passing notes

2010-05-05T19:34:00.001-07:00

It's almost been a year since I last posted here--okay it's been only a little more than half a year, but whatever. Anyways, I must direct you to my new blog that is more or less just me posting things that inspire me. I tend to post fifteen times one day and then none the next. It's like life: very unpredictable. Enjoy.

Daily Inspiration

FACT: This is a blog.

2009-10-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

Let's talk facts.

FACT: I have neglected this little guy for quite some and it's starting to eat at my soul. (Okay, I don't know how much the eating at you soul part is fact....) I rarely have time to write in my personal journals, how could I possible find the time to blog my life away? And, to be quite honest, I have a rough time deciphering between what is blog-worthy material and what is personal-journal-worthy material. Man, it's tough, k?

FACT: I am five minutes from using my blog as advertising space and talking about.....maybe I should wait another four and a half minutes so that this "fact" is actually FACT. (Play Jeopardy song here) I know, I know--you're thinking, "What's the point of reading this girly-o's blog if she's going to sporadically post about meaningless stuff and then leave us hanging for five months for some substance. Well, to be quite honest, how much super dooper meaningful stuff is really blogged about? I'd say that's personal journal kinda stuff. :D

FACT: I am a huge Zinch nerd now that I have been working there for, what?, three months or less? I just really love the place, and, gimmie a break, how could you not? Talk about an easy-going, exciting (on good days), movement-making, up-to-date-with-teens kinda place, yeah?

FACT: Zinch just narrowed down their entries for the Ammunition for Tuition I scholarship and asked the semi-finalists to post a 140 character or less essay on how they are more than a test score on Twitter or Facebook. Yeah, man, we're tech savvy and hip. :D Wanna see? http://twitter.zinch.com/

FACT: I am way tired and should be going to bed now.

FACT: I need to catch up on some homework and sleep and life. I haven't even taken the time to really ask myself "How are you doing?" lately. Too busy asking others. They really matter more, to be honest. :D

Love ya.

a moment

2009-07-30T21:52:00.001-07:00

Whoa. I think this is awesome.

kg

2009-07-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Her voice, her lyrics, her looks. Man, this girl has a lot going for her. Just listen to some of her lyrics. Really? Her voice is so beautiful it breaks my heart.

thug story

2009-07-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hilarious..... :D

i'm stunted

2009-07-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yet again, not having a driver's license has stunted me...and my life.

You should know I am on the job hunt. Looking for a job to take up my time, give me some good experience, help me meet new people, and....of course, get me some extra cash. :D A new macbook pro is not cheap, my friends. :\ Anyways--ignore that tangent--so I had an interview yesterday (and today and tomorrow) for what I thought was a secretary position in the Theatre and Media Arts department on campus. Well, I get to the interview at 9:30am (today's interview was at 10am and tomorrow's interview is at 10:30am...what is this?) and the woman tells me that I'm actually going to be applying for a different position they are looking for because they think I am more qualified for this other position. It's a student assistant position and I'd be collecting videos for professors to use in the department, doing office work, and doing some graphic design. So, I interview and I think it goes well. I'm a little quirky and my weird personality shines through and the three ladies interviewing me laugh....a lot....at me or with me, I'm still not sure. At the end of the interview they tell me I will hear back from them on July 20. WAY too long of a time to hear back, but whatever, she's going out of town. I say bye and am out the door.

I go to devotional at 11am and during devotional I get a voicemail from the woman who is in charge of the position I interviewed for (not applied for) and she says I should call her back. When I get out of devotional I listen to the voicemail and call her. She wants to offer me the position! We talk about the specifics and then she goes "Oh, and do you have a valid driver's license?" ...................... No. (in case you don't know, I never really learned how to drive in Texas and then I was going to up here and then take the test back in Texas because here you have to take the driver's ed course--$300--and I wasn't willing to do that) This results in me having to turn down the job and her apologizing for not telling me earlier. "I should have put that on the job description!" (but that would not have helped me because I didn't apply for this position in the first place...haha)

Then, I call my best friend and chat her up about the whole thing. How I had a job and didn't in, oh, about five minutes...... :[ Then the lady calls back and I switch lines. "Hi, it's me again. I was just wondering....would you consider getting a driver's license?" I explain to her the situation about driver's ed and she sounds disappointed. (me too, lady, me too) I told her how I plan to get it when I go back to Texas. "So, when do you think you'll be going back to Texas...???" (persistence, indeed) I tell her not any time soon and apologize yet again. "Well, we were just really impressed and thought you'd fit really well here, but you cannot take the job without a driver's license."

