First Time Tanning!

My mom is going to think I'm crazy for blogging about tanning first thing right when I get home. This is because it was a new experience for me, and I have all these details in my head that I'm going to forget if I put it off. Have you ever been tanning? It's kinda weird. If you've read my blog for a while, you'll know that last summer I burned a TON in order to get tan (it wasn't always intentional, though), and by September I was probably the darkest I've ever been. Mom and I are trying to prepare for vacation by tanning a few times in the less than two weeks we have left, but personally I had already wanted to go tanning just to have my skin dark because I like it better that way. But of course neither of us knew what the heck we were doing - whenever tanning comes to mind I just think of the scene in Final Destination 3 where those girls get trapped in the booths and something random falls over, turning up the temperature so high that they pretty much boil. And die. It's kind of gory. But anyway, thankfully the pretty sunkissed girls who worked at the salon were blessed with a good amount of patience as they walked us through all the explanation and helped us figure out what package to get. It took about 15 minutes just to get all figured out. So kudos to them!

The actual tanning part was kinda weird. I didn't know there were so many different beds that give you different amounts/kinds of UV rays. They put me on the "Turbo" bed, which only uses UVB rays I think ... for 5 minutes, since it was my first time and I have Type 1 skin, which is the whitest and easiest to burn. If it were up to me, I would've stayed in at least another 5 minutes; who knows if I would've gotten burned or not. My skin looks exactly the same as it did before, so maybe next time I'll do 6 or 7 minutes if they don't think that's too dangerous. Immediately upon turning on the bed I sensed that familiar feeling of stuff going into your skin. It brings back happy memories of lounging out on the boat directly under the hot sun, knowing for certain that my skin was changing by the minute because the absorption feeling was so intense. I had always wondered if the tanning beds were actually hot like the sun is, and my observation was that it probably would've been a little toasty if not for the fans - good thing they have those.

Final Destination: This chick dies, but I won't.

For all my five minutes in the bed I basically just stared at the "ceiling" in an almost stupor, as I was a little freaked out by the whole thing. Looking through the goggles was similar to having your vision limited to a tiny round window in a submarine. I didn't bother turning my head because there was nothing to look at. It was silent except for the loud fans, because I knew 5 minutes on my ipod would've only given me one song. I really hope the next few times we go, I can stay in for longer and gradually build up to the 20 minutes, which would mean about 5 songs. I'm still bummed that nothing happened today, but I read in a pamphlet that you need to be patient, and I guess it is safer to go a lot more for shorter times than damage my skin from being in too long just once. I really hope this works.

The other thing I'm hoping is not a bunch of bologna is their tanning lotion, which we did buy - one of the cheaper bottles, for $25. They said it helps your skin absorb the rays better. I don't know if that's true or not, but if you're gonna put it all over your body each time you go, that stuff is going to run out fast. I think it kinda smells good, but they said you end up stinking a little bit after you tan. Maybe that's why I thought I smelled something funny when I walked in the house, unable to identify what it was. My brothers didn't smell it though, so then I thought, "Oh yeah, maybe it's just me." Does this mean people who go tanning usually just go home afterwards? Because I wouldn't want to be walking around in public places if I smelled funny.

I did appreciate the tasty candy they put on my towel, the privacy of each room, and the helpfulness of the girl at the desk who answered our butt load of questions. The facility was nice, too, so I'll be happy to go back again the day after tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers this tanning thing actually works on my ivory skin, and I'll give ya'll an update in the next few weeks, because I know you're all dying to know how it turns out. Actually I bet the only people I know who would care probably don't read my blog, so whatever. I write for me most of the time. And that's it for today. See ya!

