This could have been a great day...

I feel like I've been robbed, dumped, run over, and rendered useless generally.

It could have been an epic day.  It started out with so much potential for greatness.  Spring weather, good night's sleep.

Then looked at the news about Chile (in case you live under a rock, read this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100227/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_chile_earthquake).  It makes my heart hurt.  I'm very thankful that the area is more prepared for such an event than Haiti was for theirs, but it's still a scary and heart-wrenching situation.  I've had a cousin and many friends serve missions in Chile and I know it must be so hard for them to wait for the news about the safety of friends.

After that crappy start to the day, I figuratively pulled myself up by my bootstraps and studied for my archaeology midterm which I had to start taking by noon so I could make it to the last home basketball game by 2pm.  I think I did pretty well on it, and was feeling like a champ as I headed over to the Marriott Center for the big game against New Mexico.  It was a close game the whole time, and the teams were within 3 points of each other the whole time.  The biggest lead was when we got up by 6 points for about 2 seconds.

And then the officials ceased officiating.  I have 6 brothers and a sister who have all played basketball.  I've been to almost every single home game while I've been in Provo.  I've watched a LOT of basketball, and it was the WORST officiating I have ever witnessed in my entire life.  I don't say that because we lost.  I say that because it's true.  I'm willing to admit when we are playing crappy, or the other team is playing well, but we were both playing well and we just got robbed by blind referees.  I'm still boiling about it.  It felt like the game was 5 on 8 instead of 5 on 5.  I'm not even upset toward NM (well, mostly...there was an awful lot of dirty play today boys).  They are a good team and showed it today as they sunk all the 3-pointers we couldn't.

I'm usually a pretty happy person.  I tend to get along with others even when we don't see eye to eye, or I lose, or someone gets hurt.  It takes a lot of crap to make me angry for reals, not just sad or disappointed or annoyed. There is one trigger that gets me going like nothing else, though, even in its smallest dose.

Unfairness.

I love playing games, but if we aren't playing fairly I'd rather be pulling weeds (trust me, that really means something).  It's never fun to play with a cheat.  If I lose, I lose because I didn't play as well as the winner and I'm over it.  If I ever play you at anything, please don't cheat.  I'll lose respect for you faster than I'll get mad about it, and it makes me mad fast.

I hate how anger makes me feel, but in the defense of justice, I think it's, well, justified.  It may be just a game, but it's still involves and element of morality. Basketball is included in that admonition to be "honest in all things."  Ok, moving on.

For all of you that have loved ones in danger around the world, either from health problems or natural disaster or broken heart, I'll keep praying for you and them.  Those are real problems that matter.

The Birthday Girl

It happened yet again.  And it was awesome!  Did I say my friends pull through, or did I say my friends pull through?  It all started with breakfast in bed--waffles from scratch, scrambled eggs, orange juice-- all prepared by my wonderful roommate Jackie and presented by all the roomies singing Happy Birthday.  I'd post the picture, but I make a point of never posting unflattering pictures of myself.

I skipped my morning exercise classes (one was canceled anyway) and went to the Provo Temple instead because I haven't been able to attend all semester due to my school/work schedule.  Back at home I took my time getting beautiful for the day (because you have to look beautiful on your birthday) and got a knock at the door from a delivery man who delivered a dozen beautiful roses from my parents!

I finally went to work and class.  I got lots of calls and messages all day from people who love me.  I was a little upset that my brother Danny didn't call me all day.... and then he surprised me and showed up with my friend Eric!  The boys and Eric's girlfriend Aura Maria took me out to Sammy's, a local burger joint. for my birthday dinner.  It was delicious!  Who needs cake when you can eat a pie shake?  This place literally takes a piece of homemade pie and sticks it in a blender with ice cream.  It's brilliant.  After dinner I returned home in time to be invited with some other people over for hot chocolate at one of the houses in my ward.  Word spread that it was my birthday and I got a special mixture of Orange Cream Hot Chocolate in the coveted Lord of the Rings mug and everyone sang Happy Birthday before I blew on the chocolate to cool it off as there were no candles handy.

Birthday hoopla didn't end there!  The next evening I went out with more of my favorite people ever:  Diane and Janae, my old Nauvoo roommates.  We went and redeemed food coupons I received for my birthday!  We hit up Baskin Robbins and Coldstone Creamery.  Janae had to leave after that, so only Diane and I made it to Red Robin for my free burger.

The festivities didn't end there either!  The next weekend my parents came to SLC for the Utah Dental Convention and they brought presents and took me out to dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.  Spoiled?  Yep.

 

For good measure we wound the weekend up with dinner at Los Hermanos with the aunts and uncles on Saturday where my cousin John was our server for the night.  Mom declared my birthday celebrations over.  However, I just received my Tucanos coupon in the mail for a free meal this month for my birthday, so I'll have to make room for at least one more party.... <|:-)

Yay for birthdays!

Welcome to February

It's February! That means it's almost my birthday! I love birthdays (one of my favorite things, remember?)! I don't know why. Probably because my family always made it special growing up. Spending my first birthday away from home in college was almost as traumatic as spending my first Thanksgiving away from home. Who was going to make me breakfast in bed? Make my bed? Take me to lunch? Make me a cake? Take me to dinner? Make me feel like a princess all day?

Lucky for me, I have awesome friends who take it upon themselves to make my birthdays special and they are pretty good at it.

* * *

While I'm on the subject, here is my unabashed list of birthday wishes:

• Permission to travel to Europe next summer
• Mat Kearny's "City of Black and White" CD
• Corinne Bailey Rae's "The Sea" CD
• Snickers Cake
• Strawberry crepes
• Permission to travel to Europe next summer
• A routine maintenance checkup for my car
• Seasons 1 and 2 of "This American Life" TV series
  
• World peace

That's not too much to ask, is it?