SAD DAY :[

WIsh me luck on the job hunt? And keep your eyes open, mmmmmmmkay?

Do not be mine

2009-02-02T23:04:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I've been thinking about Valentine's Day lately and then I remembered this article that I wrote during my junior year of high school (2007). It's funny. You should read it. :D

Do not be mine

By Emily Chien

According to History.com, who received their information from American Greetings, Saint Valentine was a priest who illegally wed couples during the third century in Rome when Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage. Another theory states that Saint Valentine was the first person to ever write a “valentine” greeting signing the card “From your Valentine.”

I find it suspicious that the information about Valentine’s Day on the web was given from a greeting card company, and though I do not doubt the truth in the material I still believe that the holiday was formed by the companies themselves.

Along with Secretary’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day is considered a “Hallmark Holiday,” which is a day created by card companies who benefit from the holiday more than others.

Welcome to the United States, where we compete with our neighbors for who has the brightest Christmas lights, who has the biggest SUV and who has the most expensive engagement ring. It is not a surprise to walk around the school on Valentine’s Day and see large balloons, bags of candy and sometimes bright, new jewelry.

A holiday that is supposedly about love is sure causing a lot of business for candy companies, greeting card makers and flower shops. I was under the impression that it was only the thought that counts.

Valentine’s Day is only a gimmick to feed America’s need for materialism. If one thinks it is only the teenagers who wrap themselves up in the holiday, then think again. Parents encourage their children to expect flashy and higher quality gifts that are not appreciated. By purchasing them unreasonable items with huge price tags that go to waste, parents are feeding their children’s materialistic nature.

It is apparent that Valentine’s Day is a holiday believed to be for appreciating and loving your significant other. Yet, I still see middle school and high school students spending $50 or more on their boyfriends or girlfriends.

I know there are many of my peers who believe that they are madly in love with their boyfriend or girlfriend, but odds are they will be with another person by the end of the year.

No longer is a romantic dinner at home enough, lately one has to incorporate candy, flowers, jewelry and no telling what else your significant other wants for the special day. The belief in Valentine’s Day is ridiculous. It seems as if teenagers are using this holiday to parade around the fact that they are gullible enough to believe buying their current boyfriend or girlfriend an expensive gift will fix all their problems.

advertisements really work

2009-01-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

Usually I ignore the ads on the side of my Facebook homepage. That is until last night (2 am) happened and I saw an ad for Pizza Hut's new Tuscani lasagna and how you can win a trip to Italy. What was the first thought in my head?

I want lasagna.

So, I said this to my room mates.

And so we went to Smith's (24 hours, baby!) and bought some frozen lasagna.......

I had a good night.

Okay so i just found

2009-01-27T14:50:00.001-08:00

Okay so i just found out to post a blog post from my phone through text message. Oh man this is the coolest thing. :D

water spitting

2009-01-20T22:48:00.000-08:00

That is Mike ecstatic over his lovely presents that V and yours truly found at the BYU bookstore today. It was like Mike Appreciation Day or something, don't ask. If ya knew the kid.... HAHAHA, man he'll get a kick outta that comment. In fact, he'll get a kick outta this post being DEVOTED TO HIM! Oh man, what was that joke about me having Mike Files? Oh dear....

So, the *fancy* presents for Mike wasn't even how the day started. It actually started with a race to class (he didn't beat us, we let him win) and, wait for it............. Mike spitting/coughing/shooting water everywhere, what?! Yes, in fact he made quite the mess. If only I had a picture. BUT WAIT! I have a picture of Mike mid-bite (Subway sandwich, yeah-yuh) while laughing at some probably ridiculous thing I was saying while I was super hyper.... don't judge.