Love Poems

I have a secret obsession with love poems. Occasionally I'll get on a kick that sends me searching far and wide across the great span of the internet, reading anything and everything till I find delicious words to drink in that quench my thirst for that certain beauty of the written language. Sometimes I fancy old-fashioned poems that bend the rules of meaning and syntax, and sometimes I fancy not-too complicated modern poems that really just make me happy inside. Here is an example of one I found on a cool site called Daily Love, submitted by a brave high-schooler:


Good Morning
By Rachel Rubinstein

The lazy midmorning sun
has barely kissed the waiting sky
when he reaches his fingertips of pink light
into our window.
Silently we sleep,
bodies intertwined and souls
sharing secrets in the faint,
vivid world that is dreamland.
The day summons me, and I awaken
next to your perfect form.
I run my fingertips over the soft skin
that covers your entire body.
I move closer to you and we become one,
two lovers, two friends, together.
Your eyes drift open and your hand finds mine.
We do not speak, words have no place.
I understand you and gazing into your eyes
I transfer my love with
a kiss.
The sun sits proudly now on his throne
in the sky.
Reluctantly, you rise from bed to start the day.
You smile at me,
lift me out of bed,
and carry me away.
Time melts into nothingness,
all that distracts my senses is you.
Countless, mindless moments
Coming back down from our elation
you whisper to me,
“good morning, beautiful.”


See what I mean?

I actually surprised myself and wrote a poem for the first time in many years, just this evening. Rarely do I feel like the words in my brain will turn out right in poetry form, and even more rarely do I even attempt to use the genre for serious thoughts. Back when I was a young whippersnapper I could toss together comical rhymes on a whim, but the few times the poems actually had emotion ... they didn't come out so good. I even erased them from my memory. Tonight, though, my fingers went a'typing and now I have a one page document I would almost say I'm proud of, that will remain on my hard drive. Because honestly, it's a little too personal for the blog, and kind of cheesy and dramatic in the way that all love stories are. But I had to say it. I had to at least acknowledge to my internet journal that it happened, and when I want to read back that piece to myself or anyone I feel like sharing it with, I will know where to find it.

Puffy Dutch Baby Pancakes

No, these are not what you get when you step on a baby with a wooden shoe, they're a really yummy, magical cross between a pancake and a crepe. They're simple (no syrup), huge, and fun to look at while they rise and get bubbly in the oven. Oh yeah, and pretty tasty. This recipe comes from an old breakfast issue of Relish Magazine, and I've made it numerous times since.

2      tablespoons butter
1/2   cup 2% reduced fat milk
1/2   cup all-purpose flour
1/4   cup sugar
2      eggs
1      tablespoon bugger, softened
       Pinch nutmeg
       Lemon wedges
       Powdered sugar
       Fresh berries


1. Preheat oven to 425° F.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat, tilting to coat bottom and sides of pan.

3. Whisk together milk, flour, sugar, eggs, softened butter, and nutmeg in bowl. Pour into skillet. Cook 1 minute.

4. Place pan in oven and bake 12 - 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Squeeze lemon over top and sprinkle with powdered sugar and fresh berries. Cut pancakes in pan and serve with a spatula. Serve immediately. Serves 4.


Recipe notes: "Be sure to use an ovenproof skillet, and remember the handle will be very hot! Let the eggs sit at room temperature 10 minutes before making the pancake and have plenty of lemons on hand."


MY notes:
- Good berries to use are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Usually I go with two to three different kinds, and it's ok to use frozen berries as long as they are thawed out. Fresh are always better, though.
- Cinnamon sugar is also good on top, according to my little brother, if the pancakes are too plain for your liking.
- The first few times you make this, it's easier to whisk the ingredients together first, so you're not hurrying to get it done before the butter in the pan turns brown.
- 2 tablespoons of butter for the pan may be a little too much. Use whatever amount coats the pan well.
- The recipe says it serves four, but I can usually eat anywhere from one half to one whole pancake, depending on how hungry I am. So take that into account when you're making these.

(Prime puffiness, pre-powdered sugar & berries)

Another Random Survey

Questions chosen at random from a myspace survey website:

Did anything brighten up your day today?
A: Yes. 'Twas a good day in general, starting with receiving flowers from an amazing boy in honor of our one month anniversary. Some people might think it's silly to celebrate such a short amount of time, but I disagree, I think it's special.

What are you freakishly obsessed with?

