sad that money isn't more easily attained,

Grossed out that I just wolfed down 2/3 of a big bag of kettle corn,

Wanting to finish season 5 of The Office,

Hopeful, but wary,

Learning to love,

and loving to learn.

Binchamin

2010-08-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend Benjamin Brock Lovett came to visit us from Texas for a few days before he leaves on his mission in the beginning of September, so we took him out to Marci's ranch and taught him to be country. We had an interesting little experience while we were in the process.

One of Marci's neighbor's cows got mixed in with hers, so we were going to move the cow through the corrals and into the trailer to take her back. She was a bigger cow and had weighted horns, which means they point straight at whatever she drives toward. Marci opened the gate to let the cow into the first corral, where I was waiting to move the cow into the next corral. Marci started to open the gate and the cow came running at it, horns pointed straight for Marci on the other side. She threw the gate back and retreated. The cow hit the gate at full speed and lifted it off it's hinges, crashing to the ground underneath it. In miliseconds it was out from under the gate, headed straight for me. I heard Marci yell, "STORMIE, RUN!!!!" in a voice that was a little more frantic than I wanted to hear, and headed straight for the closest fence at full speed. I jumped to the fence a little early, only made it halfway up, pulled myself up the rest of the way but my shirt got stuck somewhere in the process and swinging my legs up onto the top of the fence turned out to be a challenge. Of course that was all a blur (I may not have even caught my shirt on the fence until a few seconds later, I don't know). The next thing I knew I was watching the cow crash sideways into the fence at full speed underneath me while I clung desperately to the top rail. It recovered quickly from it's collision and ran into the next corral where I'm sure it was hoping to get a stab at Ben, but we all stayed well away and left her alone to simmer down. I went back the next day to take a picture, and the cow stared me down like she wanted to use me for a DDR dance pad, or a pin cushion.

Isn't she cute?

So... since I like pictures more than words today, I'll just put up some pictures of the rest of our trip.

(pretend that looks like a heart)

Hometown Heroes

2010-08-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

As all of my avid blog readers know, I am a Ranger Aide this summer at Bear Lake State Park (on the Utah side). I live in a camper, by myself, on the backside of the campgrounds I run... aaaaaaand I love it. This summer has been magnificent for me, and a good portion of that is due to the people with whom I work.

My living situation definitely limits the social interactions I have with my peers, and thus I must resort to socializing with the people around me, which mostly consists of middle-aged men (also known as my RANGERS!!!!)
Introducing:
Rangers Jonathan "Bossman" Hunt and Wayne "Wayno" Earley
Deputy Rangers John "Little John" Beddingfield and Frank "Papa Frank" Keepers
Deputy Sheriffs Blaine "Imma Be" Ibey and Mark Lee
and Glen Gillies (Maintenance Man)
among others.

These men have made this summer into one of the best summers I can remember. I have been spoiled by every one of them AT LEAST once, and they cease to amaze me at how willing they all are to help others (especially me). I worked the other night and there were two lost swimmers on the lake somewhere. It was amazing to me how they took the responsibility to find them, and eventually saved the swimmers lives. I was so proud I wanted to cry. I love my posse of middle-aged men!

Bridesmaid

2010-07-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

I have an excellent posse at school that mostly consists of people who are related to each other, including:
Nate, Brian, and Kelsey Anderson, Tausha and Jessa Sutherland, Seth Gerard (Nate's best friend) and little old me. Kelsey, Tausha, and I are besties. Kelsey introduced Tausha to her older brother Nate. They went on a date, and now over a year later, they are married (as of yesterday). I was thrilled and honored beyond measure when Tausha asked me to be a bridesmaid, if nothing else because I was the only non-family member involved in the wedding, in that aspect. It was a downright beautiful.

Our choice of bridesmaid dress was left up to us, as long as it was cream colored. After many stressful days of speed-walking through too many stores to count, and having my dress altered the night before the wedding, my outfit was put together.

The wedding day was great. The temple, then the family (+ Stormie) dinner of Cafe Rio-esque food, and then the reception. I had a great time through it all, with my exhaustion only catching up with me occasionally. There was a great live band at the reception, and we had a lot of fun dancing with the little girls. It was a beautiful wedding day.

I've never been so involved in a wedding, or a relationship for that matter. I've been there since date #1 when I stayed up all night waiting for Tausha to get home so we could watch a movie. I was there for her when they broke up for the summer. I was there on the countless adventures to sporting events, Zion National Park, Vegas, Sacramento, Napa Valley, Island Park, and typical shenanigans throughout the past year plus. I feel such a strong connection to both the bride and the groom that I felt like I got to share a portion of their joy on their wedding day. They were both so genuinely happy, I couldn't help but be thrilled for them. They truly are the best couple I can think of, and I look forward to seeing their relationship continue to develop throughout the next many years. They deserve nothing but the best, and they both got it.

Summah.

2010-07-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

I've found that, this summer more than previous summers, I have a knack for completely losing track of time. I often glance at a calendar and am shocked to find that two weeks have magically disappeared, with little to no sign of passing. Working 7 days a week and trying to cram a social life in the cracks definitely makes time fly. I picked up a few days a week at my old job in Salt Lake. It's a pharmaceutical research company. Basically I call people and ask how their doctor's appointments went. Yeehaw. It pays 10.50 an hour, which is a dollar and a half more than I make at Rendezvous. Marci and I carpool and we work the same shifts there so it's not bad, when we're getting along. It's nice to have an excuse to see family, with Star and Russ living just across the valley there. So my Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday mornings are spent there. When I'm finished working a few hours at PEGUS on Wednesday morning, I drive the 3 hours back to the lake and work an 8 hour shift at the beach.

Thursday mornings I get up early and make the staff breakfast. I'm expanding my horizons. A few of the things I've made are pancakes, french toast, biscuits and gravy, my favorite fruit salad, and crepes, always accompanied by scrambled eggs. It's definitely been a fun learning adventure but someday I will make a great homemaker. Ha.

Working here at the beach has a few excellent benefits, one of which is the hook ups we get at Bear Lake Sails (the boat rental shack on the beach). I've become friends with a few of the kids that work there, and one of the guys there, Kevin (aka Jamaica), has a love for wakeboarding that can only be rivaled by mine, or at least my desire to learn how. So we go out wakeboarding early in the morning once or twice a week when the water is glass. It's been amazing so far. I learned how to drive a boat well while pulling a wakeboarder, which is great. And not to mention my wakeboarding skills have been improving immensely. My goal (though it may be far-fetched) is to jump the wake and land it by the end of the summer. My jumping skills are definitely improving, though my goose egg from crashing Monday morning is only just fading. Another bonus is the extremely discounted prices on renting waverunners and boats. It's been excellent utilizing that aspect of my Ranger Aide duties. (here is where I put in a plug -- come visit me, and I'll do what I can to hook you up!)

My official job title here is "Ranger Aide", so my ranger Jonathan aka Bossman and I often joke about me assisting him in dire situations (also known as petty tasks). Recently, I've carried his apple tree, filled up his truck with gas, shared my milkshake, and warmed up his leftover pizza. It's definitely been taxing, but I've found that I have a reserve of strength that seems only attainable when being my Ranger Aide self. Maybe I'm a super hero. Maybe I'm not. It's all up for interpretation.