Oh, priceless moments! This is definitely getting back to Holland somehow......

the vent's mother died

2009-01-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

So, I wake up this morning and am getting ready for classes, just like any other day. Leica leaves and I am the only one left in the apartment and I am doing my hair when all the sudden there is this sound of falling water. I look into my bathroom, thinking the shower is leaking, but, no, instead there is water leaking from the ceiling vent right above my toilet. And it's not just leaking it is freaking pouring! I mean, full on the vent is crying because it's mother died (this is how I described it for Vanessa) and there is water everywhere. Now, imagine if someone was on that toilet at the time.....oh my gosh, disgusting and horrible all rolled into one. Sick.

depression hurts

2008-12-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

The closing of my last entry just reminded me of the funniest thing that has happened to me through Google Chat--referred to as gchat. This is a conversation I had with my sister. The reason why I say "depression hurts" to begin with is not something I am willing to mention.

me: depression hurts

Amanda: yes it does
physically and mentally
and not just you emily
those around you too
it hurts everywhere
and you should ask your doctor
about some pills
hahahahahaha

me: hahahaha WOW, you're good

Amanda: i know right?
:D

me: i'm impressed
:D

So, whenever I say "depression hurts" (I say it a lot) I am referencing a commercial about depression and some kind of depression medication (Cymbalta--see photo). And when I said it to Amanda, she recited like the whole stinkin' commercial. She's amazing. I love her. AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER!!! So, now that I have told all my friends about this conversation, Leica and Vanessa always start reciting the commercial.

brian's request

2008-12-17T17:20:00.000-08:00

I took my Comms 101 final today in the JSB auditorium. I wish my story ended here, but it does not. I study nearly a solid two days for this final and then I go to take it and it's all weird 'cause it's not in the testing center. So, I go into the auditorium and find a seat, sit down, and realize there is no desk thing attached to it. I get up and look around for another seat, making sure that it has a desk thing attached to it. This one girl gets up from her seat and puts the desk thing down so i decide I will just take her seat. I climb past some people and sit down. I'm all ready to take my test and then I encounter problems because my jacket is so big and uncomfortable. While attempting to take it off I mange to hit the guy next to me with my elbow and he laughs a little--probably at my awkwardness. Then, halfway through the test--100 questions, took me 26 minutes--I fiddled with my earring and DROP THE BACK. It falls into my lap and I reach for it, but the more I reach, the further it goes and then it's just awkward and the guy next to me (who I hit with my elbow) looks at me like "What the crap are you doing?!" and I stop. I decide that I am just going to get it when I leave. I finish my test and while attempting to keep my seat from popping back up into a vertical position--so that I can grab my earring back--I manage to drop my pencil and, naturally, I say (a little too loudly) "Uh oh!" and the guy next to me (who I hit with my elbow) looks at me like he's officially decided I am a crazy person. I find my pencil underneath the seat of the guy next me and grab it. I gather my things--after giving up on finding my earring back--and leave. I end up getting only an 85 on the final, but the thing I am most bummed about is MY STUPID LOST EARRING BACK. This is me depressed, ladies and gents. And, you know what? Depression hurts.

ghost of a good thing

2008-12-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

Ghost of a Good Thing by emchien

So this is my new obsession, Polyvore.com. At the website you can create outfits by dragging and dropping. Get photos from anywhere on the web and use them in your outfits. Jumble them all together and this is what you get: an awesome anyday wear outfit that I am completely in love with. Yes, I put this together, and, yes, I put outfits together better on here than for myself in a store. Oh, life. This is what I do when taking breaks from studying. Because, I tend to go on five hour study rampages and need a break every now and then so that I can breath a little and now end up asleep on a chair in the Brimhall.

cap ou pas cap?

2008-12-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

Love Me If You Dare is an amazing movie. granted, I wanted to scream at the end, but it was still quite lovely. It's twisted and in french, but Julien is HOT (yes, all caps) and it's adorable, hands down. I watched it for my french class because we need four cultural activities-two can be movies-and this was one of them. I seriously recommend it to anyone...okay, maybe not anyone, but still. Guys, you probably won't enjoy it as much, but you should still give it a try. LOVELY MOVIE. The end.