A: This one's hard. I am mildly obsessed with a lot of things, but I suppose the worst might be always having to match my outfits perfectly, and that largely includes shoes and jewelry. Jeans and a t-shirt would seem like the easiest way to go, but if that t-shirt is not in color coordination with my earrings/rings and sneakers, then we have a dilemma. And yeah, I don't always just wear plain t-shirts, so sometimes this causes me great havoc in the morning. 

What is the last thing you did before bed last night?

A: Prayed. A lot. And before that, I had just gotten home from seeing Thor for the second time!

Do you ever wonder if the person standing next to you is a virgin or not?

A: What a random question! I might have wondered that once or twice, but not about strangers. Only if I was thinking about what I know about their life and relationships and was curious as to their extent/depth.

Do you believe that if you want something bad enough, you'll get it?
A: No. I think that's a rather naive outlook. To use the most extreme example, I could say I really want to inherit a million dollars, or I really want to meet Taylor Lautner (not really, this is just hypothetical), but there's no guarantee either of those things will happen. Even if you try hard enough, events of this world still operate partially on chance/luck, and sometimes things just don't work out the ideal way, regardless of all the steps you may take to succeed.

Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to?

A: Pretty close. I think that among the few closest men in my life, there is never no one that I can't tell something to. Of course I speak about different things with the different people, so each one can cover their own ground, in a way. And with some of them, maybe I would be hesitant to share something personal at first, but if I really had no one else to talk to, I could probably just take a leap and hope they receive it in the best way possible. And considering the character of the people I have in mind, it would probably work out well.

Are you currently looking forward to anything?

A: Yes! After a meeting today, I'm looking forward to the next semester of events at Intervarsity, and the planning process that's going to start this summer. Also our family's first cruise is coming up soon (less than a month! yikes. I need a tan.) so I'm stoked for that. And I really just can't wait till summer is full-blown and this stupid monsoon season is over. 

Where do you go when you need to just get away?

A: I'm still figuring this out. Last time that feeling came over me (blogged about it!), I really did just want to get as physically away as possible from my life, and I ended up in Evanston, Wyoming. Other times when it's not so bad I'll go for a shorter drive, or hide away in my room and listen to music. 

Would you prefer being locked in a room with your ex or your worst enemy?
A: What if my ex is my worst enemy, huh? Just kidding. I don't think I have any enemies, but if I did, I would prefer to be locked in a room with them instead, so we could hash out whatever crap is keeping us from getting along. If I were asked this a year ago, I might've answered with the ex, as if unresolved feelings could be worked out in that setting, yet in my logical mind now I hardly think that a few hours in solitary confinement with noted person would be enough to heal what only time does (did). 

What's something that can always make you feel better?
A: After thinking about this a lot, I've decided the answer would change depending on what was making me feel bad in the first place. My first response was going to be that I'll always feel better from hearing words of confirmation or thanks from my friends or family. Just a random text or something that reminds me I'm loved and appreciated. Then I realized that answer was tied to the unhappy memory of feeling lonely a lot in the past, whereas now I'm a lot less lonely and I could think of other things that would make me unhappy and require a different sort of ... "treatment." So yeah. Donuts are nice and all when I'm having a bad day, but they'd probably make me feel worse later on because they'd only be contributing to the collection of lard on my thighs. Maybe flowers, though. Yeah ... flowers are nice. :)

See how that just went full circle? Started and ended with receiving flowers. We'll just pretend that was an intentional literary device used to enhance my rhetoric. Or something ...

And that's a wrap! Peace out. 

Vision Improvements & Disney Architecture

Today I got my glasses in from Costco. First time I've ever had glasses in my life! It seems like everybody has problems seeing these days - I used to pride myself on the fact that I was one of the few who could say I don't wear contacts or use any other visual aide. But right now I'm pretty stoked about them, because I hadn't realized how much I was missing out on till now!

I wore them while driving to and from places today, and I'm continually astonished by the change in the blurriness of far-distanced things. I expected I would be able to read signs better, of course, but I didn't think about being able to see the actual details of things other than text. It came as a surprise to me when I placed the lenses on my head and immediately the first thing I saw was the criss-crossing in the chain-link fence more than a hundred feet away. Without glasses, things like that are just blurry to me; I never knew that it wasn't normal, that I could have the ability to make out details like the individual branches and leaves on the trees down the road. Even on the way home tonight, I could easily glance into the windows of people's homes I was passing and I felt like a creeper because every thing inside was distinguishable, as if I were spying on the inhabitants through binoculars.