This week Marci and her siblings bought a Golden Retriever puppy as her dad's birthday present. We "puppy sat" in Salt Lake for the three days and it was a blast! He is the most well-behaved puppy I have ever seen. We had to leave him inside while we were at work for 6 hours, and he didn't make one single mess. He's the best puppy ever. We named him Ghandi, though it remains to be seen if it will remain so. Regardless, as soon as I am settled somewhere in life, I am getting a dog. Period.

Some other highlights of the summer have been when the fam came and camped with me here at the lake, Sunshine and crew came to Idaho for the 4th of July weekend, horseback riding at Glen's, the China crew camping here with me, cruising waverunners with TJ, and the countless adventures and visits from my number one fan and wingman Marcitron.

This summer has been quite possibly the best summer of my life so far. I love every day I spend here. This lake has become my sanctuary, and I can't help but smile everytime I come back over the hill into the valley (cheesy, I know). My ghetto little borrowed 1958 camper feels more like home than I ever thought it would, and the people I work with are amazing. Life is great.

Rendezvous Beach

2010-06-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

in all it's glory...
Gatehouse The Mits

Home Sweet Home

Jonathan "Boss Man" and Brad

T.J.

Erica and GLEN!

My Backyard (ish)

Ranger Aide Stormie to the rescue!

Storm Drain Graffiti

2010-05-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Woo Woo

2010-05-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have finally returned from my travels and am packing to move into my camper. Believe it or not, I'm getting pretty jazzed about it! I'll have a place of my own. Won't have to worry about anyone else comin' in or out or being messy or whatever. I won't need a lot of stuff cuz it will just be me and I'll just be working. It will definitely be an adventure but I'm more excited about it than I ever thought I would be! Now I just gotta make sure people come visit me so I don't get too lonely! :)

A film to revolutionize the world

2010-05-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last night my roommates Kelsen, Betsy, Mary, and I had a little get together. We sat around our kitchen table and ate cake bites, talking. We started talking about the possibility of making a "Mock"umentary of our lovely J-1 apartment and it's inhabitants (us). This mockumentary would be based on us, and our quirks, but exaggerated to the max. We ended up talking about the possible components of this record-breaking film for HOURS and I laughed harder than I have laughed all year. It was probably the most hysterically funny thing I have ever been involved in. Props to us for being funny enough to entertain ourselves just talking to each other for hours about our ridiculous qualities.

Inspiration

2010-04-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today, I had an encounter with a wild animal. One of the fiercest of wild animals found in and around Logan, Utah. Let me tell you our story.

For some background, things are a little touch-and-go right now. You know, some ups, a few more downs. It's the end of the semester and my summer is looking a little bleak, thus, not a whole lot to look forward to. Now, I would only write that if it were pertinent to my story. Which it is. So let me continue on, please. Sheesh.

My dear friend Jason Crofts is on a mission. I write him quite regularly. A few months ago, he was transferred. I have sent him several pieces of mail with no reply. The other day I wrote him a letter requesting a response, so my roommate and I have both been checking the mail daily, hoping to find a little parcel of mail with his and my name on it. Just a few moments ago, I went in search of that blessedly hopeful parcel of mail. I set off to the lounge, strolling casually along the sidewalk so as to not let myself (and the others around) know I was desperate to get to the mailbox. Desperate to get that piece of mail. I reach the mailbox, insert the key, turn the latch. The door creaks open. Lo and behold... nothing. Another day of an empty mailbox. Despairingly, I hang my head, re-lock the latch, and slowly walk from the lounge.

I emerge from the lounge and follow the curve of the sidewalk back towards my building. I was deeply immersed in my thoughts of disappointment. I glance up from my gloomy trudge, and see something that surprises me enough to stop me in my tracks. There, not 7 and 1/2 feet away, was a beautiful brown duck. Shocked, I stared at the duck, and the duck stared back. What was a duck doing here? There is no water here, no other ducks, no significant source of food. So what was she doing? We continued to stare, sizing one another up. We stayed that way for a while. Staring, taking every detail in. She was a beautiful auburn color with white pin-stripes on her feathers. Under her camouflage colors I spotted a royal blue feather. Her eyes were beady and her beak was sleek and black. Everything about her was beautiful.

Eventually I lost her attention (we all know I'm not that interesting to look at) and she cautiously waddled towards me, one eye in my direction, the other searching for any scrap of food that might be around. She nibbled here and there, as I continued to stare. This young duck, with a cautious boldness, continued about her business in the presence of an animal 30 times her size, who could very easily have been dangerous or caused her harm. I was impressed, and continued to watch her until I found myself wondering what the all the people in the surrounding apartments were thinking, watching me stare at a duck on the lawn. I kept my distance as I walked away, and found myself glancing backwards as I left. My feelings of distress over the lack of letter were forgotten, as I continued to feel bewildered by the duck.

As I thought about it, it became clear to me. This duck meant something. Regardless of what most people would say, I needed to see that duck today, because that duck was the part of me that I struggle with. That duck represents the girl who isn't afraid to be beautiful in her own way. A girl who faces adversity cautiously, but with a certain boldness that cannot be diminished. A girl who isn't afraid to be herself. A girl who isn't afraid of the unknown, just aware.

So now, as I face a summer of uncertainty, challenges, and a lot of alone time, I will remember that duck, and hopefully that girl inside me will blossom into something as magnificent as that duck.

Happy Anniversary

2010-04-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

As it is the 4th anniversary of the day I broke the cartilage off the back of my knee cap, I would like to dedicate this blog post to my knee, including those pieces of cartilage that I am certain are floating in a jar on a shelf in my ex-doctor's office.

Dear Left Knee,

Oh how much we've been through, these past 4 years. You've tested my patience. You've gained my respect. You've shown me what it is to triumph over your insecurities, and yet, I still struggle with you on a daily basis.

I think back to when you left me in pieces, and I wonder how I ever walked from the gym to choir. I remember that long walk from the choir room to Mr. Anderson's room... I made it around the cafeteria before I finally had to stop because you hurt me so bad. I remember bawling as I clung to the locks on the lockers, slowly hoisting myself down the hall, one lock at a time. I hated those stares from strangers who knew nothing about me, and cared even less. The neighbor boy asked if I needed help, but I refused to give in to your weakness. "No, I'm fine," I replied. Who wouldn't be fine after breaking their knee and then sitting through an hour and a half of class, watching it slowly swell until it looked more like a left butt cheek than a knee? Yes, I was fine.

At first they said it was my ACL. That would make sense, right? No, apparently not. Little knee, you found a way to befuddle myself and the doctors. Why would you break pieces of your own cartilage off, knowing that it would never grow back? Maybe you have some sort of a Savior complex... or a desperate need for attention. Whatever it was, you got what you wished for-- you are broken, and will forever be incapable to perform successfully so many of the things that you loved before. You have altered my life more than almost anything, and yet I am still indebted to you.

Because despite your insecurities, we still work together like a team of champions. We have our off days, and some days I wonder why I haven't replaced you yet, but you have taught me patience and a deep gratitude for mobility. And when we struggle, Right Knee comes to the rescue. Sometimes I think we were meant to be together, because together we learn. We grow, in more ways than an occasional swelling. We run, hike, swim, and play until we are downright beat.

So thank you, Left Knee. For sticking with me. For forcing me to grow in ways I never expected to. For keeping me mobile, while always reminding me that I am not invincible. Together, we can still conquer the world. And when the day comes that I must replace you (as I am certain that day will come), it will be with utmost respect that I bid you adieu. Let's stick together, because you and I (and Right Knee), have far too many adventures ahead of us to give up now.