P.S. The guy is hot...wait, did I already say that? :D Think a young, FRENCH, Patrick Dempsey. Dreamy. ;P

smith's during the week of thanksgiving

2008-11-26T01:09:00.000-08:00

On Monday, my apartment and our neighboring apartment participating in "Roommate Dinner" so that the two apartment could bond and just have some stress-free time together. We all made a dish for dinner and gathered at one apartment and feasted (and feast, we did).

Before heading over, Leica and I needed to go buy ingredients for our dishes (Me: salad, Leica: pie) so we stopped by our local Smith's (Kroger to you Texas people). When speeding around the foreign grocery store looking for our supplies, we encountered a strange male looking for cookie dough, I tried to point him in the right direction, but wasn't too confident in what I was telling him. A few minutes pass by and I see him again, asking another person for the location of the cookie dough. This time, I remember where it usually is and I point him the right direction (toward the cheese). A few more minutes pass by and I realize that cream cheese should be over by the cheese so head in the direction. I find the same cookie-dough-searching male looking at the cookie dough. "Ah, you were right, I found it!" he proclaimed. I just smiled and headed over to my desired dairy product. More minutes pass by and I go in search of lettuce, not even paying attention to the fact that right behind me was the produce department. My mind was in a frenzie and I wasn't thinking straight. After going in a circle, I go back to where I started and see the produce. The cookie-dough-searching male is still looking at the cookie dough and sees me pass by him. "Are you stalking me?!" he asks in a joking manner. I wasn't in the mood to joke so I stare him right in the eyes and say "Yeah" ruder than I intended to and storm off toward the lettuce.

After collecting everything, Leica and I are waiting in line to checkout and the woman in front of us with her 10 or so year old daughter realizes she forgot her wallet in the car. She runs outside and leaves her daughter inside and within minutes comes back with a wad of cash (100 dollar bills) and hands one to the cashier. Weird, I think. The boy behind us in the line keeps his hands in his hoodie pocket until he pulls out a box of popcorn and throws it on the counter. He puts his hands back in his pocket and I can hear a plastic bag being crushed in his pocket. I think again, weird, but ignore it and head for the door once our transactions are done.

At the door we nearly run into a woman in a cowboy outfit looking at the homeowners guides. She is alone, but she talks to herself about the store not having the guide she wants. As she is stopped in the middle of the exit, everyone struggles to get through and a girl about my age and an older man rush by really quickly with something inside their coats. The older man pulls a crumbled receipt from his pocket and shows it to the cowboy-dressed lady as if she is questioning his purchases, but she doesn't even work there. The lady runs into Leica and quietly apologizes. I finally exit the store and in front of me is the handicap parking where a college-aged male parks his nice Mercedes and jumps out of the car, yelling back at the girl in the passenger seat to shut up, he'll only be a minute. Leica and I head over to her car and I are followed by the girl and the older man who are hiding something in their coats. They watch us as we get into our car and drive off.

As we exited the parking lot I felt like something bad was going to happen, like we needed to get out of there fast. You know how in a movie, before something bad happens--like a bomb goes off or a man pulls out a gun--they set the scene and a bunch of weird little things happen. Like you get to know the people who are about to die, but only in short little snippets of the five minutes before their lives end. That is exactly what I felt like.

Creepy. I hope nothing bad happened.

i won the bear!

2008-11-13T20:48:00.000-08:00

What do you know, I randomly walk into the Brimhall (thanks to Brian) and it turns out there is a Communications Open House today and we walk right into it. After talking to Professor Robinson (advertising) and then going into the AdLab, I am growing interested in the advertising program. I don't know. I guess I am more creatively driven than just writing so it makes sense, but I don't know if I want to go into advertising, you know? So I think I might take Comms 230 to try it out. But then instead of only 12 credits, I will have 15. Hm. Maybe that is too much. I don't know. Blah. So confusing. Anyways, in the end it turns out we did this scavenger hunt/q&a/tour in the Brimhall and went to all the different places such as the AdLab, the Daily Universe, Eye-tracking lab, etc. And then Evann won a football and Brian won a bear. Haha. Just what they wanted.

doctor visits

2008-11-11T16:54:00.001-08:00

Costochondritis?! Shoot me.

french toast!