Until I get used to them, these glasses might actually hinder more than help my driving, since I'm so amazed at how different my vision is that I keep taking them on and off, comparing the two, and all I want to do in the canyon is stare at the side of the mountains because they are so much prettier now that the fog is lifted from my eyes. It's hard to look at the road when there are so many cool things to admire everywhere else!

I also think the frames on my face are kinda cute. Well, naturally I was going to pick a style that I liked, but I'm sort of digging that librarian look on myself, if that's not too vain.

And the second thing I learned from this experience (besides how much I couldn't see before) is that my face is really short. They had to bend the ear hook things pretty close to the lenses themselves, so that they stick out far enough that when folded, they don't fit in the glasses case I was provided. We may have to do something about that.

The other noteworthy event from my day is that I finished my 3D Cinderella's Castle puzzle, which Scott helped me start on Monday. Towards the end it was a frustrating process, one in which the loony side of me started to emerge as I began talking to the puzzle itself, coaxing/threatening the pieces into staying right where they were instead of inching out of position, leading to possible destabilization of the whole thing. But overall it was really fun and rewarding. It had been a long time since I'd done an activity like that, where you get a sense of accomplishment after completing something difficult by yourself. Plus it gave me lots of quiet-time, which is kinda rare in this day and age, since it seems like there is always some sort of background noise going on. So yeah. Mission accomplished, and thanks to my boyfriend for helping me start it and actually enjoying that as a hangout activity! Here's the finished product (but for some reason it won't upload in the correct orientation, so you'll have to turn your head:

My Favorite New Things

I realize that it has been one week since I last posted. I seriously intended on writing but I never felt like it, and I hate forcing myself to write because it never comes out as good. Lots of cool stuff happened over the past 7 days, including my 90's themed 20th birthday party, actually turning 20!, a bonfire party, an awesome benefit concert, and spending good ol' time with the people I care a lot about. My summer is almost a month over, and for a summation of its progress so far, I've created a list of my new favorite things that have shown up during all this downtime without the hassle of school or a job.


* The Cooking Channel. More specifically, the show called Eat Street, which features food trucks based in major cities all across the country. Sadly Utah hasn't caught onto the trend yet, but I SOOO can't wait for the day that we do, because we are seriously missing out of on all this unique, gourmet food that's made in cute, traveling automobiles.

* The Sacred Romance, by Brent Curtis and John Eldridge. This is a book I'm reading about the romance God calls us to and the things that block our path of following it, such as the Arrows that pierce our heart starting at a young age, the doubt that creeps into everyone's mind about the reality of such a higher being, and the issues we sometimes have trusting that God has our best interests in mind. I can't say enough good things about this book. Besides the compelling subject that gets you thinking deeply every time you sit down with it, the book is very well written. Each chapter is dense with imagery and explanations, and the sentences are so deliciously constructed, it's as if they were dripping with sweet honey. Maybe that's just me admiring great literature written for the intelligent mind, but I sure do get a kick out of it.
Sometimes I have to reread paragraphs and sections just to soak up every last part of the message.


* Making my bed. I've been putting more effort into keeping my room consistently clean, and it just makes me feel a whole lot more civilized. That mainly entails making my bed and keeping my window seat as uncluttered as possible (normally it would be topped with piles of clothes). While these things don't happen every single day, I'm on a roll and I like it.


* Working out. I hate to say the complete opposite of the opinion I've kept all my life, but I really do like exercising. My routine now consists of walking/running on the treadmill and doing strength-building exercises afterwards, plus a good amount of stretching. I still have the hardest time forcing myself to start, but once my heart rate gets up and those endorphins start spilling out, all I want to do is keep going and going! Thankfully I know some exercises from dancing back in the day, but I may have to look up some new ones because I like branching out and I want to target difference muscles. So if you have any in mind ... you know where to find me.