Warmest regards,

Stormie Beatrice

2010-04-19T20:46:00.001-07:00

Let it end.

Tunage

2010-04-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sweet new jam:

Youtube-- Sofia Jannok "Irene"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq3WEB_DTO8

from Finland, indigenous Sami people. "yoiking"

I dig.

Red Alert

2010-04-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

As an fyi to all those many, many people who read this blog:

I am on the prowl for a summer job. Any ideas or hook ups would be appreciated greatly. I'm not picky, so don't hesitate to share the wealth of opportunity.

Love love love

that girl

2010-04-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

*note: I hate coming up with names for my blogs. I also hate the word blog. bloooggggg. Ew.

On to more important things,

I want to be the kind of girl that everyone wants to write song about. So spunky, or sexy, or cool, that you just can't resist writing a song about her...

such as: tangerine by ruxpin

i used to know this girl
she was a hip hop queen
dark hair, brown eyes
all pretty and skinny

everywhere she went she brought her james brown record
sayin 'funk is where it's at, but the hip hop's from heaven' singin
la la da da da da daaaa

she didn't have much, no family, few friends
she said i don't need the material things to make the me the me.

7 year old adidas shoes, she had 3 black stripes
walking with her headphones in the middle of the night singin
r&b and lines like
la la da da da da da daaaa

She was the hip hop queen
true to herself and true to her dreams
the innovative singer with her eye on the scene
not about the big cars, bank accounts, or the movie screen

OR

Sea lion woman by feist

Sea lion woman
Dressed in red
Smile at the man
When you wake up in his bed

Sea lion woman
Dressed in black
Wink at the man
Then stab him in his back

Sea lion woman
Dressed in white
Marry the man
And you'll spend a long sweet life

Sea lion woman
Dressed in blue
Call on the man
And hope he knows what he can do

See what I mean. lyrics so simple, but the beats to these songs are sweeeet.

Someday I'm going to be that girl. Just wait.

.....

2010-03-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I went to the gym to work out.

But that's not what this is about. It's about how I went to the bathroom at the gym before working out.

So here it is:

I went into a stall.

I turned around and closed the door.

I started to lock it and saw a label on the lock.

I stopped, and moved closer. What did it say, you ask?

It said "Hiny Hiders"

Hahaha!

Forgive my simple, easily pleased sense of humor, but I haven't heard the word "hiny" in years.

Let's just say I was proud to hide my hiny in that stall.

The end.

Things to Consider

2010-03-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

#1. The coming of Spring. Is it actually coming, or just faking us devout spring-lovers out? I recall a certain June, teaching swimming lessons in an outdoor pool as it snowed. I love winter, don't get me wrong. I just think that winter never feels enough love from people during the actual winter months, so it plans surprise visits and crashes Spring's party. Winter is selfish, in that way. It seems that every year, I look up one day from my "Stormie Stomp" (what my friends call the way I walk. Slumped over a little, with my eyes staring directly at the sidewalk in front of me) and realize that the snow is gone. It bewilders me literally every year. I just don't understand it. How do I miss the whole phase of the snowmelt? And yet, every year I find myself surprised by the sudden lack of snow on the ground.

#2. Housing for next year. What. A. Drag. My search this year has been long and frustrating. Why? First I was looking for two people (a shared room), then just for me, then for two people, then thought I had it figured out, then that didn't work out. Now I am looking for both a shared AND a private, in case things need to work out a different way. Let me tell you, at this point I am ready to live in a cardboard box, hang a picture of a kitten on it, and call it home.

#3. A summer job. Believe it or not, searching for a summer job has been a similarly frustrating experience, but I suppose not nearly as bad. Potential plans were the Forest Service, a random state park, something in Jackson Hole, possibly something in Alaska, and then there is always going back to the two jobs I worked last summer. One of the state parks nearby Logan offered me a job, but it's unrealistic hours were a major turn-off. I had to say no for the sake of my sanity. But a part of me is panicking, remembering back to last summer when I spent weeks desperately driving from place to place, applying for jobs I had no right to apply for (at places like Sally's Beauty Supply and Texas Roadhouse), just because I was so desperate for any sort of income. Dear Summer 2010, please be nothing like that. Love, Stormie.

#4. College. Things I'm trying to figure out: If I'm coming back next fall. Study abroad. Which of 3 potential minors I want to do. my MAJOR. My future career path.... amongst other things. Can you understand why my stress levels are a bit too high?

#5. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootise Pop?... Yes. It is something to consider. I am forced to ponder this question literally everyday. It never fails to pop into my head at a time when I really don't want to be wondering how many licks it takes, but alas. It always comes. It is an unsolved mystery that will perhaps shed some light onto that burning question... how many licks....

#6. My social life. That's all I'm going to say about it.

#7. Skeeball. I have developed a very nice addiction to the game Skeeball. It's at a nearby arcade, and it is just too fun to resist. Having a bad day? Play some Skeeball. As the balls roll in and the points rack up, you will find yourself relaxing. Don't you even worry.

#8. Sometimes I like myself better without make up on.

MIJ

2010-03-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

One thing to be grateful for:

excellent roommates.

Mary Irene Jacobson is my roommate. And what a joy it is to be her roommate.
We have a special bond because deep down inside, chaos reigns in our souls.
When we get together, we become quite possibly the weirdest, most bizarre girls on the planet.
And it's one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
We quote things.
We stay up until 2 am talking about absolutely nothing.
We study together.
We fart together.
We dance.
We vent about boys.
We go snowboarding together and scream at the oncoming traffic.
We rep our gangsta-selves together.
We laugh. Oh how we laugh.
We get caught by the cops being too rambunctious together.
We share clothes.
We dance for fitness together.
We rock out.
We dance.
We road trip.
Did I mention we dance?
We talk in weird voices.
We complete each other.

Be jealous, because I do have the best roommate there is.

Youngest Child Syndrome

2010-02-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

*Note: This is NOT a pity party, and if you take it as such, you are semi-bogus.

Sometimes I wonder. I've decided I have the "youngest child" syndrome. You know, where you feel like you have one tiny speck of the talent each of your siblings have. Like the genes ran out of real talents so they just threw together a random combination of what they already gave the older siblings and said, "Hey, good luck with that."

For example:

Sunshine: Socially savvy, combined with her good looks makes her basically unstoppable in the social scene.
Star: "S-M-R-T" (smart). Reads and writes books of her own. Who could top that?
Dusty: Can anyone say, ART? Music, film, painting, whatever it may be, he's a pro.
Forest: Lovingly referred to as The Golden Boy. Perfect grades, teeth, personality. The family's number 1 people-pleaser.
... and then me. I know I have gifts and talents and such, but can you see why I feel just a little bit insignificant? It's like a 21st century philosopher trying to top Socrates.

I don't want people to try to name off qualities that I have that are oh so great. I just wanted to write this down. Proof that the "youngest child syndrome" does exist, because I am a Grade A example.

Warmest Regards.

So nice.

2010-02-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

I need to play catch up for a bit. I'm wayyy behind with this thing. Sheesh.