2008-11-10T23:02:00.000-08:00

Note(s) to self:

Make sure you have sliced cheese before making french toast
Don't burn french toast
Remember not to burn rag on stove
Don't let Vanessa take your french toast
Put on shoes before chasing Vanessa out the door to retrieve french toast
Don't wear socks outside after it just rained
Don't trust Leica when she says she can carry you on her back to YoZone
French toast isn't as good when you are eating it at YoZone in your PJs :[

Am I the only one who likes sliced cheese on their french toast? Minus my sister, of course. I think it's because my mother made it like that.

S P ^ R K

2008-11-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

What happens when you let your neighbors and roommate take over you and dress you up like a doll? This does...
And yes, this is my 'I can't believe I let them do this" face.

marriage predictions?!

2008-11-03T23:10:00.000-08:00

So, Jesse, the brave, predicted when we will all get married. Here is the list... (I say it's so not happening, but he is convinced that he's right)

1. Emily--she'll find a guy next semester and will be waiting for her one year mark to get married in the fall.
2. Vanessa--she'll meet him next semester and get married in a year to a year in a half.
3. Lori--will go for a while without dating any guys seriously and then there will be the one who sweeps her off her feet (Prince Charming).
4. Leica--she'll be focused on her career and not get married until around 25 years old.

This guy is hilarious! Just so you all know. He's our new best friend.

jesse, the brave

2008-11-03T21:30:00.000-08:00

So this guy comes to our door and asks us if Emily lives here. Being the only Emily in the apartment, I asked Emily who because I didn't recognize the guy. Turns out he was looking for Emily Wheeler and she, obviously, was not here. So, Vanessa asked if she was in our ward and he said yes so she offered to go get her ward directory and find out what apartment she was in. While Leica and I were waiting with him, we met him and found out he was Jesse from apartment 405, across the buildings and that he was looking for Emily Wheeler so that he could ask her out. (Cue excessive aw-ing from the girls) So we chatted a bit and found out how they met and how he got home from his mission not too long ago and has been lying low on the dating scene, but then he met Emily Wheeler. Too cute, right?! So, once he found out her apartment number, he went down there to sweep her off her feet!

'she's my witch'

2008-11-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

So, for Halloween I was Snow White. Yeah, except I was Kindergarten-Teacher- Snow-White and every other girl was....not. You now in Mean Girls when Cady dresses up in a normal costume and all the other girl looked like sluts? And she was confused because no one told her that Halloween was a day to dress like a slut? Yeah, well that was me. No one told me that even in Mormon Town, USA girls use this holiday to dress like a slut. There were so many girls at that Alpine Underground party that seriously...yeah. Yeah. YEAH.

my record is fourteen

2008-10-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Why do I have to sneeze so many times? Why is it really necessary for me to embarrass myself every time I sneeze? Honestly, I don't do it on purpose. And I do not want to sneeze multiple times. It's not fun when you are sitting in your Comms 101 class and you sneeze four times (I usually sneeze about seven on average, but my record is fourteen) and the whole class (84 kids) laughs at me because I am oh-so-hilarious. Then the professor says "I don't know who that was, but when I sneeze, I just let it all out in one sneeze." So, I try to explain myself, but he just keeps telling me that I should try to let it out in one instead of four. But the thing is that four is pretty darn good for me. Yet, it's one of my most embarrassing sneezing moments. (One time some guy who did drugs and drank alcohol heard me sneeze six times and said "Wow, and I thought I had problems." Excuse me, but YOU DO)

"She really will come up here if we don't go down."

2008-10-24T01:45:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this is me vomiting out my thoughts on High School Musical 3:Senior Year before they leak from my brain.