* "Thor." It was the last movie I saw in theaters, and I can confidently say I was entertained throughout. Quality-wise, it wasn't the best, but I was pleased with its slightly comedic tone, and impressed by how well they integrated the fantasy world of the Norwegian gods and goddesses with the real world you and I live in. I expected the transitions between the two to be awkward, but I never noticed feeling that way when I was watching it. My family also appreciated pointing out the various subtle references to other superheros of the Marvel franchise, such as Ironman, his dad (Mr. Stark), the Hulk, and even a future Avengers character that I wasn't yet aware of, named Hawkeye.


* "Train Conductor" for the Iphone. I downloaded this game for free and immediately became addicted. It's one of those where you become obsessed with continually trying to beat your old score and get as many points as you can. In the game, train tracks line across the screen parallel to each other with numbers on both ends, and trains emerge randomly with the number of the track they need to end up on. Your task is to click and drag the trains to make new tracks that appear only to get them to their destinations, without letting any trains crash. It sounds pretty simple, but past the first few levels it gets really chaotic and fun, and you won't be able to help crying out in frustration when two trains crash and it's completely not your fault. (Although it will be, but it seems unfair that the game would put you in such a sticky position. This makes it challenging and oh-so-fun.)

I Can Ryde Motercyklez

Finally! After two years of wanting this, I made it happen. I took the basic rider motorcycle training course in my local area over the span of a Wednesday night, a Saturday, and a Sunday morning. And guess what? I passed! I now can go to the DMV and trade in my special certification card for a legitimate license! Here's a little bit about the experience:

Riding motorcycles is scary if you've never done it before. I didn't even know the basic parts of a motorcycle, or how they work, and I certainly haven't driven a manual car before, so the whole clutch and shift thing was new to me. Good thing we started out super basic and took tiny steps so it wasn't terribly hard to warm up to. While I was probably the only one there with absolutely no experience whatsoever, I was still embarrassed that for the first few crawls across the parking lot it was hard to even balance. You'd think it's just like riding a bike, but your posture is different and you have a lot more weight to keep track of, distributed in different areas. And then you have to figure out exactly how smoothly you need to roll on and off the throttle so you don't have jerking motions, and it's also surprisingly easy to stall the engine by letting out the clutch too fast. Or at least on my bike it was.

At the end of the first day I was doing pretty well, since I felt relatively comfortable turning and shifting, and my teacher said I was kicking butt. Some of the exercises on the second day were fun, too, but I started forgetting some of the basic rules (ease off the throttle while you try to shift) and things were a little shakier than I would've liked at times. The test came and went so fast, I didn't feel like we were adequately prepared during the extra practice time, but everyone ended up passing. The whole course was all executed in a parking lot, so I like to think I learned the skills required to operate a motorcycle, but definitely not ride one like I know how to drive a car. I still have to get up to speeds past 20 mph and handle sharper turns and bumpy roads, not to mention adding in traffic and having to signal for turns and stop at lights and stuff. Hopefully I can get a small motorcycle of my own soon and begin to practice - a lot - with people that know what they're doing. Because there's no way I'll be able to ride a motorcycle in town with confidence unless I spend a ton of time at least on some faster country roads, and just generally getting a better feel for riding.

Already I feel like I need to get back on a bike! The total time I spent riding was probably no more than 6 hours, and if I don't practice again soon I'm afraid I'll forget what I learned. But boy was it fun! I went into the class hoping, but not expecting, that I would like riding motorcycles. And for the first hour or two I wasn't sure if I did or not, but that all changed once I got the hang of it and started to feel like I was in control. It reminded me a lot of learning how to longboard. The process is a little iffy at first, but as soon as you feel like you're catching on and you can hold your own, you're just hooked. I still miss longboarding, and I wish I could start practicing again because I wanted to keep getting better and better. But this might just be a little more fun. Plus it's a better mode of transportation. I can't exactly longboard from my house to school (or anywhere, really).

A version of the bike I was riding

So yeah, that's all I have to say about that right now. If I had had time to write during the hours after I first rode on Saturday I would have had a lot more words, but already so many other things have happened and it's starting to fade in my memory.