First of all, fall semester ended nicely with pretty good grades boosting my GPA.
Christmas break started out well with a week in the desert at Marci's house.
After that I headed home to devote a week to family time. I think over the break we went to 5, maybe 6 movies at the theaters to make up for the fact that the college kids can't really afford to go any other time. Christmas was great, with all of us together for the first time in 5 years. The living room was super crowded, and I'm sure cousin Nicole & hubby Christian discovered the sheer insanity in the foundations of our family. I'm sure it was entertaining though. The day after Christmas we headed to the cabin for some intense family time. I rode back to Salt Lake with the Bramwell clan where I met up with Marci. Marci and I spent New Years Eve at the lights on temple square because I had never been before. We spent the night at Teagan's empty townhouse in Saratoga Springs and the next day we rode to California with the Bramwells to retrieve the 4 Runner. Marci and I spent the next day at the beach. 80 degrees on January 2nd. The 4 Runner's potential name at this point is Choncho, but it hasn't solidified yet.

So, on a random side note, we're discussing gender socialization right now in my Marriage and Family Relations class (it's for my minor) and this girl just raised her hand and pretty much blamed all of the world's problems on Britney Spears because she is a slut. I thought about raising my hand and saying that Britney planted an atom bomb in the core of the earth and is planning to start her own colony on the moon and implode the earth, but I decided to keep my theories to myself.

On the way home from Cali, Marci and I decided to take a detour route and head to L.A. and Hollywood. It was a lot of fun. We took a tour of the city in a convertible van and saw tons of famous people..... well, we saw their houses at least. We stopped in Vegas to see my mom's friend Barb and then stopped in STG to see Steph and Ben and their awesome new house. Overall it was an awesome road trip.

School started again and my schedule was chaos for weeks trying to figure out which classes to take. I'm finally setlling in though. I wrote 4 papers this weekend and I have to write one every night this week. I also have a test on Thursday. It's a crazy busy semester so far and it's actually starting to wear on me. I need a whole day off where I don't have any plans and I don't have anything I need to get done, and everytime I think I have one of those days something comes up. Oh well. Maybe life will slow down soon.

This last weekend was really good. One of my best friends came to stay with us that is leaving soon to go to China so we spent a lot of time together. I went on a date saturday, then went to the basketball game, then a lumberjack party. It dumped probably 8 inches of snow that night. It was a really fun weekend.

Pictures:

El Caribbeano

2009-12-16T20:19:00.000-08:00

Pros and Cons of My Current Situation

2009-12-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

Pros:
I have 2 finals down, 2 to go.
I walked all the way home from campus by myself today, only seeing one other person on the way.
AND I beat the Stadium Express home today. Booyah.
Mary keeps being weird with me. It's nice to have someone embrace the weirdness with me.
Correction... Mary is a freak. and I laugh at her.
I passed my Pilates class (after doing a LOT of make ups).
In a few days I will see my bestie Geegs, and then proceed to spend a few days in Callao riding horses, playing with dogs, riding motocicletti, etc.
When I took a break from studying yesterday I cleaned my room really well (a clean room = a happy Stormie).
Mary is talking to her stuffed animal crocodile named Spike. And she just picked his nose with her pencil. And now she is reading her Music Theory book with a lisp. I can't decide if that's a good or bad thing.
Brian Regan just came on the CD player. yessss.

Cons:
I have two more finals.
My cough came back after I got back from the Caribbean and is gradually getting worse.
My ears are still aching from the freezing cold outside.
I need to visit the restroom.
I have my sweats on backwards, which was just announced by the spectacular miss Mary.
Sometimes I throw up.
My love life is NON EXISTANT.
Our room is -42 degrees ALWAYS.
My wife is at work, and has my car.
I have no idea what to get anyone for Christmas.
23
A bunch of my friends are leaving after this semester.

I'll update about the cruise soon.

Country Swing.... The Bane of My Existance

2009-11-17T00:18:00.001-08:00

In Logan we have a place called the Fun Park. Inside this glorious land are things such as a bowling alley, laser tag, arcade games, and a dance floor. They host Country Swing dancing on Monday and Wednesday nights. Mondays are usually pretty empty but Wednesdays are sometimes so packed you can't really dance much. The entire time I've been in Logan, my buddies have been trying to convince me to go. I always declined because, quite frankly, I can barely handle myself trying to dance, let alone having someone else whirl me around. So finally tonight Marci guilt tripped me into going because Mary couldn't come. We headed there with the two boys from next door that go religiously. Marci got her first speeding ticket on the way over (Congrats Marci! We're so proud!) so by the time we got there, the mood was less than cheerful. The first few songs were wretched beyond compare. But finally, our neighbor, Kalle (a boy) took me under his wing and taught me basically a million things I never knew about Country Swing. I did the Queen's chair, and the can opener, and the fall, and the tunnel, and a bunch of other stuff! It turned out to be really fun. Even though I struggled with following, it went really well. He was a great teacher and I admit, I could go back. We'll have to see.

Blondies

2009-11-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

My roommates are highlighting their hair. Jessa put the bleach in Tausha's hair and a little while later Nate (Tausha's boyfriend) pointed out that there was a clump of bleach on her right eyebrow. Happy half-blond eyebrow, Tausha.

Tonight I hosted a Navajo Taco dinner at our apartment. Yesterday I made everyone blueberry muffins for everyone for breakfast. We went to the Utah State football game (in the snow) and froze, so we all came back here and I made everyone grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. It's been a very cooking-oriented weekend, but it's been a lot of fun.

Throw a Log on the Fire I Thought was Out

2009-11-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, last year I had some trouble with my roommate. I lived in the ghetto on campus, with just one roommate. I didn't know her at all before we moved in. We got along great (for the most part) and I loved being her roommate. As we got into spring semester I started noticing things going missing. Expensive things, ie my Mac foundation, my Big Star jeans that I had worn 3 times since Christmas before they went missing, my Skull Candy headphones, among other things. I kept thinking of reasons why I was missing these things... such as, Oh, I must have left my Big Stars at home when I did my laundry, and I guess I left my foundation at Ben and Steph's when I went to stay there, etc. You get the point. But as more and more of the most expensive possessions I owned disappeared I started to get really frustrated. How could I be such an idiot to lose all of this stuff? Seriously, it drove me crazy. Every time I couldn't find something I would embark on a frenzied search through my apartment (all 10 feet of it) until I either found it or gave up, accepting that it was lost.

One Wednesday night I deep cleaned my room, organizing and cleaning until it looked better than ever. I always tucked my black shower flip flops in between my fridge and shoe tub. The next day I got back from my snowboarding class and needed to hurry and shower because I had to be somewhere soon after that. I went to grab my shower flip flops and they were gone. I immediately embarked on another frenzied search of my apartment, while I was 100% sure that I had put them exactly where they were supposed to be and had not moved them. I even had my friend from next door help me tear my room apart. It was all to no avail. They were nowhere to be found. My neighbor let me borrow her flip flops and I showered quickly, incredibly far behind schedule. I ran into my roommate as I was headed to the shower. I said a quick hello and hurried away. The next day my flip flops were right back where I had put them when I had so meticulously cleaned my room 2 days prior. Only then did I remember that my roommate had been wearing black flip flops the day before, which she doesn't own.

Yes, I admit, this may be an innocent borrowing of the flip flops and returning them. But it was one of the major events that led me to discovering what was really going on.

Another example (you can skip this if you're tired and want to get to the point):
I was leaving town with Marci to head out to her house. I had just showered and gotten ready. I was wearing a cute semi-unique Abercrombie sweater that I had borrowed from a friend, but I decided to change into comfortable clothes for the 5 hour car ride. I left the sweater on my bed. There is no cell phone service at Marci's house and when I returned, I had a text from a close friend that lived on the same floor as us. She sounded somewhat ominous and so when I returned home I immediately went to find her. You can probably imagine what had happened. My friend from the same floor had been on the phone in the stair well. My roommate had started coming down the stairs until she spotted our friend. My roommate stopped, said a hurried hello, and took off down the stairs. What was she wearing, you might ask? The Abercrombie sweater, and some Big Stars that looked remarkably similar to mine.