So there were two song sequences that I kind of hated because it was Kenny Ortega having way too much fun with all the money he was given to produce the movie. Can I just say that spinning sets are not fun when you are tired at 1 in the morning and just want to see the happy ending? I mean, seriously, did the tree house really have to spin and open up like a rocket ship? Because that was the idea I was getting. Best part of that whole scene: "She really will come up here if we don't go down." (You'll have to see the movie to understand)

Side note: Gabriela wears really cute dresses and those shoes on the roof/rain/waltz scene were gorgeous with a little bit of amazingly high. (Do I sound like a gay man right now obsessing over teenybopper movies to anyone or is it just me?)

I really enjoyed all of the songs this time around, there weren't any that made me want to shoot myself, unless you count the weird breathing patterns/awkward laughs of Vanessa Hudgens--who by the way sat next to my best friend's visiting teacher during sixth grade for two weeks in math class! Speaking of connections (just go with me here) I am going to start a "How many connections does Emily have to High School Musical stars?" Turns out I am going on three here. One is the previously mentioned Vanessa Hudgens co-nec-tion. Two would be that my roommate is friends with the sister-in-law of Jared Murillo who is dating Ashley Tisdale and was also on the dance crew of the first and second movie (don't know about the third). Third would be that I just tonight met a girl who went to high school with Zac Efron. Oh yes, Emily wins a little. Cue cheesy smile. (I tend to have a lot of those)

Back to the movie! (Information is LEAKING from my brain!) I am not going to lie--on second thought maybe I should...oh screw it--I definitely shed a tear when Gabriela said a certain something to Troy on the phone. (Trying not to spoil the glorious movie for anyone who will want to kill me later if I do) But, honestly, I know two unnamed people who were sitting on either side of me wiped away a little something from their eyes about two minutes after said scene...LEICA AND VANESSA. Not that I am trying to take the attention away from me shedding a tear.

This I must say: Jimmy "The Rocket" Zara was the cutest thing since little pumpkins (I like little pumpkins) until you saw the mini Chad and Troy, then my life was definitely complete. Wait, that whole scene for "The Boys Are Back" was priceless. And by priceless I mean that I wanted Corbin and Zac all to myself. Turns out so does Leica because I am pretty sure everyone in the theater heard her say "I want them.....TONIGHT." (Including the little girls in pajamas in the top row)

So, I know this is weird, but forgive me. If anyone reading this knows who Ida Bernstein is then I need to talk to you, because once you have seen this movie there is no way on God's green Earth that you can tell me Gabriela's character is not Ida to a T. A T, ladies and gentlemen. No, really. I know the real life Gabriela Montez. Except she's Mexican and Jewish... Gah, I love that girl. If she ever reads this she is going to think I am the weirdest kid ever. Wait, I think I already am.

Overall, it had its ups and its downs, but I really enjoyed it and I want to go see it again--so I can fill in the gaps in this blog post. Ha, jk. No really, it was good and I like how the lighting, the sound, the shots, it all matured from Disney Channel days. Okay, okay, I loved it. And, because Ryan has to be mentioned with is lovely performance: I love him times seven hundred million.

just keep waving

2008-10-09T20:05:00.001-07:00

Most exciting thing that happened to me today? Why, taking an ATV up to the Y today instead of going to French so that I could stand up there with 12 other blue and white clad BYU students to wave to a passing helicopter. Are you confused? So, my friend Vanessa called me yesterday and asked what I was doing today from 4 to 7. I replied nothing and so today from 4 to 7 I was on Y mountain, sitting on the white, rocky, butt-numbing, giant Y. Note to self: don't start at the bottom of the Y and climb up to the top, chances are you're going to nearly pass out and want to vomit. I seriously wanted to die up there at the top. There was this really nice guy who was also up there for the same reason (Vanessa's friend Katy works for BYU's University Communications and she does filming and editing for videos that are shown at orientation, the alumni center, and other BYU stuff so she needed some extras to stand on the Y and wave at the camera that was attached to a helicopter that was flying overhead) who was trying to help me stay awake and not pass out. My vision went all black and there was a ringing in my ears so much that all of the sounds were muted, even my own voice. The guy was trying to keep me from passing out so he kept talking to me and Leica was like 'Emily, you're really making me worried, let's just go back down to the bottom of the Y and get some water.' But I seriously could not get up and wanted to lay there forever.