And if one major 20s List item wasn't enough for one day, I also got to knock off "Bake a cake from scratch," when I expertly made a Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate Butter Frosting for Mother's Day/my birthday. For some reason, this was one of the easiest things on the list that I could've done at any point in the last year, but I had to wait till the very last minute to get it done. But I'm glad I finally did, and I think it turned out pretty well. Perhaps the recipe shall be posted later. But that's it for now! In the near future I shall be providing details about the 90s themed birthday party coming up tomorrow which I am very excited for. I will be 20 years old in less than an hour! OMG!! Goodbye, teens. We had a good time. 

Dear Mom

In honor of Mother's Day, this post is dedicated to my wonderful mom, Terri, whose love and protection for her family is one of the top strongest forces of this world, right up there on the list with such things as gravity, peer pressure, and the spell Wingardium Leviosa. Which, if you don't pay attention closely to Harry Potter, is the one that levitates things (pretty cool). 

An editorial I read in the local newspaper this week explained what moms truly desire as a gift on this special day - confirmation that they've done their job well. It's hard to imagine, but there is no handbook for raising children, or at least not for every single obstacle that comes up in each family's journey. I forget this fact sometimes because I've been raised by such good parents. Every piece of advice I've received from either of them has been delivered with confidence and optimism, regardless of whether or not they knew it was the right thing to say. Turns out my mom is pretty wise and I can't remember an instance where I didn't trust her words, so thank you, mom. 

Thank you for raising me with a strong moral foundation. Thank you for "sheltering" me, and putting me through private school, and taking us to church even though it wasn't customary for us until I entered fourth grade. Thank you for being the best example of a compassionate, nurturing, and forgiving human being. Not all lessons are learned through speaking and listening, some are just learned by watching. Ever since I can remember, whenever I was asked who my role model was for a school project or something, I couldn't think of anybody but my mom. I wanted to look up to a famous celebrity like the other kids, but I had something way better - a person whom I interacted with daily, who loved me and was my friend and teacher and disciplinarian all at the same time.

And the best part? Everyone knows the older you get, the more you realize your parents aren't perfect. It's a misconception we have as kids, and while I still continue to hold high opinions of both of them, I can now be aware of the struggles they go through in life. Nobody is fully matured by the time they start baby-making; seeing my parents handle conflict, make decisions they don't want to, and explore new beliefs and raw emotions that come with aging (not getting old!) - this is the process I enjoy at the current point in my life that shows me, again, by example, how to deal with the tough stuff. They still might be learning how to make and maintain friendships, or realizing which ones to let go of. They are still learning which financial decisions work best, and finding new hobbies or passions to enrich their lives. Many experiences I am going through right now are even shared by my mom - we're both back to searching for jobs, after working together at the same place for the past winter! And on top of all of that, parents are just kids grown up, who are now having to deal with scary things like taking care of their OWN moms and dads when health problems start to arise. 

Through all of these things and more, I've been noticing how much nobody ever knows the right thing to do in any situation, no matter how old or experienced. I want to thank my mom (and dad) for all the correct things I've been shown how to do, but also for letting me be a witness to their continuing life experiments and lessons learned. As my brothers and I become adults, I hope we can share in your joys, trials, and tribulations, and be YOUR shoulder to lean on whenever things get tough. Mom, you and I are already great friends, so I don't see this as being very difficult in the future. Thank you for everything you've done - especially birthing me in the first place, which I know wasn't the most pleasant thing, and without which I wouldn't even be here. 

1 Corinthians 13:13 says "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

When God created you, he gave you one of the biggest hearts I've seen, from which love pours forth on this family every day. I am blessed to be one of the recipients, and I can only pray with thanks that I inherited a small portion of your compassionate spirit. I love you, Mom, and hope you know how much you are appreciated on this day and everyday. 