You can imagine the feelings that ensued... Anger, resentment, hurt, betrayal, etc. She was one of my best friends and I had lost all faith in her. I went to my R.A. and talked to her about it. My friend was there to back me up and later I confronted my roommate. At first she denied everything, but when I told her the Abercrombie sweater wasn't mine, she agreed to return it. Over time, my belongings slowly filtered back to random, fairly obvious places. I found my Big Stars wedged along the side of my bed, which I make religiously. It had been months since they went missing and I had moved my bed at least once since then. You get the point. My parents wanted me to make her move out, but I decided something along the lines of Everyone deserves a second chance.

Oh how she proved me wrong. After an accident involving friends, and several serious mistakes, my roommate basically stopped caring. Clothes of mine started going missing again, and on Facebook I found pictures of her wearing some of my favorite clothes (one of which was a Kalamazoo College shirt with the collar ripped out that has been in my family for a long time). I confronted her and tried my best to get the clothes back. I begged, I threatened, everything. What she said to me was, "A law suit isn't worth a couple of shirts." and that was the last I heard about it from her. She would only come home when I was gone or in class, and she didn't sleep there for weeks. She lied to me time and time again until the semester was over, she moved out, and I never planned on seeing her (or my clothes) again.

Here's where I get to the point of my ramblings:
I got on a bus that I don't usually ride today, and by-golly I bet you can guess who was on it. There was my roommate from last year, in all her glory. I didn't realize this until part-way into the ride. And of course, we completely ignored each other's existance.
I sat there thinking of the things I could/should/wanted to say or do. Here's what I came up with:

I could act like we're buddy buddy and totally freak her out.
I could go cuss her out.
I could go punch her in the face.
I could go talk to her and ask for my clothes again (that was a little too pathetic for me).
I could have farted on her lap.
I could have threatened her.
I could go make civil conversation with her.
I could go scream at her and say "Thank you so much for the emotional and mental pain you have caused me. It's so great when I misplace something and have flashbacks and start to wonder if I'm losing my mind."
but of course I went with acting like she didn't exist.

And as I got off the bus, I breathed a sigh of relief, mixed with regret. Why, you ask? I'm wondering now what I should have done. It's nice to think about doing one of the other options, and to be truthful sometimes I get disappointed in myself. I'm not brave enough to talk to her. I'm not mean enough to yell at her. I'm not gassy enough to fart on her (at least not today). I'm not strong enough to punch her in the face. I guess I'll never know what could have happened. So many disappointments, and yet, what would you have done?

Happy Birthday, Momsickle!

2009-11-11T13:22:00.001-08:00

My dear mother, Vicki Norton Hulet, celebrated her birthday yesterday, November 10. I decided I should come home and surprise her, so I made it through my 4 classes on Tuesday, went to wings for lunch with a friend (whose birthday it was also) and then headed home to IF town. I got home and surprised her. My dad had to stall because I was running late. I had to stop at a gas station and they didn't have the oil I needed for my car OR Chewy Gobstoppers (what the heck?!) so I used their bathroom and left (that will show them). So I had to keep driving and stop at another one to add oil. Blah blah blah you get the point. I made it. My mom goes on these crazy diets where she eats like a cube of cheese and a 1 inch square piece of lettuce for every meal (ok, not really, but you get the point. They suck) so she wanted to go to Scotty's for dinner. Scotty's. The local fast food restaurant with deliciously greasy french fries and excellent shakes. My semi-chronic stomach ache kicked in a couple minutes after I got my food so I didn't really get to enjoy it as much as I would have liked to but she enjoyed her burger.we came home and watched the movie about the subway train that gets highjacked? Something like Palloomanown 123. Yes. I think that was it. After that finished we watched a few episodes of Friends and then she made me go to bed at 11. Ha. like I could fall asleep that early. So I read my book and laid in the dark for a while and finally passed out a while later. Sleeping in my deliciously huge bed with delightfully soft blankets and a down comforter was heaven compared to my rickety twin with 200 thread count sheets and a stained Target comforter back in Logan. One more reassurance of why coming home was such an excellent idea.
Today has been a good day. I've organized the crap out of my life (at least the next few weeks, until the semester ends). Now I can go forward with (a little more) confidence! The rest of my time here will be spent studying for my US Institutions quiz and Astronomy test that are both tomorrow. I need to do well on them. Being home is an advantage because I don't have all my buddies luring me away from my studies. :) I do miss them though! Alone time is good. I don't get it often in Logan (which is fine) but sometimes I honestly forget what it's like to be alone. Let's just say, I'm lovin' it. I have to head back to Logan around 5 though because I have step practice at 8 that I just found out about, sadly cutting my trip short. Oh well. It's been good. Really good.

Getting away with...

2009-11-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Semester HIGHLIGHTS

Getting caught by the Logan Police when streaking on my birthday with my posse. Judge us...

Fall Break! Cabin Trip with 10 friends involving:

Big Juds, Feeding the fish at Big Springs, Canoeing trip (with a giant moose run in), All-nighter with games up the wazoo!

New random food addictions (Chewy Gobstoppers, Goldfish, Maverik Fo' Real Milkshakes)

My first Demolition Derby: arrived late and were pelted by dirt clods from a runaway derby truck!

Seeing my best friend Teagan dance in Odyssey Dance Company's production of Thriller!

Oh the Weddings... How could I forget.

LEARNING! Who knew that could happen at college...

Parties! in Rexburg with YOJ!

Falling in Love...

and falling out of Love.

Random ROAD TRIPS --> Callao

Camping, anyone?

Basically... the usual.

New Address

2009-08-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hey I just moved back to Logan. Here is my new address:

Stormie Beatrice Hulet
777 E 1000 N Apt. J-1
Logan, UT 84321

Feel free to send letters, care packages, love, etc.
Thanks :)

PS. My apartment is going to be the shiz because we are all COOL and CLEAN.
PSS. I love my roomies.
PSSS. I also love my best friend Marci.

Summa Summa Time

2009-07-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

Update of the summer...
Here's a typical day for me.
Alarm goes off at 6. Get up, drive to 30-45 minutes to work. Lifeguard from 7-1. Drive home 30 minutes. Shower and get ready in 30 minutes and be out the door by 2 pm. Drive 45-60 minutes to job #2 (PEGUS Research, Pharmaceutical Research Call Center) in Salt Lake. Call people from 3-9. Follow Marci to where we are picking up food or back to her house. Say goodnight to her grandma. If I am exhausted, which I am 99% of the time, I don't even bother trying to drive home. Drowsy driving is an uneccessary risk, right? :) So usually I just stay there and go straight to work in the morning. It cuts out 45 minutes of driving time for me a day, so I'm not complaining. Plus, Marci is my best friend, so why wouldn't I want to spend more time with her? :) I actually really like it. I got tired of having to drive home in the middle of the night.
So anyway, that's a typical day. Not a whole lot of free time to do anything, but I'm ok with that. I still haven't seen the new Harry Potter yet. Weird, I know. I used to go to all the premieres in IF. Times are changing I guess. That's what happens when you are poorer than dirt. I did, however, see the proposal and almost crapped my pants it was so funny. Highly reccommended.
Signing out,
Stormatrice

Pony Laugh

2009-06-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

Here is what my life consists of currently:
SLEEEEEEEP.
No money.
Loneliness, loneliness, loneliness.
Homesick for that boy.
Working long shifts at a job I dislike... hey, it's (soon to be) money.
Allergies.
A lack of a healthy diet, but lots of free food!
No sweets.
Putting an average of 100 miles a day on my car.
Did I mention no money?
Jumping on the tramp (a rare plus).
Free time. Weird, huh?
Attempted song writing... leading right into ->
Failed song writing.
Crazy, high stress, or graphic dreams.
and last but not least....
Rock band with Star and Russ.