So, by the time I got back down we were almost ready to starting shooting. Turns out the helicopter passed by like seven hundred times and we had to wave at it and smile like loser stereotypical BYU Mormons. Too funny, but pretty trying, especially after you nearly pass out at the top of the Y and then have to climb back down. PHEW. We waved so much, my arm nearly fell off, but we had some exciting times. Then once it was over (it took three hours) and I was freezing my butt off, we had to walk down the mountain to where the cars were.

BOUNCE!

2008-10-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Guess what I found out today. That dryer sheets are an amazing cleaning tool. Have soap scum that you can't get to go away with normal cleaners? Pull out a dryer sheet from the laundry room and just scrub away. Seriously, when my roommate told me this, I was blown away. We had this nasty stove buildup underneath the burner so we just got a dry dryer sheet and scrubbed at it and within seconds it was gone. I know I sound like an infomercial over here, but this is amazing. Maybe everyone knows about it and I am just a dork, but I was standing there, mouth agape when my roommate showed me her new discovery. Try it guys, it actually works. If you have a cleaning check coming up, this just might be your new best friend. (cue cheesy smile)
emchien

faire du pipi

2008-10-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

Today in French our quiz had the question 'Where do you go pee?' Which in itself is an awkward question, but we are learning about different rooms of the house and in France they have the W.C. with the toilet and the sink and then they have the 'salle de bains' with the shower. So the answer was supposed to be the W.C. or the toilet, but instead some girl in my class put salle de bains/toliet/the W.C. so her answer was only partially correct but she wanted the points so she argued. What you need to know about this girl is that she's really sweet and funny and pretty and because the professor is young he is always joking with us and she jokes back with him (nothing creepy though, I know how your mind is working). So Monsieur Young is like 'You pee in the shower?' and she replies with 'What?! You've never peed in the shower? Everyone pees in the shower. (turns to her friend next to her) Haven't you peed in the shower?' It was hilarious because everyone in the class was laughing and then her friend was like 'Yeah, I pee in the shower all the time.' Um, awkward. First, I don't really think peeing in the shower is normal (if you do it, don't tell me) and second I DON'T WANT TO KNOW THEY PEE IN THE SHOWER. You should have seen my professor's face. It was priceless. He got all red and was like 'Ummmmm...' So awkward, man, so awkward.
--Definitely taken from a note I wrote to Leica today :D
emchien

passing cars

2008-10-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today when we were driving home from Salt Lake City after General Conference ended I was sitting in the back seat of the car and Leica and Kade were up front. So I was just looking out the windows and observing Utah; looking at the fresh snow on the mountains and wondering how I am going to survive the cold; looking at the cars passing by and their inhabitants. At one point, I looked over at the car passing us and there was this (no offense to anyone) big black guy with his family. He caught my eye and smiled real huge. CREEPY. He looked like a nice enough guy, but still that is just weird. At another point on the 45-ish minute drive, I looked over and this guy was passing by in a car with another guy and the one driving was smiling as he passed but as he caught my eye he turned his smiled into an exaggerated frown and looked directly at me. What is with the people passing by in cars in Utah? They are weird, no doubt. Is this some kind of Conference weekend thing that, as a new member, I don't know about? Smile-or-frown-at-people-passing-by-on-I15 weekend or something? Oh boy, oh boy. Interesting car ride.
emchien

testing center creepers

2008-10-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

So I'm currently--no really, currently--sitting outside of the testing center waiting for my best friend/roommate/lover to finish her ELANG test and it is super creepy outside. People are walking around so I feel safe, but there are scary, creepy animals that are making bat/screaming children noises. This is not comforting. Even is fricken' Provo, Utah. AH. K, she is finished and so am I.
done,
emchien

sad attempt

2008-10-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Give me some time and a few days to start living, will you?
emchien