Eye Need Help Reading

Praise the Lord that I can read this screen right now! I had an eye appointment today. For the first time ever my eyes were dilated, leaving me with the inability to focus on things closer than arm's distance, which was ever so annoying when I had to stop texting during the breaks of the appointment and wasn't able to play sudoku or do anything useful while waiting for the doctor to come back. I just stared at the wall in terror for 20 minutes. You know, since they always disappear and then you're left wondering if they forgot about you because they're taking so long. Except this time I was more like "Please come back because my eyes are freaking out and I really want you to just give me the exam and fix me so they go back to normal!" I knew the sunlight would kill me, but nobody informed me of the side effect of losing all focus on things close to you, so when I looked at the contraption to my right and couldn't see the numbers on the dial at all that were right in front of my face, I was instantly a little weirded out.

But the eye doctor was really nice and friendly. My dad recommended him, and I'm glad he did. I set up the appointment because it finally dawned on me after months of squinting in class, failing to read the numbers on the board, that I might need glasses. I had this same revelation a few years ago back in high school, where I DID have an eye exam but apparently I did well enough for them not to dilate my eyes, and send me home without a prescription. It must have gotten worse, though (maybe I don't get enough Vitamin A) because this time I did get the go-ahead, and I'm actually kind of excited to go pick out some glasses, and finally be able to read things that are far away. The doctor also said they'll help for driving at night, which is something I didn't think of, but I'm sure he's right and I'll be happy to benefit in that area as well.

I'm a little nervous to show up at the first round of my motorcycle course tonight with entirely black eyes. I'm definitely thankful I can read close-distance again, thus giving me the ability to take notes and such, but if anybody looks me in the eye they might run away in fear. My little brother is freaked out already, and I'll be honest, it does look a little demonish to me, too. Oh hey, did I mention I got blinded during the appointment today? The second time I had to put my face up to that thing where he shines light in your eyes real close, he must've turned on the brights, because I asked him, "How do people not get blinded by this?" He replied, "They do. Temporarily."

Ha. Ha. Thanks doc, that eased my nerves a whole bunch!

And has anyone else experienced the gross yellow liquid they put in your eyes first, that stings and makes your mascara run and your eyelids feel really sticky? My dabbing tissue ended up looking like it was used by both a greasy mechanic and an easter egg decorater, due to the yellow and black spots all over. But of course, none of that compares to the assault on my eyeballs from the sun when I walked outside, even with glasses on.  I know this is not new to many people, but I can't blog about my first dilation experience and not comment on those violent attacks that left me wanting to curl up in my car with a blanket over every window. And seriously, it HAD to be on the sunniest and most pleasant day of the season so far. Sheesh.

But it'll all be better tomorrow, right? And I'll get some cute frames and finally be able to understand the problems my professors are going over in class. Huzzah for eye appointments! Glad this time I actually got a good diagnosis.

Summer is ... Here Again!

Summer is ... Sleeping in everyday, waking to the sounds of chirping birds outside your window at 7 and rolling over to catch more z's.

Summer is ... Cruising along in your car and listening to happy pop country music, like Lady Antebellum's "Perfect Day."

Summer is ... Eating dinner at the normal time, with the sun still up and shining for a few more hours.

Summer is ... Going on adventures, like renting kayaks, exploring a beautiful and quiet lake, and then trying to pile them back on top of your car the same way the rec center people did.

Summer is ... Making fresh strawberries disappear by eating them all in one sitting, straight out of the carton.

Summer is ... NOT spending hours hanging out in a mall because why would you stay inside for that long when the weather is so nice?

Summer is ... Snowcones. :)

Summer is ... hiking along the Wasatch Front, stopping to eat fresh plums and make sandwiches on your favorite rock while looking at your entire hometown.

Summer is ... Getting into your car and feeling like you entered an oven by mistake, then blasting the AC to cool down while you get where you're going.

Summer is ... Making plans with friends completely last minute because you're all bored with nothing to do, but suddenly have an awesome idea, and nothing can get in the way.

Summer is ... Going to see the next Harry Potter movie at the midnight premiere.

Summer is ... Absorbing the sun's rays into your make-up free skin, and still feeling beautiful without mascara on.

Summer is ... Reading for hours outside on the deck, because you have time, and because - again - why would you want to be inside all day??


And finally, Summer is all of these things that appeared in picture form on my blog last year, around the same time, when I was in the similar transition phase of seeing the first signs of summer during spring and instantly being reminded of everything I love about my favorite season and look forward to in the months ahead: