good weekend

I had a good weekend! life is much better!

Mick got out of the veteran's hospital this friday.
it was weird to go there because there were a lot of people who had limbs missing. whereas, at a regular hospital, people look "whole" they just have more viruses or blood on them ... yes. oh, and apparently, the VA hospital loves jesus. I heard a lot of "god bless yheard?" and the like when i got my salad in the cafeteria.

i played wallyball on saturday. wallyball is basically like volleyball but, y'know, with walls. we went to the tanners house and they built a racquetball court inside their house (hey, why not?). plus, they had this adorable dog that was white and tiny. i thought i hated small dogs because they tend to be yippy, ill behaved, etc. but this dog was superb. im kinda bummed that my generalizations dont hold up sometimes. (KEY WORD: sometimes).

ashley went to church this sunday! during sacrament (its completely quiet in the singles ward i go to), there were these guys two rows back. they were whispering. and you know, how when you sing in church, you cant really hear the ppl in front of you sing, but if you have an american idol reject belting out "As I Have Loved You" behind you, then you hear them? Well, I think they didnt know that when you are behind someone, your whispers tend to carry forward. So I heard him whisper, "dude, that girl directly in front of us is really hot." I about died laughing. I told Ash what he said and she was like "Who was he talking about?" And i said, "either me or you or that girl beside us." Later on, we talked to the church whisperer ... and he basically told ashley she was "so hot".
Another case solved.

Also, we went to dharmesh's house to play board games! don came with. i still love apples to apples, but i also like sequence. thats my new game i like. but i still kind of hate rummikub. there's a burping/seal thing that happened which i dont want to get into right now.

All the other stuff that happened went in my personal journal that i have to write in. So refer to it for the annotations and the judgmentalness, and hotness, and all around "good stuff".

but .. but ... you guys shared cookies.

I hope this isnt tacky. The fact that I wrote that previous sentence tells me that, in fact, yes this will be tacky.

Anyways, this LDS couple that I dont really know broke up.

Im just a little surprised because
A. they made a cute couple Yes it deserves its own letter.
B. I saw the male hug and swing the girl around in a circle. Straight up The Notebook style, youknowwhutImsayin. If a bitter person saw that they would have had no problem rolling their eyes and saying, "COME ON. GIVE ME A BREAK."
C. I SAW THEM EAT COOKIES TOGETHER


ITs completely strange for me to see two completely normal looking LDS folks date for awhile and not automatically get hitched. It's just weird.
Im used to seeing the first serious boyfriend becoming someone's eternal companion.
So I kinda admire them for knowing what they want. Or dont want.
And, on the other hand, Sharon and I gmailed today about how its okay to "settle" (in the way THIS article means to settle). I would go more into this but I dont want to get too technical and backtrack everything Im saying. Suffice to say, I just hope that they didnt throw away something really special over something real petty.

I have just seen far too many divorces from LDS people (sealed in the temple, btw) who married for the sake of getting married in their teens and not make it to their 5 year anniversary. Without even trying, I can think of five couples that didnt make it, temple marriage and all. It seems like most of them, a partner just simply wasnt happy. No money or cheating or "fell out of love" issues. Just both partners werent giving it their all.

Dont mean to brag but I honestly think I can go the distance with a willing participant (male human, preferably).
I'm loyal like a freakin dog. When Im in a relationship, Im not even tempted to resolve things through "giving up" or check out other guys. But, I do date up. Which automatically means the guy has the short end of the schtick.
But for real yo. Even with my friends - they are mainly ones I met in middle school. I still hang out with friends that have babies and husbands. I CARE I CANT HELP IT!

Once we're tight I'll never let you go. [insert psycho music]

Church part of my weekend.

Saturday
I went to the YSA conference. LAME. Except for a few parts. And one really awesome part. Oh. Don comes up to me and says "I have something for you." And I'm thinking he's going to give me something like flowers or Apples to Apples but NO. He opens up his trunk and gives me 3 plastic grocery bags full of glass bottles. Ragu sauce and stuff. What I've always wanted. I make one comment about recycling glass around him and now I'm known as the dumpster lady. In all honesty, I was really glad that he brought the glass for me to recycle for him. He's a surprising guy. Sometimes. He still has the tact of a Caterpillar Tractor at times (worst analogy ever). He danced with this Asian girl that had graduated college and he told me he was about to tell her that Asians tend to age well because she looked a lot younger than that. . . .

I also got kinda bored at the testimony meeting and I wanted to get gas sooner rather than later ... so I left the testimony meeting. I went to WalMart and just bought Apples to Apples for myself. I dont know when I'm going to be around more than 3 or 4 people to play it, but I'll have the game with me just in case now. All is well.

I saw Stone Mountain behind the WalMart and I kinda wanted to drop by but I didnt because I was by myself and Stone Mountain isnt really a by yourself type of place.

I knew that the new Hindu Mandir was closeby. So I tried to use my VZ Navigator to find it. The new Mandir is the largest in the USA and really beautiful, ornate, and marble-y. I was hoping it was open till about 9 so I could take my shoes off and drop inside for a bit. But my VZ Navigator took me somewhere that wasnt it. I ended up at this Hindu Temple that looked like the edge of a clown drum - red and yellow triangles painted on the sides. It was pretty tacky. Might be beautiful to the Hindus though. I should have searched for a Publix that was closeby. Since I remember the Publix right next to the Mandir that I wanted to go to. . . .

(I just got off the phone with my mom. I told her I went to the YSA Conference and she goes, "[in a southern accent] What? You went to the gay concert?")

Some of the guys I talked to were just insufferably, uh whats the right word?, dense? I seriously have a better time talking to myself in a mirror. Lets just hope they were nervous or maybe 13 years old that snuck into the dance.
But not all the guys were like that. I'm mainly thinking of the Clay Aiken look alike (the one that held my hand really weird and had his other hand up my armpit while we were dancing ... that one.)

Sunday
So I went to church ready to learn about Jesus. And, UHHHH!, I could hardly focus because of this hot mess of a man sitting front right of me. GEEZ. What is a girl supposed to do?

Oh, and I found out TWO MORE AWESOME PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO TX!! What is up with this MADNESS? :( Boo. Boo on TX and it's Galveston beaches.

The third speaker in church (dont remember his name) seemed not to be saying much but I felt his message. For some reason I almost teared up while he was talking. But I always do that. I am surprised when I dont bust out crying during the National Anthem sometimes.

I also talked to this girl at church named Katie. I am 90% sure she's some kind of deaf. Most of this validation came from the fact when I whispered and told her "I'll be right back" and she points to her ear and says, "I cant hear." So Im pretty sure I'm right.

YSA Conference?

Okay I havent been to a church dance in a really long time. So Amy wanted to go to the YSA Conference and I will definitely go with her. And now I cant get a hold of her and dont really have any plans tonight .... DO I GO? I dont know ANYONE. I mean, of course I know people. But I dont KNOW anyone. I need someone to talk to during the times when people are talking to the other people they know. JEEZ. Im not really a wall flower dont make me one now LIFE. Ugh, Im preliminarily freaking out. This is so unnecessary.

I havent SSLLLLLOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW danced in forever. Since my last church dance. (well, Ive certainly danced with guys but not in the church dance way). ANd I remember the last times not really getting asked to dance too much (I think my hair scared them off ... or maybe it was the folded arms and scowl? who knows with men they are so fickle). I've gained weight. Are they going to notice? Like through my shirt? Better wear my sweatshirt ... y'know. The thick dark blue one. In the dark, no one will be able to see me.
I wish it was all classes and no socializing. That would be fun. Kind of like school. Or institute. But without that time after Institute where you make plans to go eat hot dogs and whatnot. Man, socializing isnt like subbing. If no one volunteered, I just called on their name and made them do it. If you want to "pass out papers" in the real world of socializing, you need to move out of slow lane and do it yourself (worst analogy ever).

Maybe I should go to the mall and buy two new shirts to ease my nerves.
Yes.
I'm feeling better already.

Wait, no seriously. Do I just stand there by myself if no one is talking to me? Is that what you do? I've never been in the position where I dont know anyone that much at a church dance. shopping. shopping shopping will make it all go away.

Forgiveness!

Okay wow.
It seems like some of the more grand decisions about going to church that I've made have been 'verified' by something that happened after I made the decision.
I know that HF wants me to be in church at this time. Or perhaps He knew I was ready to come back at this time. (Who's to say that I'm supposed to be in the NP ward at THIS time ... I might not have been ready to come back during previous times so this time automatically becomes the time I was supposed to come back ... and perhaps there isnt any specific reason ... just the reason that I should be in Church.) Well anyways.

**I just reread this part & it kinda reads like the Princess Bride: Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. Im just a lot less clever. Carry on.**

A few weeks ago, I really didnt want to go to church. Then I just went. And a hot guy sat near me. TOTALLY worth it.

Okay and then I went to Church this past Sunday and I wasnt plan on going because I was sick, I looked bad, I need to lose 10 lbs, etc. But I went. And then I just had this random thought that I needed to follow up with the Bishop about where I was in terms of the sacrament. And then I just ran into the guy that schedules interviews with the Bishop and he said there was an open slot right after Church (bc we all know I probably wouldnt have made it if I had to do it a Tuesday night or something).

So I went to Sunday School AND THE LESSON WAS ON CONFESSING AND FORGIVENESS! Now, I know if I had prepared and read the lesson I would have maybe automatically known that. But I didnt.

And with some of the stuff in the past that has happened to me, I know that I am supposed to be a member of this Church. Uhh, and not just that the Church is true, but that I should learn about repentance and justice versus mercy. Like I've gone deeper than the whole "Is the Church true?" question ... but onto specific dogma that I am not really seeking out to find out the truthfulness of ... but that through diligence and random following through of ideas in my head ... that I've grown to receive a strong testimony about.

The evidence is just too overwhelming. And I know I'm rambling.

So I have the song "The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley in my head. Because of the part thats like "Forgiveness!" over and over again. But I think the song is actually about lost/unrequited love. And how Don Henley forgives the person who doesnt love him anymore. Not exactly the type of forgiveness that I was talking about.

"LOL?"

Okay so during Sunday School, I opened up to the chapter we were told to go to. And I sometimes I write stuff in the side margins of my scriptures (y'know to fit in and to pretend like I read them if other people share). And I had underlined (I dont have them with me so dont strike me down for this horrible retelling) a part of the scripture that said - hey this dude is so worthless, a shirt in a furnace (ie, not a shirt) would be worth more than him. And in the margin I had wrote "LOL?"

And of course Flavio saw it and started laughing.
Because who writes internet acronyms in their scriptures?