To expand on that... I recertified in CPR this week and started working the next day. It was terrible. Cross your fingers that it will get better or I am TOAST. I drive to Salt Lake almost everyday just to keep a dull edge on my social skills (to see Marci or Ben and Steph or Star and Russ.. or all of the above). Marci is living with her grandma and spending so much time around her grandma makes me wonder if I would enjoy working with the more "experienced" people aka oldness. I enjoyed my day off today and recooperated nicely from a terrible first day of work. My day consisted of sleeping in, showering, falling back asleep, getting up and watching two movies, Made of Honor (I cried. Who knows why.), and Step Up 2, both of which hit the spot quite nicely. Those were followed by vacuuming the house, as requested by my dear uncle Robert, and then peacing out to pick up Marci and get to Star's house in time to watch SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!!!!! Good heck, I love that show. Embarrassingly enough, I accidentally wore my So You Think You Can Dance hoodie that I got at the tour in Salt Lake. I guess you could call me a groupie. Trying to keep a positive outlook and stay motivated. Today was the first day I let myself wear my favorite gray sweats in about a month. Thaaaank goodness for gray sweats that are the cherries on top to good days.

Money, Money, Money

2009-05-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

School's been out for a while and I've been going nonstop since it ended. I moved home by myself on a Friday (terrible TERRIBLE day), then spent the next week cleaning and unpacking until Wednesdayish when Marci came to visit. She spent the weekend with me at the cabin and then peaced out. I have been going back and forth between home and Alpine looking for jobs for days at a time, still with no luck. I've spread my search all the way to Sugarhouse and Provo, so if you know of any jobs within that vicinity, HOLLA AT ME! I get to see Ben Lovett on Thursday (he's coming for a wedding. I thought I'd never see him again.) and Friday I'm heading home to go rafting for the weekend. I can't wait. Finally something fun. Just to give you a hint of how much I've been on the job hunt... From Wednesday to Sunday I put 800 miles on my Tercel. I left Monday morning and took the Subaru.. I've put 550 miles on it since then. So in a week I've driven about 1350 miles... looking for jobs all the while. GO ME.

Sprint to the Finish

2009-04-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Class is over.
Marci's birthday was yesterday and Ben's is tomorrow. Two of my best friends. I'm in charge of the festivities. Stress anyone? I'm not the world's best party planner, and thus my paranoia of failed parties haunts me even in my dreams. They're worth it though. Well worth it.
All of my final stuff is jammed into today, Monday, and Tuesday. I'll be finished Wednesday but I'm sticking around until the weekend to spend some final bonding time with friends that are going their long-distance separate ways. Want to know a secret? I haven't gone to bed for 2 days. I've been with Marci almost nonstop since... I can't remember. Best ever. I lof her. lof lof lof lof lof her. I'm tiiiiiiiiiired.

Picture Update - Semester 1 of college

2009-02-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Geegs and I dancing in the rain outside of Ben and Steph's house.
Dressed up for a stake dance (75 percent of the clothes they're wearing are mine... shocker)
Ben and I at a bonfire up the canyon.
post-paint dance
Chloe, Me, and Hayley on Halloween -- Extreme Ping Pong team

rollercoaster at Disneyland over Christmas break

yay

Amino Acids much?

2009-02-03T08:30:00.001-08:00

Ask me if I care about amino acids, just ask...

No... No, I really don't.

I get to sit in this class and listen to my teacher ramble about our beloved amino acids every other day. Maybe I will learn to appreciate them, and love them for what they are... our precious little amino acids.

sleep is overrated

2009-01-30T01:04:00.001-08:00

i'm going to slit my wrists and do push ups in salt water if i have to pull another all-nighter this week guzzling diet cokes and wishing i wasn't so terrible at college. back to work now.

little things

2009-01-27T15:40:00.002-08:00

The longer I've been at college, the more often I realize/acknowledge those nice little things in life. Those little things that bring a smile to your face like your best friend's laugh, or an awkward moment with a stranger, or making new friends. Thank goodness for the little things.

Luxurious Living

2008-12-09T01:04:00.001-08:00

So it's finally finals week, go team! Things aren't too bad yet. Tomorrow is going to be super productive tho so I'm really looking forward to it, genuinely.
So here are some tidbit updates:

Boys suck. What's new tho? :)
Being a girl is hard.
College is hard, but the right friends can get you through anything.
The church is true.
Moving is a harder than I ever comprehended.
Family = :)
It's way too easy to gain weight, and way too hard to lose it.
It's impossible to not be selfish at college.
Losing your tweezers is a bigger deal than expected.
Everybody struggles with the same things, just in different ways.

Things I'm currently addicted to:
Pizza Plus breadsticks
Pony Express
Kanye West's new cd
"Single Ladies" by Beyonce
Sweatpants
Diet Coke

Living in the dorms aka The Ghetto never ceases to be an adventure. A week ago a few of our friends woke up to a drug bust going on 3 doors down from us. It basically went down from 1 to 3 in the morning, and of course my roommate and I slept through the whole thing. We sleep with a fan on so we don't even hear each other.
It's finals week so it's quiet hours 24/7 and your first warning is a 50 dollar fine. Of course the girls next door to us are so loud that they were already fined once and apparently haven't learned their lesson because they were yelling and laughing raucously only a few hours later. Honestly? Please.
The floor I live on (4th) consists mostly of Dominicans. We decided they don't sleep. Ever. At any random hour of the night, if we go out into the hall we can see them running back and forth to and from each other's rooms and can hear their laughter and their music playing... 24/7. It will be interesting to see if any of that changes this week since it's finals week.
I finally got my computer fixed and it's almost back to the way I like it. Finally!

BLAH

2008-11-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

I'm just waiting for things to stop getting harder.
So my laptop crashed a while ago. Still trying to get a hold of Dell to fix it. So I go on campus to do homework for hours everyday.

I learned this week that boys can make or break you, or do both. Gotta love 'em. ha.

I went to Salt Lake this weekend. It was a good trip, I took Marci to get her new car and have Thanksgiving with her family cuz it was the only time they could all be together. They pretty much forced me to come to their dinner. It was really good but I still felt a little out of place. It was way nice of them, and Marci's parents are so cool. I spent the night at Ben and Steph's house, and of course had a blast. They have a gift for making me feel happy and so so so loved. But then somewhere along the way I misplaced my wallet and thus at this point have no drivers license, zero money, no room key to get into my room, and no usu id so I can't print anything off. I'm lucky I even got on a computer. Top it all off, the guy sitting next to me is picking his nose. Honestly people, I thought we were in college. Good thing I'm going home to see my very best friend Teagan Nicole Larsen for the first time in more than 5 weeks and I'll be home in approximately 9 hours!!! AHH! I'm so excited I have butterflies. This week is going to be great, and really productive.

Fight Back

2008-11-17T21:29:00.000-08:00

So I'm still at college. I haven't dropped out yet, surprisingly! Haha just kidding. I showed college what's up today, I did 3 math assignments (turned 6 in) and wrote 3 papers. I'm about to start another paper. Go me.
I'm pretty sure I mentioned Marci, my friend from Connections. She and I have gotten really close, and we're pretty much best friends. I'm with her everyday, several times a day. I still love my old best friends but it's definitely hard being away. I am almost counting down the hours until I am home for Thanksgiving, a week from today! AHH! I will post pictures soon. My computer crashed a few weeks ago so everything I do is in a computer lab. I seriously cannot wait to be home and see all of my friends. It will be a great week.

Yup.

2008-11-03T10:11:00.001-08:00

College is kicking my trash. I hate it. It's good too, though. That's pretty much it.

Please Sir, may I have some more?

2008-10-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well, those of you who read my last blog noted at the bottom that I was so so very excited to go to the cabin with Teagan this past weekend. Funny how things just never seem to work out.

I came home early Friday so that we could leave early to the cabin. I got into town and went straight to Teagan's mom's new shop inside the new ballet studio that Teagan dances at. She and I went to my house to raid the pantry for food for the weekend, and then we headed up to her house. She threw her stuff together and Katelyn and Lindsay met up with us. Katelyn had to work Saturday so she was going to follow us in her car. Teagan and I took her Audi that she had just gotten out of the shop after months of putting in a new engine, and Katelyn and Lindsay followed behind us in Kate's Jetta. We set off, picked up some good old Mickey D's on the way out of town, and were on our way. I was SO happy, riding in the car I loved, with my best friend, looking forward to a whole weekend with her. We passed through Ashton and started up Ashton Hill. The roads were wet, and we couldn't tell very well if it was slick or just wet, so we were going about 45 or less. As we got higher up the hill, it got more slick. We were coming around a bend in the road, and the semi in front of us started to fish tail. Not wanting to crash into him, Teagan started tapping the brakes, and we started to fish tail too. A little to the left.... a little more to the right.... really far to the left, and then we were gone. We slid out of control across the highway and flew off a steep bank, catching air in the newly rebuilt Audi. I looked over at Teagan as the car and the ground were reintroduced, just in time to see her fly up rag doll style and smack her head on the windshield. I can't tell you how horrible it was. I thought she was dead. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt...I was. We kept sliding and I stared at the trees as they came closer and closer until our 2 right tires caught and we rocked up on 2 wheels on my side, and came crashing back down. We sat there for two seconds in silence before we caught our breath. Teagan leaned forward holding her head and groaned. I checked to see if she was ok.. She leaned her head back on the headrest and pointed to the windshield. There was a star bigger than a dinner plate where her head had hit. Talk about a sickening feeling. Just then some guys ran up and opened the back door. I told them she had hit her head. They sat her chair back and checked for blood... all the while I sat there feeling like a failure of a lifeguard for all that stupid first aid training I had gone through, I had no idea what to do. They told us there was an emergency vehicle on its way, and then went back to their truck to wait for it. Teagan told me to call her dad so I did and calmly explained what had happened and he said he was on his way in their 4 runner. Teagan was crying next to me and I was terrified she was hurt badly. Just then Kate and Lindsay ripped open my door panting and asked loudly if we were ok They had had a hard time slowing down, and had sprinted about a half mile. I was fine, and I told them that Teagan had hit her head. They ran to her side and by that point we were all crying. They shoved the spilled food over and crammed into the backseat. We sat there for a while and Kate and Lindsay decided to go back to their car because it was running and the heat was on. Our car was really cold, but we didn't want to move Teagan. She was doing ok, but her head hurt really bad, and I still hadn't convinced myself that she was ok. I had to keep hugging her to believe she was alive. We sat there waiting for the ambulance. I wrapped her in extra sweatshirts and her Little Mermaid blanket, wishing I had brought my matching Batman blanket. We talked about how lucky we were, how close we were to the trees. There was a pole that we had somehow jumped AROUND, no joke. I was surprisingly calm, just worried out of my mind. I felt like it was my fault, all of it, because if it hadn't been for me and my stupid cabin, we wouldn't have been there in the first place. The ambulance finally arrived and the 4 of us went in with Teagan. They checked her out and we warmed up after sitting in the freezing Audi for 45 minutes. Teagan's parents had kept in contact with me, calling and texting to get updates and let us know where they were. Finally they arrived and my reaction was not what I expected. Here were these two people I loved, respected, and admired. They were friends to me. They trusted me with their daughter, trusted me to take care of her, keep her safe... and I felt like I had failed them. So I kinda started to lose it... and then it was time to go. I went with Katelyn and Lindsay, and Teagan went with her parents. There goes my fun weekend. Go team.
We're lucky we're alive and walked away from the crash pretty much untouched. Doesn't mean I'm not messed up about it, but I'm just glad she's alive. If something worse had happened to her, I would never have forgiven myself.

Week from You-Know-Where

2008-10-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last week was my first real killer week of college. I had 2 papers due and 3 tests in my hardest classes. What a doosy. I did pretty well on everything, and my best test score was a 100%. Go me.

To finish off this great week, I picked up a killer cold on Friday, which kicked my trash all weekend.

And as the cherry on top, yesterday was pretty much horrible. I had sorta had a fling with a boy, who then decided he only wanted to be friends with benefits (I wasn't sure if I was up for that) then changed his mind and didn't even want to be friends with me, then he decided we should be friends. Pretty ridiculous. At the same time, one of my best guy friends and I had a ridiculously awkward conversation due to a miscommunication between us. He thought that I had a thing for him, and that he had hurt my feelings by telling me that he kissed a girl this weekend. Hahaha. It was funny, but horrible. So I explained that I didn't really like him, and that my odd reaction to his story was caused by a painful text from boy drama #1. Then he told me that HE has a thing for ME. Ok. Awkward. Good thing I think awkward situations are hilarious, because otherwise I probably would have freaked out... or something. I don't know. So my day continues on, and that night Marci was force feeding me a drink of water and poured it all over me, so we fought with the cup. I had her phone in my hand, and when we ran to the sink to fill the cup up, I didn't notice it slip out of my hand. After we had doused each other in water, we realized her phone was missing. After calling it a few times, you can guess where we found it. In a pot of water in the sink. Don't you just love that sickening feeling where your stomach drops to the ground and you feel like a horrible person that should go hide under a rock? Well, we dried it out, and it works just fine today, so hallelujah for that.
Today is my chill day, with only one class in the morning. After class I got ready to go work out, and then fell asleep for 2 hours. So when I'm finished posting, I'm going. Haha.
I'm counting down the days until this weekend, when my best friend Teagan Nicole Larsen and I get to take a road trip up to my cabin, just the two of us, and party like there's no next week. :)

Address

2008-10-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

So, since I am no longer permanently living at 559 Masters, maybe y'all would want my new address. For my immediate family that already have it, there is one change.

Stormie Hulet
7404 Valley View Tower
Logan, UT 84321

(fam - there's no underscore between the 7 and 4)

If you feel at all inclined to send me letters, pictures, packages of sweet lovin', they are all more than welcome.
Loves.

Home Sweet Home...kinda

2008-09-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Stu and I
Ben and I
Teag and I dancing in the rain in SLC at Ben and Steph's house
Happy birthday to me...

Here is my cozy little dorm room. Hooray...

Starting Over

2008-09-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am kicking it at college. It so different from what I imagined it would be. It's so hard and so fun at the same time.
I'm taking 17 credits, 3 of which I am already finished with.
My classes are pretty good. I wish a little bit that I had taken one less class, but its ok. I can totally handle it.
My English teacher is a graduate student who is...unique. She sweats...a lot, and she piles her hair on the very top of her head and pins it there every single day. She tries to fit in with us and be our teacher at the same time and it doesn't really work because she is a little odd so sometimes there are very awkward silences, but at least it's entertaining. She wants us to value writing so much that she bought all 20 of us composition notebooks...and glued grandma quilt fabric to the covers. Wow. Thanks.
My math class is alright. The teacher is way better than my other friends'. He teaches at a high school and comes over after just to teach our class. He has a good sense of humor, and the class is small enough that he knows us all by name. His sisters know Star because he grew up in IF and his family all went to Hillcrest. I got really lucky.
I'm taking Creative Arts, and 2 of my connections girlfriends, Heather and Marci, are in it with me. It's one of the biggest classes at Utah State. It's really cool. It's a lot about the philosophy of art and design right now. We are required to go to a bunch of different shows throughout the semester. I'm pretty excited for those too. I went to High School Musical last night with Marci. It was better than I thought it would be, but still cheesy.
I'm also in a Hip Hop class. Yeah, that's right. Hahaha. It is SO FUN. I don't know anyone in it, but I talk to the people around me. We start by running around and jumping and all this stuff, and we work out our abs A LOT (which I love) and our arms and legs...all on beat to hip hop songs. It's seriously like the best thing ever for me. The second half of the class we learn a routine. That is something I am quite terrible at. My memory is so horrible that they teach a step and move on to the next one and I already can't remember the last one. It's really challenging that way since I have absolutely no experience in learning routines (something I regret a lot, not doing dance). But I think I'm going to keep taking dance classes throughout my college experience since that is more fun than any of the other classes I can think of.
And my other class is Intro to Park and Rec. It's mostly upperclassmen for some reason even though its an intro class, so I feel a little out of place, but hey, no worries.

Surprisingly, I've made quite a few friends up here. I did a leadership conference before school started, and a class just for freshman, and met most of my friends at those. I got lucky and really have met some of the coolest people ever here. I spend a lot of time with my 2 guy friends that live in the building next door, Ben and Stu. I also hang with the 3 girls I met in my Connections class a lot. Heather (I call her Hammer Time) got called to be relief society president of her ward, and I can't imagine anyone who could be better for the job. She's so amazing. Marci (I call her My Little Martian) is a goof who thinks I'm funny and laughs at all of my lame jokes... I like people like that. :) and Mary (I call her M-rizzle) is overly involved in school, just like I am/was. The 4 of us clicked like a seat belt and we've been tight ever since. So fun.

So on to bigger and better news, last night was True Aggie Night. Basically, to become a true aggie, you have to kiss someone who is already a True Aggie on the A at midnight on the full moon night. Quite humorous. It has become such a popular tradition that they now have line barriers and a dj. So I went with some friends... My friend Clarke initiated me, and then I turned around and initiated my friend Ryan. It was his first kiss so he was pretty nervous so I just kept it simple. :P My friend Paul showed up late, so I got back in line and initiated him. It was vveerrryyy good. Ha ha ha, if you get what I mean... Maybe it was just because I was getting less nervous and more used to it, but I really enjoyed that one. Ben and Stu blew me crap about the fact that I had kissed 3 guys in one night, but I didn't care, because they didn't know that those 3 guys were my first 3 real kisses. Hahahahaha. Go big or go home, right? Anyway... Super fun. Lovin' college. Go Aggies!

Fun in the Sun

2008-07-31T11:06:00.000-07:00

So since I just joined this blog business, I thought I would do a little recap on what's happened so far this summer. I've had some most excellent adventures. I'll just start at the beginning and work my way through --

Kellan got his mission call! CANADA! Woo!

My trip to San Diego...

It started in Salt Lake, with my cousins Brooke and Matt taking me to a Salt Lake ReAL game. Spectacular.

Part two of the trip: In San Diego...

We went to the beach...

(This is Soleil, my favorite niece ever)

We chilled at the Bramwell house...

This is my nephew Caden and I sporting the trendy headbands.

Like nephew, like aunt, right? Something like that....

Next we hit up Sea World...

I want one of these...

Next was the most excellent Padres game, with the best seats in the house...

Yes...that is our food resting on the Padres dug out.. The COOLEST

It was a blast to hang with the Bramwells. I miss them all the time. My favorite days are ones when Sunshine calls and Caden leaves messages on our machine at home. Too cute. It was a totally awesome girls week, Star and I chillin in San Diego with Sunshine. Sistas fo sho.

Next cool event in my summer was the Skiller 5k Fun Run. As some of you may know, one of my good buddies Skylar Johnson passed away earlier this year. He was a member of the cross country team so as a fund raiser for his scholarship, the team put on an awesome run at a local park. It was great to see so many people show up and support the cause. I miss him all the time.

This is he and I on the way to Poky for a choir trip.

Anyway, on to happier things....

My next awesome adventure was going to the Playmill in West Yellowstone with my friend Jake Welker and his whole family.

This is Jake being sung to for his birthday in front of the whole theater. Hilarious.

Moving right along to the Hulet fam reunion! Holla!

I always thought Stephanie and Ben were way too cool for me, but they befriended me

and made the fam reunion into a bangin party! Now I have 2 close cousins to love and look

up to just as much as I do with my siblings. Thanks guys.

Hahahahahaha....that's all I have to say

Next my good buddy Zach Zorn (ZZ) asked me to go on his first date with him (which we had actually been planning on for months....we actually have a wedding date set already. 12/13/14.

The main event of the date was mini golfing. Our skills are almost at the same level as Tiger's...

The next major and wicked awesome adventure was my trip to Phoenix, AZ with Steph and Ben.

Too fun.

Things I learned on the trip:

#1 Salsa on toast is GOOD.

#2 Steph has some spectacular dance moves.

Work it, girl!

#3 Trying to gorge yourself on Goldfish goes in two steps...

Step 1...The Stuffing

Step 2....The Regurgitation (into Ben's hand)

I definitely had a blast and will not forget it. I'm so glad they invited me. Other events in the trip included shopping at Last Chance where Steph and I both got designer jeans for 60 and 30 bucks. Booyah. We hit up a D-backs game, went swimming in bath water pools (nice and warm), and played awesome games up the heazy. Super. Loves.

My Posse

2008-07-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Teagan "Geegers" Larsen

(Bff)

Kristin "Coomzy" Coombs

Craig "Craigeth" Steiner

Hayley "Heazy" Jo Reese
&
Joy "Yoj" Cooper

Allie "Alvan" Van Kampen

Bracken "Ban Ban" Bateman

Kenye "Kanye" George

Devri "Devrizzle" Redford

Brian "Miss Kiss" Anderson

(left to right)

Shanntel Howell, Chante "Ashanti" Mackintosh, Lindsay "Woodstock" Woodland,

Osama, Katelyn "Kate Face" Hill, Caitlin "Ballzy" Ball

Courtney "Steeders" Steed

Holla at me

2008-07-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

I decided since I'm all grown up and graduated from high school that I can get a blog to keep in touch with all my old married friends. :) just kidding, but it's kinda true. Plus, I tend to forget to keep people informed of what's going on in my life, so now if they want to know they have a way. Yay for that.